Posts Tagged ‘theology’

Proverbs 19:26 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 19, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 19, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 19:26  He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. 

Child! The great God will make you pay for the pain and shame your folly has cost your parents. Your ungrateful treatment of them will come down on your own head. Get ready for it. Your return of evil for their kindness and love has the God of parents sending His hungry ravens and young eagles in your direction (Pr 20:20; 30:17). They see you now!

Child! Your parents gave you life. They fed, clothed, and protected you. Your father delighted in you and saved for your future; your mother doted on you and pampered you. And now you despise them by word and deed. You waste their time and assets. You have no time for the woman who loves you most. Your wickedness has come up to heaven!

This proverb is only an observation, unless you find its hidden lesson. Proverbs are dark sayings, not sound bites (Pr 1:6). If we weigh the pain this wicked child caused his parents, we should see the fire of divine justice burning against him. If God’s words, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” are true in general, they are certainly true in this case!

A son wastes his father by spending his money in riotous living (Pr 28:7,24; 29:3; Luke 15:13). He also wastes his spirit, burdens his heart, harms his health, and sends him to the grave with sorrow (Gen 44:29). This grief is a calamity to a father (Pr 17:21,25; 19:13). What should have been for his glory and success becomes the source of his latter pain.

He chases away his mother by ignoring her warnings, fighting in her home, chasing whores, living a life she cannot abide, and alienating her affection (Pr 10:1; 17:25). In the end, when he has spent all, or whether he has much, he denies her desires and needs. How can a mother’s tenderness be repaid by such cold and crushing cruelty?

Such a son brings shame and reproach on his father, his mother, his siblings, the family name, and upon himself. But he is so in love with himself that he does not care. He tramples all under foot without regard for the feelings of his own flesh and blood or the opinions of God and men. These rebels deserve all that God shall bring upon them.

Child! Tremble before this proverb and its words. God is not mocked! Whatever you sow, you shall reap (Gal 6:7). If God ordained death for disrespectful speech or looks (Pr 20:20; 30:17; Deut 27:16), how great is His fury for these actions? If He required capital punishment for cursing or hitting, what will He do to this brute (Ex 21:15)? If honoring parents brings long life, what will the base violence of this wretch deserve (Eph 6:2-3)?

Child! Mistreating those who have loved and cared for you the most is an aggravated and perverse sin and exceedingly wicked in God’s sight. Your pride and selfishness are so great that you are without natural affection (Rom 1:30-31). You have altogether denied the Christian religion, and you are worse than an infidel (I Tim 5:8).

Child! Humble yourself now. Repent for your rebellion and self-will. Beg God and your parents for mercy. It is never too late, if you can still feel even a little conviction in your conscience about your folly. Break off your sins by righteousness and show some mercy to your parents, for it may be a lengthening of your tranquility (Dan 4:27).

Parent of a fool! Take comfort. There are no perfect parents, and the great God never justifies a child’s wickedness by parental faults or failures. He is the God of parents, and as a heavenly Father, He will remember every bit of your investment and pain for comfort here and hereafter. Beg Him for wisdom in light of your troubles (Jas 1:2-5).

Reader, how well do you honor your heavenly Father? Have you wasted any of the precious grace He has bestowed on you (II Cor 6:1; Heb 12:15)? Have you brought any shame or reproach on His glorious name (Ezek 20:39; I Tim 6:1)? Are you living like a child of God, bringing delight to your Father (Matt 5:43-48; II Cor 6:14-18; Eph 5:1)?


Spiritual Training 19 December 2012

Posted: December 19, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Romans 4:09-12 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?  We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.  Under what circumstances was it credited?  Was it after he was circumcised, or before?  It was not after, but before! And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.  So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.  And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 

 Rituals did not earn any reward for Abraham; he had been blessed long before the circumcision ceremony was introduce,  Abraham found favor with God by faith alone, before he was circumcised.  Genesis 12:1-4 tells of God’s call to Abraham when he was 75 years old; the circumcision ceremony was introduced when he was 99 (Genesis 17:1-14).  Ceremonies and rituals serve as reminders of our faith, and they instruct new and younger believers.

