Complacency Kills

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon personifies Wisdom as a woman calling aloud to all who will listen.  In the opening chapter of the book, Wisdom rebukes and warns the simple and foolish people who ignore her words.  God calls out to people who are heading to destruction and stretches out His hand to draw people to safety and the path of life, but many are intent in going their own way which leads to ruin.  Those who despise knowledge and the fear of God, those who refuse the counsel of God and His rebuke, will find themselves needing help and never finding it.  In our natural, sinful state, this is an apt description of all people.

Wisdom speaks of the consequences of ignoring her in Proverbs 1:30-33:  "They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. ³¹ Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. ³² For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; ³³ but whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."  Eating the fruit of our own way reminds me of Adam and Eve eating fruit from the one tree God forbade them to eat, and they ultimately died as a consequence for their disobedience.  There are things which seem appetising and alluring to our flesh but work to poison our minds and corrupt our souls.  Those who listen to God and heed His word--Jesus who is Wisdom for us (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)--we will live and dwell in safety and security forever.  Jesus likened those who heard His words and obeyed them to a wise man who built his house on a rock that withstood all forces of nature.

The problem is not primarily the food they eat or even the appetites of the foolish:  it is in turning away from God and their proud complacency where the issue primarily lies.  There is naturally in the proud a fierce and stubborn resistance to yield our will to God's will.  Becoming complacent is a concern for the wise as well as the foolish, for it is a satisfaction in ourselves as we are and will not admit our need to humble ourselves and be changed.  One who is complacent is gratified by themselves and is uncritically satisfied with oneself, pleased with all one has achieved.  It is one who in a sense feels they have arrived at their destination and have no desire or reason to go further.  The complacent are those who are in awe of themselves.  When Wisdom speaks, the wise are willing to examine themselves and acknowledge their folly.  Proverbs 9:8 says, "Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you."  Even as the wise can make foolish choices, the wisest among us can become complacent.

People follow programs developed by personal trainers who are fitter than them; those seeking financial advice trust those who have already made their millions by successful investing.  In the world there are people who are commonly viewed as "set for life" because of their notable success in business, sport or politics.  Fame, money and possessions do nothing to refine a person's character, moral compass or faith in God.  If anyone may have been seen as having "arrived" or reached the pinnacle of spiritual success, it was the apostle Paul.  Yet he dismissed this notion in Philippians 3:12:  "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  Paul was not complacent when other Christians may have been.  He freely confessed he had much to learn from the LORD and others, much ground to gain for Christ's sake, and further to go in his spiritual disciplines, practical wisdom and godliness.  The complacent are content where they are and with what they have already done, but the wise will respond positively to rebuke, increasingly walk in obedience to God, and admit they have far to go--coupled with intentional labour and personal sacrifice to head in that direction.

Wisdom said turning from God is deadly, and complacency kills.  Let us be those who receive all of God's counsel and heed His rebukes lest we eat the bitter fruit of our way.  May we believers press on in sanctification increasingly yielded to Christ, for if Paul had not already attained or been perfected neither have we.

Talebearing or Faithful?

Our words can be employed to fashion a cover for ourselves to hide behind and even be a vain attempt to cloak our sin.  I remember years ago I had a friend who did not like to view his daily dependance on cigarettes as an "addiction" (thus justified because he did not buy them) but a habit because it sounded better.  If you had suggested in years past I had a problem with fear, I would have denied it.  I believed verses that say "Fear not!" had little application for me personally.  But when I connected fear with feelings of dread, suddenly I realised my problem with sinful fear due to unbelief in God was a serious problem.  People who readily admit they have told lies in the past can struggle to say the simple truth concerning themselves:  "I am a liar."

The Bible provides a multifaceted view of sin so we can better identify it in our lives, repent of it and choose to do what is right and pleasing to God in the future.  The way we define a word can be the difference between admitting we have sinned or justifying ourselves.  The Proverbs and the rest of the Bible speak regularly concerning the variety of ways we can sin with our tongues, whether it be lying, cursing or swearing.  One word that has been re-defined to avoid offence is gossip, a practice and addiction that is more common than we may think.  In fact, we have all likely been guilty of gossip more than we would like to admit!

Looking back, I would say the common view of gossip is when a person speaks badly of others who are not present.  This is a conflation of gossip and slander--with a primary emphasis on slander.  Gossip is simply repeating a story, to tattle, idle chatter.  To gossip is to speak about people to others, even at times an attempt to speak for them.  Slander is when we maliciously condemn or paint others in a bad light, to work to ruin the reputation of other people by telling of their faults.  The KJV calls gossips "talebearers," and this is a good working description.  The one who believes they "have the goss" only has part of the story, and thus it is an inaccurate one.  Proverbs 11:13 says, "A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter."  Talebearing and flattery of hearers often go together as Proverbs 20:19 says.

