What steps can we take to confront sin in our lives like Jehu? The Unsettling Question (2 Kings 9:22) “‘Have you come in peace, Jehu?’ ‘How can there be peace,’ he replied, ‘as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?’” Jehu’s answer tells us that peace is impossible while sin remains unchallenged. His zeal offers a pattern for dealing with personal sin. Step 1: Adopt God’s Definition of Peace and Sin • Real peace is the fruit of holiness (Isaiah 48:22; Hebrews 12:14). • Let Scripture, not feelings, define sin (Psalm 119:11; Romans 3:20). • Pray Psalm 139:23-24, inviting the Lord to search every motive. Step 2: Name the Sin Without Softening It • Jehu called idolatry and witchcraft what they were. • Be specific: envy, lust, bitterness, pride (Colossians 3:5-8). • Confession means saying the same thing God says (1 John 1:9). Step 3: Expose the Root — Idolatry of the Heart • Behind every outward act is a misplaced love (Ezekiel 14:3). • Ask, “What am I trusting, fearing, or desiring more than God?” • 1 Thessalonians 1:9 shows true repentance: “to serve the living and true God”. Step 4: Act Decisively and Completely • Jehu destroyed Ahab’s house and the Baal temple (2 Kings 10:18-28). • Jesus urges radical action: “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off” (Matthew 5:30). • Delete the app, end the relationship, trash the idol—do whatever obedience requires. Step 5: Remove the Altars and Close the Doorways • Jehu burned the Baal pillars; he didn’t store them “just in case.” • Ephesians 4:27: “Do not give the devil a foothold”. • Establish new habits: Scripture intake, worship, fellowship (Acts 2:42). Step 6: Guard Against Partial Obedience • Jehu tolerated the golden calves at Bethel and Dan (2 Kings 10:29-31). • Half-measures leave strongholds intact; Saul learned this in 1 Samuel 15. • James 1:22 warns against hearing without doing. Step 7: Maintain Zeal Through Ongoing Surrender • Romans 13:12: “So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”. • Daily reckon yourself dead to sin, alive to God (Romans 6:11). • Cultivate accountability (Hebrews 3:13) and Spirit-filled dependence (Galatians 5:16). Following Jehu’s decisive example—yet avoiding his later complacency—we confront sin by naming it, uprooting it, and replacing it with wholehearted obedience to Christ. |
    |