Deuteronomy 18:9
“When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations”.
The people were to be separate. God had been their god for centuries. He was in the process of expanding Judaism to them. They were entering a new land and weren’t to adopt anything from their neighbors that was contrary to their faith.
When we come to Christ, our chief allegiance is to Him. We have obligations to family, friends, jobs, school, community and our government. We are to keep those. However, our primary obedience is to The Lord.
We usually choose our friends by our common values and priorities. I can recall friend sampling in middle and high school. The friendships that last had things in common and didn’t violate those things we thought important.
The verse says not “to imitate the detestable things”. There are things we are to avoid. These are practices that christians shouldn’t be involved in. It doesn’t mean we won’t fall or stumble in them. It won’t be our lifestyle.
The scripture goes as far as to say that we aren’t to associate with christians that practice these things (1 Corinthians 5:11). We are to point it out to them with all humility (Galatians 6:1). If it weren’t for the grace of God, “there go I”.
God wants us to avoid such things for our good. He created us and knows what’s best for us. Those things would be bad for us and bring us grief. We might be frustrated with such limitations, but in time, it makes sense. The laws that God gave the jews kept them from plagues throughout the centuries. They didn’t have the science to understand the risks. The obeyed God, even though they didn’t understand the potential evils. We need to obey, even though our understanding isn’t complete.
Lord, thank You that You guide us away from harm. Give us the strength to resist those things. Help us to encourage one another.