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Scripture

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:16-24


16   One who is wise is cautious1 and turns away from evil,
    but a fool is reckless and careless.
17   A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
    and a man of evil devices is hated.
18   The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19   The evil bow down before the good,
    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20   The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    but the rich has many friends.
21   Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22   Do they not go astray who devise evil?
    Those who devise good meet2 steadfast love and faithfulness.
23   In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk tends only to poverty.
24   The crown of the wise is their wealth,
    but the folly of fools brings folly.

Footnotes

[1] 14:16 Or fears [the Lord]

[2] 14:22 Or show

(ESV)

Categories
Scripture

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:7-15


  Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
  The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceiving.
  Fools mock at the guilt offering,
    but the upright enjoy acceptance.1
10   The heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no stranger shares its joy.
11   The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12   There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.2
13   Even in laughter the heart may ache,
    and the end of joy may be grief.
14   The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15   The simple believes everything,
    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Footnotes

[1] 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance

[2] 14:12 Hebrew ways of death

(ESV)

Categories
Scripture

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:1-6


14:1   The wisest of women builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands tears it down.
  Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,
    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
  By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,1
    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
  Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
  A faithful witness does not lie,
    but a false witness breathes out lies.
  A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

Footnotes

[1] 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride

(ESV)

Categories
Scripture

Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14


14:1   The wisest of women builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands tears it down.
  Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,
    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
  By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,1
    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
  Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
  A faithful witness does not lie,
    but a false witness breathes out lies.
  A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
  Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
  The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceiving.
  Fools mock at the guilt offering,
    but the upright enjoy acceptance.2
10   The heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no stranger shares its joy.
11   The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12   There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.3
13   Even in laughter the heart may ache,
    and the end of joy may be grief.
14   The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15   The simple believes everything,
    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16   One who is wise is cautious4 and turns away from evil,
    but a fool is reckless and careless.
17   A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
    and a man of evil devices is hated.
18   The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19   The evil bow down before the good,
    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20   The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    but the rich has many friends.
21   Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22   Do they not go astray who devise evil?
    Those who devise good meet5 steadfast love and faithfulness.
23   In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk tends only to poverty.
24   The crown of the wise is their wealth,
    but the folly of fools brings folly.
25   A truthful witness saves lives,
    but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.
26   In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
    and his children will have a refuge.
27   The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
    that one may turn away from the snares of death.
28   In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
    but without people a prince is ruined.
29   Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30   A tranquil6 heart gives life to the flesh,
    but envy7 makes the bones rot.
31   Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
    but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32   The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
    but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33   Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.8
34   Righteousness exalts a nation,
    but sin is a reproach to any people.
35   A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

Footnotes

[1] 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride

[2] 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance

[3] 14:12 Hebrew ways of death

[4] 14:16 Or fears [the Lord]

[5] 14:22 Or show

[6] 14:30 Or healing

[7] 14:30 Or jealousy

[8] 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but makes itself known in the midst of fools

(ESV)

Categories
Scripture

Going Deeper

Going Deeper

The Spiritual Discipline of Accountability (4-29-17)

WHAT IS ACCOUNTABILITY?   Accountability is the act of being accountable.  Being accountable means you explain or expose what you did and why you did it.  You are accountable for your actions.  The key to accountability is that you are exposed and responsible to someone.

Now, let us acknowledge something very critical:  this is something in our sin that we do not like to do at all.  The last thing we want is to be accountable to others.  Our sin says, “I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I am going to do this my way”. Now you may not have this attitude with everything in your life, but the problem arises when you are not accountable with certain things, things you don’t want exposed, you slip into compromise and addiction and adultery and cheating and so many other forms of sin.

God has blessed us (the body of Christ) in his mercy to redeem us from our sin unto a lifestyle of accountability.  What this means is that we enter into a lifestyle that is counter culture to our sinful preference, which is to be left alone. For the sake of the glory and name of Jesus we highly value accountability because it protects us from falling into sin and/or hidden God-belittling habits and helps us keep our affections centered on Christ and all that He has for us.

There are many aspects of accountability that the scriptures instruct us on.

  1. Accountable to God

Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

No matter what you think about God, you will one day bow before him!

You won’t stand before him … why? Because he is God and you will in that moment realize how little you made of him as you encounter his amazing presence.

One day, every person will give an account for their life before the living God.

This is the most underestimated event that we will ever have.  People love to speak of how they plan to show God the good they did in this life or that they will reason with Him.

Oh, how mistaken we are.  Because in God’s perfection, His justice and judgment are upheld in every way.  God will not be reasoned with. He will judge each person to the finest detail.

God will judge every human being that has ever lived.