Lets Bring it Home: But we should not think that they give us any special merit before God.  They are outward signs and seals that demonstrate inward belief and trust.  The focus of our faith should be on Christ and his saving actions, not on our own actions.  Are we walking in the footsteps of our baptism, or are we walking in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised?

 

Proverbs 18:11 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 18, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 18, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command, wealth
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Proverbs 18.11 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, they imagine it an unsalable wall. 

Riches ruin most men. Their pride grows with their money. They see no need for God or most men. They believe they are safe from trouble; they assume they are smart for their success. They are blinded to the fact God made them rich, they cannot avoid death He will soon send, and they will give their most detailed accounting to Him with hell to pay.

Rich men trust their money for safety. It is their strong city. They think they can buy their way out of trouble. It is the high wall around their city formed by their conceit. But their arrogance deceives them! They cannot postpone death; they cannot take a cent with them; and the holy and terrible Judge they will soon meet cannot be bribed by any payment!

The rich think themselves secure from all enemies, as if in a strong city; they imagine the city has a high wall to repulse even aggressive attackers. But both city and wall are the deceit of conceit! Cancer has no regard for money, nor does Father Time. Trouble will breach the wall; death will storm the city; and the final judgment will sweep it all to hell!

You will not fully appreciate this proverb, without reading the one before it. There you find, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Pr 18:10). What a difference between the righteous and the rich! The righteous find safety in the LORD Jehovah, while the rich look to their assets and income for help.

Can the rich buy themselves safety? They can hire a crop duster to spray their property for mosquitoes! They can post bond for a prodigal son! They can buy politicians for laws to subsidize their businesses! They can pay the best doctors for a nearly perfect facelift! They might even be able to pay the ransom to get a young child back from kidnappers!

So the rich man lives with the arrogant confidence of a conqueror. He eats at the best restaurants, flies first class, and has a chauffeur. He does not worry about unemployment, braces for the children, his failing parents, paying the mortgage off, getting the kids through college, or anything else. He thinks he has it made – until he dies and wakes up naked in the blinding light of the Judge of all flesh, Who has no regard for rich men!

David wrote about these men and their insane thinking (Ps 49:6-14). They cannot buy off Death for any in their family, no matter how beloved. They presume Death will not strike them like others. They see great estates transferred or destroyed when rich men die, but they ignore the warnings and continue in arrogance. They name buildings and parks after themselves to promote their honor. They die like hyenas and rot in the grave, but their descendants or beneficiaries approve their lifestyle and the same arrogance. Fools!

Are you enticed by the lifestyles of the rich and famous? Hollywood and the devils behind it want to sell you that damning picture. Do the gated communities with massive mansions and manicured lawns cause you to envy the wicked? Do you resent your job or your modest home or even your life? Be wise and choose contentment, lest you also fall for their dysfunctional lives, divorces, drugs, drunkenness, and so forth.

Jesus described a haughty rich man, who had more abundance than he could store. He conceitedly boasted he would build bigger barns to hold it all, and he would then begin his luxurious retirement in total luxury for many years. But the Lord said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20). His high wall fell down! His strong city was taken!

The rich are rich by God’s choice (I Chr 29:12; Ps 75:6-7; I Cor 4:7). They ought to be the most humble, for they should know and admit more quickly than others that it was all of God’s sovereign mercy and favor that they have anything. There is no such thing as a self-made man, and anything by inheritance is merely a function of birth. Anything a man has or is able to do is a gift from God, and He should give God all the glory and praise.

There is a terror they dread, and they cannot defer or postpone its visit to their bedroom. It will cause fear in every direction. It will root out and destroy all their confidence. It is the king of terrors – death itself (Job 18:11-14). What lies ahead for the foolish rich man, “He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world” (Job 18:18)?

No wonder Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved (Matt 19:24). He had just seen a fine young man turn away from following Him due to his money (Matt 19:21-22). Never desire something so dangerous! You cannot serve two masters, so choose God today and hate riches (Matt 6:24). Be thankful for what you have, and give any extra away to those in need (I Tim 6:17-19).

