Tag: Ecclesiastes 3:11
Righteousness by faith
Scripture reading for June 25: Romans 9
“What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offense; and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 9:30-33
Righteousness simply means to have right standing before God. The Gentiles have God’s law through nature and conscience. They know that they are eternal beings because God has put eternity in man’s heart. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The Jews had God’s law through Moses and did not keep it. Because they had a sin nature from Adam, they fell under condemnation for breaking God’s law. Because all men and women, from Adam and Eve until today have sinned before God, no one can have righteousness through perfect obedience of God’ law as Jews or following conscience as Gentiles. Truly, all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and perfection. We cannot stand on our own in the final judgment.
God provided sacrifices that would temporarily cover man’s sin and give them relief from condemnation by faith in God’s mercy through their obedience. The only way of obtaining righteousness for sinful man is to come to God by faith and ask for forgiveness and mercy. The Jews failed to pursue righteousness by faith and instead tried to work to keep God’s law. Their own sin natures brought failure and condemnation. But God provided the final and only Sacrifice for sins and sinners in His Son, Jesus Christ. He was born a Jew and was placed by God among the Jews. Many Jews refused to come to Him by faith and will be put to shame. But for all who receive Him, their condemnation is removed and adoption results!
Have you ever tried to be good enough to be accepted by God through religious practice or good works? Have you stumbled over the Gospel of Grace through faith in Jesus Christ or have you found adoption and forgiveness through Him? Do you have confidence for righteousness now and at the judgment?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for removing my condemnation and giving me Christ’s righteousness by faith. I have confidence through faith in Your promise of eternal life through trusting in Jesus Christ. Use me to testify to Your amazing Gift of right standing before You now and at the final judgment. Amen.
Death and sleep analogy
Scripture reading for April 21: John 11
“After saying these things, He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. So Thomas, called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” John 11:11-14
The world has many views of death and what happens when someone dies. Every person knows that they will die and there is a universal fear of death because of the understanding that God places in each human heart. Every person is aware of eternity and eternal life. Each person is aware of the judgment that they will face upon leaving this earth. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God has placed eternity in man’s heart. Hebrews 9:27 states that man is appointed once to die and after that comes the judgment. There is a fear of punishment in each heart, because all have sinned and have guilt and accountability before God. (Psalm 53:1-3) The soul that sins will die.
To His disciples, Jesus stated that His friend Lazarus had fallen asleep. Jesus knew that he had died but He also knew God’s divine purpose and what the Father was going to demonstrated to His disciples. Death for the believer is like his body being asleep. It rests in the grave awaiting the resurrection. At the resurrection, Jesus taught, the dead would hear the voice of God and those that hear (His sheep) will live. They would enjoy eternal life and not come into judgment. (John 5:24-25) Thomas, one of the disciples, evidently did not understand what Jesus had just said. He followed Jesus expecting death!
What is your world view concerning death and what happens to those who believe in Jesus? Does this account of Jesus raising Lazarus from death after four days stretch your faith? Can you identify with the world view of Thomas: Let’s follow Jesus and die with Him?
Prayer: Father God, As I have recently faced the death of one of my godly friends, this view of a temporary sleep is comforting to me. I am thankful that my life is in Your hands and the hands of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Help me to follow Jesus today and view life as opportunity and death as gain. Amen.
Escaping death and judgment
Scripture reading for April 11: John 5
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”” John 5:24-29
Our world view concerning death and the after-life is determined by many things. We all have eternity in our hearts, given by God. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We have a conscience that gives us basic knowledge of God’s laws, acting like a stop light inside of our souls. Various religions teach different ideas about the afterlife and judgment and like a consumer, we can pick and choose what we think is best for us. So the prevailing world view is that there are many paths all leading to the same goal–peace and joy in the afterlife. If that is true, there is no need to repent of any belief we currently hold.
Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of eternal life through faith in Himself. He boldly proclaimed the Father’s Word that whoever would hear His Word and believe in the Father Who sent Him, would not come into judgment but have eternal life. They would actually pass from death through God’s wrath under His righteous judgment to eternal life. They would participate in the resurrection of life in that final hour when in their graves, they would hear God’s voice and arise to eternal life. This offer was to ‘whoever’ would hear His voice now and believe in the Father! Those who refused Jesus’ call now would be judged by Him and hear His voice calling them forth from the grave to stand judgment.
