There is a list circulating on the web that name characters in the Bible and their weakness or downfalls. Noah was a drunk, Jacob was a liar, David and Paul were murders, and the list continues.
The probable intent of the author is to let the world know despite your failures, God forgives and these folks are examples.
A good intent could shift to bad when put in a struggling hand or heart. Here are two examples.
We have seen committees raise money for a cause, but when it gets in the hands of a person with an opposing intent, it’s stolen and becomes a loss cause.
Recently, a church elder attempted to kill his wife after she had spoken a sermon at a church. He turned the gun and killed himself.
Thieves and murders of these two Caliber are becoming common is the churches. I remember when folks feared committing these atrocious acts at church.
What’s going on? Why would a person on a committee steal Monies? Why would a spirit of murder enter into a person who is supposedly a believer of Christ? Maybe at some point they had good intent, but something happened to detour them alone the way.
I’ve heard folks say, “Why does God allow these troubling things to happen and He does nothing about it?
The fact is this; God gives mankind a choice that is contingent on consistency. This does not mean that inconsistencies will not happen, Hmm?
After Joshua took the children of Israel into the promise land, and had been there for a while, the people turned their hearts against God and followed other gods. This group of people struggled to be consistent with God, as they were enticed by other gods.
But Joshua, who was their leader, and had a consistent relationship with God, told them to, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24:15). God has always given man a choice.
I have a logo that I placed on note pads and pens that says, “Consistency enhance our experience with God, the beauty of it, spiritual elevation.”
It does not mean that we will not fall into a state of inconsistency or not be tempted, as Satan tempted Jesus.
Paul felt that he was not worthy and fit to be called an apostle because prior to his conversion to Christ he oppressed and violently persecuted the church. He could have allowed his past to drive him into a state of inconsistency, but he was reminded it was, “...by the [remarkable] grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me,” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
In Paul’s writings to various churches, he spoke about the law which is written for the lawless.
Somewhere during the thief and murder’s walk with God, there was a shift from the characteristics of Christ to the characteristics of Satan. They went from obeying the law to becoming lawless.
When a person becomes lawless, they fall under the judicial system of man.
Although that which is evident about God may have been in their conscience, and God made it evident, and at some point they heard and listen to the trues, they refused to honor Him.
The person that stole from a committee, the elder that committed murder went into a state of reasoning, as they formulate judgments.
They became foolish, and darkness enters their heart and their mind became depraved, (corrupted, wicked, and perverted), mean-spirited, and they acted improper and repulsive.
They chose, not God. Hmm!
~SAR~
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