Romans 5:17-21 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so [...]]]> This series began 7/17/11

Romans 5:17-21 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (20) Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:1-10 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (7) For he that is dead is freed from sin. (8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. (10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Remember that this passage was written to believers in Jesus Christ at Rome. The unsaved person is not going to understand what is being taught here. The unsaved person denies who God is and may even declare that God does not exist. That is what an atheist is – a person that does not believe that God is real. The Bible does not use the word “atheist” – instead it calls them what they truly are: fools. Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. It is foolishness to deny that God exists and that He is real and that He is personal. The Bible tells us that God knows the hairs on our heads, so how can anyone state that God is not personal and how can anyone think that God does not know what we are saying, thinking and doing? For a person to call himself an atheist, even while joking is to call himself a fool. Why do people tempt God with their foolishness? They deny that He exists or they remake Him into their own image. They make statements like, “My God would never do that” or “My God is like this.” And you know what, they are correct – their god would never do those things because that god (little “g”) is not the God of the Bible. People have developed their own ideas about God rather than allow God to develop their ideas. They are essentially putting themselves in control, when it is suppose to be God that is in control. And you know what? Even though people have decided that they are in control, they are wrong, because God is still in control despite what people may believe. Sherman Nagel wrote:

You cannot put one little star in motion;

You cannot shape one single forest leaf,

Nor fling a mountain up, nor sink an ocean,

Presumptuous pigmy, large with unbelief!

You cannot bring one down of regal splendor,

Nor bid the day to shadowy twilight fall,

Nor send the pale moon forth with radiance tender;

And dare you doubt the One who has done it all? – Sherman A. Nagel, Sr

Adam and Eve were persuaded by the serpent, Satan, that they could be in control. The serpent told them: Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. This is what Satan had wanted for himself – to be as God, and have control. Satan convinced them that they could have control – all they had to do was eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sadly, when they did eat, they realized their mistake and then compounded it further by trying to hide from God. Nobody can hide from God and He knows the jokes that you make, and He knows the times when you take His Name or Jesus Christ’s name in vain.

Sin entered the world because of Adam and with sin came death. Romans 5:17 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Sin and death bring separation from God. For the saved person, they do not lose their salvation, but their relationship is damaged. Think of it this way: a child lies to their mother, are they no longer the son or daughter of the mother? No, but there is damage done to the relationship. That is what sin does in a person’s life: it not only hurts the sinner, but it also hurts those around the sinner.

Believers in Jesus Christ must be very careful to be a proper example to others around them. With the advent of technology today, people can affect a larger number of people than ever before. If you are a believer, what do your words and actions mean to others? Charles Spurgeon said: A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching. When there is sin in the believer’s life, he or she must repent of it and ask for forgiveness from God and the person they sinned against. This must be done to repair the damage done to their relationship with God and others. I have heard people curse and take the Lord’s name in vain nd then they apologize to me. I have told them thank you, but they need to apologize to the one whose Name was taken in vain. Ultimately, it was not me that was sinned against but God was sinned against. David wrote: Psalm 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

For the unbeliever, they sin against God and their relationship is not changed either with God. They were born separated from God and the only way they can reconcile with God is by placing their faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of their sin of rejecting Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said: John 3:18-19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

The unbeliever is already condemned and needs to come to Jesus Christ for redemption. But they must realize why they need Jesus Christ. If they look at Christians who live worldly lives, and use worldly language, and listen to worldly music, then why would the unbeliever want to come to Christianity? From the way Christians are behaving, they are showing themselves to be any different from the unbelievers. A believer in Jesus Christ is suppose to be different, not the same. A believer’s life should show the difference in his or her life because of Jesus Christ.

Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor’s saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received Jesus as his personal Savior. Whether we realize it or not, our example leaves an impression on others.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Lets sum this up for a moment by looking at verses 17 – 19: Because of Adam’s offense and Adam’s disobedience against God, judgment came upon everyone that every person is a sinner and every person is condemned and death has entered the world. Verses 14 and 21 tell us that death reigns, but because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, death does not reign over the believer in Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ conquered death! He sacrificed Himself on the cross, was buried in the tomb for three days, and rose victorious over death! And people make fun of Him and make jokes about Him. People do not show Jesus Christ the respect that He alone deserves. They do not follow Him the way He desires. A man once said: “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” Furthermore, because of believer’s disobedience to God, they are leading unbelievers farther away from God and being a discouragement to other believers. Elisabeth Elliot told of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterward. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor. Tom was out at the piano with his father singing hymns. When confronted, he protested, “But Mom, I want to sing.” His father stated, “It’s no good singing God’s praise if you’re disobedient.”

Because of Adam’s offense and disobedience to God, sin and death entered the world, but because of the obedience of Jesus Christ, all who come to Him for salvation will have the free gift of eternal life with Him. There is no better gift than that!

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

God provided the Law to Moses and He also provided the system of sacrifices for the Law. Later on, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill the Law and be the final sacrifice. J. Vernon McGee wrote: God has given to the human race, a lost race, an opportunity to be delivered from the guilt of sins – not the nature of sin. You and I will have that old sin nature throughout our lives. As powerful as sin is, grace is that much more powerful. As awful as we may sin, God’s grace is abounds even more, when we have repented of our sin. Over twenty years ago, newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man who came to faith in Jesus Christ. What made his story remarkable was not his conversion, but the fact that as a result of his new-found faith in Christ, he confessed to a bank robbery he had participated in when he was nineteen years old. Because the statute of limitations on the case had run out, Johnson could not be prosecuted for the offense. Still, he believed his relationship with Christ demanded a confession. And he even voluntarily repaid his share of the stolen money!

Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin reigns in this world today. Just read the newspapers, and watch the news: sin is everywhere and it is becoming more and more available. Death reigns in this world today. Our nation has a culture of death around it. Look at the movies about vampires. Look at the number of skulls you see on clothing today. Satan reigns in this world today. He is roaming the earth looking to see who he can devour. Sin, death, and Satan reign today, but look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Sin, death, and Satan reign as princes, not as a king. There is only one King: the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one that truly reigns in this world. At this time, He allows sin, death, and Satan to reign, but there will come a day when sin, death and Satan will be conquered and bother believers no more. Because Jesus Christ does reign, He has given people the opportunity to be able to escape from the penalties of sin and death. For believers, they had been the children of disobedience – the children of the devil – but through the new birth – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, believers do not have to sin. Sadly, we do choose to sin, but Jesus Christ gives believers the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin and show us how to obediently walk with God. Further, we have the Bible to guide and direct us. Because of Jesus Christ, people can walk in newness of life. Believers in Jesus Christ should behave like they are believers in Jesus Christ. Reject the lusts of the flesh, reject the need for approval of others, reject the disobedience to God and walk as the new creature you are. Further, remember, that as a believer, you are an example to others around you. What is important to you as a believer will be important to others around you. What are your priorities? Someone once asked Tom Landry why he had been so successful as a football coach. He said, “In 1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do, I determined my priorities for my life — God, family, and then football.” Haddon Robinson points out that one old recipe for rabbit started out with this injunction: “First catch the rabbit.” Says Robinson: “The writer knew how to put first things first. That’s what we do when we establish priorities — we put the things that should be in first place in their proper order.

What are your priorities? Who is your priority? What are you saying to others through your actions and do they match up with your words?

For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however, the offal began to be used by the fisherman, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves. The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.

We live in a world today that is spiritually starving, are you showing others the proper way to feed themselves spiritually through your actions and words?

Hosea 2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she [...]]]> In verses 3 and 4, we see that God will judge the nation of Israel for their sin and no mercy on them if they refuse to repent. The whole nation is in idolatry or spiritual adultery.

Hosea 2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Sadly, the nation of Israel is following the false gods because of what they have supposedly given her. Israel is giving the credit for what she has to idols and pagan nations. Read through the Books of Kings and Chronicles: king after king tries to use Egypt or other nations to help them rather than rely on God. King after king adopts the pagan practises of other nations rather than follow God. The nation of Israel refuses to acknowledge God and be grateful to Him! They were not thankful to God for His many blessings to them. At one time they were thankful – go to Psalm 100. Psalm 100 is the only psalm that calls itself a psalm of praise – in other words: thankfulness.

Psalm 100:1-5 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. (2) Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. (3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

J. Vernon McGee wrote: Oh, the ingratitude of the human race – and especially professing Christians – for all that God has provided! I hear a great deal of complaining about rising prices today. If you are one of those complaining let me ask you something: you had at least one good meal today, didn’t you? You have clothing in your closet, haven’t you? Perhaps you even have some luxuries. Who do you think provided these? “Well,” you might say, “I am an intelligent, hard-working person; I provided them for myself.” I have news for you: God has provided all of those material things for you. He is the one who gave you intelligence. He is the one who gave you a measure of health and strength, and He is the one who provided the job for you. In fact, He is the one who created this earth with a well-stocked pantry and with clean air and clean water and sunshine. And yet you are ungrateful. You can’t sin much worse than that, my friend. It is true we live in a day when terrible crimes are being committed – stealing, lying, murdering – but the worst sins are being committed by the children of God who are ungrateful.

We live in an ungrateful society today. God is being pushed out of schools, homes, courthouses, anywhere public. The focus is on self: what can I get, how can I get it, when can I get it, why do I have to wait so long, where is it, and who do I trample to get it? This world has a terrible “I” problem and they are not seeing God. I just read that a couple has already set up a tent last Thursday outside of Best Buy so they can be sure to be first in line. In their interview, they admitted that they had no idea what they were looking to buy, they just wanted to be sure they were first this year to get it. We need to get back to praising and thanking God for His many blessings upon us. This country needs to turn around and repent and look to God again before it is too late.

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

Hosea 2:8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

This is the verse that caught my eye initially that led to this message. Look at what God is saying that He gave Israel corn, wine, and oil – the essentials for eating – and gave her silver and gold and then multiplied it. God provided for them even though He knew they would not appreciate it. God gave them much more than they deserved – why? Because He loves them. And God does the same for each of us – He gives us more than we deserve and, thank God, He does not give us what we do deserve. We should be thankful for every breath we are able to draw. We should be thankful to hear a bird sing in the morning. We should be thankful for the people around us. We should be thankful for everything, because has given it to us. In the past, the Israelites knew who truly provided for them, but if the older generation does not pass down to the younger generation the things they need to know about God, then they will forget. After the Israelites captured the promised land, it only took a couple of generations after Joshua passed away and people forgot who provided it to them.

Judges 2:10-12 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. (11) And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: (12) And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

In Hosea 2:8, the Israelites took the things that God gave them and credited Baal for their blessings! They sacrificed to Baal, rather than be thankful to the one true God who provided for them. They were no longer grateful for His blessings. They were no longer thankful to God who gives them every breath that they take. Instead, the Israelites gave to Baal. They funded a false god. They listened to the priests of Baal and the prophets of Baal and gave of their plenty to a statue. They listened to the false teachers and forgot who had provided for them. God wanted sacrifices to be made to Him, but the Israelites gave to Baal first and then, if anything was left, gave to God. They desecrated His Temple with idols and statues of false gods and neglected God. How about you today? Who do you give your time and effort and sacrifices to? Have you forgotten who has provided everything for you? Are you thankful to the one living God who gave His only begotten Son for you because He loves you?

