“And when the people were gathered thick together, He began to say,
‘This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation.
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.’ ” Luke 11:29-32 (KJB)
Evil
Words of Jesus; Son of God, God the Son – 082820
“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:43-45 (KJB)
Words Of Jesus; Son Of God, God The Son – 071920
“And He entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; ‘Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.’
And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, ‘This man blasphemeth.’ And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, ‘Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and walk?’
But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) ‘Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.’
And He arose, and departed to His house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” Matthew 9:1-8
The Fool, The Mischievous, and The Scorner
“Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.” Proverbs 24:7-9 (KJB)
Man, The Brawling Woman, Evil, and The Neighbor
“The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.” Proverbs 21:8-10 (KJB)
The Strength Of My Salvation
“Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
I said unto the LORD, ‘Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.’
I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name: the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.” Psalm 140:1-13 (KJB)
Fear Of The LORD
Wisdom says,
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 (KJB)
The Deceit Of Evil
“My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse.’ My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.” Proverbs 1:8-19 (KJB)
The Eyes of The LORD
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” Proverbs 15:3-5 (KJB)
Treasure
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:19-24 (KJB)
The Truth, His Commandments and Love
“I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment. That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” 2 John 1:4-11 (KJB)
In You, O LORD, Do I Hope
“For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. For I said, ‘Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.’ For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.” Psalm 38:15-22 (KJB)
Dealing With Evil
“My son, attend unto my wisdom, bow thine ear to my understanding: that thou mayest regard discretion, and thy lips may keep knowledge.
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, thou canst not know.” Proverbs 5:1-6 (KJB)
Overcoming Evil
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,’ saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 (KJB)
Overcoming of evil is not expected of evil. It is expected of those who have been overcome by the One who has conquered the evil one who is Satan. He was defeated by Jesus Christ on the cross.
Our battle is not against flesh and blood. It is not against our neighbor across the street or across the creek, or on the other side of the fence. Our battle is against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). We are to love one another as believers in Christ.
We are to also show love to those who would mean us harm. Give them food and water. Give them wood for their fire. Overcome evil with good.
If you think this is difficult then just think of what Jesus Christ did for us. The sinless, guiltless, Son of God went to the cross to die for the sin laden, guilty, dirty, filthy, stinking sins of the sinners that you and me are. He really was overcoming evil with good.
Vengeance is God’s. Leave it with Him. Also see Deuteronomy 32:35 and Hebrews 10:30.
The Lusts of Their Own Heart
In the first chapter of Romans we find the phrase “God gave them up” which is really a very sad state to live in, and it really explains for the moral failures of 2019.
The second one we see is that GOD RELEASES THEM TO THEIR OWN DECAY AND FILTH OF IMMORALITY (Romans 1:24-25).
“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:24-25 (KJB)
Why did God “give them up” to this ungodly – unrighteous behavior? They had a knowledge of God, but chose to suppress it. They turned away from God to worship idols made in the image of created thing – birds, beasts, and even themselves. Because they rejected God; sexual immorality most always follows wrong beliefs, and in particular the worship of idols. It is an act of dishonoring the human body and God.
When they turned from the truth they believed the Lie. The Lie is, “Did God really say that?” It is just a question, but one that places the seeds of unbelief in the heart. It was the first question the Bible speaks of that the serpent/devil asked in order to deceive. It is still being asked today. Not one of many lies but “the Lie” (Genesis 3:1-5). “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” [the Lie] (NKJV 2 Thessalonians 2:11). The Lie, that we can be like God – we become our own god. We have chaos when there is more than one God. There is war, strife of all sorts, contentions, and immoral living.
Satan is the father of lies. Jesus said, speaking to the religious leaders who rejected Him,
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).
Following this lie requires no accountability to a deity, except self. No one, can tell someone of this mindset, what is right or wrong. To them everything is ‘relative’ – they already have their preconceived ideas; they call good ‘evil’ and evil ‘good’.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
Moral decay, such as we see in our land, and the world is due to denying the truth, and believing the Lie, the father of lies, the devil. It leads to personal ruin, and eternal death.
