Why do we lie? Often, it is to cover up our irresponsibility.

Proverbs 13:15 - Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard.

"When a person consistently has a perception of what is true and lives it, he gains a force of beauty of character. In other words, faithfulness creates favorable impressions that open doors for him.

"For example, to whom would we rather loan money, to a person with a record of steady work and payment of debts or to one who cannot keep a job and consistently defaults on his obligations? Which one is more likely to get the loan? A person of good character recognizes his responsibility to truth, understands it, and submits to it. This produces the witness that glorifies God.

If a person will not follow this process, he will not have the good character and the good name to go with it. If he recognizes and understands his problem but does not submit to the truth, he is deceiving himself.

"This principle holds true in every area in which a name is built, including marriage, childrearing, and health issues. Many run from the truth about themselves. Hardly anything will destroy a reputation quicker than for others to know an individual is lying to himself about what or how much he eats, his failure to discipline his children properly, or his careless inattention to his spouse. Such faithlessness provides a strong foundation for hypocrisy.

"The ninth commandment not only covers bearing false witness verbally, but also bearing false witness about one's relationship with God by displaying a spotty example of conduct, all the while claiming to be Christian. To make a bad witness in ignorance or weakness is one thing, but to know better and deliberately mislead is another matter altogether.

"Why do we lie? Often, it is to cover up our irresponsibility. We fear that something about ourselves we wish to keep hidden will be exposed, so we lie to protect the image we want others to see. We also lie to rise above our feelings of inadequacy or inferiority. We also do it to lower a third party in the eyes of others, which, of course, has the effect of elevating ourselves in our own eyes and, we hope, in the eyes of others."

 

(John W. Ritenbaugh, http://www.theberean.org/, 03/24/2017)

GOD’S FINALE JUDGEMENT OF THE WICKED.

 

1Thessalonians 1:9 says that “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might”.  What is Paul’s message here?

The Bible records, see Acts 16 and 17, that Paul did not have a good experience when he visited Thessalonica.  Paul was beaten illegally and then put into prison.  They then forced him to leave the city by night because unbelieving Jews brought false charges against Paul. 

Paul did not give up, he made several attempt to return but he was hindered by Satan.

“But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person. For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18).

In this first letter to the Thessalonian Church Paul was concerned about the progress of the church and wanted to be with them to strengthen them in their faith and beliefs.

“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

He wanted to reassure the Church that they were chosen by God.  He did not want the Thessalonians to give up.  He wanted them to look to their faith so that they could endure the persecution that was sure to come.  Paul knew that the people who persecuted them were wicked and would get their just due, but this was not the message he had for them here. 

Paul was using God’s authentication and empowering of the gospel message when he wrote this letter.  He said that because of their “…perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials…” that they were enduring, it was proof that God chose them. (1 Thessalonians 1:4).  Because of this fact he was encouraging them to continue to endure these persecutions.

For this message to have power it is important to understand that the gospel that Paul preached were not his words, but the words came from God through the Holy Spirit and he constantly used this fact to authenticate and empower his words.  The church in Corinth he wrote:

“God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him?  So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.  And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.  The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:10-16).

Paul’s message was always that Jesus Christ made the promises to all those who follow Him that when the Holy Spirit came, He would empower the messengers so that others would believe and be saved to eternal life.  This is what this passage is based on.  It is an encouragement to all saints down through the last almost two thousand years that in difficult days of adversity and persecution, God’s word can serve to encourage us as the dark clouds of persecution gather for Christians around the world. This power of God will sustain believers when persecuted in the end times.

The message of Eternal destruction, is an important message based on the fact that it is mentioned throughout the Old and the New Testaments.  The problem is that the phrase “eternal destruction” is misunderstood by many.  More importantly, it is not the message we need to be taking away from this Biblical passage.  If this is done, the true message is hidden, which is what Satan wants to happen. 

Because it is mentioned here, it is important to have a basic scriptural knowledge of what the phrase means.  There is a very simple answer when trying to describe what eternal destruction means, if you take each word individually.  Eternal means, “Continuing without interruption; perpetual”, (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/eternal ), forever, it will never change.

