jews – Praying Pint

38.x. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God”

From Compelling Truth

Judges 15:14 But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson

Psalm 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

1 Chronicles 12:18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty

1 Samuel 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

Ezekiel 11:5 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on me, and he told me to say:

John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 John 4:15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:15–17 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

John 3:1–8 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

1 Corinthians 2:12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

Romans 8:26 n the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is God taking up permanent residence in the heart of those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. In the Old Testament, the Spirit would come intermittently upon the saints, empowering them for service but not necessarily remaining with them. The Spirit “rushed upon” Lehi and “clothed” Amasai. The Spirit was with David and able to be removed from him, and the Spirit “fell upon” Ezekiel and spoke to him . The Spirit, who had once been with King Saul, “departed from” him, removing His influence and guidance from the king .

It wasn’t until Pentecost that the Spirit began to indwell those who belong to God through Christ. Jesus predicted the coming of the Spirit who would live within His people, as well as the new role the Spirit of Truth would play in their lives. Prior to the resurrection and Pentecost, the Spirit was with the disciples and influenced them, but He did not yet indwell them, as Jesus explained to them: “he dwells with you and will be in you”. John 7:39 explains further: “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

The apostle Paul reiterated the same truth about the Spirit’s indwelling: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”. Because believers have been purchased for God by the blood of Christ, shed on the cross for our sins, our bodies become a living temple where the Spirit of God resides.

The image of the believer’s body being a temple is reminiscent of the Old Testament tabernacle, in which the Spirit of God lived. There, God’s presence would appear in a cloud and meet the high priest, who came once a year into the Holy of Holies. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest brought the blood of a slain animal and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. On this special day, God granted forgiveness to the priest and His people.

The Jewish temple in Jerusalem no longer exists. Now the believer in Christ has become the inner sanctum of God the Holy Spirit, as the believer has been sanctified and forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. In fact, Scripture also says that the believer is the dwelling place of all three Persons of the Trinity. Along with the Spirit, Jesus Christ is in us, as is God the Father.

The purpose of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is many-faceted. First and foremost, the Spirit creates new life in believers (), producing the same new birth Jesus spoke of in . The Spirit confirms to us that this new birth is real and that we truly belong to God (). He also imparts to believers spiritual gifts to be used to build up the body of Christ and glorify God (1 Corinthians 12:4–11). Further, as the author of Scripture through the writers He inspired (), the indwelling Spirit helps believers understand what He has written and how to apply it to daily life ().

Other functions of the indwelling Spirit include interceding for believers in prayer, leading us in the ways of righteous living, producing His fruit in our lives, and installing believers into the universal church of Christ, also called the baptism of the Spirit.

One of the indwelling Spirit’s most encouraging functions is to seal believers for eternity by placing His own mark upon us. Doing so assures our arrival in the Lord’s presence when we die (Ephesians 1:13–14, 4:30). The Holy Spirit’s presence within us is the guarantee that we have been purchased by Christ and redeemed from our sins. We can never lose our position as a prized possession. Until we die, the Spirit remains within us, renewing and sanctifying us, comforting us in trials, and sustaining us in afflictions. With the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are never alone, never lost, and never without His power.

35.v. “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one”

Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Psalms 14:1-4   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.  Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?

Romans 1:28-31   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.  They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,  foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Romans 3:9-19    What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,  as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”  “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”  “Their feet are swift to shed blood;  in their paths are ruin and misery,  and the way of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Ecclesiastes 7:29   See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

Matthew 15:19     For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Ephesians 2:1-3   And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Jesus said, as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. In other words, the conditions of the world before the coming of Jesus will be like the conditions of the world before the flood: Exploding population, Sexual perversion, Demonic activity, Constant evil in the heart of man, and Widespread corruption and violence. (Guzik)

Abundance of sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of people; and those sins in their own nature most gross, and heinous, and provoking; and committed daringly, and in defiance of heaven. (Benson)

