Tag: Fool

51.r. Wilderness – 15.x. “So you shall purge the evil from your midst”

 

Deu 21:18-21  “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

 Proverbs 22:15    Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

 Isaiah 1:2   Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.

 Proverbs 15:5  A fool despises his father’s instruction

 Proverbs 20:20    If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

 Ezekiel 22:7    Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.

This does not mean a small child, or even a young teen – but a son past the age of accountability, who sets himself in determined rebellion against his father and mother. The parents must have done a good job raising the son, calling him to obedience, and chastening him as appropriate before the LORD. Such a stubborn and rebellious son was to be put on trial before the elders of the city. If they determine him to be chronically rebellious, then the son was to be stoned to death. The parents had to take the boy to the elders of the community; not only because the decision of life or death should be taken out of their direct hands, but because the guilt of the stubborn and rebellious son was not only against his parents, but against the whole community. He sowed the seeds for cultural suicide in Israel.

This law was clearly intended to protect the social order of ancient Israel. No society can endure when the young are allowed to make war against the old. “If such a law were in force now, and duly executed, how many deaths of disobedient and profligate children would there be in all corners of the land!”  (Guzik)

 Disobedience to a parent’s authority must be very evil, when such a punishment was ordered; nor is it less provoking to God now, though it escapes punishment in this world. But when young people early become slaves to sensual appetites, the heart soon grows hard, and the conscience callous; and we can expect nothing but rebellion and destruction. (Henry)

The character of such a son follows, and by which it may be known that he is stubborn and rebellious; stubborn in his nature, and rebellious in his actions; behaves contrary to the laws of God, and the instructions of his parents; what he should do, that he does not; and what he should not do, that he does; will not do what is commanded him, and will do what is forbidden him, notwithstanding all counsels, admonitions, and corrections given him: which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother; is disobedient to the commands of either of them. (Gill)

Without God in the families disobedience will flourish. Without God in our schools foolishness will expand. Without God in our country judgment awaits.

43.e. “Wilderness” – 7.l. Sinai – “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”

 

Exodus 20:16  “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

 Leviticus 19:16    You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.

 Psalms 101:5-7    Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.  I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.  No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes

 Proverbs 10:18   The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.

 Proverbs 11:13   Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

 Ephesians 4:31    Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 James 4:11    Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.

In an extended sense, we can break the ninth commandment through slander, tale bearing, creating false impressions, by silence, by questioning the motives behind someone’s actions, or even by flattery. The New Testament puts it simply. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. Lying and false representations belong to the old man, not to the new life we have in Jesus. Satan is always there to encourage a lie, he is the father of all lies. (Guzik)

The ninth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour’s good name. This forbids speaking falsely on any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising or designing to deceive our neighbour. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to hurt his reputation. Bearing false witness against him, or in common conversation slandering, backbiting, and tale-bearing; making what is done amiss, worse than it is, and in any way endeavouring to raise our reputation upon the ruin of our neighbour’s. How much this command is every day broken among persons of all ranks! (Henry)

Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Neither publicly in a court of judicature, by laying things to his charge that are false, and swearing to them, to his hurt and damage; nor privately, by whispering, tale bearing, backbiting, slandering, by telling lies of him, traducing his character by innuendos, sly insinuations, and evil suggestions, whereby he may suffer in his character, credit, and reputation, and in his trade and business. (Gill)

We may think it is far from us to bear false witness against another, but surely our society looks favorably upon it. Look at social and news media outlets. A good journalist can easily destroy the life of any person with both their mouth and pen. Day after day you read it and hear it and even expect it. It almost becomes so natural that it seems right and ok to do. There is nothing subtle about it. Twisting words and actions of others to fit a narrative and opinion is common. It is still wrong. It is equally bad to tell a lie by calling it the truth or tell a truth and have it called a lie about a person. Both are false and designed to harm someone in character or financially or both. As Christians, we see it wrong and doubt this type of sander and falseness would come from our mouths. 

