The Sad Joke of Much Scholarship

(Pro 14:6 KJV)  A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

I came preloaded today.  I have been reading a book looking at the problems in evolution that Darwin himself admitted and seems to have been open to refuting his theory.  In the course of explaining the issues it became necessary to explain not only the science that works against Darwin but to examine the theories of those trying to keep the modern versions alive.

What struck me in relation to this verse is how often these scientists who were in theory committed to the search for truth could put out such nonsense.  They had to see the problems with what they were saying.  It becomes a real issue of “don’t confuse me with the facts.”  The rush was to twist minor details in such a way to come up with your desired results.

I see this in so many areas today.  Science is obvious but the technique extends into almost every field.  What disappoints me is when it comes into our discussions of the Bible.  I really am not surprised when scholars who deny absolute truth and know where their next check is coming from lie to me.  I am cast adrift by believers who quote a verse to prove a point and totally ignore the next verse that makes their point foolish.

So?  Ultimately we are responsible for our own decisions and not those of others.  My prayer for me and for you is that we will have the commitment to a holy God which keeps us on track. 

Law Can Be Good

(Pro 13:13 KJV)  Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

Everywhere I go I hear Christians talking about how we are saved by grace.  That is a good starting point but then they dive into the deep end without checking to see if there is any water.  Often they like to act like grace is floating around in the cosmos with nothing else ever mentioned by the Bible.  We need to keep reading and expanding our understanding without doing away with the basic concept that our salvation is a gift of God and cannot be earned.

One of the Biblical realities we need to grasp has to do with “commandments” (4687).  Note that it is actually singular not plural.  A synonym would be the Law.  Paul is always making comments about the danger of trying to keep the law.  His real thrust is not that the law is bad but that our arrogance makes us think we can earn our way into heaven, or, just as bad, that we must earn our way into heaven.

Put that aside.  We can’t do it.  At the same time the commandments of God are there for our benefit.  They are to help us understand what is right and what is wrong.  It is good to know those things so that we can live lives that glorify God.

So?  In an ideal setting we will always be joyfully obedient, not because we feel it depends on our performance but because we want to show our love for the holy nature of God. 

Keep Reading

(Psa 14:3 KJV)  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

(Proverbs 12 also read)

This verse and others like it are often quoted by people who want to explain why it is not a big problem for them to live in sin.  They like to quote references to grace and then point out that the Bible says we cannot be righteous, thus they cannot be expected to go without sinning.  When you read this verse and the ones like it your argument seems to make sense.

Like many theological and “Biblical” positions it is hard to scoop water with a sieve.  It is not hard to see a conflict in this thinking.  In this case all you need to do is read two more verses.

(Psa 14:5 KJV)  There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

If there is no one who does good then how can God be in a righteous generation?

So?  The real question in issues like this is the desire of your heart.  If you are looking for excuses to live with sin, you will find them.  At some stages of your spiritual walk it can be because of listening to the wrong people and not having enough Bible under your belt to know better.  If you are further down the road expect God to cock an eyebrow and look at you askance.  God is holy and does not play games. 

Games Not to Play

(Rom 1:22 KJV)  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

(Proverbs 11 also read)

Sunday I finished reading Acts and Monday I began Romans.  I noticed that I needed to slow down and smell the roses a little more.  Today when I came to this passage I noticed that a section that is often linked to the sin of homosexuality was at first much more open to the general population.  I picked this verse as a focus but in reality this is just a summary.

The point Paul is making is that even the general population has an awareness of God and what He expects.  They reject Him and make up their own idols to worship.  Okay.  Shame on them.  What hit me was that the arrogance and pride involved is also to be found in what some people consider the church.  We have large numbers of people who are going through the motions in carefully isolated compartments of their lives but on the whole they are still insisting on being in charge.

God is not fooled.  He is not mocked.  He does not play games.

So?  The Bible means what it says.  We need to be wary of people who claim to have insight, revelation or knowledge that warps the message.  Paul says people know better.  That means that God knows we know better. 

Another First and Last

(Psa 13:1 KJV)  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
(Psa 13:6 KJV)  I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

(Proverbs 10 also read)

Notice the contrast that David is expressing.  If you only read verse 1 you would start your day with a sense of desperation.  David started off as if he felt God had abandoned him.  Have you ever been there?  You are in good company.  This honesty is one of the strong points of reading the Bible and getting in touch with the God is reveals to us.

David’s day finishes on a different note than it begins.  Part of that is rooted in his honesty with God.  The other part is the result of the faithfulness of God.

So?  God can speak to us best when we are open with, and to, Him.  Let it all out.  If you need to really cry out it might be best to be alone.  Others may not understand your pain as much as God does.  May your day always finish on verse 6. 

Simply on Purpose

(Pro 9:16 KJV)  Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Have you ever made excuses for someone who seems to naive that they don’t know which way the wind is blowing?  It is natural.  I wonder how people can be so out of touch some times.  This verse tells me that being simple can be a choice.  If you have your Bible look back at verse 4.  If you don’t, trust me.  Verse 4 is the same as this verse.  The difference is that one voice goes on to give advice leading to life and this one to death.

So?  God is able to speak truth to people at any level.  Actually I think He has more trouble with those who think they are smart than He does with the humble, but that is just my opinion.

No, Before That

(Pro 8:22 KJV)  The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

We see here something of the eternal nature of God.  This “beginning” (7225) is the same Hebrew used in Genesis 1:1.  It does not refer to the beginning of God but to the universe that we belong to.  You might say it marks the beginning of time and matter.  In our terms nothing existed before this.  That is why we believe the God created ex nihilo, out of nothing.  When you read Christian scientists they try to get across to you that this “nothing” does not mean the emptiness of space but the non-existence of space.

At that point wisdom as we know it must have come into existence as we think of it.  It is a case of the character and attributes of God impressing themselves on our natural world and into what would become right behavior.

So?  God is not just making things up as He goes along.  We can trust that He knows what He is doing, even if we don’t.