Destruction means “to cause (something) to end or no longer exist, to cause the destruction of (something), to damage (something) so badly that it cannot be repaired. (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy ).  When a human being meets “eternal destruction” as described in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, it means that that person will be damaged so badly, that he or she will no longer exist.  That that person cannot be repaired.  The existence of that person will come to an end.

The prophet Malachi explains it clearly:

““Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”” (Malachi 4:1).

The non-believers and the wicked will be burned to ashes to such an extent that there will be nothing left.  There will be no “root” or “branch left”.  When this happens there is no way that that person can exist, period.

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND.

THE IMMORTALITY OF MANKIND, MATTHEW 25:46.

 

There are many Bible verses that are taken out of the context of the passage they are found in to support various Christian doctrines.  In order to understand passages, the entire passage needs to be read, and then it has to be related to the time period that the passage is referring to.  We then need to be sure that our interpretation can be verified and not denied by other passages in the Bible.  

Matthew 25:46 is one of these passages.  It reads, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  Several questions immediately come to mind.  What time period is this talking about?  Who are “they”?  What is meant when is says that the righteous will “go away…to eternal life”? 

The chapter Matthew 25 is describing the future judgment of the “nations”.  This judgment will take place immediately after the second coming of Jesus Christ.  During this time period there will be mortal human beings, on earth, who survived the tribulation.  Christ is on the earth. 

There will be people living on the earth at this time who started believing in Christ during the tribulation during the tribulation period.  There will be other people who still do not believe.  These two groups of people are represented by the sheep, (the ones who believe in Christ), and the goats, (the ones who do not).  The people will be judged on how they treated each other during the tribulation period.  (Matthew 25:37-45).

There will also be a group of people on the earth who will be resurrected at that time.  These are people who died during the tribulation period believing in Christ.  Revelation 20:5-6 says “This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:5-6 is referring to Matthew 25:46.

Revelation 20:5-6 indicates that before these people were judged at this point in time, they were subject to “The second death…” (Revelation 20:6).  If that is the case, these human beings are not yet immortal because they can die.  It is here that the righteous people, those who survived the tribulation and those who were just resurrected, are judged and receive eternal life, immortality. 

Matthew 25:46 confirms this where it states clearly that, “Then they will go away…the righteous to eternal life.” (emphasis added).

 

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND.

DO NOT ABUSE YOUR PRIVELEGE OF PRAYER.

 

The Bible characterizes Solomon as being richer and wiser than any other king and the story of how he came to be so wise is repeated in every generation. Solomon had a dream in which he said the Lord appeared to him and asked “What would you like me to give you?” After thanking God “for letting me succeed my father, David,” he said “give me wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil.” (I Kings 3:5,7,9) 

King Solomon wrote, “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.  Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.  For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore, let your words be few.  For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.  (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3)

People have this idea that they impress God by a long prayer Mark wrote that some people pray for show and feel that they need to make lengthy prayers in order to make their prayer relevant. Mark writes that this does not impress Him and if a person is using prayer to glorify himself he will be punished.  Depending on the person, he or she could be punished severely. (Mark 12:40).

In Ecclesiastes King Solomon says that some people do this and are not even aware that they are actually doing something that God considers to be evil. The Bible often warns people about proud attitudes. And that is especially important when people pray.   

King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 to  "Walk prudently" which means "watch your moral conduct." Frequently, "hear" is used synonymously with "obey," and the "sacrifice of fools" is allowing fellowship to degenerate into mere socializing, especially in a church setting, without a serious regard toward walking prudently and hearing God.

Hastiness in prayer, speaking fast to save time and get it over with, is speaking ill-considered words before God. Though we pour out a prayer to Him in anguish, we may not think about the possible effects of our words. We can also do this by praying carelessly, ignorant of the seriousness of our communication with God.

In prayer, the scripture tells us to “…let your words be few.” because “…a fool’s voice is known by his many words.” It is more important to have the right attitudes than to say the right words. God already knows what we will ask. And he knows what we really need (Matthew 6:8).

(John W. Ritenbaugh), ( http://usefulbible.com/ecclesiastes/foolish-wise-prayers.htm )

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SPIRITUALISM AND THE BIBLE - LIFE AFTER DEATH.

SPIRITUALISM AND THE BIBLE – LIFE AFTER DEATH.

