“It may be that there is among you a man or a woman, or a family or tribe, whose heart is already turning away from the Lord our God to serve the gods of those nations. It may be that there is among you a root sprouting poisonous and bitter growth” (Deuteronomy 29:18). It is hard for us to hear a word that describes alternate religions as poisonous and bitter; but the text gives us even harder words after that.

A person might say, “We are safe even though we go our own stubborn ways” (29:18). We might decide to be guided by the idea, “Let your conscience be your guide,” or perhaps “It doesn’t matter what people believe, as long as they’re sincere.” But the text vigorously rejects that way of thinking. If people choose an alternate path, “the Lord will be unwilling to pardon them, for the Lord’s anger and passion will smoke against them. All the curses written in this book will descend on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven” (29:20).

Because of our unhappy history of religious battles large and small, we are inclined to downplay the importance of religious convictions, wanting to hope that if we do, then maybe everyone can just get along. But that won’t work. We’ll always find a reason to fight, if fighting is what we want to do. And it is not harmless to suppose “following the dictates of my heart” will lead me to virtue. My heart is fickle. Sometimes (perhaps a few times a year) it is genuinely godly; sometimes (most every day) it is selfish; sometimes it is hypocritical (too many times to count).

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It is all about faithfulness to you, Lord. Protect us from the easy dismissiveness that says it doesn’t matter what we believe or how we live. Convict us of the truth. Give us a hunger for your word, and a longing for communion with you. May our hearts be steadfast in following you, forever.

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