God saw that every imagination, or purpose, of the thoughts of man’s heart, was only evil continually. God is described as about to alter His visible procedure towards mankind—from being merciful and long-suffering, He was about to show Himself a God of judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up the measure of their iniquities, He was about to introduce a terrible display of His justice. (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)

It was not only the actions of man that were corrupt and sinful but their very thoughts were corrupt and sinful. It is one thing to, at the spur of the moment, be tempted and sin, do wrong, choose poorly, retaliate, speak falsely, do harm, lie, cheat, etc……, but to have a mind that continually thinks about and how to execute sin upon sin is a deeper rooted issue. “Free Will” given to man allows each of us to choose to honor and glorify God or not. God’s Word is clear, man’s hearts and minds not only lean toward doing wrong but they will continually devise new ways to do wrong. How is a person to overcome this inherent evil resided inside of their heart and mind? Being inherent sinful what choice is there to follow? If our hearts and minds, are filled with only the desire to satisfy sinfulness, how is it possible to change this spirit of sin with us? With man it is impossible! With God it is possible. Redemption, salvation, forgiveness, = restoration. How is this possible?

God has placed within the soul of each person knowledge of Himself.
God has reached out to mankind through His Word.
God has demonstrated His power and might through creation and other works and wonders.
God sent prophets to warn, teach, convict, and condemn sin and sinfulness, and encourage righteousness.
God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to redeem fallen man from sin.
God sent His Holy Spirit to abide in those, who by faith, humbly confess, repent, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ.
God creates in these a new heart. They are born again, a new creation. The old is passed away, all things are new.

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. There is no person so depraved, so far gone, or so sinful that this grace, mercy, and love of God cannot save and create a new heart, born again, a new creation.

If God has in some way softened your ears to your heart and mind to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and you find yourself longing for peace, joy, and hope in your life, turn to Jesus and humbly confess, repent, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ. In doing this God has promised to forgive your sin and give you a new heart and make you a new creation and fill you with the Holy Spirit who will guide and direct you on paths that will honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

33.c. “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards”

Mat 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Matthew 13:53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Matthew 11:6   And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Isaiah 53:3    He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Mark 6:3    Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Luke 7:23     And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

John 6:42    They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

1 Corinthians 1:23-28  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,  but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.  For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

A miracle conception, humble birth, the Son of God, with brothers and sisters of a carpenters family, in a small village of little recognition, Nazareth and spoken of by prophets is where Jesus seems to have the same type of rejection as was from the Jewish leaders. Their unbelief limited the mighty works that He had done in other villages. They were offended that He was teaching them as one with authority, wisdom, and understanding. They could only see Him as Jesus the son of Joseph and Mary. Who was He to come back home and proclaim things of God?

Rejection of Jesus results in a continuation of life without Him. Many think life is fine this way and they close their ears and eyes to things of God. Like these people from His hometown who rejected Him personally are those who now continually reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They say it is a made-up story, a fairytale. They seem to have made up their minds and become firmer and firmer in their rejection of the Son of God. They find no value and purpose in Jesus in their lives.

To those who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He is more than just the Son of God. He is their redeemer, friend, power, strength, joy, peace, courage, and rest. He gives them life, a life more abundant and purposeful. He has given them hope of eternal life. He gives them strength to face all trials and troubles because He said He would never leave them or forsake them. He gives them peace that passes all understanding. He gives them light in a dark and lost world. He guides their paths through this life. He has promised that He will be with them forever and ever. Though He cannot be seen, He is more real than what we can see and touch. He is able to redeem the vilest and lost person and give that person new life. How can anyone reject Jesus Christ and the gospel of redemption, salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life? We do well to remember to honor and glorify the Son of God, Jesus, in all we say, think and do.

32.i. “Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life”

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Luke 12:49-53    “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!  I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!  Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.  For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Acts 13:45-46   But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.  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.