Wise reader, reject any confidence in riches that come your way (Ps 62:10; I Tim 6:17). Do not seek them, as they have damned many souls before you (I Tim 6:7-10). Remember that infinite wisdom says godliness with contentment is great gain (I Tim 6:6). Choose wise Agur’s prayer as your own, and be content with moderate means (Pr 30:8). Build instead your confidence in the LORD by good works (Pr 18:10; I Tim 6:19).

Spiritual Training 18 December 2012

Posted: December 18, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 4:6-8 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.  “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man shoes sin the Lord will never count against him.”  

What can we do to get rid of guilt? King David was guilty of terrible sins-adultery, murder, lying, and yet he experienced the joy of forgiveness.

Lets Bring it Home: We too can have this joy when we

(1) quit denying our guilt and recognize that we have sinned

(2) admit our guilt to God and ask for his forgiveness, and

(3) let go of our guilt and believe that God has forgiven us.

This can be difficult when a sin has taken root and grown over many years, when it is very serious, or when it involves others.  We must remember that Jesus is willing and able to forgive every sin.  In view of the tremendous price he paid on the cross, it is arrogant to think that any of our sins are too great for him to cover.  Even though our faith is weak, our conscience is sensitive, and our memory haunts us,

God’s Word declares that sins confessed are sins forgiven.

Spiritual Training 17 December 2012

Posted: December 17, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 4:4-5 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.  However, to the man who does not work but trust God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.      

This verse means that it a person could earn right standing with God by being good, the granting of that gift wouldn’t be a free act; it would be an obligation.  Our self-reliance is futile; all we can do is cast ourselves on God’s mercy and grace.

When some people learn that they are saved by God through faith, they start to worry.  “Do I have enough faith?”  These people miss the point.  It is Jesus Christ who saves us, not our feelings or actions, and he is strong enough to save us no matter how weak our faith is.  Jesus offers us salvation as a gift because he loves us, not because we have earned it through our powerful faith.  What, then, is the role of faith?  Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ, and reaching out to accept his wonderful gift of salvation.

 Lets Bring It Home: Where is our faith?  Who do we start trusting first when we are squeezed by the world?  Do we trust in God from the beginning, or do we lean towards are own understanding fist, and when that don’t work, we turn to God.  Well, God has an answer for that to.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 14:10 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 15, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 14, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 14:10  Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

Only you know your own sadness and joy. Others may care for you or profess they know you, but they cannot and do not. For you to sympathize with others and help them, you must slow down and look deeper. Finally, God through Jesus Christ knows you perfectly.

You are a unique individual, just as every snowflake is different. The depths of bitterness and heights of joy that you feel cannot be fully known or appreciated by others. Your heart, soul, mind, and conscience create a private set of feelings and thoughts that are known only by you and your Creator. Others cannot discover or define your true feelings.

Anguish and pain in your soul from circumstances, fear, guilt, or hopelessness are your personal property and cannot be felt or understood by a stranger, anyone outside you. Neither can a stranger, anyone outside your soul, grasp and appreciate the joy of your heart, when you are enraptured by circumstances, hope, love, or success.

No friend fully knows your feelings, regardless of how sympathetic. No psychologist can measure your grief or happiness, or their causes. No pastor can fully explain your doubts or desires. You are alone in the universe with your own soul. The combined factors that form another’s feelings and thoughts are quite different from yours, or anyone else’s.

The proverb is an observation by Solomon about human existence. Paul confirmed it, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit with him?” (I Cor 2:11.) Each person is a unique individual with feelings, both negative and positive, unknown to others. Careful study will reveal three lessons from this general observation.

The first lesson is to accept that others cannot fully grasp your grief or happiness, which may cause confusion or neglect. Forgive them. And the opposite is also true: you cannot truly know or sympathize with others. Forgive them as well for their intense feelings that alter their appearance or conduct. Wisdom makes allowances due to this individuality.

