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Living in a World of Fools - Devotional
GracetoYou.org ^ | 1997 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

Posted on 11/17/2021 7:25:24 AM PST by metmom

“Wisdom is too high for a fool” (Proverbs 24:7).

A fool wants his own way.

There’s no question in my mind that we live in a world of fools. In fact, everyone born into this world comes in with congenital foolishness—otherwise known as the sin nature. Proverbs 22:15 says, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.” Since we live in a world of fools, let’s look at a few of their characteristics.

A fool denies God. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.” I call this practical atheism. A fool lives as if there were no God—denying God with his actions.

A fool becomes his own god. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” No man can live without a god. It isn’t a question of, does he worship? It’s a question of, whom does he worship? If a person doesn’t worship the true God, he will worship a false god—which inevitably will be a reflection of himself. He becomes the one who determines truth and error, articulating his own standards for living.

A fool mocks sin. Proverbs 14:9 says, “Fools mock at sin.” Since a fool makes his own rules, he wants to justify his own behavior to make sure he’s going to be all right in the end. He attempts to eliminate sin along with its consequences.

A fool, then, begins by living as if there were no God, substituting himself as god and determining his own style of life. Then he denies the existence of sin because he cannot tolerate guilt.

When God saved you, you stopped your foolishness and became His wise child. Be encouraged, knowing God will continue to help you grow in wisdom through your understanding of and obedience to His Word.

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray for the salvation of a family member, friend, or neighbor who is living foolishly.

For Further Study

Read Matthew 7:24-27. What is the difference between a wise man and a foolish man?


TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: gty

1 posted on 11/17/2021 7:25:24 AM PST by metmom
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To: Alex Murphy; boatbums; CynicalBear; daniel1212; ealgeone; Elsie; Gamecock; HossB86; Iscool; ...

Studying God’s Word ping


2 posted on 11/17/2021 7:25:43 AM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith)
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To: metmom

A fool wants his own way.


Just read in my commentary, “seeking anything but God’s will is idolatry.”

but, but, but, but.......................................

ouch!


3 posted on 11/17/2021 7:28:52 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: metmom

Good selection. Thank you for posting.


4 posted on 11/17/2021 7:28:58 AM PST by RatRipper (The Biden Adm is leading an attack against US citizens . . . pure evil.)
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To: metmom; PeterPrinciple

Let us then use caution when pointing to unresolvable original sin.

“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).


5 posted on 11/17/2021 7:34:18 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (This is NOT a pandemic of the unvaxx'd. It is a complete loss of common sense.)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel

So your point? Don’t call anyone a fool?

Lots of verses to contradict.

Note the words “without cause” in the middle. Our eyes go do certain words at the beginning and end and skip the middle.


6 posted on 11/17/2021 7:39:05 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: PeterPrinciple

My point is that Mac picks & chooses scripture to bolster his own interpretation.
It’s called “eisegesis” and is a favorite tool of Higher-critical scholars.
That place the [modernist and post-modernist] human interpretation above the plain language of Scripture, as if it has some higher meaning to only those “in on the system.”


7 posted on 11/17/2021 7:50:00 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (This is NOT a pandemic of the unvaxx'd. It is a complete loss of common sense.)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel

“ unresolvable original sin”???

What the heck is that?


8 posted on 11/17/2021 9:33:59 AM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith)
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To: metmom

Do you not sin?
Are you exempt from sinning?

Adam’s sin is nothing WE can resolve...it follows all of mankind into perpetuity.
Generation after generation.
We will all experience temporal death because of it.

It is unresolvable.


9 posted on 11/17/2021 9:37:57 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (This is NOT a pandemic of the unvaxx'd. It is a complete loss of common sense.)
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To: metmom

simul iustus et peccatore


10 posted on 11/17/2021 9:38:26 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (This is NOT a pandemic of the unvaxx'd. It is a complete loss of common sense.)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel

So how is that related to the verse of Scripture you posted?

Something in your train of thought has eluded me.

BTW, THANK YOU for posting the verse along with the reference. Way too many people throw out just the Scripture reference and expect others to either know it by heart or go look it up themselves.

It’s just courtesy that if someone is going to post a Scripture reference, to post the text too.


11 posted on 11/17/2021 9:43:58 AM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith)
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To: metmom

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

follows with Matt 5:22:
“whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”

And Matt 7:24-27: And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

End of a short course on why we are all fools.
Consider the follow-on: What is “Projection”?


12 posted on 11/17/2021 11:07:10 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (This is NOT a pandemic of the unvaxx'd. It is a complete loss of common sense.)
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To: PeterPrinciple
Our eyes go do certain words...

At other times, our ears go do certain things.

13 posted on 11/17/2021 5:56:57 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: metmom

The end result of protecting people from their own stupidity is to live in a world full of fools.


14 posted on 11/19/2021 1:46:25 AM PST by jmacusa (America.Founded by geniuses. Now governed by idiots. )
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