Acts 14:2   But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Acts 14:4    But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Philippians 1:20-21    as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Revelation 2:10   Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The dividing line between those who accept Jesus and those who reject Him runs through families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, towns, villages, states, and countries. A person’s eternal destiny depends upon their response to Jesus Christ. In their response to humbly surrender, repent, believe, follow, trust, obey, and rely on Jesus Christ a person is born again, and in this new birth is where the dividing line is established. On one side there is peace, comfort, joy, hope, courage, strength that comes from and through believing, trusting, relying on, and following Jesus Christ. On the other side of the line are those who do not surrender or repent. They may be of a mind that believes they are doing enough good to be good enough for eternal life. They may be of a mind to flat out deny Jesus Christ exists. Where ever their mind has landed, it has landed on the other side of the dividing line. The dividing line begins in the heart of each person and then is manifested out to others. How many times does Scripture tell us to stand firm? How many times will our heart be tested by those who stand firmly on the other side of the line?

Every person born is born on the wrong side of the line. This is clear. Every person is born on the side of the dividing line that leads to eternal hell. It doesn’t matter what a person thinks about this, how they try to perform, or how they try to balance the scales so that they end up on the other side of the line. The line is clear.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

What side of the dividing line do you stand on?

26.g. “How then can man be in the right before God?”

Galatians 2:15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Job 9:2-3   “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

Job 25:4     How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?

Psalms 130:3-4   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

Acts 4:12     And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 20:31    but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

We all grew up observant to do what is right and good. Yet somehow we think we are considered right before God because of doing right and good – justified – by these works of the flesh that we did. We should know that we, even though we grew up as observant of doing right and good, we are only considered right before God by faith in Jesus Christ. It will be a sad day for those who, in self-reliance, trust in doing right and good on judgment day.

“‘Faith in Jesus Christ’, then, is not intellectual conviction only, but personal commitment. The expression in the middle of verse 16 is (literally) ‘we have believed into (eis) Christ Jesus.’ It is an act of committal, not just assenting to the fact that Jesus lived and died, but running to Him for refuge and calling on Him for mercy.” (Stott)

Self-righteousness and self-reliance will never justify a person before God. There is but one way – belief in and through Jesus Christ. This belief is more than a piece of intellectual knowledge, it is a life surrendered. Casting away any thoughts of self-reliance and self-righteousness, and clinging to, relying on, trusting in, following, obeying, and living to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

25.v. “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me”

2 Corinthians 11:24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Matthew 10:17    Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues,

Deuteronomy 25:3    Forty stripes may be given him, but not more, lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your brother be degraded in your sight.

Acts 16:22-23   The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.  And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

Acts 7:58-59   Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.  And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Hebrews 11:37   They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—

When I read of these accounts of what happened to Paul and others, I wonder if I would have continued preaching after the first beating, whipping, or shipwreck. I say wonder, but in reality, I am more ashamed. I know the answer and I seriously doubt that I would have continued. I would have thought God was telling and showing me to stop what I was doing. Quit this mission. Don’t stop preaching but do it in a more friendly society. Maybe ever after starting a church with these friendly people, stay there in the security of being safe. Such is the way we think or have been influenced to think. God is with us and we are blessed when things are all fine and good, and He is not with us when trials, troubles, and misfortune overwhelms us. When God’s word says He is our Rock, Fortress, Refuge, Power, Strength, Shield, Protector, Healer, etc…… God’s Word is telling us that we will face trials, troubles, sickness, loss, the threat of being overpowered, emanate danger, etc…. It is in these times when Love, faith, and hope, in Him alone, that we find a resting place and can stand firm at His feet with His loving arms wrapped around us. It is very hard for us to imagine trials that take us to the edge of life and death. We live with a sense of security, prosperity, and safety that essentially encompasses most of our society. Just look around, how many are truly seeking, and see a need to trust God? When there are no trials, troubles, sickness, and loss we seem to associate that with being right with God and soon become complacent and neglectful to study His Word, pray, and keep a check on what we say, think, and do. It is often in times where trials, troubles, sickness, and loss are where we finally yield and surrender to rely on, cling, and trust in God alone. Oh, that we were always in a daily state to yield and surrender all self or worldly reliance and truly rely on, cling to, and trust in Him alone. Where we would not allow peace, prosperity, and safety to blind us from all of the honor, glory, and praise due Him.