The only hope we all have is in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He turns our heart to His way. He is the way, the Truth, and the life. When you put your faith in Him He changes your life, your direction, and gives you peace and joy for living.
Seek Good, Not Evil
“Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” Amos 5:14-15 (KJB)
In the year of 2019 and beyond it seems that it is getting more and more difficult for some to discern the difference between “Good” and “Evil”. Our definition of each word will depend upon our source for making that determination.
If our source is the political system, Hollywood, the News media, or any other media then we will have varied, and wide, and wild interpretations of good and evil. These forms of information are dependent upon the ideologies, and hearts and minds of sometimes not so clear thinking individuals who have only love for themselves; and not truth.
Good and evil in the best understanding must be defined by God’s Word; the Person of God’s word is the Truth and He defines what is good and what is evil. The Person of Truth is none other than the only begotten Son of God Jesus Christ.
If God’s Word tells us that something is “Good”, then it is good. If He tells us that something is “Evil”, then it is evil.
It is quite clear from the reading of Scripture that God is good. It has been said, “God is good” and “God is good all the time” and “All the time God is good”. Since He is good, then everything He says and does is good.
It becomes then quite clear that since God is good He is the only One who can truly define evil, what it is, and where it comes from; so when God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desparately wicked. Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) then we can rest assured that God knows what He is saying, that it is the truth. We also can safely conclude that we are in need of a Savior; since we have a deceitful and wicked heart.
Amos by the word of the LORD says to “Seek good, and not evil”. What are you seeking today. There is good and there is evil. Anything contrary to God and His Word is evil. When you put your faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ and His finished work of His death on the cross, His burial, and resurrection; then your definition of good and evil will change to agreeing with God. Seek good, and not evil. God is good.
When and What GOD Has Spoken
“I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 24:14 (KJB)
From John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible on Ezekiel 24:14…
“I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass,…. What God has said shall be accomplished; his word shall not return void and empty, or be without effect:
and I will do it; being God omnipotent and unchangeable:
I will not go back; from his word, or the thing threatened and denounced; nothing should prevail upon him to act such a part:
neither will I spare; show any mercy or compassion, or abate of the punishment due:
neither will I repent; or change the course and method of Providence; but abide by the decree gone forth, and the sentence pronounced, and thoroughly execute it; a heap of words ascertaining the truth of what is predicted:
according to thy ways and according to thy doings shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God; that is, the Chaldeans shall judge and condemn thee, and execute my judgments on thee in a just and righteous manner, as thy evil ways and works deserve.”
It seems the Christian of 2019 wants to live on the promises of God from the Old Testament; but we tend to forget about those promises or warnings of judgment for neglecting His word, and turning from Him. Every word God has spoken will be done.
Whose Word Will Stand?
“…Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, Mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil…” Jeremiah 44:28-29 (KJB)
Jeremiah had told these people about God’s word to stay in the land of Judah to live, to work, and to worship God there. They would not hear Jeremiah; thus, they would not listen to, neither hear God. They go down to Egypt despite God’s word to them.
Now they receive word that they will be punished again by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. They blamed God for their situation, yet it was their unbelief, their wayward way of life in Judah committing hypocritical worship, feigned worship to the God of Heaven while devoting themselves to idols; worship of foreign gods which were no god at all. The truth had become relative to them.
In 2019 there are far too many professing Christians who believe that there is no absolute truth; except the statement that “There is no absolute truth”. So that nullifies that statement.
Hear the word of the LORD. The word of the LORD will stand. Every word He has spoken will come to pass just as He has said.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God; God who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). Jesus came to us to die on the cross for our sins. He was buried to take our sin, our shame, our guilt, and condemnation away. He was raised up from the grave and seen of over 500 witness (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).
Whose word will stand? Yours or Gods? I can rest assured that God’s word will stand, and yours will be left in the dust of foolish thought.
The Good Discipline of the LORD
“Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
‘Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for good. For I will set Mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull down; and I will plant them, and not pluck up. And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.’” Jeremiah 24:4-7 (KJB)
Many people in the United States of America have and are seeing the word discipline as antiquated, outdated, and unnecessary. They might use it as a word for exercise, or disciplining themselves for a good workout, but to be disciplined by another? Just forget it.
