The Folly of Fools is Deceiving

Proverbs 14 Select Verses ESV

3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,

    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

7 Leave the presence of a fool,

    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,

    but the folly of fools is deceiving.

13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,

    and the end of joy may be grief.

17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly,

    and a man of evil devices is hated.

22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?

    Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

23 In all toil there is profit,

    but mere talk tends only to poverty.

25 A truthful witness saves lives,

    but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,

    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.

Who are the foolish? They are those who act foolishly, who are dull in understanding, who are nonsensical, lacking a grip on reality (acting as though brainless) (source: bible hub). They are the unwise, the senseless, the ill-advised, thoughtless, irresponsible, self-indulgent, and reckless. But this doesn’t mean that they are lacking in smarts (knowledge), for many of them are very intelligent people who just behave unwisely. Many of them are well versed in the Scriptures, too, but who live the opposite.

For those who act foolishly are not necessarily lacking in knowledge. They know right from wrong, but they choose to do wrong instead of right. And, again, many of them know the Scriptures, for they were taught the Scriptures, and some of them were or still are teachers of the Scriptures, too. So, it is not what we know which makes us wise and discerning. It has to do with what we do with what we know, whether or not we put what we know to be the truth in practice, or if we are just talk but no action.

For the wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but those who act foolishly do not bother with discernment. But again, it is not that they are not capable of discernment but that they choose against it in order to do what their sinful flesh desires, regardless of the consequences. For they are the self-deceived, i.e. they are those who tell themselves lies in order for them to be able to do what they know is wrong but without conscience. But they may also be people who can readily recite the truth, when they desire.

So we need to be discerning people who test what we are hearing from others, in prayer, and against the teachings of the Scriptures. For there are many foolish people out there in positions of power and rule and authority and leadership, including many pastors of “church” congregations. And although their words may sound good, and feel good, it doesn’t mean that they are good, for liars and deceivers abound in our day and time, just like the Scriptures warned us that they would.

And then we need to leave the presence of those who are teaching lies which tickle itching ears and which distort the truth of the gospel to make it more palatable to the ungodly and to human flesh. We should not sit under the ministry of those who are knowingly and deliberately teaching what they know are lies, (because the Bible makes it clear that they are lies), who teach a very cheapened form of the grace of God and the gospel of our salvation which does not require death to sin and obedience to our Lord.

It should grieve us terribly that so many people professing faith in Jesus Christ, including many pastors, are living just like the ungodly or much like the ungodly, and they are excusing away deliberate and habitual sin while still claiming salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And it should grieve us terribly that this is the situation with many people who are our teachers and pastors who are then leading their people to a false faith which gives them permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin.

Now in verse 17 here it says that a man of evil devices is hated. That may have been true back then, but I would say that the opposite is true in this generation. Everything, it seems, is being flip-flopped. Good is being spoken of as evil, and evil is being spoken of as good. The one who follows the Lord in obedience and in submission to his will is regarded as a legalist or as judgmental while the habitual and deliberate sinner is raised up and praised and given honor and value and acceptance (not true in all cases).

But Jesus told us that if we follow him with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted like he was. So if you are someone who takes God and his word seriously, and you are walking in obedience to his commands, although not necessarily in absolute perfection, and if you are sharing the gospel truth as Jesus taught it and as his NT apostles taught it, and if you are refuting the lies of the enemy, then you should expect to be hated, rejected, cast aside, unwanted, avoided, ignored and/or fought against and attacked.

But we should not let that discourage us, for it is the truth that saves people’s lives, not the lies that make them feel good for a season, until reality finally hits. And so we must put other people’s lives above our own comfort and acceptance. And we must put God above all things and all people in our lives and follow him and his truth, regardless of how we get treated in return. For even if they hate us in this life, God’s word will not return empty, and we never know who might later on turn their hearts and their lives over to Jesus Christ because we dared to tell them the truth.

So, just know the truth of the gospel is that we must, because of what Jesus did for us on that cross, by his grace, and in his power, deny self, die daily to sin and to self, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God, provided we continue in that faith.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 1:21-23; Colossians 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]   

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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