Have you heard the voice of the Son of God calling you to repentance and eternal life? When would you prefer to hear the voice of Jesus: Now or at the hour of His judgment? Does it shock you to learn that the One Who offers you salvation through His Word will also be your judge if you don’t listen to Him?
Prayer: Thank You Father, for sending Your Son and giving Him as a sacrifice for our sins. I have heard His voice through God’s Word and believed Him receiving eternal life. I look forward to hearing His voice call me into His eternal kingdom when He comes again. Use me to encourage others to believe. Amen.
Life is meaningless without God!
Scripture reading for July 12: Ecclesiastes 1-6
If you try to make sense of life without God in you heart or mind, there is only one term that consistently comes to mind: meaningless! Life is hard to make sense of without God’s Word or knowledge. Man is left with darkness in his understanding and the futility of life under the sun. It appears that we come about by accident and leave earth by calamity or slow death. Some live short lives and others relatively long lives. Some are blessed and others struggle with troubles and pain. Life is fleeting and hopeless.
Solomon, the richest and wisest man who ever lived outside of Jesus Christ, decided to try to find meaning in life by pursuing riches, fame, and fortune. The account of his search was the book of Ecclesiastes! Solomon found no meaning in endless days of toil and work of man. He observed that there was nothing really new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1: 9-11) We spend our time working and gathering and death takes us away. In a few years or less, no one remembers us or what we have done!
Solomon tried to find meaning with the pursuit of pleasure and things that brought laughter. He tried wine and folly but found meaninglessness! He then tried great building projects to find satisfaction. He built houses and planted vineyards and fruit orchards. He built lakes and had many servants. His herds and flocks were numerous and his treasury filled with silver and gold. He hired singers and entertainers and even bought a harem of beautiful women to enjoy as he pleased. He had no lack of anything his heart desired and he enjoyed his labor but it too was meaningless! (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)
Solomon noted that all his hard work would be left behind when he died and given to someone else who did not work for it. This was a hard thing to grasp. (Ecclesiastes 3:21-23) His conclusion was that if man would eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work each day, that was a gift of God. Without God, we can’t find meaning or enjoyment! (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25)
“He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Solomon concludes that God has made a time for everything under the sun. These times are in His hands and man must accept that with gratitude. Man has an inner knowledge of eternity. Each knows that he is an eternal being who will be judged by God one day. But because of sin, we cannot understand without God’s help.
Is your life ‘meaningless’ and without purpose? Have you tried everything for pleasure and meaning except Jesus Christ? Today is the day to find true meaning and eternal pleasures in Him! Praise the Lord!
What is a ‘fool’?
Scripture reading for June 5: Psalms 13-18
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 14:1
The fool in Scripture is the one who denies the existence of God. Why would anyone want to deny that God exists? Hasn’t God placed eternity in the hearts of all men? (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Isn’t God evident to all through creation? (Psalm 19:2-4) The reason this kind of fool exists isn’t because of an intellectual problem. It is something much deeper than that!
According to Psalm 14, the reason the fool says that there is no God is because of corruption of character. These people are vile and do not do anything that would be considered ‘good’ in God’s sight. These people avoid seeking God so that they do not have to answer for their wicked deeds. They prefer their corruption and want no ‘God’ to interfere with their evil ways and thoughts. It is convenient to do away with God or any knowledge of Him, thinking this liberates them from responsibility and judgment.
The Apostle Paul describes the fool’s way of thinking in Romans 1:18-23. These people have known about God and His ways but have suppressed this truth in unrighteousness. Having suppressed truth, the lie of their own ‘godhood’ based on their own futile thinking darkens their hearts and souls. God allows them to follow their darkened understanding and worship creatures and creation rather than the creator.
The next step is sexual perversion. (Romans 1:24-27) When a person rejects God because of their wickedness, God allows that person to be deluded and go deeply into perversion and further depravity in the breaking of God’s laws. This results in all kinds of sexual sin, lying, greed, envy, malice, strife, and idolatry. This is where every ‘fool’ in Scripture ends up without the grace of God.