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Jeremiah 10:10-11 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. (11) Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, [...]]]>

Jeremiah 10:10-11 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. (11) Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

The gods that mankind has thought up and follow did not make the heavens and the earth and one day, the idols will die, will rust, will go bankrupt, and will fade away. But God is eternal and everlasting

Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

God spoke and the universe came into being. God decided where the stars would go. God decided where the waters would flow on earth. God decided where everything would live and you know what? He did not ask us our opinion. His wisdom determined these things and He used His discretion in creation. As smart as we may think we are, God is far above us.

Isaiah 55:6-11 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

God knows what is best for us, if we would just trust Him. We need to seek Him daily and follow Him in love and obedience. Which is going to benefit us and our Christian walk more: an idol that we have created or the Creator of all things? God created the rains and the snows so that water can nourish the plants so that we can have bread to eat. Nobody but God could have come up with that idea! A businessman once gave the reasons why he knew there was a God. He had been earnestly considering the wonders of the stars and planets, their system and order. Then he said, “It takes a girl in our factory about two days to learn to put the seventeen parts of a meat chopper together. Some may believe that these millions of worlds, each with its separate orbit, all balanced so wonderfully in space-that they just happened; that by a billion years of tumbling about they finally arranged themselves. I am merely a plain manufacturer of cutlery. But this I do know, that you can shake the seventeen parts of a meat chopper around in a washtub for the next seventeen billion years and you’ll never make a meat chopper.”

Jer 10:13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

God did not have to do anything complicated in creation – He spoke and it came into being.

Famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking now says definitely that God did not create the universe or spark the Big Bang. In his new book, “The Grand Design,” scheduled for a September release, Hawking argues that the universe didn’t need divine inspiration to come into being. “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing,” writes Hawking. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists why we exist. I do not know about anyone else, but I have yet to see anything be spontaneously created. Look at what God says to men like Stephen Hawking:

Jer 10:14-15 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. (15) They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Every man is brutish in his knowledge, meaning that man is insensible and ignorant and shows why we need God. He is the source of knowledge and understanding and truth. Proverb 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (7) Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

The problem is that we rely on our own wisdom and it does not matter how much we pray for something – it that something does not agree with God’s Word or glorify Him, then God is not going to endorse it. And just because nothing really bad seemed to happen, does not mean that God endorsed it. And just because something seemingly good came from it, does not mean that God endorsed it.

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Every believer needs to follow God in love and obedience. The only way any believer will know how to follow Him is by reading His Word and prayer and listening to the preaching and teaching of His Word.

Psalm 119:101-105 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. (102) I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. (103) How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (104) Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. (105) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

It is through the Word of God that we can know what God wants of us and what He expects of us. We gain greater understanding of Him through His Word. Furthermore, we need that time together as a group of called believers to strengthen each other, edify each other, encourage each other, and grow closer to God. We need to show others that time together as a group is important – otherwise, why should they want to join our group? Can a person be a Christian without joining a church? Yes, but it is like a soldier without an army; a student who will not attend school, a salesman without a customer, a sailor without a ship, a bee without a hive, an author without a reader, or a baseball player without a team. These situations might exist, but they would not be very satisfactory.

Psalm 115:1-8 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. (2) Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? (3) But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. (4) Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. (5) They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: (6) They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: (7) They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. (8) They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Enlarged September 8, 2010 (first published February 10, 2010) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)-

Many people have [...]]]> HOW TO MAKE WISE DECISIONS IN GOD’S WILL

wayoflife.org

Enlarged September 8, 2010 (first published February 10, 2010) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)-

Many people have spoiled their Christian lives because of bad decisions made apart from God’s will (e.g., wrong job, wrong friends, wrong marriage partner, mistakes in the pursuit of education, mistakes made in moving to another place). And it is not only young people who make unwise decisions; many older and even elderly people have committed this grave mistake.

Following are some foundational Bible principles for making wise decisions in God’s will:

1. Don’t trust your own understanding; trust in the Lord.

See Proverbs 3:5; 28:26; Jeremiah 17:9.

The individual that trusts his own understanding will make wrong decisions, because of the fallen nature. We must seek God and trust Him explicitly. Even though the believer has a new nature called the “new man,” the “old man” is still there and can still lead us astray.

We acknowledge God in all our ways through prayer. Instead of trusting in our own understanding, we beseech the Lord for wisdom and guidance in every major decision. He has promised to lead His people, but we must seek His guidance and not presume upon it. We must “acknowledge him” in all of our ways. It is tempting to think, “Well, the Lord already knows that I need His wisdom and help; surely He will automatically give it.” In fact, God has taught us in His Word to pray specifically and earnestly about all matters. To fail to do so is a recipe for making unwise decisions.

We acknowledge God in all our ways through consulting the Bible. If we want to make wise decisions, we must be diligent Bible students, because it is through the Bible that we know God’s mind (1 Corinthians 2:16), learn God’s will (Psalm 119:105), and obtain faith (Romans 10:17). We must learn how to have an effective daily Bible study. We must be faithful to the preaching and teaching ministry of a strong Bible-believing church. We must take every opportunity to grow in our knowledge of God’s holy Word, so we can know His will and make wise decisions.

1. Walk in the light (1 John 1:5-10).

To walk in sin is to walk in darkness, and it hinders spiritual living and thinking (1 Peter 2:11). The Bible warns that the backslider will be filled with his own ways rather than with the ways of the Lord (Prov. 14:14).

If a believer is disobedient or sassy to his parents, stubborn or critical or bitter toward authority, not loving his wife, not showing honor to her husband, gossiping, lying, stealing, loving the evil things of the world, his prayers are hindered and he will not have wisdom to make good decisions.

To make important decisions in a backslidden spiritual state is a recipe for disaster. Many believers who were far from the Lord in their hearts contracted a marriage or a job or pursued a field of education or chosen a Bible College or developed a friendship that they later came to regret deeply. Beware!

1. Delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).

The way to know God’s will is to put Him at the center of one’s affections. The will of God is not found by those who approach the Christian life as a mere list of do’s and don’ts. It is found by those who know Christ personally and delight in Him. When I do this, He puts the right desires in my heart and then fulfills those desires. The worldly or nominal Christian, on the other hand, is filled with desires that are contrary to God’s will and lives in frustration because they are not fulfilled.

1. Do not make any decision that would cause you to disobey the Bible (John 8:31-32).

We have touched on this under every point, but by way of emphasis we will deal with it more carefully in its own section.

Making wise decisions, very simply, is making decisions according to the Bible. Jesus described it as to “continue in my Word.” Any decision that causes you to disobey the Bible is contrary to God’s will. There are no exceptions.

This is what it means to live by faith. Living by faith is simply to believe God and obey His Word. See Romans 10:17. It means to learn to make decisions based on the Bible rather than on one’s feelings and human thinking and circumstances, and then to trust God to open the right doors and provide the needs. It is that simple.

Consider some examples of this and how it relates to making wise decisions in God’s will:

The Bible says do not associate with evil or with idolatry (1 Corinthians 15:33; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:11), so living by faith means I will not associate with such things. Thus, it is not God’s will for His people to attend worldly parties, to attend a pagan school, to get a job at a place that would require participation in wickedness (such as selling liquor or wearing immodest clothing or showing wicked movies or playing wicked music or sensual dancing), to participate in pagan religious rituals, to participate in worldly music or fashions, etc. I recall a teenager at one church who got a job working in a movie theater. He was concerned about the unwholesome films and was thinking about quitting, but he was advised not to quit by the church’s worldly youth pastor! The result was severe backsliding. I recall another man who had a job at a restaurant-bar and was responsible to supervise worldly parties that included drinking and dancing. He did not grow very much spiritually or learn how to make wise decisions in his life until he quit that job.

The Bible says do not neglect the church (Hebrews 10:25). It is the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15). Thus, it is wrong to make any decision that would cause you to forsake the assembly, such as moving to a place where there is no good church or taking a job that would keep you out of the services. I recall a young man in our church that was saved out of a druggie lifestyle. He showed promise and was growing in the Lord, and then his father asked him to return to his village. In spite of our counsel against it, he went, and from that point he backslid in his Christian life. We have seen this happen many times.

In fact, one of the chief reasons why people quit church is that they disobey God and get a job that keeps them out of the services and they then backslide. Consider the following two warnings:

“We lose about 20% of the young sometime after the seventh grade, and generally we lose them because they get jobs that make them work on Sundays. Once they get those jobs, it becomes easy for them to justify staying out of services and they generally do.”

“We have noticed that many who leave get the idea that if God gives them a job that requires them to work during services, then it is O.K. to miss services. If God gives them a job that requires wearing immodest clothes then it must be O.K. to wear immodest clothes. If God gives them a job that plays rock-n-roll music on the PA then that is O.K. They think they are strong enough to take that and keep coming to church unaffected. Usually though, within six months of getting the job they are missing 50% or more of the services and within a year, they are out of the services completely. As the Singles Director, I have stressed the fact that God has His perfect job for us and Satan has his perfect job for us. However, most of the kids won’t wait upon God to provide that perfect job.”

If a person lives by faith, he will not take a job that causes him to disobey God’s Word by neglecting church.

The Bible says do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Therefore, it is never God’s will for a believer to marry an unbeliever or to go into business with an unbeliever, or any such thing. I recall a man who was one of the first converts in a new church. He did well and grew, but eventually he went into business with an unbeliever and because of his partner’s crooked ways he ended up in jail and his testimony was corrupted.

The Bible says do not associate with false doctrine (Romans 16:17; 2 John 10-11). This means that it is not God’s will for a believer to attend a Bible study or a church where false doctrine is taught or to read books by or listen to sermons by false teachers or to develop a close relationship with someone who holds to false doctrine. I recall two young men who were in our church that showed much promise and seemed to be growing in the Lord, but they started attending a Bible study led by a false teacher and ended up leaving our church.

Making wise decisions simply means the child of God will not do anything contrary to God’s Word.

If we disobey the Bible, we cannot expect God’s blessing. What many Christians do is to make their own plans and then ask God to bless them, but that is backwards. We must first make certain that our plans are in accordance with God’s will, then we can reasonably ask for and expect God’s blessing.

1. Seek good counsel (Proverbs 12:15; 19:20).

One of the important parts of making wise decisions in God’s will is to seek godly counsel. It is mentioned 13 times in Proverbs, the book of practical wisdom. Before making a major decision–such as marriage, education, a job, or a move–a person should seek godly counsel. But it just as important to know where to get the right counsel and how to weigh it.

The classic case in Scripture of someone who listened to unwise counsel is Solomon’s son Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1-16). Soon after he ascended the throne, he was confronted by his subjects who beseeched him to treat them compassionately. In making his decision, he first consulted the old men that had counseled his father, and they wisely advised him to heed the people’s request. He then consulted his own peers, and they advised him to treat the people as he wished and to ignore their feelings. He followed this foolish advice and lost the majority of his kingdom. This doesn’t mean that young people always give bad counsel, while older people always give good counsel. A younger person that walks with the Lord and knows God’s Word will give better counsel than an older person who lacks these things. In 1 Kings 13 we have the sad case of a man of God who got out of God’s will by listening to a backslidden, lying older prophet.

Seek counsel from wise people (“by wise counsel,” Prov. 24:6).

Wise counselors know God’s Word. When seeking counsel in a biblical fashion, we don’t need human opinions; we need biblically-informed wisdom. We are not seeking a word from man, but a word from God. Thus, we need to seek counsel from believers who have studied the Bible diligently. Wise counselors are spiritually mature and biblically knowledgeable.

