OXYMORONS

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

Proverbs 17:7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever heard an oxymoron?

You probably have and didn’t know what its formal name was.

Consider some of these examples:

She was deeply superficial.

They have an adult child.

He came up with an approximate solution.

She ordered jumbo shrimp.

It’s a true myth.

He was an honest thief.

You get the point. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction with one another. It’s at the heart of the following proverb today:

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

Solomon here is using words that should be contradictory to the people they are attached to. Making the statements, “The godless fool spoke eloquent words” or “The ruler of the nation lied to his people” would constitute oxymorons.

Godless fools do not speak effective, influential, moving words. They speak words void of wisdom and discernment. Their words do nothing to edify or strengthen a person. Rather they tear down or lead a person away from righteousness.

Rulers are to be the trusted leaders of their people. When they speak, the people they lead should not have to wonder if those words lack integrity. Lying lips are completely unsuited for a ruler of anyone and any ruler who exercises dishonesty in what they say is not a true leader.

This was just one verse but the Bible and its truths create a whole list of other oxymorons as we consider the scriptures against the world and its views of spiritual truths. Consider the following:

1. Saved and disbelieving in Jesus.

Many people think they are going to heaven and they have never believed in Jesus nor sought a relationship with Him. God’s word clearly gives us the truth in two key scripture verses:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Salvation and a life everlasting with God only comes through Jesus Christ who is the only way to be saved, the only One who provides access to the Father.

2. Saved and hopeless.

I have heard so many people who I know are Christians speak as if they are without hope in life. The truth of the matter is that when you have professed your belief and trust in Christ as Savior, you have gained the promise of eternal life and an existence forever with God the Father through His Son Jesus. With this Christians should never live in any way that doesn’t fully display the great hope they have through Jesus.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:1-11

Through Jesus, we are justified or just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned. Through Jesus, we have peace with God and are saved from His wrath. Through Jesus, we have grace and mercy and reconciliation and forgiveness and pardon and love. Through Jesus, we have a hope even in the midst of our sufferings.

No one can give us all this except Jesus. Through Him, we need to live as people of hope because that’s exactly what we are.

3. Self-serving and Christian.

Here’s a news flash.

The world is not all about you.

Of course, if you choose to live for the world then it might be all about you because the world’s attitude is one that is self-seeking, self-gratifying, and self-serving. The focus is on oneself.

Christians are to live in the world but not be of the world. This is because although Jesus came into the world and lived upon it, He was in no way of the world’s ways. He was perfectly about the ways of the Father and if we are living for Him, then we should be living likewise. This attitude of living for the Father, the attitude of living as Jesus lived, will always take us to the place where we will live self sacrificially, placing ourselves second and others first. And if needed, we are to be even willing to lay our lives down for someone else to save them.

Yes, one cannot say they are truly Christian and have a self-serving attitude. In no way do they go together.  

4. Blessed and cursed.

Remember how some people say they are Christian and act as if they are hopeless. Well, another thing I find Christians often doing is saying their life is cursed when in truth it is blessed. Maybe you’ve witnessed the same thing.

Just because we go through difficulties, doesn’t mean we are any less blessed. Frankly, because we have the Lord with us as believers, we should feel unreservedly encouraged and grateful, knowing that He is always with us and is working things for our good. Look at these verses:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

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

You’re only really cursed when you willingly choose to reject Jesus as Savior. Otherwise, you are richly blessed now and forever, no matter your life circumstances. Know and believe that the Lord is always at work in the lives of those who place their faith, hope, and trust fully in Him. And never lose sight that this worldly life we live is but a brief moment in the timeline of eternity, a glimmer within the light of Jesus – the light that Christ believers will reside in forever.

I pray you will be counted in that number.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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