The Darkness Loves Evil as if Good

Isaiah 5:20-21
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

John 3:19-21

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Pride thrives in darkness; when people hate good, seek evil as if it was "good fun," then their pride justifies running from God and making good out of what He clearly calls evil.  But those seeing what is wrong and turning from it find themselves turning to Jesus and knowing the One who so loved the world.  

Humbled Eyes Gaze on the Holy One

Isaiah 5:15-16
People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.  16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

In the end, at the final judgment, all will see God is sovereign and will bow before Him.  This will bring humility when we all see Him high and lifted up, and our created and sinful state beneath Him.  His judgment is right, and so His holiness will be clearly seen, even if people now deny this truth.  This is why reconciling with God in Christ is the most important thing to do in this life before facing that inescapable judgment.  This is the good news of Jesus Christ that no good deeds or church membership can ever do for us.  Only Jesus. 

Covering Glory Guides Us

Isaiah 4:4-6 
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.

God's cleansing judgment in Christ gives us a place to stand before Him at last, much as the Branch, the Messiah (Christ) was to do here in Isaiah.  Just as God led the exodus from Egypt with a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night, so He leads His people now in glory, giving relief in the heat of the day and protection in the storms of life. 

God's Earth Shaking Judgement

Isaiah 2:11, 17-19 
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.   17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The Lord alone will be exalted in that day, 18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish.  19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

The pride of man will be taken down as He is lifted up.  All manmade idols and works of pride that we rely on, to include ideas of evolution and those making us masters of our own destiny - all these will be done away with in the end.  Nobody can hide from God or the shaking up of all we know when He comes to judge all with finality.  But we have a second chance as we still live; it is hope in Jesus Christ and none other. 

He Will Teach and Guide Us

Isaiah 2:2-3 
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.  3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.”  For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Worship of God is very important.  But learning from Him and living out what He says are the goal. It is easy to listen, but so difficult to always walk as Jesus showed us -- but it is also necessary, and why we are told in Philippians to run to that goal, not dwelling on past failures (or successes).  We are taught by God (John 6:45) to be drawn to Him, but are also continued to be taught by Him (1 Thessalonians 4:9). 

Cleansed to Sin No More

Isaiah 1:16-19  
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.  Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor;  Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.  18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.  19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

Repentance, admitting your sin with deep regret at offending God, must lead to turning away from sin and toward Jesus who stood in our place to take the just sentence we deserve.  Isaiah shows what that looks like - turning to do good, but relying on God's cleansing of our dirty sinful lives, not our reforming works of social action.  Then forgiveness in Christ delivers (saves) us from what we deserve.  We are made pure white in His sight, as Jesus' sacrificial blood covers our sin so that God sees Jesus' perfection where our sin once glared.  This is the Good News. 

Son Spoke Personally to Us

Numbers 12:6-8  
Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.  7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.  8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord…"

-- Hebrews 1:1-2   1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

-- 2 Corinthians 3:15-16.  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Prophets used to be necessary to see visions and dreams in order to know what God said and tell His people; now we who know Christ have Him by God's Spirit inside us to unveil the truth of His word to us.   There is no need for new revelation - God has spoken it and now reveals that to us.  So we can come before His face to the throne based on grace to find direction, help, and understanding. 

Blessed are Led and Upheld by God

Psalms 37:22-24.  
For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.  23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.  24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

-- Psalms 37:27-28.   Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore.  28 For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

Those who follow God in Christ are blessed and led by Him.  They take great pleasure in this, ding right as they follow, knowing they can absolutely rely on His hand to hold them up.   But we are also called to do good and run from evil - this is our lifelong response to Him saving us from the justice of punishment for sin we all deserve.  In the end, those not accepting His pardon and continuing mockingly to pursue their own evil will face judgement still.  Since we have escaped so great a judgement, let us never excuse our sin, but continually admit and turn from it. 

Patient Rest of the Meek

Psalms 37:7-11
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.  8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret — it only causes harm.  9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.  10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.  11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Walking by faith means we have to patiently wait on God's timing.  It also means we do not gain anything by looking at what others have, or be angry and anxious for the wrong done to us or others.  Instead, we are told to wait with power in constraint (self controlled, meek).  God will be the Judge at the end when all is reckoned; we are not the judge, and we have good news to offer so others may not face the bad after death. Wait, watch, and always be ready to give a good defense for the hope we have. 