Wise counselors are doctrinally sound and likeminded. Many people in fundamentalist homes have made bad decisions by seeking counsel from New Evangelicals or Charismatics or Calvinists or even liberals and Roman Catholics or others who are not likeminded theologically. We think of the sad case of Norma McCorvey, who was the plaintiff in the Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion in America. She rejected abortion and was baptized by an “evangelical” minister, but later joined the Roman Catholic Church through close associations with Catholic priests in the Right to Life movement.

Wise counselors have made good decisions in their own lives and have good character (“confidence in an unfaithful man,” Prov. 25:19). People who are lazy, don’t pay their bills, lie, cheat, etc., will not give wise counsel. Young people must especially keep this in mind. God tells the young person to honor his parents, but if they are not people of good character they are not wise counselors.

Wise counselors are found in good Bible-believing churches. The first place to find such counsel is my own church, assuming I am in a good Bible-believing church. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). God has given pastors and teachers for the purpose of training and protecting His people (Eph. 4:11-12), and they should always be at the top of the list when it comes to spiritual counsel.

Wise counselors have wisdom pertaining to your particular situation. If you need advice about automotive repair, you don’t go to an accountant. Likewise, if you need counsel pertaining to preaching, go to a preacher, or if you need counsel about married life, go to someone who is successfully married, or if you need counsel about a missionary calling, go to an experienced missionary. Charles Spurgeon told how that he was discouraged from preaching by a godly woman. The fact is that a woman does not understand such things, no matter how godly she is. He said, “I remember well how earnestly I was dissuaded from preaching by as godly a Christian matron as ever breathed; the value of her opinion I endeavoured to estimate with candour and patience–but it was outweighed by the judgment of persons of wider experience” (C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students).

Seek counsel from more than one person (“multitude of counselors,” Prov. 11:14; 24:6). This is repeated twice in the Proverbs by way of emphasis. One way that God confirms His will is by the agreement of godly counselors. If a young person is seeking wisdom about marriage, for example, and he or she approaches his parents and his pastor and teachers and other mature spiritual authority figures, there should be agreement.

Again, the best place to find the “multitude of counsellors” is a God-fearing, Bible-believing church. What Charles Spurgeon said of a Bible College is even truer of a godly church: “Meeting as you do in class, in prayer-meeting, in conversation, and in various religious engagements, you gauge each other; and a wise man will be slow to set aside the verdict of the house” (C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students).

This does not mean that I should never decide against something unless the authority figures in my life are agreed, because men can be wrong; but it does mean that I should only make such a decision if I have a clear Bible support for it and absolute confidence that it is God’s will.

To obtain counsel from a variety of people protects the believer from becoming a slave to the will of one person. This is the mistake that was made in the 1970s by the Pentecostal Shepherding Movement. They taught that each believer should submit to a “shepherd” who was someone appointed by the church. No decision was to be made without consulting this “shepherd.” The result was widespread abuse. Pastors and teachers and disciplers are important helpers, but the believer is to have only one Master, which is Christ.

I follow the principle of “multitude of counselors” when I am writing books, and it has been a tremendous help. If I depended on my own puny thinking and experience, my teaching would be very shallow! For example, when I wrote on the emerging church, I read about 60 books on the subject. In the multitude of counselors I find safety from misinterpretation and from mistakes of fact. Oftentimes, I go beyond this and seek counsel from my readers themselves. For example, for the books Dressing for the Lord and Keeping the Kids I obtained feedback from hundreds of people that enabled me to expand the scope and practicality of the books far beyond what I could have written on my own.

I follow this principle in Bible study. When I am interpreting a passage, I first determine the meaning and application on my own by means of the basic rules of interpretation (e.g., context, comparing Scripture with Scripture), then I consult a wide variety of commentators. Invariably I find help in this way and my understanding of the passage is expanded, though it goes without saying that the commentators must be weighed by Scripture and not blindly followed.

I must warn that “a multitude of counselors” can result in confusion if those counselors are not godly, biblically wise, and doctrinally likeminded!

Seek counsel from near people (Prov. 27:10). Many times people seek counsel from those who are far off rather than those who are near, and though this is not always wrong, it is often done for the wrong reason. A lot of strangers have written to me through the years to ask my opinion about situations in their family or church, and I have always thought this to be strange, since I know nothing about them and have no way of knowing the full picture. People sometimes want to seek counsel from those afar off for the very reason that they don’t know them and their situation, but it is for this very reason that we should usually seek counsel from those who are near.

For a young person, the first line of counsel should be his or her own parents, particularly if they are believers (Eph. 6:1-3). The next line of counsel would be one’s church leaders. God gives leaders to the churches to watch over His people and to help them, like a shepherd with sheep. Godly church leaders “watch for your souls” (Hebrews 13:17). They think about the church members and pray for them and desire the best for each of them, and God gives them particular wisdom.

In our church we urge the young people who are thinking about marriage to talk with their parents and then to discuss the matter with their church leaders. If a boy is interested in a certain girl, we urge him not to pursue the matter until he has talked it over with the leaders. They know things that the young people don’t know, and they can give good advice about whether it is wise to pursue a certain relationship. Invariably, those who have ignored this procedure have made a mess of things!

Seek counsel from caring people. It is wise to seek counsel from those who not only know you but who care about you and are interested in your spiritual welfare. A young person, for example, will get better counsel from a spiritual leader who is praying for him rather than from a parent or someone else who is not interested in his spiritual well-being and who is uninvolved in his life in this way.

