Tag: lips

43.x. “Wilderness” – 8.d. “Pay attention to all that I have said to you”

Exodus 23:13  “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

Joshua 22:5   Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

 Joshua 23:11   Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God.

 Psalms 39:1   I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

 Ephesians 5:15   Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

 1 Timothy 4:16    Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

 Deuteronomy 4:9    “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—

 Psalms 16:4    The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect,…. Or observe them, be careful to keep them punctually and constantly, even all that are delivered in this and the preceding chapters: and make no mention of the name of other gods; neither call upon them, nor swear by them, nor make vows to them; and, as little as possible, ever utter their names, and never with pleasure and delight, and showing any honour of them, and reverence to them, but with the utmost detestation and abhorrence. (Gill)

We hear of those who are popular and how they have found some sort of inner peace through following after some form of religion/god. This god they worship is not the God of heaven and earth but rather a manifestation of man’s attempt at creating a god that seems more to their liking. They replace God with whatever seems right in their own eyes rather than seeking their creator. For whatever reason, they deny the one and only true God and chase after another. They replace God with man-made god(s) and proclaim to their followers that this is the way to true happiness. The same can be said of those who are not popular that follow after the same foolishness. 

God reached out to His creation. He spoke to them, did wonders and signs, and recorded His Word so that His creation might begin to understand and know Him. He proclaimed His holiness and mankind’s sinfulness. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem His creation, forgive their sins, and fill them with the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, He gifted His creation to live with ever-growing knowledge and understanding of His grace, mercy, and love. He offers peace, rest, comfort, courage, joy, hope, faith, love, kindness, gentleness, generosity, and patience. Denying or rejecting all of this will leave a void in a person that wants to be filled. People will try to fill this in every way possible, but apart from God, it is not.  

Seek to ever-grow, understand, and know how to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that you think, say, and do every minute of every day.

33.i. “hey profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

 

Matthew 15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother,’ and, Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

 Matthew 7:3-5    Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

 Mark 7:13    thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

  Colossians 2:8  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

 Colossians 2:22  These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

 Titus 1:10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers

 Titus 1:16  They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

 Acts 28:25-27    And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:  “‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

 We can appear to draw near to God, all the while having our hearts far from Him. It is easy to want and be impressed by the image of being near to God without really doing it with our hearts. It is very bad to have a heart and mind that has convinced you of doing right when what you are doing is very wrong. What can lead to such actions in a person’s life? What can deceive a person to live like this? The truth is each and every one of us is born with a sinful nature that wants to be self-important, self-worthy, and self-reliant. When “self” is allowed any root in our hearts and minds nothing good can come from it, for it will twist God’s Word to convince us that what we are doing and thinking is right and true.  This certainly can happen very fast when our eyes and ears become deaf to God’s Word. Becoming neglectful and complacent will blind and deafen hearts and minds so fast that the recipient will not even know it has happened. 

It is time spent in God’s Word with a humbly expectant, surrendered, obedient, and reliant heart that we are renewed, daily, in our commitment to live in such a way that in all we say, think, and do Jesus Christ is honored and glorified. There are those who are so gifted in what they say and how they say it, so much so, that people are easily snatched from the right and true path to following after the wisdom and ideas of man. Doing what is right in our own eyes with our own wisdom as guidance brings no honor or glory to Jesus Christ no matter how brilliant what we are doing may seem. And so it is, neglect and complacency yield worthlessness to the very things we think are doing to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. There is no renewing of our hearts and minds. There is no room for the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds so as to guide us in ways that honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Even with God’s Word before us, we are blind and deaf to it because our hearts and soul are not humbly expectant, surrendered, obedient, and reliant on it.
We do well to examine our hearts and minds and cultivate soil that is saturated with seeking and desiring true and pure things of God for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. Be mindful it is not just spending time in God’s Word and knowing it that guides the souls of man.  Look at the Pharisees and Scribes, they knew God’s Word, but their hearts and minds were blind and deaf to it.  Why? Because their hearts were not humbly expectant, surrendered, obedient, and reliant on it. They were bound in self-worth, self-reliance, and self-importance. It is only when self is surrendered to Jesus Christ that seeds of honor and glory for Him alone will yield works that honor and glorify Him.

