A Fool’s Heart

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good,” Psalm 53:1, KJV.

A fool is defined as one who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding. They lack the sense to discern spiritual things. “But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated,” 1 Corinthians 2:14, AMP.

A fool rejects the things of God, making worldly effects and images their god. Falling prey to idols made in this world. But Jesus told us, His kingdom is not of this world. So why do so many sell out to it, yet proclaiming to be Christians? “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate,” Titus 1:16, KJV. Not stumbling in ignorance, but fully aware of the truth, yet rejecting it, gravitating towards the mass. “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it,” Matthew 7:13, AMP.

The Bible says a fool is corrupt and has done abominable iniquity. What is abominable iniquity? It is undeniably detestable or disgusting evil, doing no good. When God is rejected, one is turned over to a reprobate mind. This is a mind that is condemned to do indecent things, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh wallowing in self-indulgence. I will expound more on this tomorrow.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction,” Proverbs 1:7, KJV. Wisdom is to know the Lord, and to reverence Him is the beginning of knowledge. Respecting God for who He is opens the door for understanding. Remember when Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who crucified Him because they didn’t know what they were doing? Many reject God, so they’ll never know what it is to be saved. They’ll never understand. God’s word applies at all times. But He does not force Himself on us giving us free will to chose. So when choices are made, there’s no one to blame other than one’s self for the outcome. God is a patient God and He waits…wanting us to come to Him not out of force, but because we have made the decision to willingly serve Him.

An Affirmation for Conduct

“Only be sure as citizens so to conduct yourselves [that] your manner of life [will be] worthy of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, so that whether I [do] come and see you or am absent, I may hear this of you: that you are standing firm in united spirit and purpose, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the glad tidings (the Gospel). And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God,” Philippians 1:27-28, AMP.

God anointed Paul to write these words. Praise the Lord! I’m ever so mindful that he is writing to Christians in a spirit of encouragement to keep the faith. It is a declaration of how we are to conduct ourselves as representatives of Christ. I more now than I have in the past, consider my statements. And even then when I say something that I think is questionable, I think on how God may view it. I’m so glad that I’m at a place where I know that I need Him every day of my life.

Our conduct not just in public, but behind closed doors dictates what we truly believe. It must be a manner of life that is worthy of the Gospel. Worthy is being honorable or admirable. Think about when choosing a mate, you wanted somebody who carried themselves in a way that reflected you in a positive light… I would hope. You would desire a person who you would be comfortable taking home to meet the rest of your family. You would want someone worthy to be a parent to your children. Right? Well, that’s what Christ desires for us, to be worthy of being called a true Christian. We ought to serve Him with our whole heart.

As we are on this journey, we are to stay in the faith…not in fear. “And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries…” Don’t let anyone intimidate you into thinking you are not of a certain caliber to deliver God’s word. You’ll here a naysayer challenging your confidence in our Lord, but He will give you the words to speak. I don’t know everything in the Bible, but I talk about it every chance I get. I never went to theology school or took ministerial training, but I am led by the Holy Spirit. I welcome His presence in my life and believe that I will come to know even more years from now as I am on this Earth. I try not to concentrate on what I don’t know, rather on Who I know.

And when we stand firm in the faith, it makes others think. They may never tell you, but they consider, if even for a moment, their end. It offers the reality of their condition. They may choose to ignore it at times, but a Christian’s faith is a constant reminder to the world that there is life after death.

The Whole Armor of God

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:13-18, KJV.

As we understand that we are not wrestling against people, instead against spiritual wickedness, our fight does not come without gear. God has provided us with the necessary tools to overcome. He made provisions on our behalf because He knew that we would need them.

Ponder the scripture above. Paul provides a literal description of what we are to do while we are in the body. “Having your loins girt about with truth…” Truth is a theme throughout the entire Bible. Remember back in the book of Proverbs when there were six things named that God hates? Lying fell in two of those categories. The truth is what makes us free. Think about it. When something is held back from another, how liberating is it when that secret information is released? Many will say, “Whew, I’m glad I got that off of my chest.” There’s a reason for that. It is so important to be honest with one another; it creates a healthier way of living.

“Having on the breastplate of righteousness…” What does it mean to be righteous? The definition is stated as adhering to moral principles, the principles of right and wrong. So many are lacking morality, yet desire to be treated right by others. The problem is that there is a lack of conviction to reciprocate. Righteousness does not start with the next person, it begins with us.

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…” Notice here that it states feet, not stomach, not arms, but feet. This means that we are to carry that Gospel of peace around with us, prepared at all times. It’s not to be left on our shelves when we leave home. It’s not to only come out when convenient, it’s a lifestyle that we are to carry around with us at all times, especially outside of the church walls. I say this because we are being fed in the house of God (which we should be feeding ourselves at home too), but the remainder of the week is for us to share what we’ve learned with others. The Word is not to be placed in a hiding place, particularly since we live in America, “the land of the free.” Listen to what Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16, KJV.

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked…” It takes faith to fight the enemy. When he comes at us with words that are contrary to God’s Word, we have to extend our shield of faith which embodies complete confidence in Christ. This means that no matter what the circumstance, we have to surrender all to Him. Not confidence in our families, although they may love us, but in our Lord who is able to deliver us from any situation. Think about it, your sister, brother, mother, or father may want to help you out if your stranded in a another state or even a different country, but they are only human. You may need someone right then and there. Who would you call upon? For it is impossible to please God without faith. This is particularly important to take notice of because the word impossible and God are almost never used together.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Salvation that gift offered to us by God which seals our fate in Him. And Paul uses the term helmet, a covering for the head. This means to protect your mind. The battle begins in the mind. We are to keep our minds stayed on Thee. We are to take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God that has power in it to defeat our enemy. We cannot win in our own strength because we are not fighting human beings, but we must adorn ourselves with the weapons of spiritual warfare.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…” Our prayer life should be on every occasion, giving God His proper place in our lives. I remember telling a friend that saying “Jesus,” is the shortest prayer I know. This could be for me or for another person. Are there times when you are caught off guard? You may find yourself faced with an impending accident. Do you have time to say a prayer? If I call out, “Jesus!” or even think of calling Him, but can’t. He knows why and that I am calling Him…I have a spiritual connection with Him. He is everywhere. I believe I’ve reached Him in the Spirit because His Spirit lives within me.

References: Hebrews 11:6, Timothy 4:9-11, Hebrews 4:12