Ecclesiastes Chapter 1

Ecclesiastes chapter 1
 
Let’s do a brain teaser; it’s just something to get you thinking:
There’s a bus full of people driving down the road.   The bus stops to pick up another passenger, the thing is, this passenger is blind.   So some kind person on the bus gives up their seat for the blind person to sit down.    Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It’s a bad thing because the person who gave up their seat was the bus driver.   It’s interesting how when you fill in the missing pieces, it can change how you look at things.   Similarly with my understanding of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
When I committed my life to the LORD, I began reading the Bible (the entire Bible) cover-to-cover, and within the first couple of years, I’d read the Bible around a dozen times.   I’ve continued to read through the Bible for the past 40 years, and every time I’d read Ecclesiastes, I’d think, oh that’s nice.   It’s poignant, touching, poetic.   The words were fodder for the lyrics of at least one 60’s folk song.   But I never really got that much out of it.   It kind of left me empty, like I was missing something.   Then about 15 years ago, in the weekly Bible study I’m part of at work, my friend Tim explained the key phrase to keep in mind when reading and studying this book is “under the sun”.   “Under the sun”, meaning earthly as opposed to heavenly.   The light switched on.  With that in mind, let’s look at and consider this book of Ecclesiastes from the perspective of “under the sun”.

I think Shane brought this out, but the title of the book comes from the first verse, where it says, “the preacher”.   The word for preacher in Greek is “Ecclesiastes”.   It was one who would gather a crowd and proclaim a preaching or a teaching.   So, gather around, pay attention, listen to what the LORD has to say, via Solomon.    Ecclesiastes is a contrast to the book of Proverbs.   Proverbs makes direct statements about godly wisdom.   Ecclesiastes makes statements of wisdom as if you were only looking at things from an earthly, worldly, human perspective.   Solomon's approach in verse 13 of chapter 1, is that this book is a thought experiment; can you find true satisfying, deep, abiding wisdom without God.   The funny thing is, try as he may, Solomon can’t keep from mentioning God in various places throughout the book.
Wisdom, philosophy and worldview all kind of tie together.  In Ecclesiastes, Solomon examines various philosophies to see how they work themselves out.   Believe it or not, Ecclesiastes is one of the most oft quoted books by skeptics and people of other religious persuasions.   I remember it in the new ager, Shirley MacLaine’s movie, “Out on a broken Limb”… that’s not the title, it’s Out on a Limb.
Let’s read chapter one, and then we’ll go through it.
Ecclesiastes 1
New American Standard Bible 1995
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
 “Vanity of vanities! All is [c]vanity.”
3 What advantage does man have in all his work
 Which he does under the sun?
 4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
 But the earth [d]remains forever.
 5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
 And hastening to its place it rises there again.
 6 Blowing toward the south,
 Then turning toward the north,
 The wind continues [g]swirling along;
 And on its circular courses the wind returns.
 7 All the rivers [h]flow into the sea,
 Yet the sea is not full.
 To the place where the rivers [i]flow,
 There they flow again.
 8 All things are wearisome;
 Man is not able to tell it.
 The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
 Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
 9 That which has been is that which will be,
 And that which has been done is that which will be done.
 So there is nothing new under the sun.
 10 Is there anything of which one might say,
 “See this, it is new”?
 Already it has existed for ages
 Which were before us.
 11 There is no remembrance of [k]earlier things;
 And also of the [l]later things which will occur,
 There will be for them no remembrance
 Among those who will come [m]later still.
12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my [n]mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is [o]a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is [p]vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. 18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
Let’s do a really brief recap (in the form of a couple of questions, from verses 1-12)
Verse 1,2 Solomon begins with the conclusion, “it’s all vanity”, emptiness, futility, unsatisfying.
Verse 3, Question: what are some things we gain, by all the hard work we put in (under the sun)?   (money, muscles, experiences, friends)
Verses 4-10 Question: Is there anything really new?   Name some things that are new in our time; let me see if I can shoot them down.
Verse 11-12 Question: what age is your earliest memory from?
Recap completed.
Verse 13 Here is the thesis of this book.   This is a thought experiment.   To explore or examine wisdom, “under heaven”.   Solomon says, “this is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
Multiple choice: What is grievous about this task?