 

 

“Spiritualism is the belief or doctrine that the spirits of the dead, surviving after the mortal life, can and do communicate with the living, especially through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spiritualism).

Satan uses many successful agencies in order to seduce man and spiritualism is one of these delusive teachings.  The belief that spirits of the dead can return and/or communicate with the living is a sacred channel through which Satan works to accomplish his purpose.  The fallen angels who do Satan’s bidding appear as messengers. 

Satan has the power to bring before men what appears to be their departed friends.  His counterfeits are perfect in familiarity as far as looks, words, tone and demeanor.  Satan comforts many with the false assurance that their loved ones are enjoying bliss in heaven and he does this without any suspicion of danger.  Men give ear “…to the seducing spirits and doctrines of devils”. (1 Timothy 4:1).

The these fallen spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct.  They build confidence and then they present doctrines, by leading people to misinterpret scriptures, which actually undermines the scriptures.  They state some truths and this gives their statements the appearance of reliability and the false teachings are believed as implicitly as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible.

He contradicts what the apostles wrote as documented in the Bible and in this way he denies the truth of the Holy Spirit and the divine origin of the Bible.  In this way Satan tears away the foundation of the Christian’s hope for eternal life and puts out the truth that reveals the only path to salvation.  This is ultimately Satan’s goal.  The same way Satan tried to exalt himself…

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:” (Isaiah 14:13).

…and lost his place in heaven, he is now trying to do the same thing to mankind.

Satan misleads people by exciting the ambition for self-exaltation.  In the place of righteousness and perfection of the infinite God, he has substituted the sinful, erring nature of man himself as the rule of judgement, standard, and character.  Instead of progressing upward toward the likeness of God, man is descending downward.

Spiritualism professes to teach Christ and the Bible.  The problem is, the Bible is interpreted in a manner that is pleasing to the ears of unrepentant men with un-renewed hearts.  Love is upheld as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded with a weak sentimentalism and does not make a distinction between what God and Jesus Christ view as good and evil.  God’s denunciations of sin, the requirements of His holy law and His justice are all kept out of site.

Satan, as sure as the sunrises in the east, is preparing for his final effort to deceive the world.  He laid the foundation when he assured Eve in the garden “In the day ye eat thereof, then you surely not die.  In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as good as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5-5).  


God never intended man to determine "good and evil".  That is why he told Adam and Eve, (...Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."  (Genesis 2:16-17). 

 

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THE OLD MAN AND THE DOG.

The Old Man and the Dog:  Written by Catherine Moore.

    

    

"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me.   "Can't you do anything right?"

 

Those words hurt worse than being punched in the nose. I turned my head toward the old man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle with him. 

 "I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving." My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.           

      Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?

      "Dad had been a lumberjack most of his life in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often.  The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his powers.

      "The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He shook his head disgustedly and stomped back into the house.  He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

     "Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.

      "At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived... But something inside Dad finally died all together. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

      "My wife, Sue, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We, were afraid to let him by himself and we hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust and bring him back to some sort of normalcy.

      "Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and angry. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Sue. We began to bicker and argue.  We never said it out loud but I knew we both wished he wasn’t living with us.

      "Finally, Sue decided to seek out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session we prayed with him, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.

      "But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done, but what?

      "One day when I was nearing my breaking point, I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered, but it was in vain.

      "Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article." 

      "I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

      "I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the rows of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down.

"It was a large black lab, one of the dog world's aristocrats.  Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly. 

      "I pointed to the dog "Can you tell me about him?"

      "The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.

     "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly

      "As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"" 

      ""Sir," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog.""

      "I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said.

      "I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad walked out onto the front porch.

     ""Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.

    "Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

     "Anger rose inside me.  It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!" 

     "Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I yelled even louder.

     "At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing.  We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

     "Dad's lower jaw trembled and then dropped as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. After a moment, Dad was on his knees, hugging the animal with tears in his eyes.  This is the first time I saw my day with an emotion other than anger in a very long time. 

     "It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne.  Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet

     "Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next 11 years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne’s cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Sue, put on my slippers and went to my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night. 

     "Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's empty bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug that he had slept on. As Sue and I buried him, near their favorite fishing hole, with tears freely flowing from our eyes, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

     "The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family.

     "I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made during the last three years, filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.