Repeating gossip is a form of false witness. How many divisions in our churches have evolved because of this type of behavior? Did you hear……..? I think we should pray for ……… I just heard.  Did you know that ……. cheats on his wife? Did you know that our pastor did……..? I heard that……. get’s drunk every night. And the list goes on and on. Soon the reputation and character of that person is destroyed. Unless we might get too comfortable and say we do not do this at church or with church members, can it be said about us that we don’t do it at our place of employment? Do we cause harm to our witness and to the honor and glory of Jesus Christ because we allow ourselves to be caught up in social norms?  

Will what I say honor and glorify Jesus Christ? Should I repeat what I have heard? Discernment is a gift from God. Oh, that we would seek all we read and hear through the filter of God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Don’t become blind to the ease at which our culture and society have approved bearing false witness in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts. Pray that God would lead you in proper discernment, speech, and deeds that Honor and Glorify Jesus Christ. 

When we intentionally choose and commit to honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do our discernment and control of our thoughts, tongues, and actions will follow.

41.h. “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?”

 

 

Exodus 5:1  Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.”

 2 Kings 18:35     Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

 2 Chronicles 32:15   Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’”

 Psalms 10:4   In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

 Psalms 12:4    those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

 Psalms 14:1   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

 Romans 1:28   And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

 Jeremiah 44:16-17    “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.

The fundamental demand of God to Pharaoh (through His messengers Moses and Aaron) was freedom for His people. God asserted that Israel belonged to Him, not Pharaoh; and therefore, that they should be free. Those who belong to God should be free, not bound. Moses relayed the demand God first gave him back at Exodus 3:18. God presented the smaller request to Pharaoh first so that the request would be as appealing and as easy to accept as possible. He did this so Pharaoh would have no excuse at all for refusing God and hardening his heart. (Guzik)

Pharaoh treated all he had heard with contempt. He had no knowledge of Jehovah, no fear of him, no love to him, and therefore refused to obey him. Thus Pharaoh’s pride, ambition, covetousness, and political knowledge, hardened him to his own destruction. What Moses and Aaron ask is very reasonable, only to go three days’ journey into the desert, and that on a good errand. We will sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Pharaoh was very unreasonable, in saying that the people were idle, and therefore talked of going to sacrifice. (Henry)

The request was put in this form to try Pharaoh, and that he might be the more inexcusable in refusing to grant what was so reasonable. (Gill)

A hardened heart can be softened or made more hard by the Word of God. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) The Word of God is Light unto the soul receptive to it. The eyes to their hearts and minds are not closed even though they are walking in darkness.  When the Light of the Gospel is flamed they see it and run toward it to get out of the darkness that has given them no satisfaction or comfort. However, there are those whose eyes are purposely closed. They are not searching for Light. They are content in darkness and choose to live it in.  Should the Light be flamed before their very eyes they do not see it. 

We do not know how or when the Light of God’s Word will soften a hardened and blinded soul. God’s Word can soften the most hardened soul of whom we would think it not possible.  Likewise, it can harden the softest heart that chooses to reject it. The mystery of the power of God’s Word never ceases to amaze me.  I am in awe of its power. Let us never be so careless as to think the Word of God is powerless against the vilest of people.  As we pray for those who walk in darkness, (family, friends, neighbors, leaders) let it be in line with God’s Word softening their hearts and minds to the Savior and the Good News of the Gospel, with receptive hearts to the salvation of their souls.

33.u. “So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God”

 

Matthew 16:24  Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

 1 Peter 4:2    so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

 John 12:25     Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

 Acts 20:24    But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

 Job 27:8   For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?

 Luke 12:20    But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

 Mark 8:37    For what can a man give in return for his soul?

The cross wasn’t about religious ceremonies; it wasn’t about traditions and spiritual feelings. The cross was a way to execute people. Everyone knew that the cross was an unrelenting instrument of death. The cross had no other purpose. We have done a pretty good job in sanitizing and ritualizing the cross. “Cross bearing does not refer to some irritation in life. Rather, it involves the way of the cross. “Denying self is not the same as self-denial. We practice self-denial when, for a good purpose, we occasionally give up things or activities. But we deny self when we surrender ourselves to Christ and determine to obey His will.”