There is no excuse for staying a fool however, for God is always ready to save, heal and forgive. We must humble ourselves and admit that He exists and that He will reward and forgive those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) If you have been foolish in your words or attitudes about God, take time today and repent. God is faithful and just and will forgive you! (1st John 1:7-9)
Pressing on to the goal!
Scripture reading for February 14th: Exodus 32-34, Philippians 3
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Inside of each person is a dim knowledge of eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We are all creations of God who had our existence in God before the creation (Ephesians 1:4). When we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ and study and receive His Word as truth, we begin to understand and long for our true home and the fullness of salvation. The fullness of salvation will include a glorious body, like Christ’s resurrected body. It will not suffer from the effects of sin or pain or sorrow or sickness or disease. There we will behold God face to face in His glory, not needing the light of the sun or moon or stars. This is the goal of our faith that Paul focuses his mind and attention on. Moses had a taste of that transformation spending time in God’s presence. He refused to leave unless God went with him!
Philippians 3:18-21 “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the down-payment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Thank You for the ongoing work of transformation here on earth that fits us for eternal life with You. But I long for the fullness of life in Your presence, seeing Your face and worshiping You in Your glory in a glorified body! May I reflect Your glory here on earth to those in darkness.
Exodus 34:29-30 “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”
Jesus understood the time!
Scripture reading for November 1st: John 7
Key Scriptures: John 7:2-8 “Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that you are doing.” For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For not even His brothers believed in Him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the Feast. I am not going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.””
According to Scripture, everything has a time and wise people recognize the appropriate time and timing of every activity. Jesus, being Wisdom from God, understood God’s plan and timing through prayer and perfect obedience to God’s Word. His earthly brothers tried to convince Jesus to go up to the Feast of Booths and do His miracles that the world might believe in Him. Jesus wisely knew that His time was not yet fully come. He must not force anything, but wait for the Father’s perfect timing and clear instructions. We would be wise to always consult God about the timing of our activities and choices. Each phase of our life is ordered by the Lord if we allow Him. God’s will and timing for us involve eternity in our hearts!
John 7:17 “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the One who seeks the glory of Him Who sent Him is true, and in Him there is no falsehood.”
Faith Confession and prayer: Father God, I invite you each day to order my steps and enable me to do Your will. I study Your Word to know Your will and timing. Give me wisdom each day to understand the time and timing of my activities, travels, and works to reach the lost and be an effective witness for Your glory!
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 “For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven: . . .” “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
Fools fail to connect with God!
Scripture reading for June 6th: Psalms 13-18
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 14:1
The fool in Scripture is the one who denies the existence of God. But hasn’t God placed eternity in the hearts of all men? (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Isn’t God evident to all through creation, who’s voice has gone out to all mankind? (Psalm 19:2-4) The reason this kind of fool exists isn’t because of an intellectual problem. It isn’t because there is a lack of proof that God is really real.
According to Psalm 14, the reason the fool said there was no God was because of corruption of character. These people were vile and didn’t do what would be considered ‘good’ in God’s sight. These people avoiding God so they would not have to answer for their wicked deeds. They preferred their corruption and did not want God interrupting their evil ways of living. This liberated them in their thinking from responsibility and possible judgment.
The Apostle Paul described the fool’s way of thinking in Romans 1:18-23. These people knew about God and His ways but have suppressed this truth in unrighteousness. Their own futile thinking darkens their hearts and souls, claiming that there is no God! God allowed them to follow their darkened understanding and worship creatures and creation rather than the creator. (Romans 1:21-23) This takes them into idolatry.
The next step is sexual perversion. (Romans 1:24-27) When a person rejects God because of their wickedness, God allows that person to be deluded and go deeply into perversion and further depravity in the breaking of God’s laws. This results in all kinds of sexual sin, lying, greed, envy, malice, strife, and idolatry. It is where every ‘fool’ in Scripture ends up without the grace of God.
No one has an excuse for staying a fool because God is always ready to save and forgive. We must humble ourselves and admit that He exists and ask for His forgiveness. (Hebrews 11:6) God would rather forgive and show mercy than to judge. If you have been foolish in your words or attitudes about God, take time today and repent. God is faithful and just and will forgive you! (1st John 1:7-9)