We will review some things learned from Jeremiah. First, just because people are called God's people by the world or themselves doesn't mean that they are. The people of Judah were God's chosen people in name, but they were worshipping false gods. Being God's people means being a a covenant relationship with Him and being obedient to that relationship by obeying His word. We also need to realize that God will not allow sin, even the sins committed by those who profess to be His people, to go unpunished forever. The people of Judah felt secure in their status as God's people even as they worshipped idols. We cannot claim the security of Christ while at the same time worshipping other gods or idols, whether it be a real man-made idol or simply the material things of the world. God sent Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah and Jerusalem that He was about to allow them to be deflated because of their idolatry. I don't believe that we will ever be able to allow sin and idolatry back into our lives as Christians and not be warned by God that this will bring consequences. We also see that the leaders of Judah, both religious and governmental, claimed that Jeremiah was wrong, and even imprisoned him at times. We need to realize that if we call ourselves a Christian nation, we must always listen to God, and this begins by being in a covenant relationship with Him individually. Salvation does not come by a national declaration, but a personal relationship with God on the part of each individual in that nation. If religious or governmental leaders declare anything different, then we should never listen to them but to God. As Jeremiah found out, declaring God's word can sometimes lead us into dangerous situations, but we must never waver in proclaiming His word. God always told Jeremiah what to say and do, just as He will us today if we are truly one of His people through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and there is no other way to be one of His people.
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