Human nature wants to indulge self, not deny self. Death to self is always terrible, and if we expect it to be a pleasant or mild experience, we will often be disillusioned. Death to self is the radical command of the Christian life. To take up your cross meant one thing: you were going to a certain death, and your only hope was in resurrection power. (Guzik & Wiersbe)

Death is a friend no one wants but is always no more than one heartbeat or breath away from every single person born. We may deny it is with us at all times. We deny it has a time of its choosing to end our earthly life. We see it as a friend very close to others but not close to us. As hard as we may try to mask death’s inevitable fate for us we still will die and face eternity. Jesus is saying that death is coming to all and while we are still breathing you can choose to live life for eternal life or eternal death.  Choosing to follow the way of the cross to death means a person dies to self continually. They have set their hearts, minds, and souls on repenting of sin, humbly surrendering, following, trusting, obeying, and relying on Jesus Christ alone. Nothing this world has to offer is greater than honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all that think, say, and do. The way of the cross would seem like a burden to those who see it as taking away from this life. But, to those who have chosen it, to them it is life worth living, eternal life, and their heart is more than comforted in this. They find what others deem as a burden, it is has given them peace, love, joy, hope, courage, power, and a place of refuge from the very moment they were born again. 

Death comes to all and routinely gives no warning to its arrival. But, when it comes, eternity is waiting and it is here where God’s final judgment occurs and either eternal life or eternal torment is the result of the choice being made the living side of death. Choose to repent of sin, humbly surrender, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ for there is no other way to eternal life.

Upon death, no one can stand before God and claim they are worthy of eternal life because of their good works or anything else they have done. No one can say I did it my way and did not need Jesus Christ, nor did I need to burden myself with the way of the cross, nor can they say I went part way in following the path of the cross when it suited me. Scripture is clear, no one will find lasting peace, joy, love, hope, courage, power, and a place of refuge – eternal life – without surrendering this life and taking up the way of the cross through Jesus Christ.

31.o. “Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life”

 

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

 Proverbs 23:9   Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.

 Hebrews 10:29    How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

 Hebrews 10:29    How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

 Acts 13:46-47  And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.  For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

In the previous 1-5 vs Jesus talks of being self-righteously judgmental and not being able to assess one’s self with the same judgmental awareness. Here Jesus is reminding us that we are not to suspend all discernment. It seems as though we should be able to discern those who have hardened their rejection of the good news of Jesus Christ. The person who is Holy Spirit led and is living in all things of their life speaking, doing, and thinking so that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified will know when not to speak of the precious things the kingdom of God. This type of discernment comes when our heart, mind, and soul are desiring to show grace, mercy, and love to others so that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified. It is not with a judgmental heart or mind. Yet, it is with this same Holy Spirit heart and mind that leads us to discern people who will trample underfoot godly pearls from the Word of God. 

The Gospel was preached and taught by the disciples to the Jews who were hardened in their hearts and spoke evil of Jesus Christ. They would not reason or discuss the prophecies and fulfillment. They denied Christ was the Son of God. They rejected Jesus in person and in His death and in His resurrection. Paul left them and went to the Gentiles. He no longer would cast the pearls of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those hardened against it. 

In our own abilities, we are not able to make discernments that only the Holy Spirit can lead us in. We would do well to seek to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit with a desire to be led in all wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and discernment. In this way, our hearts and minds will not be temped with worldly or self-led judgment. The light of Jesus Christ shines bright in the lives of those who show discernment throughout all aspects of their lives for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. 

I can’t help but think about when I was once one of those who rejected and trampled underfoot things of God. I wonder how many times people were talking with me but the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking about salvation because I was set firmly in my own ways and would have nothing to do with things of God. How many times??? It is hard to tell, it could be 5 times or 10,000 times but this I know, God did not leave me in my hell-bound ways. He brought me to a place in my life where I was ready and He placed people in my life, right at that time, that spoke the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  All I can say is that we need to have discernment when to speak and when not to speak.  When the Holy Spirit leads us to speak we need to speak boldly and when the Holy Spirit leads us to be quiet we need to be quiet.  

26.v. “Let no one deceive himself.”

 

Galatians 6:7  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 

 Job 15:31     Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment.

 Obadiah 1:3    The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

 Luke 21:8    And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.

