Ps. {73:3} For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked
Ps. {73:17} Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
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We do envy the wicked don't we?
Trouble is we are mixed up in our head as to what wicked is any longer. We call a wicked person one who tortures and kills someone, we call thieving from the poor wicked, we call a lot of things wicked but there are a lot of things that were once considered wicked that aren't any longer and as a result we run in circles chasing our own tails about this because we are taught not to label the wicked wicked because then we are judging people and judging people is wrong we're told. In truth we have to know what is wicked don't we? We have to know what acts are wicked and then we have to judge the acts people commit- without ultimately condemning their eternal life- something we can never do.
wicked (adjective)
wicked, virtueless, unvirtuous, immoral
amoral, amoralistic, indifferent
lax, unprincipled, unscrupulous, conscienceless, dishonest
unblushing, hardened, callous, shameless, brazen, flaunting
ungodly, irreligious, profane, impious
iniquitous, unrighteous, unjust
evil, bad
evil-minded, bad-hearted, black-hearted, malevolent
evil-doing, maleficent
misbehaving, bad, naughty, disobedient
weak (see frail)
peccant, erring, sinning, transgressing
sinful, full of sin, guilty
unworthy, undeserving, unmeritorious
graceless, not in a state of grace, reprobate
hopeless, incorrigible, irreclaimable, unredeemed, irredeemable
accursed, godforsaken
That about covers things doesn't it? Wicked.
The wicked seem to have a good time being wicked. The wicked seem to prosper. The wicked seem to lead lives honest men and women can't seem to. It's the old why do things bad for you have to be so tempting. So many believe it's easier to be wicked than to be honest and they're right if by easy they mean have more temporal enjoyment and losing eternal life.
Choices. Right or wrong. Life or death. Jesus or satan. Good or evil.
Ps. {73:3} For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked
Ps. {73:17} Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
When we truly understand the end of the wicked envying them is foolish really. Yet to understand their end, we have to go into the sanctuary of God. In the sanctuary of God we find the entire plan of salvation. In the sanctuary of God we find Jesus.
While we hesitate to look at anyone and judge them- we have to look at ourselves and judge our own actions. We know in our heart of hearts when we commit good an when we commit evil. We need to ask God to open our eyes and our hearts to our own ways so that we may discern in our lives all we do. Jesus wants to know us and He can know us if we spend time with Him. When we choose to be wicked and our hearts aren't pricked in the least by remorse we need to ask God to fill our hearts with the repentance we need, the knowledge we need to feel the remorse and the need to ask for forgiveness.
Yes we get willfully caught up in sinning, we feel despair over not being able to keep from sinning, and we also feel apathy. We believe we won't ever stop and sometimes we just don't want to stop. Sin is insidious by its very nature and the only power we have over it is Jesus. The only power we have over sin is the love of Jesus. Knowing our sins killed the sinless Son of God, knowing our sins go against our very Creator. While we might not care, or say we don't, by the grace of God may there still be the voice of the Holy Spirit convicting us in our hearts and by the mercy of our Lord may we come to a place before Him, choosing the way of the Sanctuary and not the way of the wicked.
All glory and praise to our God. All mercy and grace from our Lord Jesus Christ...now and forever.
Amen.
4/30/10
2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead
We should NOT trust in ourselves. Too often we do just that. We count on ourselves to react or act in certain ways and when we don't we crumble into despair because we've trusted ourselves to overcome things when in fact it is God that overcomes, it's in God we have to trust.
Strange isn't it that our money has those words- In God We Trust. Do we really? We should, but unfortunately we trust in others and we trust in ourselves and leave God out of it completely.
2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
The sentence of death is in ourselves. In and of ourselves we warrant death and it doesn't matter a wit how good we are. We can be super good people. We can be sweet and kind, and the best person to be about.
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Having a form of godliness. A form of godliness. If you have a form of something you have a kind of that thing but NOT that thing itself. If I have a form of goodness, I don't have goodness itself do I? Just a form of it, a sort of goodness without actually having true goodness. It's not enough to have a form of godliness, it's not and yet so many people think it is perfectly okay to have a form of godliness.
Denying the power of God, denying the truth of God, you can have a form of godliness but you won't have the power of God in you
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
2Co 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God
1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Kept by the power of God. A far cry from having a form of godliness and denying the power there of.
2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead
We should not turst in ourselves... but in God.
May God help us do this, trust in Him, not ourselves for Salvation is in Him, not us. By His mercy, my His grace, His love so wondrous and so amazing, passing all understanding.
All glory and power unto our Creator now and forever! All praise and honor unto Him!
Amen!
4/30/11