Seek counsel in fellowship with God and in the light of His Word. It is idolatry to put one’s trust in man rather than God (Jer. 17:5-8) or to submit to a man blindly as if he were God. God gives human authorities and teachers to help us, and they are very important. But ultimately our confidence must be in God and we must get wisdom directly from Him. The Bill Gothard “chain of authority” approach is to obey the authority no matter what, but the Bible doesn’t support that. Jesus said that if we love even mother or father more than Him we are not worthy to be His disciples (Mat. 10:37). Obviously, then, there is a time when we must go against what our authority figures demand. And when is that? It is when they are leading us contrary to God’s will as supported by His Word. The apostles taught that we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). One of the first converts in our church in Nepal was a teenage girl. Her Hindu parents and her older sisters forbade her to attend church, but she put Christ first and obeyed God’s Word and attended every chance she got. As a result, her entire family has been saved. We must honor early authorities, but Christ must be our first and only Master. As we noted earlier, the bottom line is that we must be Bereans and test everything by God’s Word (Acts 17:11).

Let us hasten to emphasize that we must not test counsel by our personal opinions, by the thinking of society, by our peers, by the pop culture, by human psychology, or by any other thing other than God’s Word.

1. Do not fear man (Proverbs 29:25).

Jesus warned that we must love Him even more than our dearest relatives. See Luke 14:26. What did Jesus mean when He demanded that we “hate” our nearest and dearest loved ones? We understand this by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Consider a companion passage in Matthew 10:37. When Jesus said we must hate our father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, he was saying that we must love Him far more than we love others. The Lord requires that we put Him absolutely first in our affections and that we live to please Him above all else. Family relationships are important and God’s Word instructs us to care for our loved ones (1 Timothy 5:8; Colossians 3:18-21). At the same time, the call and work of God takes precedence over any human relationship.

If a person wants to make wise decisions in God’s will he must fear and serve God more than man. If it comes to a choice of obeying and pleasing his friends or relatives and obeying and pleasing God, he must choose God. It is a great sin to fear relatives and friends more than God.

Many unbelievers commit this sin and end up in hell because of it (“the fearful,” Revelation 21:8). Many who are in hell would say they are there because they were afraid of what other people thought.

Many believers have committed this sin, as well. Down through the centuries many have made unwise decisions because of family ties. There are powerful forces at work here. Some have married unbelievers or attended a liberal Bible College or Seminary or pursued a certain career because of their families. Some have said no to the call of God because of resistance by family members. I am reminded of the man who led me to Christ. When God called him to preach, his wife gave him an ultimatum that she would leave him if he did not stop preaching. He pleaded with her to stay, but he refused to stop preaching. Eventually she did leave him and took their young son with her. The man was brokenhearted, but he refused to stop obeying God’s command to preach the Word of God. Many, faced with such a choice, have turned their backs on God’s call.

Young people often commit the sin of fearing man. They know that God is calling them to a life of holiness and service, but they don’t want to stand out in the crowd so they draw back from doing God’s will. I had to face this as a new Christian, when I knew that God wanted me to cut my long hair but I was hesitant to do so, knowing that I would no longer look “cool.” Many Christian girls refuse to dress in a modest and feminine manner because they fear man more than God. This is very foolish. Jesus warned that if we are ashamed of Him in this present world, He will be ashamed of us in the next (Mark 8:38).

1. Honor authorities

Another important principle in making wise decisions is to honor God-given authority. The Bible makes much of this. See Romans 13:1; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:22; 6:1-3; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 3:1; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-15, 18.

I have seen many believers make unwise decisions that took them out of God’s will when they failed to honor and obey the authorities that God put over them.

Many young people have committed this error by not honoring their parents, and by this means they have entered unwise marriages, developed unwise friendships, attended the wrong schools, joined the wrong church, moved to the wrong place, and made many other unwise decisions that could have been avoided had they simply honored their parents.

The same error has been committed by wives who have disobeyed and dishonored their husbands. Our mother Eve is the classic example of this!

The same error has been committed by church members who have disobeyed and dishonored their leaders. If you get angry and bitter at your leaders, you will not make good decisions. It is not wrong to question them, but it is wrong to have a bad attitude toward them. I have seen many people leave good churches and backslide because they got bitter at the church leaders and refused to repent. We must remember that church leaders are just men, and they are far from perfect. That is not an excuse; it is a fact! Church leaders are not above God’s Word, and if they sin they should be disciplined after a biblical fashion (1 Timothy 5:19-20), but the leaders should always be given the benefit of the doubt. There is a time to leave a church, when it is not committed to God’s Word, but we must be careful to leave in the right way, with the right attitude, and we should always move to a stronger church, not a weaker one.

Authorities must be tested by God’s Word. We don’t give blind obedience to authority figures, because we live in a fallen world, and the highest authority is God. Every authority must therefore be tested by God’s Word. Compare Acts 5:29; 17:11. Moses rejected Pharaoh’s authority to follow a higher authority, which was God!

Authorities should be given the benefit of the doubt. Most of the time when people disagree with authority figures, they don’t do so on the basis of clear Scripture but on the basis of their own feelings and opinions. If I don’t think an authority figure is right, I must ask myself this question: Do I have clear Scripture showing me that this leader is wrong and that my thinking in this matter is right? In light of the many commandments in Scripture to obey those who have the rule over us, it is dangerous to reject authority figures on the basis of anything other than Scripture rightly divided.

1. Look to the future (Hebrews 11:24-27).

Moses made a major decision sometime in his youth “when he was come to years.” He was the adopted son of Pharaoh, who was the wealthiest and most powerful king of his day. Moses could have chosen to cast his lot with the wealthy and powerful, with the pleasure seekers, but instead he cast his lot with the despised, enslaved Jews. He made this wise decision by looking at the future through God’s Word. He looked ahead to the next life and saw that if he followed Christ he would have trouble in this world and riches in Christ’s eternal kingdom, but if he followed Pharaoh he would have “the pleasures of sin for a season” and then an eternity of regret.

