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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
Ecclesiastes 8:10-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Many people see life as offering a multitude of options when it comes to what they can do to make something out of their life and write their individual stories. But this is a worldly way to look at life and living. The spiritual way of looking at life reveals the reality that there are only two choices: righteousness or wickedness.
It’s simple. We either do what is right or we do what is wrong. We either follow the Lord and His will and way or we opt to allow Satan to lead us into sin and evil. We either choose life, now and forever, in Jesus Christ or death from transgression and a stubborn refusal to accept the salvation invitation freely offered from God through His Son.
As we look at our scripture passage for today, we find God’s word giving us tangible reasons why we need to turn away from wickedness on our lives, for the potential for it haunts every single person, every single day. Sin is always crouching at our doors (Genesis 4:7). Let’s look at the scripture and then at what the Lord is saying to us today:
Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. Ecclesiastes 8:10-13
1. Justice is critically important.
When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
We often complain about correction, especially when we are the ones being corrected but as we look at these words of God, perhaps we need to rejoice in discipline when it comes upon us. For when we fail and fall into sin, the quicker we are punished for it, the better, For the longer we go without penalty, the more sin continues to establish a foothold in our hearts and minds and spirits, filling us with ideas of more wicked schemes to carry out.
In other words, if unchecked, wickedness begets more wickedness and that’s not the direction any person of God should want to go in.
2. The amount of time we live doesn’t really matter.
Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
You can live a very long life even though you’ve been wicked and rejected the Lord. You may have committed countless crimes and even outlive many righteous people here on earth. But in the end, death is your final destination and there is nothing beyond it. For only through Jesus, through choosing to live for and like the One who is the only way to the Father, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), can you find your way to eternal life after death. This is why it goes better for a person who fears and respects God, one who gladly receives His salvation offer through His Son Jesus and lives in reverence unto Him.
3. It will not go well for anyone who chooses to be wicked.
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
God hates sin and He hates when people refuse His offer of righteousness and opt for wickedness instead. The scriptures are full of examples where God brought down judgment and wrath on those who chose to reject Him, those who decided to partner with Satan instead. There is little doubt that it will not go well for anyone who decides to be wicked and disrespect God.
4. Any praise or honor for the wicked is meaningless.
I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
Solomon shares how he observed the wicked being buried after receiving praise and honor for their lives lived in the cities where they sinned. The hollow display of respect and homage was meaningless (and it could even be called foolish) because it came from man. The only way life has meaning, both as it is being lived and after death, is if a person chose to revere and show esteem for God by living in His righteousness and accepting His Son as Savior. It’s what makes the remembrance of one who has died a celebration of life and not a funeral because death has no victory over anyone who is in Christ Jesus. They have entered into a better life, receiving their part of a rich inheritance which includes living with God the Father and His Son Jesus forever, free from sin and affliction and hardship.
Friends, the word of God frames up nicely why we should always turn away from wickedness. Whether we do or not, is up to us.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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