Jesus made this statement in Matthew 16:4, ESV, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” He was talking about recognizing the times in which you live. In that day, the Pharisees and Sadducees could recognize the natural signs pointing to natural weather related events, but they were unable to see what was right in front of them — their own sinful conduct, they were part of an evil and adulterous generation. That challenges me. Why?, you might say. Because I wonder: Do I recognize the signs of this generation? Candidly, I question whether we do. That’s what I’d like to talk about in this post.
On my broadcast, The Prophet’s House, (which can be viewed on Youtube here) I’ve been prophetically talking about a relevant scripture for this time, Zephaniah 2:11, Berean Standard Bible, “The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.” As the Apostle Paul stated to the Athenians, so he states to us, “Although God overlooked the ignorance [their idolatry] of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.” Acts 17:30, Berean Standard Bible. God really expects mankind to turn from and repent of idolatry, any idolatry in their lives.
Idolatry is sin. Idol worshippers are sinning against God. In fact, it’s a form of adultery. Adultery can be sexual. But it can also be spiritual. The Apostle Paul said, “covetousness [] is idolatry”. Colossians 3:5. Further, when the prophet Samuel was speaking with King Saul, he said, “stubbornness is as idolatry”. 1 Samuel 15:23, ERV. The Hebrew word for stubbornness is translated in different versions with these words: arrogance, pride, insubordination, defiance, presumption, and disobedience. Each word brings into light the sin of idolatry. Adding that to greed or covetousness, we have a pretty good idea of what idolatry is…and we are told to “flee from idolatry.” 1 Corinthians 10:14.
The Apostle James, speaking to the Church, says, “You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” James 4:4, New Heart English Bible. The Apostle James wrote that statement to New Testament saints. In other words, you can be a New Testament saint who falls in love with the world and departs from Christ. The Apostle Paul writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, of another son in the faith, Demas, “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” 2 Timothy 4:10, ESV. Yes, the Apostle Paul had men and women he knew and trusted who departed from the faith, for they chose to fall in love with the world (after witnessing genuine apostolic authority).
Sometimes, it’s not the messenger. Often, it’s the receiver of the message who doesn’t like the message spoken by God. What is His message to us today? It’s the same as it was when the Apostle Paul wrote it in Acts 17:30, Berean Standard Bible, God “commands all people everywhere to repent”. From what? Our adulterous ways. God is a jealous God. Exodus 20:5. Friendship with the world is an act of spiritual adultery, according to the Apostle James. Today, in this era of movements, there’s much talk about sexual sin. But there’s little talk of adultery. Why? Because we are a nation of adulters — in several areas: sexually, mentally, and spiritually.
There’s one solution for our sin. What is that? What Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:11, NIV. Can anyone judge us for our adulterous ways? Again, Jesus asked the woman caught in adultery, “[W]here are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” John 8:10, NKJV. Her response: “No one, Lord”. John 8:11, Berean Standard Bible. Yes, we can repent. We can turn from our sin. We can choose righteousness. We can stop engaging in adultety: sexual, mental, and spiritual. We can follow God’s command: “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable sins.” Ezekiel 14:6, NLT.
Yes, even in the midst of an evil and adulterous generation, there is still a sign pointing the way to repentance, restoration, righteousness, and redemption — the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Jesus said to His generation, so He says to ours, “[T]he only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” Matthew 12:39-40, NLT. Jesus’s resurrection stands against the backdrop of our unbelief and says to us, “What I said is true. I Am God. There is no other god. Follow Me!”
The only question: What will your response be?
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