Therefore, there needs to be a great deal of sensitivity and tolerance in dealing with others, for you do not the cause, nature, or depth of feelings that may be affecting them. Thus, Biblical charity is essential (I Cor 13:4-7), the golden rule is indispensable (Luke 6:31), and sympathetic empathy must be practiced (Rom 12:15; Heb 10:24; 13:3).

Consider examples. Eli missed Hannah’s bitter soul (I Sam 1:10-16). Gehazi could not see the Shunamite’s vexation (II Kgs 4:27). Job’s three friends were miserable comforters (Job 13:4; 16:2). The Lord’s three chosen disciples neglected the Man of Sorrows in His deepest grief (Mark 14:32-42). And Paul had to defend himself to Corinth (II Cor 12:15).

Michal despised David for his uninhibited worship, because her carnal and shallow soul could not grasp his joy and love for God (II Sam 6:16,20). She loved the military hero (I Sam 18:20), but despised his religious zeal (I Sam 13:14). She lost her husband and position by her insensitivity (II Sam 6:21-23). She should have valued his intense praise.

Think about others and be sensitive to their feelings and thoughts, negative or positive. There is more than what meets the eye. Look closer! Woe to the man whose wife sheds tears outwardly or inwardly for marital pain (Mal 2:10-16; Col 3:19; I Pet 3:7)! Woe to the woman whose husband is denied the love and intimacy his body craves (I Cor 7:1-5)!

Woe to critical and overbearing parents (Pr 4:3; 31:2; Col 3:21)! Woe to insensitive employers (Pr 29:21; Deut 24:14-15; Eph 6:9)! Woe to pastors that roughly treat church members (I Thess 2:7; I Pet 5:3)! Woe to a man ignoring the poor (Pr 21:13; 29:7; Job 31:13-22)! Woe to a man failing to think about offences and correct them (Matt 5:21-26)!

There is a better lesson! Though no other person can relate to your spirit, there is a Counselor and Friend that can. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, feels all your infirmities, and He has experienced all the temptations you face (Heb 4:12-15). He can help you in your darkest hour (Heb 2:18), and He can give peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7).

The only true joy man can experience is God’s gift by His Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 15:13; Eccl 5:20). There is no foolish grinning or foaming froth with this joy, for it is God speaking directly to your soul at a level no one else can detect. This seal of His adoption of you as His child includes filling your soul with His love (Rom 5:5; 8:15-16).

Men walking with God can dance in economic disaster (Hab 3:17-19), and they can sing in an inner prison, after being stripped and beaten (Acts 16:22-25). They can find internal encouragement, even when friends want to stone them (I Sam 30:6). God’s presence and communion with the human heart can overcome anything (Ps 27:1-6; 46:1-5; 73:23-28).

Consider Hebrews 4:12 about the Word of God. Most falsely assume this speaks of the written word, the Bible. But nothing in the verse is true about the Bible, and the context proves it is speaking about Jesus Christ (Heb 4:13-14). He can divide between your soul and spirit! He knows the thoughts and intents of your heart! Go to Him (Heb 4:15-16)!

Do you have cares? The proverb teaches that others cannot know them. But if you cast your cares on Him, He cares for you like no other (I Pet 5:7). Are you laboring? Others cannot help carry much. But He can give rest for your soul (Matt 11:28-30). He can be your exceeding joy and your exceeding great reward (Gen 15:1; Ps 43:4). You can talk to Him at any hour of the day or night, and He will always listen and help (Ps 62:8; 142:2).

When you are overwhelmed, then God Himself will be your Friend (Ps 61:2; 142:3). He has all your tears in a bottle: He does not miss one of them, either inside or outside (Ps 56:8). You can pour out your heart to Him (Ps 62:8). Since He can help in the bitterness of your soul, and He can provide heavenly joy, whom else do you need (Ps 73:25-26)? Do not trust in others for your comfort or joy, for only He truly knows and loves you.

Spiritual Training 14 December 2012

Posted: December 15, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 3:27-31 Where, then, is boasting?  It is excluded.  On what principle? On that of observing the law?  No, but on that of faith.  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  Is God the God of Jews only?  Is he not the God of Gentiles too?  Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. 