25.l. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

Nehemiah 13:23-26   In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.  And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.  And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.

Psalms 106:35     but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.

Proverbs 22:24  Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,

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

1 Corinthians 10:21    You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

James 4:4     You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Proverbs 29:27   An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

Ephesians 5: 6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them;  for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Paul is speaking to the overly broad affections of the Corinthian Christians. They had joined themselves to unbelievers.

Unequally yoked – How can we do this? Certainly by marrying an unbeliever, which is the most common way this principle is applied. “A very wise and very holy man was given his judgment on this point: ‘A man who is truly pious, marrying with an unconverted woman, will either draw back to perdition, or have a cross during life.’ The same may be said of a pious woman marrying an unconverted man. Such persons cannot say this petition of the Lord’s prayer, Lead us not into temptation. They plunge into it of their own accord.” (Clarke)

However, Paul means much more here than only marrying an unbeliever. It really applies to any environment where we let the world influence our thinking. When we are being conformed to this world and are not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we join together with unbelievers in an ungodly way.

This speaks especially to the issue of influence. Paul is not suggesting that Christians never associate with unbelievers (he makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The principle is that we are to be in the world, but not of the world, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn’t be in the ship. If the world is influencing us, it is clear we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this unequal yoke, or ungodly influence, may come through a book, a movie, a television show, a magazine, or even through worldly Christian friends. Most Christians are far too indiscriminate about the things they allow to influence their minds and lives. We all like to believe that we can be around ungodly things as much as we want and that we are strong enough to ward off the influence. But we must take seriously the words of Scripture: Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33). It needs to come back to the simple question from Romans 12:2: Are we being conformed to this world, or are we being transformed by the renewing of your mind?

22.n. Continuation of Saturday’s devotion – I His Word only

1 corinthians 12:15 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

22.k. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, or self.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Colossians 3:17    And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Peter 4:11   whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Colossians 3:23   Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Philippians 1:10    so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

Do you give thought to “all that you do”, you are doing for the glory of God? How much of each of our days are spent without the thought? If God and His Word are not consistently within our thoughts we can be certain then honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ is not being honored. We may do good things that honor Him but if the intent is not to honor Him by what we are doing then we miss honoring and glorifying Him. A good place to start is by practicing the presence of Jesus Christ. For sure He is always present but are our actions, thoughts, and tendencies reflecting we are aware.

21.r. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Corintians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Jeremiah 8:9 The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?

Psalms 119:98-100 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

When we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ there are many implications to consider. The path of wisdom begins by believing in God with reverent fear and confident trust and reliance. The path of foolishness denies and rejects that God exists and has reached out to mankind and made himself known to His creation.

The path of wisdom becomes aware of sin and confesses, repents, and turns away from it. The path of foolishness rejects and denies sin has eternal consequences.

The path of wisdom feeds on the Word of God and continues to desire and seek to humbly know, honor, and glorify God by and through His Word. The path of foolishness rejects the Word of God and denies it has any power or wisdom.

The path of wisdom seeks God first and tries to understand the world we live in through Him. The path of foolishness seeks worldly wisdom first and then tries to prove and eliminate anything of God.

The path of wisdom begins with and ends with God. Any attempt to find wisdom apart from Him is foolishness. When a heart seeks and desires wisdom from God, God will give it. Trying to find wisdom in God’s word but never spending any time in or meditating upon it is foolish.