Unrepentance Kills

Proverbs 29:1

A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed- without remedy.

Unrepentance kills.  Unrepentance and rebellion is a sign that there is no faith in a person's heart.  Repentance is a fruit of faith.  It is not a good work that we do to earn forgiveness or salvation.  

Notice here:  "many rebukes".  When someone is caught in a sin he needs to be rebuked with God's Law.  Only the law convicts us of our sins.  We do not give the gospel to someone who is arrogantly rebellious.  We do not "cast our pearls before swine".  

If you have received "many rebukes" (many is two or more) for a sin that has ensnared you, it is time to turn to the Lord and repent.  Your arrogance is not cute or cool.  It is killing you.  Pride and arrogance are tools Satan uses to keep people locked in their sin.  He loves watching people play the fool as they fight for their right to reject Christ's gift of salvation and ignorantly embrace his (Satan's) lies that guarantee eternal damnation in the fires of hell.

This Proverb also makes it very clear that God's patience will run out with the unrepentant sinner.  That's why it is so sad when someone hardens their heart to rebukes with God's Word, "they will be destroyed".  The writer of Hebrews says it this way in Hebrews 10:26-27,31:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The good news is that if you are reading this, it's not too late.  Confess your sin, repent of your sin and ask God to forgive you.  Your sins have already been forgiven.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all people.  Through the blood of Jesus Christ all your sins are forgiven.  

My prayer for anyone caught in this situation is that the Holy Spirit works faith in your heart and leads you to repentance; and through that gift of faith you stop rejecting the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus won for you with His life, death and resurrection.

Ezekiel 33:11,14,16

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.  Turn!  Turn from your evil ways!  Why will you die, O house of Israel?
And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right-
None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him.  He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

God's Plan: Submission or Rebellion

Proverbs 21:1

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.

This is a truth that is hard for many Christians to accept, and submit to.  It is so much easier to think that we are smarter than God's anointed governors.  When it comes to the governing authorities, we seem to want to believe that it is okay to slander (Eighth Commandment) and disrespect those men and women that God has placed in positions of authority (Fourth Commandment).

Before we get into all of that though, we need to look at a couple other verses that will help guide this discussion:

Isaiah 45:1,4

"This is what the LORD says to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 

For the sake of Jacob My servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge Me.

Romans 13:1-2

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Back to the matter at hand, Proverbs 21:1.  Solomon is telling us that God is in control.  No earthly ruler is more powerful than the Lord, no matter what he, or she,  might try to make you believe.  The understanding of man in limited and finite.  God is omniscient (all knowing) and infinite.  (LORD, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.  Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.- Psalm 90:1-2)

No matter how much any human being wants to control anything in our world, he can't.  No one is God.  There is only one God.  

Does that mean that we are just puppets on a string?  No.  What that means is that God has a plan, and He works everything according to His plan.  God is not at the mercy of any human being.  Let's take a look at the life of Jesus Christ to illustrate this point.

Jesus' birth was prophesied by Isaiah 700 years before it happened:  "Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel."- Isaiah 7:14

It was not a coincidence that Jesus was born during the rule of the Roman Empire.  This was all a part of God's plan.  It was actually essential for Jesus to live under a republican form of government.  If Jesus would have lived in an autonomous Israel, still controlled entirely by Mosaic law, Jesus' ministry would have looked entirely different.  If the Pharisees had been the governing authorities would Jesus have been breaking the Fourth Commandment by speaking out against them?  As it was, the Romans were the governing authorities.  Thus, Jesus' constant rebukes of the Pharisees were not a matter of civil law, a rebellion against the governing authorities.  It was a matter of Jesus rebuking the men who had been entrusted with the responsibility of being the spiritual leaders/overseers of God's people.  So Jesus rebuking the Pharisees was no different than a Christian rebuking a pastor who is teaching or practicing false doctrine.

How did Jesus submit to rule of the Roman authorities?

