We are starting a study of the Psalms. The first Psalm was our lesson Sunday--and it is one of my favorites. Verse 1 says: "Happy (Blessed) is the man who does not...":
1. Walk in the counsel of the ungodly,
2. Stand in the way of sinners, or
3 Sit in the seat of the scornful.
There is a progression here. You start off by running with ungodly people, listening to them and their opinions (counsel). Spending your spare time with them--just good old boys having a little fun. The next step is that it becomes comfortable to you, and you stay--you "stand" in the place and with the people you have chosen to be around. And eventually, you are stuck. You sit down--you become a part of that crowd. You are them.
It's really hard to repent. Sin is fun. For a season. If it wasn't, it wouldn't be any temptation at all. And when you are "out there," doing what "they" are doing, Christianity looks boring. Because you aren't involved in Christian activities with Christian people. You are in a quagmire of the 1. Ungodly, 2. Sinful, and 3. Scornful people and can't seem to get back to where you should be. And eventually, you don't want to--and begin to make fun of those dull, stuck in the mud Christian people.
You adopt an attitude that: "Those people down at the church are a bunch of hypocrites." Or, "All that preacher does is talk about money." Etc. etc. etc. Scorning. When really, they are just people who have decided that they can't do Christianity on their own and have taken the scripture to heart that says: "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhort (encourage) one another..." Hebrews 10: 25 This says that you become who you "assemble" with.
Tell me who you are running with and I will tell you what you are doing, and where you are headed. If it isn't God's people, then it isn't pretty. Don't fool yourself. Get out of the quicksand while you can. Before you're stuck for good. The most awful scripture in the Bible says, "God gave them up to a reprobate mind."
You adopt an attitude that: "Those people down at the church are a bunch of hypocrites." Or, "All that preacher does is talk about money." Etc. etc. etc. Scorning. When really, they are just people who have decided that they can't do Christianity on their own and have taken the scripture to heart that says: "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhort (encourage) one another..." Hebrews 10: 25 This says that you become who you "assemble" with.
Tell me who you are running with and I will tell you what you are doing, and where you are headed. If it isn't God's people, then it isn't pretty. Don't fool yourself. Get out of the quicksand while you can. Before you're stuck for good. The most awful scripture in the Bible says, "God gave them up to a reprobate mind."
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