 Ephesians 5:6    Let no one deceive you with empty words, 

 2 Thessalonians 2:3    Let no one deceive you in any way.

 1 Corinthians 15:33    Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

 1 Corinthians 3:18    Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

 James 1:22    But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

 Job 13:8-9    Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God?  Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

 Jude 1:18    They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”

 Proverbs 1:31    therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

 Romans 2:6-10    He will render to each one according to his works:  to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;  but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.  There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,  but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

A farmer reaps the same as he has sown. If he plants wheat, wheat comes up. In the same way, if we sow to the flesh, the flesh will increase in size and strength.  The farmer also reaps more if he has sown more, and the relationship between what he sows and what he reaps is exponential. What we get out of life is often what we put in. We may fool ourselves by expecting much when we sow little, but we cannot fool God, and our poor sowing results will be evident. 

There are many things we seem to naturally have the ability to sow.  Hatred, confusion, anxiousness, fear, division, worthlessness, and as well false joy, love, peace, and security.  These seem to find root in self-satisfaction, self-worth, and self-reliance.

 When we sow to self-satisfaction we may reap temporal satisfaction to our mind, but it soon fades and leaves us wanting something more. It never lasts. Our false thoughts of its ability to satisfy us only drive us toward something more, something bigger, something bigger, something shinier, yet it never seems to satisfy. We are blind to the futility of our thought process that drives it.  Self-satisfaction also lies to our soul when it says I am satisfied with what I have done to make myself right before God.

When we sow self-reliance we jump headlong into pride. Self-reliance is very dangerous for the soul. It has eternal consequences. When self-reliance enters our hearts and is played out we are blind and deaf to things of God. Self-reliance says to the heart, mind, and soul, “I can do this on my own”, “I am smart enough”, “I don’t need help”, “I am better, stronger, smarter, wiser, richer, and through my sheer will can overcome and defeat any problem that comes my way. Self-reliance gives false trust in self.  Self-reliance is a liar to the soul.

When we sow self-worth we fall into thinking a host of unhealthy and ungodly thoughts. Primarily, I am worthy of God’s grace, mercy, and love.  I am more than good enough to receive eternal life in heaven. I am deserving of God’s blessings. These lies are rooted in our sinful nature.  We see our worthiness as holiness before God.  We falsely claim ourselves justified by our works. We keep a mental ledger book in our heads of all the good we have done to outweigh the bad.  Set up our own balance scale and determine our good outweighs the bad.  

There is none who does good, no not one.  All have sinned and fall short of the glory and holiness of God. The wages of sin is death. What is a person to do to save their soul from eternal hell? Trust not in self or schemes of man but trust fully in Jesus Christ.  The beauty of God’s grace, mercy, and love is that it is freely given to all who will trust, believe, rely on, and cling to the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life.” To trust in Jesus Christ alone is eternal life.  To add anything to the work of Jesus Christ is false and will end in eternal hell.

26.t. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only”

 

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Proverbs 25:14    Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

 Proverbs 26:12    Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

 Romans 12:3    For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

 1 Corinthians 3:18   Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

 James 1:22     But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

 James 1:26   If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

 Proverbs 14:14    The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

As much as anything, pride is self-focus. Pride doesn’t necessarily say, “I’m better than you are.” Pride simply says, “I’m more important than you are, so I deserve more of my own attention and love than you do.” It also stifles ministry in another way. Out of pride, people will refuse to receive help when someone else reaches out to help bear their burden. Instead, Biblical humility tells us, “I am no more important than you are. Let me care about your burdens and needs.” Or to say, “I need help”. It is important to understand that Paul wrote to every Christian when he said, “When he is nothing.” In the sense Paul uses the idea here, it isn’t that some Christians are something, and others are nothing, and the problem is that the nothings think they are one of the somethings. Instead, Paul writes with the same idea behind Philippians 2:3b-4: In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. If I esteem you above me, and you esteem me above you, a marvelous thing happens: we have a community where everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on. (Guzik)

“The meaning is more general and should therefore be expressed thus, ‘Since all men are nothing, he who wishes to appear something and persuades himself that he is somebody, deceives himself.’” (Calvin)

There are few things more self-deceptive than pride. To be proud is to be blind – blind to the freely given favor and gifts of God, blind to our sin and depravity, blind to the good in others, and blind to the foolishness of self-centeredness.

