September 17, 2006 - Proverbs 27-29 and II Corinthians 10
Most people do not understand the effects of sin on their lives. They have become desensitized to the consequences of sin. They can't understand why God's blessing is gone, and all the time it has to do with sin in their lives. I pray that all of us will let God's Word speak to us today.
If a person does not hear God's law, that person's prayer is an abomination to God. (Proverbs 28:9) To hear God's law means to listen to it and to obey it. The result of this type of disobedience is that our prayers are repugnant to the Lord. It is not just that He does not answer. They are an abomination to Him. The only solution is to confess our sins and to repent. (Proverbs 28:13) If we try to cover up our sins, the situation will not improve. God will not be able to bless. God will keep convicting us of sin for a while. However, one day He will get tired of us being hard hearted toward Him, and He will punish us severely. (Proverbs 29:1) I am convinced that God does not want to do this, and when He does it, it is done in love, but He has no other choice. If He does not punish a person who ignores Him and hardens himself toward Him, He would be condoning their behavior and even encouraging wrong behavior. God knows the wages of sin, and He loves us too much to allow us to go that way without correction.
In II Corinthians 10 Paul responds to his critics. The tone of the language is much different from the other chapters we have read so far. He is trying to let them know that he is doing God's will. He is not going to attack them in the flesh as they have done him, but he uses the spiritual weapons to do God's will. He knows that God's weapons of prayer and the Word of God are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds that Satan has built up. Therefore, he does not want to argue with his critics. He wants to go on and do God's will in His power. I think this is great point for all of us. We must not fight against people with human means. We must fight Satan and those under his influence with the spiritual weapons. Then, we will have success in God's way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 30-31 and II Corinthians 11:1-15.
If a person does not hear God's law, that person's prayer is an abomination to God. (Proverbs 28:9) To hear God's law means to listen to it and to obey it. The result of this type of disobedience is that our prayers are repugnant to the Lord. It is not just that He does not answer. They are an abomination to Him. The only solution is to confess our sins and to repent. (Proverbs 28:13) If we try to cover up our sins, the situation will not improve. God will not be able to bless. God will keep convicting us of sin for a while. However, one day He will get tired of us being hard hearted toward Him, and He will punish us severely. (Proverbs 29:1) I am convinced that God does not want to do this, and when He does it, it is done in love, but He has no other choice. If He does not punish a person who ignores Him and hardens himself toward Him, He would be condoning their behavior and even encouraging wrong behavior. God knows the wages of sin, and He loves us too much to allow us to go that way without correction.
In II Corinthians 10 Paul responds to his critics. The tone of the language is much different from the other chapters we have read so far. He is trying to let them know that he is doing God's will. He is not going to attack them in the flesh as they have done him, but he uses the spiritual weapons to do God's will. He knows that God's weapons of prayer and the Word of God are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds that Satan has built up. Therefore, he does not want to argue with his critics. He wants to go on and do God's will in His power. I think this is great point for all of us. We must not fight against people with human means. We must fight Satan and those under his influence with the spiritual weapons. Then, we will have success in God's way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 30-31 and II Corinthians 11:1-15.