1. It’s hard work to perform this examination
2. It’s painful to be under heaven
3. It is an affliction because it’s frustrating
4. Or all the above.

 
Verse 14 looking back (hindsight is 20-20) we can see where we’ve been left dissatisfied, empty, unfulfilled by various things we thought were going to be the answer.   It is human nature to want things.   We all have in-built desires to do things.   Some really love to travel, and see the world.   Others really love to read, and experience situations and times and faraway places.   You name it, most everyone has something they like to do (something they’re passionate about).   If someone just wanted to sit in a chair and veg out all day, every day, we’d worry about them.   It’s healthy to have a gusto for life.   That’s all well and good, but memories fade.   Things wear out and fall apart.   What are you left with, rusty, broken, or lost things and misty, vague, often frustrating memories.
Verse 15 What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word ‘crooked’.

• Politics
• Business
• Religion
• Entertainment
• Academia

Question: Why do you think there’s a potential for corruption (or crookedness) in these areas?

• Money
• Power
• Fame

Is every single person in politics crooked?    My grandma used to say, you have to be crooked to be rich.   Not so.   There are multiple examples of well-to-do people in the Bible who still had integrity.   But, in these areas where corruption seems rife, my encouragement to you “Christian”, would be to go out there.   Get involved.   But be wary, wherever you are there is a potential for corruption.  Especially areas involving large amounts of money, power or fame.   We had one guy who used to be part of this fellowship, who was involved in local politics.   He’s eloquent, smart, experienced and a strong christian.  I encouraged him; I said we need more people like you in local politics.   Also, we have a gal who is involved at the grassroots level of federal politics.   I say “good on ya”.   There are some who’d say “a Christian has no place in politics”.    Jesus said in Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

As pastor Shane illustrated last week, with the half-full cup of water, we can either have an optimistic view or a pessimistic view.   I can see you’d come to the pessimistic view of things though.   This verse explains it though, “What’s crooked cannot be straightened, what’s lacking cannot be counted”.   In other words, the political system is messed up beyond repair.   Under the sun, that is true, but with God all things are possible.

So, what does it look like to have a heavenly mindset?   Easy answer, the sunday school answer; Jesus.   Not just take every thought, every question, every situation to Jesus, but bring Jesus into every thought, question and situation.   It’s not WWJD, it’s more like JWWYD, “Jesus, what would you do?”   We have direct access to Him, why not take advantage of it.   Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  Acknowledge Him in all of your ways and He will make your paths straight.
Colossians 2:3 In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 3:3 Set your mind on things above not on the things of earth.

Do you have an eternal perspective on life?
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Back to our text, verses 16-19
Let’s say you become the wisest person in the world; you name the subject.   You might in some ways make life easier for yourself.   You might even be able to have a great life with that knowledge.   But, if your endeavor excludes God from your life, you’re missing the most important point in all of eternity.   Last night in our home life group, Ken was stressing this fact that we human beings were designed and built to have a loving relationship with God our heavenly Father.   Besides that, if you have great worldly wisdom, think how demanding that could be on you.   Picture people lined up at your door with questions; “how should I handle this?”, or “do you have advice on that?”   As well, there’d be great potential to become prideful and arrogant.
If all you have is worldly, human, earthly wisdom, it dies with you when you die.   Oh, you could write a book, but if you’re dead, you don’t benefit from it.
Philippians 3:8 (NKJV)
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Lastly, let’s look at 1 Corinthians chapter 1
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
What seems like wisdom from an earthly perspective is foolishness, and what seems like foolishness from an earthly perspective is truly God’s Wisdom (in Christ).

Proverbs 25

 Proverbs 25

in this chapter we encounter more practical, life-changing truth.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

Wisdom is knowledge applied, but everything has a moral component. We err by compartmentalizing the mundane from the ethical and spiritual.

