Good Morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Ephesians.
When people make the wrong decisions, they have got nobody to blame but themselves. Many people will quickly point the finger at somebody else, blaming them, rather than accepting responsibility for what they did. Scriptures clearly teach that every man will bear his own burden. The way that you live your lives, you will be personally held accountable for. The blame for something that you did, cannot be laid on someone else’s doorstep. It comes down to the decisions that you made, and accepting responsibility for them. This is why it’s so important to make the right decisions at the very get-go, because it is you who will personally suffer from the consequences, whether they come from God, or from others in the world.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,” — Ephesians 5:15
To be a circumspect is to be very careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences for the things that you do. A consequence is the result of a particular action that you have taken in any given situation. There are results for the things that we do, whether good or bad. If you hit your toe with a hammer, it’s going to hurt. If you forget to put gas in your car, you will eventually run out on the highway. If you choose to join up with others in sinful activities, you are going to get in trouble along with them. If you choose to reject the counsel of God, and sow to the flesh, consequences are going to follow.
Galatians 6 ⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
This is why before doing anything in our lives, we must first take a pause, pray, and consult the teachings of God. We must make sure that the choices that we make will be blessed by God. If you want to reap His blessing, then you must submit to His guidance, and humbly obey His will.
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
— James 1:25
Luke 11 ²⁷ And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. ²⁸ But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
We are pilgrims that are walking through a dark world of sin, and in order to avoid its entanglements, we must find our guidance through the light of Holy Scripture.
…..” Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
— Psalms 119:105
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.” — Psalms 43:3
When you refuse to accept the council of God, you begin to follow a path of uncharted territory. It’s like a captain trying to steer his vessel through a dangerous harbor without a harbor pilot at the helm. A wise captain will listen to the wisdom of somebody who knows the way through the obstructions that lurk below the water.
Psalms 25. ⁴ Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. ⁵ Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Proverbs 3 ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
God wants to lead us in the right direction, but like sheep, we need to submit to His leading and stay on His narrow path. When you make your own choices rather than accepting the counsel of God, then you are wandering off on your own. It may feel great for a certain period of time, but the consequences for disobedience are quickly coming.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. — Proverbs 14:12
Sometimes people will drive through a big city that is completely unknown to them, but instead of looking at a map or asking someone for directions, they feel that they can find their way completely on their own. They rely on their own council, even though they know nothing about where they are actually going. Sometimes people will walk through a huge box store in search of a product, but rather than asking a knowledgeable salesperson and finding what they need in a few minutes, they will walk around for hours on end, simply because they are too proud to ask somebody for guidance. This is the same way that people treat God. Instead of looking to Him for the answers, they look to themselves, turning the simplicity of the Gospel into a hard life of consequences. Fools make their own decisions, but the wise look to Christ.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” — Proverbs 12:15
We have been given a promise that we can obtain eternal life, but this means we need to repent of our sins. No repentance, no salvation. Instead of trusting in one’s own carnal intuition, we must rely on Christ and the Holy Spirit filled guidance of God’s Word. We must make decisions that keep us in the perfect will of God.
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
— Hebrews 10:36
When you choose to leave God out of the picture in your decision making, you abandon both your conscience and your faith. Many people have been fully educated in the scriptures, but rather than obediently abiding in them, they choose to make their own decisions. They begin to turn their ears away from the truth, and begin to walk on the perilous wide road that leads to destruction, the ultimate consequence for those who impenitently reject the will of God.
2 Timothy 4 ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Choices. Everybody makes them, from the time they get up in the morning to the time they go to bed. Is the will of God a part of your decision making? Do you love God enough to go to Him for guidance? Everybody is going to need to live with the choices that they make each day. If they are rooted in Christ and the things that He taught, then you have nothing to be concerned about. Joseph obeyed the will of God even though he was sent to prison. But look at where God took him later on in his life. God rewards humble obedience, but will quickly punish the acts of the rebellious.
“The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.”. — Psalms 147:6
We must allow God to guide our way through this world. We must submit to Him completely and obediently. When it comes to making decisions, you will have to choose…..
….. Truth or Consequences
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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