In Exodus chapter twenty-three, verse twenty-four, God sends a message to the Israelites about not bowing down or following the way of life by the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, Canaanites, and the Jebusites but rejecting it. God commanded the people not to adopt the religions or to conform to the morals or societies around them. A clear message of not to bow down to their gods: not honor them, doing them reverence, expressing thereby high esteem of them, trust in them, and expectation of good things from them. Israel failed to observe this requirement; as a result, the protection by the Lord did not abide with them.
Under the new covenant, believers who conform to the worldly environment will forfeit their promises and protection of God. We cannot have God’s blessings and presence and simultaneously participate in the sinful ways of society. Believers are on the inside with God or the outside with the world. There is a saying, “cross at the green, and not in between.” The danger for the person who decides to be in the middle will have double-trouble with either side.
Following randomly after someone or a group of people is careless because you do not know the actual direction that you’re heading. A person that follows the ways of the world knows the choice they currently made and will declare it. However, a believer that decides to turn or backslide to mimic society will realize they lost favor with God. In revelation chapter three, verse sixteen, Jesus says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of thy mouth.” Lukewarm for a cup of coffee is awful. Either we drink it hot or not. Accept it or reject it. Their works will only lead to them becoming our works if we do not repent.