Tag: self-controlled

53.c. Wilderness – 17.i. “Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people?”

 

 

Deu 32:4-6  “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

 Psalms 74:18     Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.

 Jeremiah 4:22    “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”

 Jeremiah 5:21   “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

 Galatians 3:1-3   O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.  Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith.  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

 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.

 Titus 2:11-14    For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

If we look at foolish in a Thesaurus: stupid, silly, idiotic, halfwitted, witless, brainless, mindless, thoughtless, imprudent, incautious, irresponsible, injudicious, indiscreet, unwise, unintelligent, unreasonable; ill-advised, ill-considered, impolitic, rash, reckless, foolhardy, lunatic; absurd, senseless, pointless

Foolish and senseless people, foolish people, My people are foolish, and foolish are all ascribed to people who should know better. It indicates they have had teaching in proper conduct but discard it and choose paths that are foolish and unwise. It is easy to understand why those who reject God, things of God, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are acting foolish and untie. However, I often wonder why this occurs in those who are called by His name. God’s Word gives clear examples, promises of judgment, warnings, and curses, and yet, these are disregarded and something else takes hold. What are foolish things that people who should know better do that is foolish: They choose to

Neglect God’s Word

Harden their hearts

Stiffen their necks

Deafen their ears

Satisfied with the lack of understanding

Eat baby food

Stagnate in their pursuit of holiness

Give no thought to honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all thoughts, words, and actions

Unrepentant

Worldly and fleshly pursuits

Allowing the busyness of life to consume them

Follow after what the world deems important

Does not seek to be led by the Holy Spirit

God’s Word is truth and in it are depths of wisdom and understanding so vast that a life time of study will only scratch the surface of it. There is never a minute wasted when God’s Word is pursued. How easily we are distracted. How easily we are influenced. How easily we fall away. How easily we disregard holiness. How easily sinfulness is disregarded. How many professing Christians give only lip service to things of God? How many are void of the influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives? How many are self-reliant? How many are blinded and deafened by things of this world?  Neglect of God’s Word is a result of having no desire for it and seeing no need for it in their daily lives.  

We make time to eat and even snack throughout the day. Our day is structured around getting what is needed to fuel our bodies – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Our day is also structured around getting rest – bedtime. We choose how we apply our time to fill our need for these. It is said we can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water, and 4 minutes without air. That is how we were created. God’s Word says that we find life in His Word, both now and eternally. We will find wisdom, understanding, knowledge, truth, purpose, rest, hope, and satisfaction in it. Apart from His Word, we will not. There is no one to blame and no excuse that can be given for choosing to neglect God’s Word other than ourselves 

Confess it, repent of it, and intentionally choose to live differently. It is not about carving out time or making time for God’s Word. That would indicate it may have value, but you are using your precious time to tick the box of things to do out of your hectic life. God’s Word needs to be desired deep within our souls. It must be important to our lives.  It must be what gives us purpose and satisfaction. 

If the generations of people before us and their time were consumed with worldly and fleshly pursuits, how much more are the temptations of this technology-filled world influencing our minds and consuming our time?  Oh, foolish and senseless people.

20.x. “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”

 

 

 

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.

 Proverbs 16:18-19    Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

 James 4:6    But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

 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.

 Titus 2:2    Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

 1 Peter 4:7    The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded 

 1 Peter 5:8    Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

We don’t have to listen to much on social media outlets to witness those who think very highly of themselves.  We see those with money who think their prosperity is because of their individual talents and thereby elevate themselves to the mental status of someone who ought to be heard and listened to for their “rich” opinion is worthy of everyone to listen to.  Because they have become rich they think highly of their status and their wisdom.  We also see those who have some form of power to govern or rule, who have also taken high self-worthy praise of themselves.  They seem to speak down to people who are not in their circle of influence makers.  They speak as though, only they have wisdom and understanding and anyone who does not agree or blindly follow is lacking understanding and knowledge.  If we listen and weigh what they are saying we can easily see their pride, folly, and self-worthiness being expressed.  

It is easy to read our Scripture today and think it was written specifically for these types of people, but this is not true.  Paul was talking to Christians in the Roman Church.  He is telling them, “do not think more highly of themselves than they ought to” and to give serious and sensible thought, and to judge these thoughts in light of the faith that has been given to them by God.  It is in humbleness that we seek and desire that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.  In this humbleness we give serious and sensible thought to our heart and, as best we can, to the intents and purposes that come from it.  We humbly seek and desire to place Jesus Christ first and give no place for self, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place do not exist, only Jesus.   Wherever God has led you in life, whatever position He has placed you, whatever knowledge and wisdom He has given you, these are not for our honor or glory, but for His alone.  We can take no credit for them but we can be thankful for them.  We can take no self-worth from them but we can give honor and glory to God because of them.  When is the last time you have given serious and sensible thought (in light of Scripture) to the intents and purposes of your heart?  

5.u. For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets

Revelation 1:1-3  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Daniel 2:28-29    but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:  To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.