We often get angry when someone deceives us. Yet we don’t take the danger of deceiving ourselves as seriously as we should. It is a serious and terrible thing to deceive yourself. “The misery of most men is, that their minds are as ill set as their eyes, neither of them look inwards.” (Trapp)

Instead of deceiving ourselves, we must take a careful and sober examination of our lives (what we say, think, and do, where and what we spend our time on, am I seeking and desiring to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.) The Bible speaks of a day when our works will be examined before the Lord. Strive to have your works reveal humble humility, obedience, reliance, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ and in love, bearing the burdens on to another.

26. “Even though I am nothing”

2 Corinthians 12:11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

Luke 17:10    So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Ephesians 3:8   To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Romans 15:18-19   For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,  by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

What would our lives be like if we would look at all we do, all we are able to do, and all we have done and know in our heart that we are nothing and it is by the grace of God that we exist and are able to do anything at all. Would we act differently? Would we be more thankful? Would we be more humble? Would we be more helpful to others? Would we see others in a different light? It is not a though we should be walking around with our head hung low and seemingly pouting or self-deprecating. Rather, we should walk with our head on straight with the knowledge that we are nothing in the flesh but in the spirit, we are a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the flesh we are but a tool of our Lord, that is if we keep the influences of fleshly desires and worldly temptations out of our mind. This is not easy when there is so much technology that feeds anti-christian worldly ideas at lightning speed continuously. There is but one way to keep from being drawn away. Staying in His Word. I am not saying this lightly but that it should be a desire of your soul. Why is this important? Because without feeding and digesting His Word the world has a way of dragging you into its lifestyle and way of thinking. Feeding and digesting His Word will manifest humbleness, trust, obedience, faith, hope, praise, honor, worship, and reliance in Him alone in your life.

25.x. “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.”

 

2 Corinthians 12:5  I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 2 Chronicles 26:16   But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God 

 2 Chronicles 32:25-26    But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him

 Daniel 5:20    But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

 Judges 2:3   So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides,

 Job 2:7   So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

 Luke 13:16    And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Do you ever wonder what turns the heart and soul of a person, proud?  What is it that flips a switch in us and makes us think highly of what we have accomplished?  We read of Paul who was given a thorn in the flesh and we know that it was given to him, by God, through Satan.  The purpose was to keep in from not becoming proud.  A proud heart will put self in front of God, think more highly of themselves than they ought, and look at others as less than they are.  We are not immune to pride.  It can attack us when we least expect it.  It can start with simple enough thoughts of accomplishment but then on our own or with a nudge from Satan can turn into more.  It is something I did.  It is something I can do better than you.  It is something reflecting my talent and superiority. It is something I can afford and you can’t.  It is something your children have succeeded in.  It can be in your intellect, strength, physical appearance.  We are not immune to this.  So how does a person fall for the bait of pride?  When we are lax in studying His Word.  When we are living in the presence of this world and not in the presence of God.  We live to please ourselves more than God.  When we honor and glorify ourselves rather than God.  When we are consumed with worldly desires and wants over things of God. Yes, it will happen when we put anything number 1 and God somewhere else down in the list of priorities. 

Do we think that any of our abilities came about by the sheer will of our mind or strength? Do we think it is of our doing? Our physical strength, mental intellect, and other abilities all come from God.  Some will use these abilities to do some of the most vicious and hardhearted crimes against mankind. We know scripture tells us of times when bad things were done by people to Christians and God used it for good.  We seem to have the ability to use our abilities that were given to us for good and what should be used for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ into or for something bad and contrary to that very purpose. Our ability to think, do, speak, reason, understand, etc…. were all given to us, by God, and how we use them is freely given to us as well.  Feed your heart, mind, and soul with God’s Word and pray for the ability to discern the temptation of pride.

Paul, once he understood and knew why God had “given” him this thorn in the flesh he was happy to bear it. He knew it was to keep him from becoming proud.  Paul also knew this “Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” We all ought to be so set against being proud that we seek God continually to expose it so that we can live to give Him “ALL” honor and glory.