V1 By way of an introduction to this chapter, this is very interesting how Solomon wrote these proverbs, and they sat around for some 250 years until Hezekiah and his scribes come along and compile these proverbs to be included in the canon of scripture.

So these writings were preserved and then compiled and copied by Hezekiah 250 year after Solomon wrote them.   We might be dismissive of something we say or write, and then come to find out what we've said or written lives on long after we're gone.  What do you want your legacy to be?

Also, though, this shows how God not only inspired Solomon to write down His Word, but God superintended history and watched over (even guarded over) His word to ensure we got what He intended for us.

Last idea surrounding God's Word, and how the scripture embodies what God intended for us.   The reformers came up with the Latin phrase Sola Scriptura, which means "only scripture".   By the middle ages (13, 14, 15 hundreds) Roman Catholic church had kind of been polluted by these doctrines and beliefs they had aquired; things they called 'dogmas' or incontrovertible truths that had come into the church from outside scripture (traditions, and other writings).  But in the 1500s, the reformers laid down this principle that the church should only follow the teachings that are found in scripture.

So, if someone comes along and says, "I have this new truth", some new way to worship God, if it isn't in the canon of scripture, ignore it.   There's a say, "if it's new, it's not true, and if it's true, it's not new."

We can be grateful, that Hezekiah's men compiled and copied these writings 250 years after Solomon had written them.

V2 We need to be ready and willing to search the whole Bible to try to find answers and understand any particularly perplexing or difficult things in scripture.   As well, we need to resign ourselves that in the scriptures there may some things we never fully understand.   It is to God's glory, because God is infinite and we're not.   It only follows that we'll have all of eternity to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Isaiah 55:13 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

            So are My ways higher than your ways

            And My thoughts than your thoughts.

            

Luke 9:44-45 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

      But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44“Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement..   As well, it is God who reveals things to us.  

      

This is called a "revelational epistemology".

Some, have arrogantly said, "when I get to heaven, I'm going to have a question or two for God".   Well, yes, you will have the chance to ask God questions, in heaven, but that doesn't mean God is beholden to answer you.   Sometimes God says, "that's for me to know and you to find out."

I also want to address the reference to "Kings" in this verse.   Maybe we don't think of ourselves as royalty, but God calls us that.  

1 Peter 2:9  But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Revelation 5:6-10  And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

10“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

In some way, we are to rule and reign in God's kingdom.  As such, we ought to search the scriptures to find those precious jewels and golden nuggets of truth.

V3 There will be those in authority who do, or say or decide things we don't understand or maybe agree with.   We might question those decisions, but we aren't privy to all the details of why they made that decision.   Remember, God sets people in authority.

Daniel 4:17 “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers

And the decision is a command of the holy ones,

In order that the living may know

That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,

And bestows it on whom He wishes

And sets over it the lowliest of men.”

We are to contend for God's righteousness and expose evil.   We don't give in to evil, but we understand God is in control.

V4-5 Dross is another word for impurities.   We want impurities to be removed from our lives.   For God to use us, He undertakes to remove impurity from us.

v6-7 firstly, Romans 12:3 says, "For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."

The lesson for us is one of humility.   Don't show off, but it is so natural, at least for guys.   We start young, showing off to the girls how we can ride our bike with no hands.   That's a recipe for disaster.

We need to humble ourselves or God will humiliate us.   Don't be stiff-necked, unbending or staunch.   Be pliable, flexible.

Ultimately, this is the principle of putting the spirit over the flesh, like Jesus did when He fasted and was then tempted in the wilderness.

V9-10 Be quick to resolve your strife or arguments or trouble between you and your neighbor, before having to go to court.

Don't listen to gossip.

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

Matthew 5:23-26 2“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25“Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26“Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

You lose face and ruin your reputation when you are found out to be wrong because of assuming the guilt of someone else.