Amos 3:7     “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Romans 16:25     Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages

Galatians 1:12    For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:8   But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Romans 13:11    Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

James 5:8-9    You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

1 Peter 4:7    The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

At the right time, God reveals His mysteries (what has been hidden for ages) to us.  A day is coming and has been foretold when the end of this world and life as we know it will cease. The book of revelation is not some rambling of a weirdo imagination but rather the words of God Himself given to man so that we might know that the end time is at hand.  God makes these revelations known to reveal His all-knowing, all-powerful, and supreme control over His creation.  He makes it known to reveal His love.  He makes it known knowing that it will harden some hearts more and other hearts will be softened and come to saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ.  He makes it known to give people warning.  He makes it known to give people hope.  Just because some of this revelation seems hard to understand and the full mystery of it has not been made clear does not make it less certain.   Man will choose to believe it or not but the fact remains the end of the world will come.  To some, they do not believe there is life after death or that there is a judgment after death.  They do not believe in heaven or hell.  They do not believe in God.  Oh that their heart would soften, the scales would fall off their eyes and they see, and their deaf ears made to hear of the Love of God through Jesus Christ and be saved.

4.h. Commitment, covenant, oath “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age”

Nehemiah 10:28  “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes. We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

Deuteronomy 29:12-14    so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today,  that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant,

Psalms 119:106    I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.

2 Kings 23:3  And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

John 15:14    You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Titus 2:11-14   For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

It was common for people to enter into a covenant before God by an oath that was recorded.  They also included a curse to be carried out against themselves should they abandon, disregard, forsake, or pay no attention to the oath.  In this covenant oath, the people committed to walk in God’s Law and observe all of the commandments, rules, and statues.  How many times does one generation make a covenant and another fall away?  How many times does a parent make a covenant and their children fall away?  What causes a person to come to a place of making a covenant?  What happens in a person’s life that causes them, or allows them to disregard an oath/covenant with Jesus Christ?  What is it that makes walking away from or giving no thought to the covenant bond with Jesus Christ?  What happens in a person’s life that allows them to become lukewarm in their covenant walk with Jesus Christ?  How does this all happen?  How does the flame go out?

We could all give lists that would include, busyness, job and family responsibilities, church leader and member hypocrisy, health or financial or relational trials/troubles, and cultural and societal influences.  These are not the root cause of the walking/sliding/turning away.  The root cause is in our heart, mind, and soul.  This is where commitment is made, followed, respected, held on to, submitted to, and cemented into every aspect of our life.  It is a light that gives us a clear view of the decisions we are facing.  It is a light that clarifies the path we should take.  It is the light that exposes the wrong thoughts, actions, and words.  God’s word is a bright light that illuminates Jesus Christ the light of the world.

When our heart, mind, and soul are given to something else we lose the influence of the light of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in our life.  The light goes out and in this darkness, the covenant bond with Jesus Christ is slowly put aside and soon forgotten.  In this darkness, new priorities arise that disregard the covenant bond with Jesus Christ.  In this darkness, we confuse worldly with Godly, good and bad, right and wrong, truth and false, humility and pride, generosity and greed, forgiveness and resentment, humbleness and jealousy, and obedience and complacency.  None of us are immune to these attacks from the influences of our sinful nature.  This is the battle between the light of the world and the darkness of sin. Sometimes it is a battle we do not even know we are in because we confuse the darkness with light. It is a battle we can never win on our own. It is a battle within our heart, mind, and soul, that is won in and through Jesus Christ.

We will do well to take serious the faith oath covenant we made by faith in and through belief in, reliance on, and clinging to Jesus Christ.  It is not too late.  There is still hope to come back into the light of Jesus Christ.  Confess, repent, and run to Him with a heart, mind, and soul commitment.  Stay in His word.  Desire and seek to be led by it.  Continually hold fast to it and begin anew a life long journey of humble service, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying Jesus Christ.

While He may be found

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Psalms 32:6  Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

Proverbs 1:28   Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Isaiah 49:8   Thus says the LORD: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages,

Isaiah 55:6   “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

Luke 19:42-44   saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

John 7:34  You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”

2 Corinthians 6:2  For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Psalms 34:2-5   My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!  I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Psalms 4:3   But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.

2 Corinthians 1:4   who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Titus 2:12  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near”. “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you;”. “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;” The day of salvation is now and yet for some it will never again come or be open to their eyes and hearts.  They have rejected and set their heart against God, rejecting Him, and salvation through Jesus Christ.  It is very hard to watch and see people who are like this but many of us too were at such a place in our lives at some time.  We heard but we rejected, we saw but we discounted, and we chose to follow thoughts of those who cling to what is present in this world.  To those who choose to listen, follow and obey God there is peace, joy, hope, love and promise of eternity with God in heaven.  To those who continually reject His salvation there is promise of eternity in hell separated from God, forever tormented.  Now is the day of salvation.  Now is the time to believe, repent, follow and obey. God wants you to come to Him just as you are.  You are not required to get right before you come to Him.  He is standing at your heart’s door knocking seeking to come in and transform you into a life with Him.  Come as your are He is knocking.  Come now in this day of salvation.  All changes in your life and how you see life this side of eternity will come at His leading and your willingness to let Him be Lord of your life – your everything.