Commit Your Way to the Lord

Psalms 37:3-6 
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.  5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.  6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

When Jesus returns, will He find this faith on the earth - trusting Him for all of life while doing good, finding real joy in knowing and obeying Him, letting God put His desires in our hearts as we draw nearer to him while looking more like Jesus?  When we do, He straightens our way, bringing Christ's righteousness to us and justice by His death on the cross in our rightful place.  So we should continue to commit all to Him in absolute trust in everything.  This is walking by faith. 

Speaking Truth in Love to Repentance

2 Timothy 2:23-26  
But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

Speaking the truth in love when talking about spiritual things - this can be difficult when the truth is obvious, yet others want to turn it into an argument.  What are we to do?  Respond with gentle words instead of arguments, humility in correction, knowing what the Bible says to give a good defense for the hope we have.  We pray God will lead them to admit and turn from sin to Him as they see the truth.  Most of all, we want to see them set free from the devil's lies that trap them in darkness, and be translated into the light of the knowledge of God's glory in Jesus Christ. 

Sanctified or Dishonoring?

2 Timothy 2:20-21 
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

In God's temple - the reborn in whom He lives and we worship from individually and collectively - there are glazed vases like Ming, and there are clay pots like wash ins and refuse collectors.  We are jars of clay, molded by the Potter, but how we polish or let our pots go determine how He can use us.  Do we then clean out the sinful thoughts and deeds so he can use us for His glory as we were designed for?  Are we sanctified, set aside, for His use, ready for the good we are intended to do? 

Approved to God in Word and Deed

2 Timothy 2:15-19  
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal:“The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Truth matters.  Love matters.  Speaking the truth IN love is priceless.  We must understand God's word by reading, studying, and memorizing it as we meditate on how to put it into practice.  Seeking only to care for others without a foundation of God's truth is as empty as a loveless clanging cymbal.  This is why sound teaching within the church is vital to the gospel and to Christ's body.  The bottom line here is that God knows who are real transformed believers, and those who are have no option but to be ever more holy as He is to reflect His name with honor and glory. 

Fragrance of Worship

Song of Songs 1:12.  While the king is at his table, My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.

     John 12:3.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

     Luke 7:46-47.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Do we mourn so much for our sin that we would give our most valued possessions to honor Jesus Christ?  Having been forgiven so much, do we not desire to live for Him, giving our all?  The Shulamite gave her best for her beloved; so Mary did for Jesus, and so should we.  This ointment filled the house when released, just as His Spirit will fill us out (not having more of Him but He having more of us) when we sacrifice our best for our Beloved. 

Shepherd Gives Words of Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 
The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.   13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man 's all.   14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

We can learn from those teaching God's word, for the Shepherd Jesus Christ gives the gifts and wisdom to men to do so.  So we should learn from these words, adjusting our lives no matter how long it takes or how weary we become.  But the bottom line is that we must fear God and follow Him and what He teaches us, doing all He says.  We each will answer to Him at the end, so let us do so with joy in the direction of our lives being conformed to Christ. 

God's Grace of Salvation Changes Us

Titus 2:11-14  
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

God saved us out of the goodness of who He is, not because we were righteous but to make us righteous (holy as/because He is holy).  What are we to do?  Are we to say "once saved, always saved, so I can do whatever I want?"  The Bible says otherwise.  Jesus paid the utmost prize up to the cross for us, and we are now to be His people, saved from lawlessness and for doing the good and right (Eph.2:8-10).  We must deny, not do, worldly lust and ungodly things.  We must instead live soberly, righteously, and godly - as Jesus showed and taught us.  Anything less is an affront to God, and forgets we are bought at such a price.  If we have experienced God's grace, we are changed and begin to live accordingly; if there is no change, we are not His (1 John 3:10). 

Follow Your Heart, Led to Judgment

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.  10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity.

If we live only for our own satisfaction and do as we feel for what looks good to us, we will miss the mark of God's best for us and find ourselves accountable in the final day.  But if we find joy in Christ and His work and word, choosing to obey out of love, then we grow up spiritually, and we so can rest in facing Him throughout all time.  Not grasping after the wind vainly, but following the wind of the Spirit of God as He guides us into all truth and deed. 

