How can we identify and resist "detestable customs" in modern society? Key Verse Deuteronomy 18:9: “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable practices of those nations.” What Makes a Custom “Detestable” • Anything God directly forbids (Leviticus 18:30). • Practices that elevate created things above the Creator (Exodus 20:3–5). • Activities rooted in the occult or false spirituality (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). • Behaviors that degrade God’s design for life, sexuality, family, or justice (Romans 1:24–32). • “Fruitless deeds of darkness” that cannot stand the light of Christ (Ephesians 5:11). Spotting Detestable Customs in Today’s Culture • Idolatry re-packaged as celebrity worship, brand obsession, or self-exaltation (1 John 2:16). • Occult curiosities—horoscopes, crystals, tarot, “manifesting,” spiritism (1 John 4:1). • Sexual immorality celebrated in entertainment, advertising, and legislation (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5). • Violence against life—abortion, euthanasia, exploitation, trafficking (Psalm 139:13–16). • Greed and materialism masking covetousness (Colossians 3:5). • Moral relativism that calls evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). Scriptural Grid for Testing Any Custom 1. Does it clearly violate a command of God? (Exodus 20; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10) 2. Does it hinder the renewal of my mind? (Romans 12:2) 3. Does it produce the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh? (Galatians 5:19–23) 4. Does it glorify Jesus as Lord? (1 Corinthians 10:31) 5. Would participation cause a weaker believer to stumble? (Romans 14:13–15) Practical Steps to Resist • Fill your mind daily with Scripture—“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) • Pray for discernment and strength; walk by the Spirit and “you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) • Set clear boundaries on media, friendships, and venues that normalize sin (Psalm 1:1). • Stay accountable within a Bible-honoring church community (Hebrews 10:24–25). • Expose darkness with gracious truth, not silence (Ephesians 5:11). • Replace the counterfeit with the real—worship, service, generosity, purity (Philippians 4:8–9). Encouragement from Christ’s Example Hebrews 4:15: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every way has been tempted as we are, yet was without sin.” • Jesus faced every worldly lure yet kept perfect obedience. • His victory supplies both the pattern and the power for ours (2 Peter 1:3). Living Separate Yet Influential 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” • Separation is not isolation; it positions us to shine (Matthew 5:14–16). • By refusing detestable customs and embracing holy living, believers display the beauty and authority of God’s kingdom in a culture that desperately needs true light. |
    |