I frequently use ChatGPT when writing blog articles. My most common prompt for this large language model is, “Please rewrite this sentence for clarity and grammar using the active voice.”
As I’ve used this tool, I’ve learned that it won’t enhance a poorly written sentence or correct false information.
Ultimately, the output is dependent on the quality of the input provided.
God employed a similar principle with Israel in the 8th century B.C. He expected them to incorporate righteousness, steadfast love, and a desire to seek Him into their lives.
Instead, they integrated wickedness, injustice, lying, and trust in the idol of military prowess.
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
You have plowed wickedness;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your chariots,
in the multitude of your warriors. (Hosea 10.12-13)
God’s desire for His people to incorporate righteousness, steadfast love, and a desire to seek Him is not some arbitrary requirement.
Rather, He is providing us with the principles that make for the best life possible.
When we introduce wickedness, injustice, dishonesty, and idols into our lives, we damage ourselves with those elements.
We can look at the great sorrow and tragedy in the world and see the consequences of decisions based on wickedness, injustice, and dishonesty.
Paul’s Input-Output Illustration
Paul drew a parallel to Hosea’s teachings, focusing on the influence of life choices and their resulting outcomes.
He started by examining the deeds of the flesh.
In biblical terms, “flesh” describes a life led without God’s guidance. When we detach from God and prioritize our desires and willfulness, these actions will be present in our lives.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions,
Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Galatians 5.19-21).
If we analyze the lists provided by both Paul and Hosea, we find behaviors that shatter human lives, inflict harm upon us, and bring immeasurable pain to the world.
In the Bible, a fool is defined as someone who thinks they won’t be held accountable for their actions. They might profess to know God, yet they behave as if no God exists to hold them accountable for the harm they cause to human life.
Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt; they do abominable deeds;
there is no one who does good. (Psalm 14.1)
Paul says, “Not so” to the fool. If you live apart from God and engage in this behavior you will have no part in God’s kingdom.
I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5.21).
There is a different input we can add to our lives: the willingness to live by the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Consider Paul’s list of the qualities characterizing a life led by the Spirit. Imagine the world we would inhabit if most of us chose to live guided by the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5.22-23).
Hosea and Paul both challenge us to reflect on the kind of input we are incorporating into our lives.
Returning to the example of how I sometimes input wrong information into ChatGPT, I always can revise and resubmit my input.
The same goes for our lives. When we realize we’ve devoted too much energy to the “flesh,” we can pause, repent, and once again embrace living in harmony with the Holy Spirit.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 