God's Working in Birth

Ecclesiastes 11:5   
As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

   John 3:6-8.   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

   Genesis 2:7   And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

God works in the spiritual realm to give life; this shows some evidence in a changed life afterwards, but is not something you can see happening.  This is why Jesus tried to tell Nicodemus of His working to regenerate us - a new birth is by God's breath (spirit) into us, as in the creation of Adam.  We must never imagine we are in Christ based on our upbringing or what good things we do; only Christ dying in our place and grace given for us to believe that will ever allow God's breath to change us from death to life.

Effort of a Dull Ax or Sharp Wisdom?

Ecclesiastes 10:10

If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.

Do we try to do things in our own strength of effort, using a dull ax and simply swinging it harder and harder as we try to succeed?  Or do we look to God and with Him into His word to have His Spirit guide us to wisdom?  Do we sharpen our souls by His Spirit according to the Bible?  Stop swinging the dull ax of works and let the grace of His word give us the edge. 

Quiet Words of Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 9:13-18  
13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.  16 Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength.  Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.  17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.  18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.”

The wisdom of God's people is not always heeded, even within the church; most often the rich and famous with a following are followed by bleating sheep who ignore sincere words of wisdom from Christ followers.  The battles are own with humility to demonstrate it is God who fights and not men, but we look for a Saul over David, needing someone with a TV show, books, seminars, or other "accomplishments" instead of looking to see if Christ and His Spirit are there.  Is this wise? 

Shadow Life

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13-13, 17  
12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.   17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.

Though those who do evil in God's eyes may seem to be doing well, the shadow of their lives will soon fade away. Those who fear and follow God, however, will shine as lights in heaven for pleasing God in their hearts, minds, and lives.  Even so, there is mystery around His working, for we see the edges of His ways in all this.  But we can trust and obey, giving no excuse for sin. 

Power over Death

 

Ecclesiastes 8:1-8 
1 Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, And the sternness of his face is changed.   4 Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”  5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment,  6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, Though the misery of man increases greatly.  7 For he does not know what will happen; So who can tell him when it will occur?   8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, And no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

Wisdom changes our joy and so our appearance as well.  To be wise is to acknowledge God's sovereignty, doing all He says out of thankfulness and love.  Wisdom knows He has everything in control, and it is wise to wait, foolish to be angry or do things our own way first.  Wisdom means we remember God holds our lives in His hand, so doing right till death is the real war to fight against evil.  There is no power over death in man, but only in the Son of Man. 

Only God Makes the Way Straight

Ecclesiastes 7:13, 20, 29 
13 Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?  20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.  29 Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.”

Jesus the Messiah made straight our crooked path as He went straight to the cross and up from the dead.  All this because there is not and never will be a man or woman who is sinless.  God mad us perfect in Eden, but our disbelief and disobedience has tainted our crooked souls and their ways since then.  Yet we still blame God for the world's problems when we are all to blame...

Luke 3:5-6. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 

Wisdom of Inheritance

Ecclesiastes 7:10-12 
Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?”  For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.  11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun.  12 For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.

Longing for the "good old days" is not wise, because time goes forward into eternity, and God's plans will unfold by His will.  To be wise is to listen to and follow all He says.  This is what we can rely on, as it brings life - something riches and gain of any other thing can never do.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; He will then give what you need.  Our wisdom is in God's inheritance! 

A Good Name is Humble

Ecclesiastes 7:1, 8   
1 A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one's birth;   8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

The name given as Christ's exceeds any temporary balm in this life; to be His and not just named as 'adam, man, a sinful fallen being, this is good news!  Then to know that death offers better than our sinful birth into this world because it opens a new one forever before our God as in Eden again... This should lead to a patient spirit as the verse here says.  This is hope past any grasping for wind we come up with on our own. 

God's Life Breathed into Man

Ecclesiastes 6:10 
Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

We are ’adam - "ruddy" i. e. a human being, created from the ground of the earth with God's life breathed into us.  But we are fallen in our common parents who sinned against Him, then bore children by design 'after their own kind.'  So here we are reminded that is who we are at birth, yet still argue against God that we are sinners by nature.  This new year offers a new chance to examine ourselves to see if there truly has been a new birth to breathe the renewed life of God in Christ by His Spirit into us.  If you are only the original creation, still known as 'adam to Him, turn from that sinful man to Christ for forgiveness and new life by believing Jesus died in your place to bring you to God.  You have no assurance of a 2015, but you do have today.