When it comes to the LORD God, our Creator, our Savior, our Lord He will discipline those who are His. Often times that discipline is not pleasant. Such as we read about in Jeremiah’s prophecy. Judah was going into captivity due to the overwhelming, blatant sin against God. Many of the “Good people” were going into the Babylonian captivity too.
Christian keep Hebrews 12:5-8 in mind, “If you are without discipline from God, you are not His”.
I will leave you with commentary from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown…
v. 5 “acknowledge — regard with favor, like as thou lookest on the good figs favorably.
for their good — Their removal to Babylon saved them from the calamities which befell the rest of the nation and led them to repentance there: so God bettered their condition (2Ki_25:27-30). Daniel and Ezekiel were among these captives.
v. 6 “(Jer_12:15).
not pull … down … not pluck … up — only partially fulfilled in the restoration from Babylon; antitypically and fully to be fulfilled hereafter (Jer_32:41; Jer_33:7).
v. 7 “(Jer_30:22; Jer_31:33; Jer_32:38). Their conversion from idolatry to the one true God, through the chastening effect of the Babylonish captivity, is here expressed in language which, in its fullness, applies to the more complete conversion hereafter of the Jews, “with their whole heart” (Jer_29:13), through the painful discipline of their present dispersion. The source of their conversion is here stated to be God’s prevenient grace.
for they shall return — Repentance, though not the cause of pardon, is its invariable accompaniment: it is the effect of God’s giving a heart to know Him.”
From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary for verses 5 – 7.
You become God’s through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Holy Son of God.
You That Tremble At His Word…
“Thus saith the LORD, ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me, and where is the place of My rest? For all those hath Mine hand made, and all those have been,’ saith the LORD: ‘but to this man will I look, to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before Mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.’
Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at His word; ‘Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified:’ but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to His enemies.” Isaiah 66:1-6 (KJB)
When the Righteous Perish
“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil.” Isaiah 57:1 (KJB)
First of all we need to understand who the righteous are. The righteous are those whom God declares righteous, and none other. In the context of Scripture these righteous are a remnant of Israel who were ashamed of the sin, debauchery, and evil in the land, and they kept themselves from it. The righteous of today are those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ death on the cross; His burial and resurrection proving the deal.
The death of the righteous is just as likely as the death of the evil. It is most likely going to happen, and none knows the day. The death of the righteous is not eternal. The death of the wicked is eternal. There is a place in Heaven prepared for the righteous. There is no place found for the evil in Heaven, so the only place for them is Hell.
When the righteous die there will be many wicked who applaud that death saying something like “Well that trouble maker is gone, and good riddance”, maybe just thinking it. The wicked always see the righteous as the cause of trouble. At any rate they do not care at their passing.
The merciful are the same as the righteous, and will be taken away from the evil that God has declared judgment upon. God knows how to deliver the righteous from the evil…
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished…” 2 Peter 2:9
Become one who is righteous before God. Call on the name of the One who died on the cross for you, was buried, and He rose again. His name is Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son.
The Eyes, the Ears, and the Face of the Lord
“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” 1 Peter 3:12-16 (KJB)
Also consider reading 2 Chronicles 16 and note verses 7 – 10 especially: and Romans 8.
Sin and Temptation
“Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted of God:’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:13-15 (KJB)
From F. B. Meyer…
“The word temptation may stand for trial and testing, without implying that there is any necessary impulse toward evil; or it may stand for the direct impulse of the evil one. Here, however, it is used in this latter sense. But of whatever kind the temptation is, whether upward or downward, whether of pain and sorrow at the permission of God, or of direct solicitation to evil at the suggestion of Satan, those who refuse to swerve from their high quest of nobility attain to higher levels of life. In the words of this paragraph, they receive the crown of life “here” and hereafter.