     "And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2 and read:

""Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”"

     "The pastor then said, "I've often thanked God for sending an angel to someone in need".

     "For me, everything dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before.  Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter...his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father…and the proximity of their deaths were not a coincidence.  Suddenly I understood.  It was not me who restored my dad’s “peace of mind”.  I finally realized that God had answered our prayers after all.

     "Sometimes we go through life blinded to the simple blessings that God affords us.  We pray for help and then do not recognize when God answers our prayers. 

     "In this story they prayed for God to “soothe their Dad's troubled mind”.  They were waiting on God when the fact is, God was waiting on them, to act. When they finally did act, their answer came in the form of a dog.

     "Was this an angel?  We can only speculate.  What we do know is that there was a prayer prayed, and, there was a blessing given in an answer to that prayer.   Was this from God?  I’ll let that up to you to decide. ( https://bible.org/illustration/old-man-and-dog )

 

CHRISTIAN LIVING FOR GOD - TODAY AND BEYOND.

 

 

Christians Need to Set Their Minds On Heavenly Things.

 

Spiritual Focus

 

Colossians 3:2

(2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
New King James Version   Change your email Bible version

 

Paul is telling us where the focus of our attention needs to be. We can give our minds over to a lot of things, for instance, to our jobs - and there is a place for that. We can give our minds over to physical things - exercise, eating well, and so forth - and there is a place for these, too.

Indeed, humans need to set their minds on many things, but they need to be prioritized correctly - put into the right niche and position. Then each of these things has to be seen in relation to the Kingdom of God. Our priorities must be set according to this standard - the overriding goal of our Christian lives.

"Set your mind on things above" adjusts the focus of our attention so that we do not become distracted by things that are less important for any longer than needed, so that they occupy the right proportion and amount of time in our lives.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

To learn more, see:
Titus 2:11-14

Related Topics:
Focus, Spiritual
Kingdom of God
Kingdom of God, Seeking First
Priorities
Priorities, Spiritual
Prioritizing
Seeking First Kingdom of God
Seeking God First
Seeking God's Righteousness
Setting Heart Upon
Spiritual Focus
Spiritual Goals
Spiritual Priorities

(http://www.theberean.org/)

The Potter's Clay! What Christian truths are symbolized?

What crucial truths are taught from these verses and the symbolism found there? (See Gen. 2:7.)

Jer. 18:1-10 
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.  Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.  Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

We are like the clay in the potter’s hand, even though we are “marred”, God can make us perfect if we have faith in Him.

Isa. 29:16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?  Or, shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

They had no just views of truth. They deemed mere formality to be all that was required. They attempted to conceal their plans even from God; and everything in the opinions and practice of the nation had become perverted and erroneous.

Their perverseness was as if God should be respected as much as we are, that is, as if God was no more qualified to do anything than we are.

Isaiah is showing the right that God has to do with his creatures what he thinks is right.  We have no right to complain because, like the potter He is our Creator. It is absurd for us to complain to God as if He has no intelligence, and no right to make us as He does. It would be absurd for the piece of pottery to complain of the potter as if he had no skill as it is equally absurd for us to complain to God as if He did not have any wisdom.

Isa. 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Potsherd means broken piece of pottery, representing fallen man.   The scripture is saying that we should let the people who are broken, struggle, with the others that are similarly broken here on earth, we are not to fight and argue with them.  We are supposed to go to God for understanding, but when God does give us an answer we are not to question the answer.

Isa. 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Their condition then had been produced by God as clay is molded by the potter, and they would be returned and restored entirely by Him – We have no power to restore ourselves than the clay had to the power to reshape itself. We are totally in his hand and at his disposal the being that transforms us.  Go has the power to mold us as the potter has the power to mold the clay.

We have been formed by God, and we are dependent on God to make us what He wants us to be. This whole verse is an acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God. It expresses the feeling which all have when under conviction of sin; and when we are sensible that we are exposed to the divine displeasure for our transgressions. It is then we feel that if we are to be saved, and it is by the mere sovereignty of God.

Rom. 9:18-21

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

We can rest assured that, despite the reality of human free will and free choices, and the often calamitous results of abusing that free will, in the end, we can hope in the absolute sovereignty of our loving and self-sacrificing God, whose love is revealed on the cross. Evil won't triumph; God and His love will. What a hope we have!

