Deuteronomy 13

Chapter 13 continues from the end of chapter 12, into idolatry.

The penalty for idolatry was the same whether you were a foreigner or Israelite, and it was death. This isn't an easy teaching, but being a Christian isn't easy. It's about making sure that God is first in our lives, and that's the cost of being one of God's people, otherwise known as a disciple.

It's very similar to Luke 24, when Jesus asks people wanting to follow Him if they hate their relatives. Now, the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself, so clearly hatred towards your closest family isn't what He's talking about.

God has to come first. Purity and obedience matter.