20.y. “Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Romans 12:9  Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Psalms 55:21   His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

 Psalms 36:4   He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

 Proverbs 8:13   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

 Proverbs 26:25   when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart;

 Ezekiel 33:31   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

 Psalms 34:14    Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

 Amos 5:15   Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

 Psalms 101:3   I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

 1 Peter 3:10-11  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

I like where David says “ I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”  He has purposed in his heart to know what is good, true, and right and by knowing this he is able to discern what is evil and worthless.  Though he sees it and though others are doing or following after it, it will not cling to him.  He has purposed in his heart to keep his life from evil and to do that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.  

How is a person to know what is worthless and how to keep it from clinging to us?  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  We need to be able to recognize and discern the difference between that which is worthless and that which is right, true, pure, honorable, and lovely.  God’s Word will always bring to mind the difference.  Sometimes this wisdom comes immediately and other times it is a work in progress.  The problem is that God’s Word does not reside in the hearts and minds of many.  Meditation on His Word is what is able to soak in on a Sunday morning a couple of times per month.  There is so much distraction in the world today.  It is at our fingertips all our waking moments and unless there is a purposed restraint it will consume our hearts and minds.  It is in this consumption that we become neglectful and complacent to the Word of God and things of God.  Take an inventory of what is worthless in the world.  Make a list of what you see as worthless.  Spend some time looking at God’s view of what is worthless in this world.  Seek and desire to know the difference.

15.h. “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”

John 4:34  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Psalms 40:8  I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Job 23:12    I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

Hebrews 12:2   looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

 Jesus wasn’t saying that food and drink and rest are not important. Instead, He wanted His disciples to know that life was more than those things; that man does not eat by bread alone. Jesus was refreshed by a “nourishment” that was hidden from them.  Jesus did not have His focus primarily on the work, the need, the strategy, the techniques, or even the needy soul. First and foremost His focus was on doing the will of Him who sent Me.  (Enduring Word) “The man of the world thinks that, if he could have his own way, he would be perfectly happy, and his dream of happiness in this state or in the next is comprised in this, that his own wishes will be gratified, his own longings fulfilled, his own desires granted to him. This is all a mistake. A man will never be happy in this way.” (Spurgeon)  “The harvest is ready. The wages are there. Let no man hang back. A harvest will not wait.” (Morris)  Jesus warned His disciples to not think, there are still four months and then comes the harvest. If they had the eyes to see it, the harvest was ready now – even white for harvest, implying that the grain was fully ripe or over ripe.

Wouldn’t be nice if every morning when we awoke we would have these two thoughts; 1. To do the will of Him who sends us.  2. The harvest is ripe and ready.

12.w. “But I will leave within you the meek and humble”

Zephaniah 3:9   “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths.  They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”

Jeremiah 7:9-12   Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,  and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?

Ezekiel 7:24     I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned.

Ezekiel 24:21    ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.

Zephaniah makes it very clear there will be a time of judgment for the prideful, arrogant, haughty, self-important, smug, puffed up, and condescending people.  These will be removed and will no longer be influencing others.  They are gone.  Their final place is in torment in hell.  By Zephaniah’s warning/proclamation people throughout time have had chance after chance through the grace of God to turn away from their defiance and denial of God.  Some do, but many millions more do not.  The promise of peace and rest, grace and mercy, forgiveness, and salvation is not enough for them to turn away from the path in life they have chosen.  Defiance and denial do not negate the judgment coming but certainly do cement their eternal destiny.  The humble and meek will be with Jesus Christ.  Those who by faith surrender their eternal destiny into the hands of Jesus Christ will be with Him.  They have repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus Christ.  They humbly seek and desire His Word to guide, protect, encourage, and give them the wisdom to see the world’s lies, temptations, and enticements so that they live honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ this side of eternity.  A time is coming, much sooner than we think, where we will be face to face with Jesus Christ our Redeemer, Savior, and King.  The time of salvation is now, before judgment, not after.  Do not delay in finding true peace rest, and eternal salvation through faith in Him.

According to Your word

Psalms 119:169   Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word!  Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word.  My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes.  My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.   Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.  I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.  Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me.  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

The Psalmist wanted his understanding of life and the world shaped – transformed – by the word of God.  He wanted his thoughts to be transformed according to the word of God.  He wanted deliverance, but wanted it only as it was consistent with God’s revealed word and will. This is very much the same kind of thought the Apostle Paul expressed in Romans 12:-2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Our lips can praise God when our taught His word; and taught by God Himself.  We do not not praise God by nature; we have to be taught God’s truth, and taught from God Himself.