Whatever other truths are found in the image of the potter and the clay, it does teach us the ultimate sovereignty of God. That is, however hopeless the situation might seem to be, the symbolism of the potter and the clay shows us that ultimately, despite the wrong or even willfully wrong decisions that people make, the Lord is in control of the world, regardless of appearances now.

Living By Faith.

Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe”. The verse says that the confusion and wretchedness we have in the fear of what a person can do to us, is contrasted with the security of the one, who not only "fears" the Lord, so as to avoid offending Him, but trusts in Him as his protector and guide by faith alone.

Man, on his own cannot know what is right or what is wrong.  To understand the truth of what is right and what is wrong, man must first understand and obey God’s Universal laws as found in the Bible.  Jesus Christ gave strict instructions on how man can understand the truth to gain what we need to live in this life and secure eternal life.  Jesus Christ said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). 

Trusting God and following His commandments instead of our own wishes, needs to be our first priority.  If we do not learn and follow God’s commandments, we are actually committing idolatry.  A Christian must choose to do what God has told us to do and then have the faith to let whatever happens to us, in the hands of the Lord.

Keeping the Law and having Faith, is living by the commandments of God and Obeying His laws as written in the Bible.  It is not living by the doctrines of man, and trusting in the consequences of your own actions.  The Bible says that if you keep God’s law, you are actually waging war on the wicked. 

The people who keep the law are actually considered wise by God and do not run the risk of shaming their parents.  But, if you turn away from the law and refuse to obey it, and then pray to God, your prayer is as much an abomination to God as any other sin a person could commit.  (Proverbs 28:4, 7, 9).   

The acquisition of wisdom is not done by some intellectual or spiritual exercise.  Wisdom comes from an obedience to a law that comes from outside of our own existence, personal psychology, desires, and culture.  It comes from God’s eternal law as written in the Bible.  You are justified to eternal life by your faith in the eternal law of God which ultimately points to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  (Romans 1:16-17).

Seek the Lord in your daily life.  It is the very law of God that identifies sin and if you cannot identify what sin is, you are in danger of committing sin against God and this ultimately leads to an eternal death. (Romans 7:7-13).  What makes the commandments of God, as written in the Bible, different is that they come directly from God and by living by these laws, you are effectively living a life with God.  The law points us to Jesus Christ and by following it we are then justified by faith.  (Galatians 3:24).  By obeying the law we are drawn closer to the Lord and to the salvation He offers us through our faith in Jesus Christ.

People who do not understand and follow God’s law do not understand the fact that they will be judged by the same standards that the people who follow the law are judged.  People who do understand and follow the law, have a complete understanding of what is at stake, eternal life.  There is no such thing as blind faith.  True faith comes from the knowledge of God’s law.

There are strong words for the Rich who feel they are blessed by God.  If you do not abide by the words of the Bible and follow the commandments of God, it says that the love of God is not in your heart.  This person, no matter how rich he is, will perish like all worldly things will perish, he will lose eternal life.  People are warned not to gain their riches at the expense of those who have less than they do. (Proverbs 28:8).  You will be blessed if you give to the poor. (Proverbs 28:27).  Your riches should come to you as a result of hard work and not by chance.  (Proverbs 28:19).

The Bible also has a handbook for the Poor.  Both the poor and the rich who oppress the poor in order to gain their wealth, were created as equals.  God will shine the light of truth equally in both their eyes. (Proverbs 29:13).  God tells us that you are to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44-45).

Proverbs 28:3 goes on to point out that rain is supposed to be a blessing and be fruitful.  It also says that a driving rain can destroy the crops.  People who are blessed by riches should be careful that they do not become likewise destructive by taking advantage or oppressing those who have less in life.  “Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” (Proverbs 28:6).  God will reward a righteous poor person far more than any physical wealth that can be obtain in this world.

It is more important for any person to have faith, that by understanding and obeying the laws of God, they are far richer than if they would or could obtain all the wealth that this world has to offer.  This world and all its wealth will perish, along with all the unrighteous.  But, the knowledge of God’s law and obedience to it give us eternal life.  It was King Solomon who said that the only real progress a person can make in this life is by understanding and obeying the laws of God as written in the scriptures and, with the help of God, living by them.