Notice the genealogy of sin, Jas_1:15. Lust is the parent of sin, and sin when matured is the parent of death. How different to the blackness of this dark picture is the light and glory of our Father’s home and realm! All the good things of our lives are from His good hand. He is not fickle and changeable. Even our sin cannot make Him turn away. His sun still shines on the evil and the good, and His rain descends on the just and the unjust. See Mat_5:45. We are His children; let us be sweet to the taste as the grapes of Eschol!” Through the Bible Day by Day by F. B. Meyer
There are many accusing Holy God of tempting us, and even of sin. Let God be true and every one else a liar. God does not tempt anyone, neither is He tempted.
When you think about it it is like the clay calling the potter ‘Evil’ (Jeremiah18).
The race of Adam is evil at heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and needs a Redeemer. That Redeemer was sent unto us by our loving Father, and that Redeemer is Jesus Christ. He died a horrendous death on a cruel cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and in three days He rose again; and He forever lives and is seated at the right hand of power in glory. He will hear you when you call on His name.
What To Do When Evil Surrounds Us
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:12-15 (KJB)
Christians who live godly lives will suffer persecution. Have you ever been laughed at because of the simplicity of your faith in Christ, the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to cleanse, to heal, to redeem, and get us into the presence of Holy God? Have you ever been threatened for your faith in Him? How about beaten and maybe left for dead?
Evil abounds in this world. Anyone who has eyes and ears knows there is evil in this world; and it is in the hearts of the people who live on this planet. As Christians we must guard our own hearts and minds through the word of God and prayer.
The Apostle tells us that “Evil men and seducers shall become worse and worse…” The evil ones are not only those who would do us physical harm; but also those who would do us spiritual harm by teaching lies, deceiving, and themselves being deceived.
So what do we do when evil surrounds us?
- Remember the things you have been taught from Scripture;
- Continue in those things applying them to your life, living for Jesus Christ and standing on His word;
- Always remember that those teachings you have learned in the word are the words of wisdom and for your salvation;
- There is absolutely no instruction to identify (to participate) with the world around us.
Always remember the gospel – the good news is – that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and He rose again.
Being Content
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10 (KJB)
Covetousness is a sin, a grave sin which besets many men, women, and even children. It is not absent from the one who is writing this post. I find myself wanting things which I can live without; or I can find an excuse for getting just about any thing that I decide I want.
I know God’s word. God and His word is very dear to my heart. He has given us the Ten Commandments, and they clearly show us that we definitely need a Savior, and God has shown us pictures, types, and or shadows of our Savior throughout the Old Testament; and is fully revealed, unveiled to us in the New Testament.
I heard a new preacher come on the scene several years ago who, in the message he was preaching, said, “The lack of money is the root of all evil”. That statement is clearly against the verse of God’s word above. “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
Covetousness is idolatry. Being Content is God’s prescription for His people. Covetousness is a transgression of God’s law. The tenth commandment is “Thou shalt not covet…” (Exodus 20:17).
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry…” Colossians 3:5
The 1828 version of Webster’s Dictionary defines “Contentment” as…
“CONTENTMENT, n.
- Content; a resting or satisfaction of mind without disquiet; acquiescence.
Contentment, without external honor, is humility.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Tim 6.
- Gratification.
At Paris the prince spent a day, to give his mind some contentment.”
I judge no one who is reading this. My intent is to help those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and the word to live with contentment in the life God has given you. I am not talking about being content with a sinful lifestyle. If you are living contrary to God and His word, I pray the Spirit of God will make you miserable until you surrender your life to His life for you.
Contentment is great gain. Be content with such things as you have.
- Start being thankful for God’s blessings in your life.
- Give of your blessings to others who are less fortunate than you.
- Also start by recognizing that it all belongs to God; and give back at least a tenth to your local church.
- Begin by recognizing you are not the owner of the things you possess, but rather a steward who is caring for the blessings God has given you.
Covetousness is the root of all evil. Why do you suppose it is the last of the ten; it is not because it is the least.
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5
The things of this world and the desire for them only lead to all forms of evil. Every murder, every theft, every mass shooting is the result of coveting of something that someone wants.
Be content by coming to the One who loved you so much He sent His only Son to die for our sins. He died on the cross, was buried, and He rose again conquering sin, death, hell, and the grave. Turn from your sin to Jesus Christ Son of the Living God, God the Living Son.
The Fire and Hammer 