Knowing the pure truth and inerrancy of God’s word will encourage and inspire us to want to speak of it to others. Our confidence will make us want to share it with others.

“Then should we break through our sinful silence; we should no more be cowardly and halfhearted, but should be true witnesses for Jesus. It is not only of God’s works that we are to speak, but of his word.” (Spurgeon)

I will thank you forever

 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Psalms 92:1   It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,  to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.

Isaiah 58:13     “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;  then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Hebrews 4:9     So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,

Psalms 33:1     Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

Psalms 50:23     The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Psalms 52:9     I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

Psalms 73:28     But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Psalms 107:8     Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Hebrews 13:15     Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Psalms 147:1     Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

Isaiah 57:15    For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Daniel 4:34-37     At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;  all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”  At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Being near to God brings safety, refuge, hope, peace, joy, courage, strength, and love.  Being near (continually in His presence) will bring “praising” God to your mind.  Desiring and seeking to be in His presence will have a direct impact on our understanding and knowledge of Him.  It will grow, giving rise to praises on our lips.  Look at Nebuchadnezzar, everything was taken away from him and after 7 years he came to the this understanding.  Stay in His word, grow in understanding and knowledge of His steadfast love, mercy and grace, and praise Him.

Hearts far from God

“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,”

“the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.”

John 15:22  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

John 3:18     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.”

John 9:41    Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

John 12:48     The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Ezekiel 2:5     And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house)

Ezekiel 33:31     And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.  And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.

Acts 17:30     The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Hebrews 6:4     For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,  and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.  For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.  But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

James 4:17     So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Romans 1:20     For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 2:1     Therefore you have no excuse

1 Peter 2:16     Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Revelation 3:15  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

How do we know if our heart is hard? How do we know if we are only serving God with our mouth and not our heart, mind, and soul?  What are we going to be held accountable for?  What does it mean to be without excuse?  What does it take to be rejected or, for that matter, restored?  How do we know if we are lukewarm?   I remember it being considered normal to attend Sunday morning bible study, then worship service, then Sunday evening study, having a couples bible study during the week, Wednesday evening prayer meeting, and a mens bible study one morning during the week.  Being in God’s word throughout the week.  It does not seem this is the norm any more.  In fact it appears that if we are attending Sunday morning worship service every week we are considered a fanatic.  The expectation for what it means to humbly serve, honor, follow, and obey God has dropped to a very low expectation in our culture.  We need to be mindful of our heart, mind and soul and the influence of the world and it’s expectation making us think we are in some way serving God with a lukewarm life.  We are meant to be a light shinning in the darkness, making disciples, serving God,  feeding on His word,  knowing His word, meditating on His word, hearing His whispers of guidance, being led by the Holy Spirit, finding purpose each day seeking to honor Him.  How is this done if our we neglect His word?  Scripture is clear we are without excuse for being complacent.  Praise be to God that He pursues us and draws us back to Himself.  Praise to Him for not leaving us in a state of being lukewarm.  Praise to Him for standing at the door of our heart knocking.  Praise to Him for His steadfast love.  Forget doing right and wrong and thinking this in someway makes it right with God.  Come to Him broken and seek His building you up into a humble servant.  Seek to honor Him.  Desire to follow and obey Him for the purpose of glorifying Him.  Run to Him for His leading in your life.  Yield fully in service to Him.  SPEND TIME IN HIS WORD

Walking Blameless

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,”

“there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

“ They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common,”

Malachi 2:7   True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.   But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts,  and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Hosea 4:6    My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Jeremiah 23:22    But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

Acts 26:18    to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

James 5:19  My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,  let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Psalms 37:30    The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

2 Timothy 2:15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.  But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,

Titus 1:7-9   He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

What does it mean to walk blameless before God?  How do you know if you are? How do you know if you are a worker who has no need to be ashamed?  How do you know if you speak wisdom?  What is a persons life like if they have wondered from the truth?  What does it mean to stand in the council of God?  What is proper instruction?   These questions come to mind when reading these scriptures today.  The answers to these are as many as the stars in the sky.  However the foundation for answering them is found first in believing in God, having reverence for Him, knowing you are a sinner and in need of redemption, looking to and trusting in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, repenting and truing away from sin, and choosing to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God.  Staying in His word will continue to refine the answers asked above.