Every Christian young person needs to follow Moses’ wise example. He needs to ask himself, “If I make this decision what will happen down the road? What are its eternal consequences? If I marry this person; if I take that job; if I pursue that particular education; if I go to that country; if I go to that party; if I develop that friendship; if I buy that television; if I listen to that music; if I am careless about what I see on the Internet; if I let my heart become captured with the love of the world?

Unbelievers can’t see the future because they walk in darkness and do not believe the Bible. They base their decisions entirely upon what they see with their eyes. They only take into account such things as money, pleasure, and prestige.

The believer has a light the unbeliever does not have, and he can make wise decisions based on the eternal Word of God.

The believer particularly needs to look at the judgment seat of Christ and make his decisions based on what he will hear on that solemn occasion (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

1. Wait on God (Psalm 27:14).

When endeavoring to make a wise decision in God’s will, it is very important to avoid haste. When we are hasty, it is easy to make the wrong decision. We must wait until we are certain that we know the mind of the Lord, and then He will take care of us.

Joshua and Israel were hasty when they agreed to an alliance with the men of Gibeon; they trusted their eyes and did not seek God’s face in the matter (Joshua 9:14-15).

There are two biblical principles that we need to heed when waiting for the Lord: the principle of abiding peace and the principle of no confusion. We find these two principles in 1 Corinthians 14:33. When there is a lack of peace and when there is confusion, we must be cautious and not rush forward in that particular decision.

The wisdom that is from God is always peaceable (James 3:17). God gives peace always by all means (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

When I am seeking God’s will, I look for this peace. If I have a certain inclination to do something, I want to see if there is growing peace or growing doubt. If something is of God, the peace will grow and the faith will increase, but if it is not His will there will be confusion and doubt and a lack of peace.

God’s will is worth waiting for! Many decisions have consequences that last throughout one’s lifetime, and if an individual gets those decisions wrong, he will not only live to regret it but he will have to bear the consequences until he dies. Marriage is one of these decisions, of course, but there are many others.

Last week, we took a look at Psalm 32 and the importance of repentance in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must acknowledge the sin that is in our life and repent or turn away from it and ask God for forgiveness. Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and [...]]]>

Last week, we took a look at Psalm 32 and the importance of repentance in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must acknowledge the sin that is in our life and repent or turn away from it and ask God for forgiveness. Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. God will forgive our sin when we have repented of the sin and have asked for forgiveness. Simply saying, “I’m sorry” without meaning it is not sufficient in God’s eyes. Quite a few years ago, Governor Neff of the State of Texas received an invitation to speak at one of the penitentiaries in that state. He spoke to the assembled prisoners, and afterward said that he would be around for a while to listen to anything any of the convicts might wish to tell him. He would take as much time as they wanted, and anything they would tell him would be kept in confidence. The convicts began to come, one at a time. One after another told him a story of how they had been unjustly sentenced, were innocent, and wished to get out. Finally one man came through who said to him, “Governor Neff, I do not want to take much of your time. I only want to say that I really did what they convicted me of. But I have been here a number of years. I believe I have paid my debt to society, and that, if I were to be released, I would be able to live an upright life and show myself worthy of your mercy.” This was the man whom Governor Neff pardoned.

Repentance must be a daily part of the believer’s life. Why? Sadly, because we sin daily. Charles Spurgeon said: A Christian must never leave off repenting, for I fear he never leaves off sinning. The sin in our lives should leave us broken-hearted about the sin. Sin never just affects the sinner alone – my sin affects my wife, my children, and most of all, it affects God. We must be broken-hearted about our sin because it was our sin that caused Jesus Christ to be nailed to the cross of Calvary. It was my sin that caused Him to suffer humiliation, beatings, and then death on the cross. Sin never affects me alone, because my sin cost my Saviour His life. The act of hating sin on my part is not enough, because that is not repentance. If I hate sin because of what God may do to me, that is not repentance. That is only a dislike of God’s justice. Instead, I must view my sin as offensive to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and realize that I must be broken-hearted about the sin because of what Jesus Christ had to do for me on the rugged cross.

Repentance is to leave

The sin we loved before,

And show that we in earnest grieve

By doing so no more.

Psalm 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

What an interesting verse and so powerful! “For this shall everyone…” What is the “this?” The subject of verse 5: David’s sin and the need for repentance on David’s part. Note that it is the godly that will pray to God, why? Because the wicked do not realize their need for repentance and the godly do not view themselves as being godly. A godly man is like God, he hath the same judgment with God! he thinks of things as God doth; he hath a God-like disposition; he partakes of the divine nature. A godly man doth bear God’s name and image: godliness is Godlikeness (Thomas Watson). We can partake of the nature of God: 2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We need to be sure we are not puffed up and think more of ourselves than is really there. We may think we can never be tempted by a particular sin, but that will be the sin that will be our downfall. Our pride will be our downfall every time. Proverb 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. Proverb 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. We need to be humble in our heart and realize that it is not our strengths that God will use best to His glory, but it is our weaknesses that God uses to His greatest glory.

Psalm 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Those that are godly do not see themselves that way and they are quicker to humble themselves before God and pray to Him in repentance. Sadly, the Pharisees, who had access to God’s Word and to Jesus Christ, refused to humble themselves realize their sinful condition. They declared that they could see and that only showed their blindness. in a time when thou mayest be found – praise God that He may still be found! In other words, people can still come to Him for salvation, but a time is coming when He will not save. Let us look at the rest of the verse. in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. What event is David referring to? The worldwide flood and Noah’s Ark. J. Vernon McGee wrote: Noah was in the ark when the Flood came, and that flood which destroyed others simply lifted him up because he was in the ark. The waters of judgment could not reach Noah. There is going to be another time of great judgment coming upon the earth, but it will not be a flood of water: it will be fire. If people reject Jesus Christ enough times, then God will give them their desire and leave them alone.

