Pod Insights Brick City Podcasts Words of Inspiration - The Company You Keep About this episode Just as Israel's moral compass became so distorted that they couldn't distinguish right from wrong, our culture increasingly calls evil good and good evil. The result is the same chaos we see in Judges – confusion, conflict, and suffering.
Transcript 0:37 Speaker 00 Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host, Elgin Kerelock. The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, and learning how to apply it to our daily lives. You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast. And now, here's Elgin.
1:02 Speaker 01 Brothers and sisters, I welcome you, in the name of Yeshua Ha'amasheah, to another episode of Words of Inspiration, where we examine how the people around us shape our moral compass and our spiritual journey. And today, we're diving into one of the most sobering passages in Scripture, a time when an entire society lost its ability to distinguish right from wrong. Today's episode is titled, "The Company You Keep." If you've ever wondered how cultures can become so morally confused that they call evil good and good evil,
1:46 Speaker 01 today's message will provide biblical insight into this tragic phenomenon, and more importantly, show us how to maintain moral clarity in a confused world. Let us pray. Father God, we live in a time when truth seems relative and morality appears to be a matter of personal preference.
2:09 Speaker 01 We confess that we're often influenced more by the voices around us than by your unchanging word. Lord, we need your wisdom to navigate a world that has abandoned absolute truth. Holy Spirit, be our guide and our anchor. Help us to think clearly about moral issues while standing firm on biblical principles. Guard our hearts from the moral confusion that surrounds us and make us beacons of your truth in a dark world. In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen. The book of Judges ends with a haunting refrain that appears twice. "In those days there were no kings in Israel.
2:54 Speaker 01 Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." This phrase in Judges 17 and 6, and 21 and 25 are some of the most horrific stories in Scripture. Consider the narrative of Judges 19 through 21. A Levite's concubine is brutally assaulted and murdered by men from the tribe of Benjamin. When the other tribes demand justice, Benjamin refuses to hand over the criminals. This leads to a civil war that nearly destroys an entire tribe of Israel. The story concluded with the remaining tribes helping Benjamin survive by providing wives
3:38 Speaker 01 through violence and deception. What's most striking isn't just the horror of these events, but how an entire society reached the point where such evil seemed normal. When people abandoned God's standards and chose to follow their own hearts, they progressively lost their ability to think clearly about right and wrong. The repeated phrase, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes," reveals the root problem. When personal feelings and preferences become the ultimate moral authority, chaos inevitably follows.
4:18 Speaker 01 Brothers and sisters, we're living in similar times now. Our culture has embraced the philosophy of "follow your heart and live your truth" as the highest virtue. We're told that feelings are facts, that personal experience trumps objective truth, and that questioning someone's subjective reality is the greatest sin. But Scripture warns us about this very thing. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Proverbs 14:12 reminds us, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end,
5:03 Speaker 01 it leads to death." When societies abandon God's standard, they don't become more enlightened, they become more confused. We see this in contemporary debates over gender identity, where biological reality is denied in favor of subjective feelings. We see it in discussions about abortion, where the value of human life becomes a matter of personal choice rather than divine design. We see it in conversations about sexuality, where God's clear design for human flourishing is dismissed as outdated. Just as Israel's moral compass became so distorted that they couldn't distinguish right
5:47 Speaker 01 from wrong, our culture increasingly calls evil good and good evil. The result is the same chaos we see in judges: confusion, conflict, and suffering. So how do we maintain biblical thinking in a world that has abandoned biblical truth? How do we stay anchored to God's standard when everyone around us is drifting? Let me share three essential principles. Number one, ground yourself in God's unchanging Word. Psalm 119:1-5 reads, "Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
6:33 Speaker 01 In a world of shifting moral standards, Scripture must be our fixed point for reference. When the culture says, "Follow your heart," God says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Regular systematic Bible study isn't just helpful, it's essential for moral clarity. When you know what God says about life, sexuality, justice, and truth, you won't be swayed by every new cultural trend. Make Scripture reading a daily discipline, not an occasional activity.
7:12 Speaker 01 Number Two Choose your community carefully. 1 Corinthians 15 and 33 reads, "Don't be deceived; bad company corrupts good character." The people around you will either strengthen your conviction, or weaken them. Israel's moral decay happened gradually as they adopted the practices of their pagan neighbors. If you're constantly surrounded by voices that contradict Bible truth, you'll slowly begin to question what you once held firmly. This doesn't mean we become isolated from unbelievers, but it does mean we need a core community of believers who will encourage us in biblical thinking.
7:58 Speaker 01 Join a Bible-believing church. Find a small group. Cultivate friendships with mature Christians who will challenge you to grow in godliness. And finally, test everything against Scripture. 1 Thessalonians 5 and 21 reads, "Test all things; hold fast what is good." When the culture presents new ideas about morality, don't just accept them because they sound compassionate or progressive. Test them against Scripture. Ask yourself, "What does God's Word say about this issue?" The Bereans in Acts 17 and 11 were commended because they received the message with great
8:42 Speaker 01 eagerness and examined Scripture every day to see if what Paul said was true. If they tested the Apostle Paul's teachings against Scripture, how much more should we test our culture's messages?
8:57 Speaker 01 Being led by the Spirit during times of moral confusion means several things. It means praying for discernment. Ask God to help you see clearly when issues are clouded by emotion or cultural pressure. The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth, found in John 16 and 13. It means maintaining humility while holding firm convictions. You can love people deeply while still believing that God's ways are best. The Spirit enables us to speak truth and love, found in Ephesians 4 and 15.
9:38 Speaker 01 And finally, it means focusing on your assignment rather than trying to fix the whole world. God has placed you in specific relationships and circumstances where you can be salt and light. Be faithful there and trust Him with larger cultural issues. Here's the encouraging truth. Even in the darkest periods of Israel's history, God was still working. The book of Judges ends in chaos, but it's immediately followed by the story of Ruth, a beautiful picture of redemption and faithfulness.
10:17 Speaker 01 God specializes in bringing light into darkness, order into chaos, and hope into despair. When you stand firm on biblical truth, you become part of God's solution to our culture's moral confusion. Remember, your goal isn't to win every argument or to change every mind. Your goal is to be faithful to God's calling on your life, to think biblically about moral issues, and to let your life be a testimony to the beauty of God's design. Heavenly Father, we thank you that your Word is a firm foundation in a shaking world. When everything around us seems to be shifting,
11:00 Speaker 01 you remain the same yesterday, today, and forever. Help us to be people of biblical conviction in a culture of confusion. Give us courage to stand for truth when it's unpopular, wisdom to engage with love when it's difficult, and faith to trust you when outcomes are uncertain.
11:23 Speaker 01 Holy Spirit, be our guide and our strength. Help us to think clearly about issues and live consistently with your word. Use us as lights in the darkness, pointing others to the hope that only can be found in Jesus Christ. In his name we pray, amen. I thank you for joining me on today, and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow. Until then, God bless.
11:59 Speaker 00 The Bible Speaks is sponsored by C Squared Realty and New Gen Construction Group to help spread the gospel to the corners of the earth. If anything you've heard poured into your life, please share it with someone. You can find The Bible Speaks on Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and many more. Follow us on YouTube at The Bible Speaks Online. You may contact Elgin at PO Box 5582, Ocala, Florida 34478, or by email at [email protected] .
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