Most religions prescribe specific duties that must be performed to make a person acceptable to a god.  Christianity is unique in teaching that the good deeds we do will not make us right with God.  No amount of human achievement or progress in personal development will close the gap between God’s moral perfection and our imperfect daily performance.  Good deeds are important, but they will not earn us eternal life.  We are saved only by trusting in what God has done for us.

(Ephesians 2:8-10).  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 Lets Bring It Home: Why does God save us by faith alone? (1) Faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do.  (2) Faith exalts what God has done, not what people do. (3) Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards-we need help.  (4) Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.

Spiritual Training 13 December 2012

Posted: December 13, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 3:22-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus

Some sins seem bigger than others because their obvious consequences are much more serious.  Murder, for example, seems to us to be worse than hatred, and adultery seems worse then lust.  But this does not mean that because we do lesser sins we deserve eternal life.  All sin makes us sinners, and all sin cuts us off from our holy God.  All sin, therefore leads to death (because it disqualifies us from living with God), regardless of how great or small it seems.

Lets Bring It Home: Justified means to be declared not guilty.  When a judge in a court of law declares the defendant not guilty, all the charges are removed from his record.  Legally, it is as if the person had never been accused.  When God forgives our sins, our records are wiped clean.  From his perspective, it is as though we had never sinned.

Proverbs 13:25 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 13, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 13, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry. 

Here is wisdom for a fulfilled, happy life. Will you submit to the Preacher, King of Israel, and his lesson about God’s providence and your contentment? Attitude is more important than quantity or quality, and God’s merciful favor makes a difference among men.

A righteous man is a godly man; a satisfied soul is a contented man. Godliness with contentment is great gain (I Tim 6:6). Believe it! True success is a choice you can make from reading this proverb. Choose now to rise above this dysfunctional, unhappy world.

God provides for righteous men, and He punishes wicked men. What the world pursues with all their might, God supplies to the righteous by His might (Matt 6:33). The assumed lesson here is God’s providential care for godly men (Pr 10:24,29; 11:6,8,19,21,31; etc.).

A righteous man eats sufficient for his needs, of whatever is before him, and finds it a feast. The wicked gorge on excess, wishing the fare was different, and cannot be satisfied. The one is contented and fulfilled; the other is discontented and frustrated.

One curse of man’s sinful existence is discontentment and worry. Solomon noted that the world’s rich are often kept from enjoying their abundance (Eccl 5:12-17; 6:1-2). But God is able to reverse all that in the heart and mind of the righteous (Pr 10:22; Eccl 5:18-20).

God blesses the righteous in their souls, where the wicked are always troubled (Is 57:20-21). Prosperity alone cannot bring contentment, for silver will not satisfy the man loving silver (Eccl 5:10). Contentment is a state of mind known only by the righteous (Pr 16:8; Phil 4:11), and adding it to godliness is great gain for every man (I Tim 6:6-8). Believe it!

Consider the righteous, who eats sufficient for his needs. He eats and drinks with moderation and for strength (Eccl 10:17). He is not tempted to drunkenness, gluttony, and their consequences (Pr 23:21). He even eats and drinks for God’s glory (I Cor 10:31).

He eats whatever is before him, for he has chosen to be content with whatever God provides (Phil 4:12). He chooses to be content with such things he has, for the Lord is his everlasting portion (Ps 73:25-26; Heb 13:5-6). A full heart is better than a full belly.

He finds a modest amount of anything a feast, for he has righteousness, peace, and love as the staples at his table (Pr 15:16-17; Ps 37:16). Because his heart is merry in the Lord, he has a continual feast no matter what is on his table (Pr 15:15; Eccl 5:18-20).

Consider the wicked, who often gorges on abundance (Luke 16:19). He chooses excess over moderation and pays the consequences (Pr 21:17; 23:29-35). But he cannot rest, even in prosperity, for he has the evil disease of worrying about it (Eccl 5:12-17; 6:1-2).

He always wishes the fare or setting was different, for his heart is covetous and greedy of what others have, and this situation vexes his soul (Eccl 6:9). Ahab, though king of Israel, could not enjoy anything in his palace without Naboth’s vineyard (I Kgs 21:1-4).