A person who does not view themselves as a gossip may admit to being a story teller or a busybody.  Paul shared his observations about idle people who were busy in other's business in 1 Timothy 5:13:  "And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not."  A descriptive word from the Greek for a busybody is to a meddler, one who involves themselves and interferes in the personal lives of others that do not concern them.  Jesus made it clear in Matthew 18 when one person has been offended to go to the offended party alone to seek reconciliation.  The Bible makes it clear gossip is sin, and thus we ought to be careful with our lips and consider why we say what we do.  Our words about others reveal something about us:  do they suggest we are talebearers or those of a faithful spirit?

Bold and Without Hindrance

"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹ Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

Acts 28:30-31

Before coming to Jesus Christ, Saul was bold to persecute Christians.  It was like a full-time occupation for Saul to obtain authority from the Jewish rulers to travel far and wide to find, arrest and prosecute believers--and even consented to their death.  Rage against Christ and His people fuelled Saul to pursue Christians until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, and from then on his life radically changed.  He went from Saul the Pharisee to Paul the apostle, a man chosen and sent by Jesus to be his witness to the Gentiles for the Gospel.

After coming to Christ in faith, Paul was bold to proclaim Him as it says in Acts 9:29-30:  "And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰ When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus."  It didn't matter if Paul spoke with Jews, Gentiles, religious leaders or Roman rulers:  he was bold to speak the truth concerning Christ's death, resurrection and the salvation freely given to all who trust in Jesus.  Even after Paul was arrested, he asked people to pray he would be bold to speak as he should in Ephesians 6:19-20:  "...and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Reading through the book of Acts and epistles Paul wrote, there is a pattern of resistance and opposition to the message of the Gospel by Jews and Gentiles alike.  When He preached Christ in the synagogues or before rulers, there were many who laboured to hinder the message of salvation by Christ.  After healing a crippled man in Jesus' name in Lystra, Paul was stoned by Jews who travelled to persecute him.  Silversmiths sparked a riot in Ephesus because they feared the spread of the Gospel would hinder their profitable business and livelihood.  Jews in Jerusalem falsely accused Paul of defiling the temple and shouted for his execution when he stood before them and explained how Jesus who appeared to him on the road had sent him to the Gentiles.

At the close of the book of Acts, we are told Paul stayed in Rome awaiting trial in his own rented house and he preached the kingdom of God and about the LORD Jesus Christ "boldly and without hindrance."  Isn't that wonderful?  Enemies of Jesus had tried to silence Paul; they beat, flogged and even stoned him.  Paul suffered all manner of conflict and trials inside and outside the church.  Yet after he was unlawfully arrested and transferred to Rome to face trials on false charges, without hindrance he was given opportunity by God to preach boldly of Christ for two years to all who came to him.  Whilst imprisoned Paul wrote much of the New Testament as well, his words a testimony of God's faithfulness, strength in weakness, and power to preserve His people to fulfill His calling upon their lives.

Let this be an encouragement to you, believer, when you feel your witness for Christ is far from bold and without hindrance.  Boldness is not a feeling of self-confidence but reliance upon God to speak the truth in love as led by the Holy Spirit when we would rather hide or remain silent.  Even if you should be muzzled and chained for the sake of the Gospel, recall to mind Paul's words in 2 Timothy 2:8-10:  "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."  Speaking boldly of Christ is not primarily for our sake, but for Christ's sake and all who will come to Jesus in faith through our witness.

Pleasures Forevermore

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalm 16:11

Jesus Christ revealed Himself to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples they knew where He was going, and they also knew the way because He is the Way.  Though under the Mosaic covenant, the psalmist David had a sure expectation of eternal life in the presence of God where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever.

John 15:9-11 taught His disciples fullness of joy was not only enjoyed in the eternal state but presently in light of His love:  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."  Having fullness of joy granted us by God's grace is a wondrous thing, and the pleasures provided by God transcend our physical senses.  The word "pleasure" these days has been reduced to primarily refer to sexual enjoyment, but that is a dumbed-down view of the present and ultimate reality.  The Bible teaches there will be no marriage or giving in marriage in heaven, and thus there will be no sexual activity or procreation.  Our pleasure will not be enjoyed by indulging fleshly appetites but in spiritual union with God who is pleased in us.

Webster defined "pleasure" this way:  "The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish or happiness produced by enjoyment or the expectation of good; opposed to pain."  Notice at God's right hand there are pleasures (plural) forevermore, wholesome delights enjoyed by God's grace.  It is important to point out what gives God pleasure is often different that what pleases mankind.  Psalm 147:10-11 says of God, "He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. ¹¹ The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  We are pleased and impressed by the speed of horses or the large muscles of athletes who perform amazing feats of strength, yet God takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.  God takes pleasure in the weak, slow and uncoordinated people who trust in Him and rest in His loyal love in the midst of a fiery trial.

God spoke from the heavens to identify Jesus as His only begotten Son in whom He was well pleased.  In Christ we are enabled to do what pleases God as it is written in Hebrews 13:15-16:  "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."  Colossians 3:20 also says, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."  There is nothing more pleasurable to the child of God than to be pleasing in His sight, and it is good for us to maintain this perspective--especially when the passing pleasures of sin seductively beckon us during this earthly pilgrimage.  The fleeting pleasures of this life quickly fade in light of the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in God's presence.