Psalm 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Noah and his family and the animals entered the ark, God shut the door, and then seven days later the rains fells and the springs of the earth flowed. God is the shield for the believer in Jesus Christ. God will take the believer and protect the believer when times of trouble occur.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

God will lead those that are willing to be led. God will also allow those that are determined to go their own way go. If that person is a child of His, then, like a loving Father, He will chasten them to bring them back. Look at verse 8 again and consider that in order to guided by God’s eye, you would have to be pretty close to Him. God will reveal things to us as we are ready for it and if we are willing to humble ourselves to be taught.

Psalm 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

Some Christians are not willing to be obedient or follow God. God is comparing them to a horse or a mule which needs a bit and a bridle in order to be led in the direction God wants them. Think about Jonah for a moment – the whale was Jonah’s bit and bridle. People may have truly come to Jesus Christ for salvation but still insist on doing things their way without verifying it through the Bible. God will give them some slack, but if they persist, He will bridle them and draw them in.

Psalm 32:10-11 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. (11) Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

What a wonderful closing to this psalm! The believer – those that have trusted in Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection, shall have mercy all around them! Believers should be the happiest people on earth. We should always be glad in the Lord, even in the darkest of moments. And believers should rejoice as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: 1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.

In Christ I have believed,

And through the spotless Lamb

Grace and salvation have received:

In Him complete I am.

My sins, my crimson stains,

Are blotted out each one;

No condemnation now remains!

God views in me His Son.

Psalm 32:1-11 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (3) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. [...]]]>

Psalm 32:1-11 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (3) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. (4) For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (5) I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (6) For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. (7) Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. (8) I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (9) Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. (10) Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. (11) Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

What a wonderful psalm this about the love of God and His forgiveness of repented sin. This psalm was written by David as seen in the opening of the psalm. Then the next word is interesting: Maschil, which means “to give instruction” or “to understand.” The psalm is called a didactic psalm which means that it gives instruction and teaches doctrine. The idea was that Israel needed to be taught about God and Who He is and what is Israel’s future. The word Maschil is used elsewhere in the Bible and points to the fact that Israel has not been abandoned by God despite their many sins.

Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.

Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. The word “wise” in both of these verses is the same root Hebrew word that Maschil is. Daniel 12 shows what the nation of Israel’s future is like after the Tribulation. The nation of Israel will be fully restored and the Israelites that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour will remain in the New Jerusalem. Psalm 32 is a teaching psalm for the future and has many applications for today.

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

The word “blessed” here means “happy” much like it does in the Beatitudes. Truly, how can a man or woman be anything but happy when their transgression is forgiven? But the transgression can only be forgiven when it has been confessed and repented of. Psalm 32 is a psalm about confession, and God’s wonderful mercy toward the repentant sinner. The word “transgression” means “revolt”, which is what sin is – a revolt against God and His Word. Note that the word “sin” is used too – sin means offense – something that is done against God’s wishes. There is an additional blessing here in verse 1 with the last phrase: whose sin is covered. Our sin against God requires a payment to God. Now, some decide that they can do enough good works to pay God back. Others try to live a good life. Others go to church regularly. But none of those will be enough to pay the penalty for our sin. Each of us would still come up short in our payment for our sin. That is why Jesus Christ paid that penalty on the cross. It is only through His shed blood on the cross of Calvary that truly compensates for our sin debt. My sin is covered because Jesus Christ paid the price and I trusted in Him for my payment. I cannot pay the price on my own, I must go to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to Proverb 28:13:

Proverb 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

I cannot cover my own sins. Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:7 tells us that when Adam and Eve realized their sin, they tried to cover themselves with aprons made of fig leaves. An apron does not succeed in covering your nakedness and fig leaves do not make very durable aprons. I can try to justify my sin or I can try to explain it away or I can try to cover it, but before the All-Holy Lord God, I may as well be wearing an apron, because I cannot make my sin go away. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper – I cannot do well in life if I never repent and confess my sins to God, for He is the only one that can make the penalty for my sin go away. In Genesis 3:21, we read that God covered them in a coat of skins, which is a lot more effective covering us than an apron of leaves. Proverb 28:13 shows the believer that when they confess their sin and forsake the sin, they will have mercy from God. Because of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, we can go to Him and Him alone for forgiveness of our sins.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. When we have sinned against someone else, then we must go to that person and ask for forgiveness. What we really must remember is that when we have sinned against other people, we have also sinned against God and we must go to Him in repentance and ask forgiveness. James is not referring to confessing to another person in an effort to receive God’s forgiveness, but we should seek that person’s forgiveness.

When Jonah went down to flee unto Tarshish, he found a ship going there. Was not that a remarkable providence? Perhaps he said to himself,

“I [...]]]> Jonah 1:3  But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish:

When Jonah went down to flee unto Tarshish, he found a ship going there. Was not that a remarkable providence? Perhaps he said to himself,

“I felt some doubt about whether I was right in going there, but when I got down to the seashore, there was a ship, and there was just room for me to go as a passenger, and the fare was just the amount I ossessed, and so I felt that it must be of the LORD.”

Nonsense, Jonah! It is of the LORD for you to do right.

There is nothing so deluding as feelings. Christians cannot live by feelings. Let me further tell you that these feelings are the work of Satan, for they are not right feelings. What right have you to set up your feelings against the word of Christ?

–Charles Spurgeon

Before you decide to do something, does that something line up with what the Bible says? Just because it “feels” right, does not make it right. If that something puts you into situations that are contrary to God’s Word, then it was not of God.