The wicked find trouble at the finest table, for there is often strife of some sort (Pr 15:17; 17:1). No matter where he looks, no matter what he does, all is vanity and vexation of spirit (Eccl 2:17; 4:4; 6:9). He is like the troubled sea; he cannot rest (Is 57:20-21).

A terrible thing God can do is fill your belly with this world’s best but send leanness into your soul, as He did to Israel with quail (Ps 106:15). Make sure that He knows you are content with your food but covetous for more of Him (Matt 5:6; Luke 10:38-42).

God guarantees the righteous will be fed (Ps 34:10; 37:3,25); and no matter how meager their provision, they have hearts filled with true and lasting joy. The wicked lose every hope at death and will crave a drop of water through eternity (Pr 11:7; Luke 16:24).

Proverbs 12:22 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 13, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 12, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 12:22 The LORD detest lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful

You can be a delight to God today. What a precious proverb! If God delights in you, your future has no bounds. How can you easily obtain God’s favor? By honesty and truth in your dealings! Simply speak the truth and be a man of your word. You will have opportunities today to choose between lying and truth. Embrace honesty and integrity!

God hates liars (Pr 6:16-19). Do not ever think otherwise. All liars shall have their part in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8). There are no liars in heaven (Rev 22:15). Liars are an abomination to the LORD. He will destroy liars (Ps 5:6). He loves men of truth, and He delights in them. God will judge all liars, but He will bless men who deal truly.

The LORD Jehovah, the only living and true God, is a God of truth. Moses wrote of Him, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deut 32:4). While nothing is too hard for the LORD, He cannot lie; it is impossible for Him to lie (Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18).

Lying originated with Satan, the devil himself. God made him a rational creature – a very high-ranking angel. He chose to rebel in pride against the Most High God. For this profane and rebellious sin, he was thrown out of his office in heaven. He came and lied to our first parents, deceiving Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. He is a liar and the father of lying; when you tell a lie, you submit to him and honor him as your father (John 8:44).

When something is an abomination, it is disgusting and hateful. When you abominate something, you abhor, detest, and loathe it. God abominates lying – He finds it abhorrent, detestable, and loathsome. He considers lying disgusting, and He hates it with holy hatred. He loves truth, honesty, integrity, sincerity, and the men who love these things.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira were members in the church at Jerusalem. They sold some property and gave a large offering to the apostles. But they lied in keeping back some for themselves. What did the blessed God do about this fudging of the facts? He killed them both in the church (Acts 5:1-11). Do not even think about compromising truth!

God expects more than just telling the truth; He demands your dealings to be in truth. This is honesty in speech and action. All conduct should be governed by integrity and sincerity. You should say exactly what is right and true, and you should do it completely. Reject exaggerating or modifying facts at anytime, and then perform exactly what you said. You can and should be known as a person of perfect integrity in word and deed.

God’s blessing, which makes huge differences among men, is promised to those who are honest and true. David wrote, “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (Ps 34:12-13). Peter then quoted it, “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile” (I Pet 3:10).

A family can only be blessed when lying and liars are rejected (Ps 101:1-8). A church can only be blessed when hypocrites and liars are exposed and eliminated (Ps 144:11-15). But when God delights in either a truthful family or church, He will bless them graciously and generously. This is one of the simplest means for obtaining God’s blessing and favor in your life. Choose to make honesty and integrity very important at home and at church.

Children must learn to hate lying, so parents must teach them. The Bible says they are born liars (Ps 58:3). Honest and observant parents know this to be true. Children must be taught the importance of truth and punished severely for lying. Conversations must be checked for confirmed truth without exaggeration. Do not allow your children to speak without verifying facts to be certain and provable and to limit their words accordingly.

Lying and truth are significantly different to God, and He will make a tremendous variation in how He treats men based on their degree of honesty. What an opportunity for God to delight in you! What an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself before God and men! Starting now, replace all deception and exaggeration with total truthfulness. Who knows what God will do when He delights in you for your honesty and integrity!

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