He commanded that we pay our taxes:  "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."  At His trial there is an interesting interaction between Jesus and Pontius Pilate:

"Do you refuse to speak to me?"  Pilate said.  "Don't you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above.  Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." - John 19:10-11

Jesus made it clear that neither Pilate or the Roman government had any power that God had not given them.  Why did God give the Roman government the power that He did?

He did it because He is true to His Word.  Through the Roman government God fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies about Jesus' death and resurrection.  God used the Roman government to fulfill His plan of Salvation:  

Jesus payed the price for the sins of all people by being crucified on the cross; because no one can do anything to atone for his own sins.

Then, on the third day Jesus raised from the dead, in the flesh, to conquer sin, death, and hell so that it no longer has any power over all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

To God be all praise and GLORY!

I doubt that there was a single Caesar that ever made this connection.  But there it is, the clearest example of what Solomon was saying in Proverbs 21:1.  If Jesus was willing to submit to the governing authorities, why won't we?  Why do we insist on rebelling against the authorities God has placed in power?  Do we know better than the Son of God, or is it a matter of faith (or lack there of)?

We don't need to know God's plan to trust His plan.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."- Romans 8:28

God bless

Jason Fredrick

The Wise and Foolish Woman

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Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Solomon makes a clear distinction here between two opposing mindsets, or attitudes.  Let's look at them, one at a time.
First, the wise woman.
What does she do?
She builds her house.

What exactly does that mean: builds her house?

There are a couple of ways for a wise woman to build her house.
First, and foremost, is her relationship with the Lord.  The wise woman will be studying Scripture every day.  She will joyfully submit to God's commands.  She will strive daily to be a Godly wife and mother.
The second way for her to build her house is by being a respectful, submissive wife.  In Ephesians 5:22 Paul says, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord."  Also in Ephesians 5:33 Paul says, "...and the wife must respect her husband."
These two aspects of the Godly wife are totally rejected by the American culture today.  Sadly, according to Solomon's definition, America is desperately lacking for wise women.  Think about it.  When a woman submits to her husband and respects her husband, as the Lord commands, life is much better in her house.  The Lord will bless her house and reward her faithfulness, because He is faithful.  He honors His promises.  She doesn't have to worry about her husband being unfaithful. She won't be able to stop her husband from loving her.  His love for her will grow more and more, everyday. Her children will be respectful, following her lead.  But this is only what the wise woman does to build her house.
These are the only two attributes of the wise woman that I am going to address here.  I would highly encourage you to read Proverbs 31 and 1 Corinthians 7 to study more on what Scripture has to say about this.

So now lets look at the foolish woman.  We can start by saying that she is exactly opposite of the wise woman as described above.  She doesn't submit to God's authority.  She doesn't read God's Word.  And this is how she tears her house down with her own hands.  She is constantly rebelling against God, so she is constantly battling her husband for leadership in her house.  She can never be certain of her husband's love because she is constantly nagging and belittling him.  Words cut deep and those wounds are not easily healed.
Her children follow her lead.  They don't respect either parent.  They are living in a state of constant rebellion against their parents, authority, and most importantly- God.  This is how the foolish woman tears down her house with her own hands.
Jesus said, "A house divided against itself can not stand." How long can the foolish woman's house stand?
The sad thing is that the foolish woman doesn't even recognize that it is she who is destroying her house.  Satan has her totally fooled.  Instead of stopping to recognize her own selfishness and rebellion, she blames her husband, her children and God Himself.  Every aspect of her life is miserable and it's somebody else's fault.  Blame is one of the quickest ways to becoming a fool.  That is true for both men and women.

Women-
Today's pop media is constantly trying to convince you to be the foolish woman.  Resist it.  Unplug from it.  All media has an agenda.  You have to discern for yourself:  is the media you are plugged into helping you to become the wise woman or the foolish woman.  If you are rejecting God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are the foolish woman.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."- Psalm 14:1

The fear of the LORD  is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.  To Him belongs eternal praise.- Psalm 111:10

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost all you have, get understanding.-Proverbs 4:7

The wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.- Proverbs 31:10


God bless
Jason Fredrick