Proverbs 29:26 Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.  (KJB)

Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…

For those who don’t trust Jesus with their lives… this should be the most serious fearful event of one’s existence.

For those who do trust in Jesus with their lives…  we…

Praise God for the gospel which pardons us from the deserved punishment our sin is due us.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Colossians 2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses…

For anyone who is unsaved and reading this, there is no greater priority in your life than to recognize your standing before the living God at his judgment seat.

I implore you to look upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and savor what you see then praise God for His stopping your spiritual blindness and giving you a heart of repentance and faith.

  1. Accountable to the Authority of the Word of God

God is specific in not only delivering His word, but enduring it unto the command that we are to not only read it, but to be accountable to living what He tells us to do through it.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. – James 1:22

But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:  -1 John 2:5

How do we know we are in Him? “WE KEEP HIS WORD”!

WE cannot just hear the WORD OF GOD and then move on… we must act on it, live it, it must affect us, transform us, and grow us.  WE are accountable to it.

Listen to the directness of Jesus’ words in John 14:23-24 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

Our full and right submission to the authority of God’s word is so serious that the scriptures give warning for those who don’t submit themselves to it.

Proverbs 13:13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.

It is essential that we study, believe in, abide in, teach accurately, and hold to every word of God.

The problem is our tendency in the flesh is to submit to the rationale of our human mind instead of the authority of the almighty, eternal God’s Holy Word.  As a result, we form views of who God is or how He acts or doesn’t act based more on our personal feelings or logic instead of the divine and perfectly written words He gave us in Scripture.   à This is so dangerous and detrimental.

Instead, we need to take very seriously the words of God and submit to God’s authority and conform to his image and not try to make him conform to our ideas or will.

Do you want God’s word to change you… conform you into his likeness?

I am asking you to take this seriously…   2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

 

There is a way to look to the Bible to just itch your ears… to make you feel good about you and what you know and where you want to go… OR you can SUBMIT yourself to it!

We are at war with our sin and selfishness and self-reign.

We must realize that we are desperate for the authority of God’s Word to correct our futile view of God, self, this world, and everything in it.  We are desperate for His Word to lead us with authority- to be accountable to the Word of GOD.

  1. Accountable to Our Pastoral Elders

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

The Scriptures clearly command Christians to submit to and honor those that God puts over them to lead them.

This is an important area for the modern church to hear and act on.  It doesn’t say obey and submit only when it is in line with what you want.  It says obey and submit to those God has put over you.

Now the question is: who has God put over you? Are you joyfully and faithfully submitting to the authority that God has given them in your life?  Are you accountable to them?

  1. Accountable to Our Christian Brothers/Sisters

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

If your brother or sister in Christ has done something contrary to the Bible, you are called to stand by and just watch him struggle because you don’t want to get messy too.

NO, that is not what it says. It says to confront him gently, forgive him, comfort him and to HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Three things to highlight here:

The privilege of bearing the burdens of your brothers and sisters.

God’s design is that every believer has a community of people around whereby they know each other and are committed to carrying each other’s burdens.  àWhen one mourns, we all mourn. When one rejoices, we all rejoice!

The privilege of inviting each other to be held accountable:

The body of Christ is thriving when Christians are willing to engage one another over sin and are also willing to be engaged.

We need to be men and women who, if we see our brother or sister struggling in sin, we engage them. “Hey, I love you … so, what are you doing? What is this?”

WE also need to be quick to invite this kind of accountability in.  Not just when we are called on it, but when we are doing well.  Inviting others around you and into your life so they can hold you accountable to not fall into sin.

We should love to be confronted. Why? Because it is an act of LOVE!

Christian accountability is:  Inviting others into your life in such a way that they know you and your struggles to the point they can walk with you as you seek to press into Christ and honor him with your life.

What accountability is not:  Weekly, you ask me questions and I answer…  – This is a false sense of accountability.  True accountability doesn’t need to ask… they know. Because they have been invited all the way in and they know where you are.

Do you invite others around you into your life?   Who is this in your life right now?

Are you open with them and accountable to them?

This is an open-handed, humble approach to life.  Sin doesn’t have a lot of room to fester in this kind of environment, but when we run solo, when we pull back, when we are just kind of connected and not very accountable, sin has room to REIGN in our lives.

Brothers and sisters, may we be joyful and faithful to practice accountability as a true and lasting discipline of our Christian life.  May God be honored as we fight sin, lean into each other and obey His word and the shepherd leaders He has put over us.

What action steps do you need to take as a result of today’s study?

By His grace and for His glory,

Joshua “Shepherd” Kirstine

Soldiers for Jesus MC