V11-12 The right word at the right time with the right heart is beautiful, magnificent, pleasing.   Our tongue has in it the power of life and of death.    This is all about the way you rebuke, scold, chastise or admonish someone.    The other side of the coin is how do you receive constructive criticism.   Even if it isn't so constructive, is there something true about the criticism.   Is there something good and valuable and true for you to receive and learn from?

v13 key word here is faithful.  As NT Christians, we're to be faithful to care the message of Christ (the Gospel) to a lost and dying world.

Isaiah 52:7 How lovely on the mountains, Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace, And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”   8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD restores Zion. 9 Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of Jerusalem; For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.   10 The LORD has bared His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, That all the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God.  11 Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD. 12 But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.

14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.

15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.

V14 A boastful, boisterous person who trumpets their giving is very distasteful and displeasing to the LORD.

Jude 1:12 These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.

Jesus said “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, in Matthew 6:3

Also, this teaches us that we should be people of integrity and follow through, and do what we said we'd do.

V15 We should be patient in persuading someone... Especially in the message of the Gospel.   I can be accused of having a lack of patience in many circumstances.   For example, when you work alongside someone in the work of the Kingdom, and you have a difference with that person, it would behove you to spend time and effort to resolve that difference, whether it be personal or doctrinal.

V16 Too much of a good thing is still too much.

V17 Modern day example would be, do you "over-post" on social media?   I have a made up story to try and illustrate this proverb, about someone who conveniently comes over just before dinner time, a little too often....

V18 an arrow would be from a distance

a sword would cut you deep

a club would bludgeon you

Have you been lied about?

* forgive

Have you been falsely accused?

* show restraint - you might even consider not sticking up for yourself

Overcome evil with good.   It won't take away the pain, but it will relieve you of becoming bitter.

V19 Misplaced confidence is as fun as a root canal and as joyful as a broken toe.

V20 don't be surprised if you get a violent reaction if you're insensitive to someone who's down or distressed.

Be careful to read the situation, and try to have an appropriate response to someone's emotional state.

Romans 12:15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

V21-22 is this proverb telling us to "kill 'em with kindness"   in other words, are we saying Lord with give 'em what they deserve, with a smile on our face?   I don't think so.    Giving someone a pan of fire coals, would be a benefit to them.   They could go start their own fire with those coals.   Jesus said bless those that curse you and pray for those that spitefully use you.   If you invest in praying for someone who's done you wrong, I guarantee it'll change your heart, and you'll begin to desire that the burning desire for the LORD would ignite in their heart.

V23 don't be surprised when you're faced with an angry countenance when you talk behind their back.

If someone backbites in our presense, the right response should be that their gossiping would be met with our anger.   How dare you say that about them.

V24 The home should be a place of peace and calm and harmony.  Ask the LORD for help, or ask a brother or sister to pray for you if you find yourself contributing to a chaotic home life.

V25 I'm just going to reference Revelation 3:14-22

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

      The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

      15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

      

V26 If you say you're a Christian, remember you represent Christ to the world.   If you cut corners, and rebel against the rules, you ruin your witness.

V27 Self promotion to glorify yourself and self-seek will make you sick like eating too many sweets.

Psalm 75:1-10

1We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,

            For Your name is near;

            Men declare Your wondrous works.

      2“When I select an appointed time,

            It is I who judge with equity.

      3“The earth and all who dwell in it melt;

            It is I who have firmly set its pillars.

Selah.

      4“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’

            And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn;

      5Do not lift up your horn on high,

            Do not speak with insolent pride.’”

      6For not from the east, nor from the west,

            Nor from the desert comes exaltation;

      7But God is the Judge;

            He puts down one and exalts another.

      8For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams;

            It is well mixed, and He pours out of this;

            Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.

      9But as for me, I will declare it forever;

            I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

      10And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off,

            But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

            

John 12:42-43 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

V28 without anger management, you're like this broken down, vunerable city.

Galatians 5:16 (NASB95) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

On Fire for God

 On Fire for God

• What is the plan for this morning?

• When Pastor Ben asked me if I’d be willing to speak to you this morning, I said, “Yes, I’d be glad to”, and then I asked him, "What do you want me to talk about?”   He said, “Our Ultimate Purpose in Christ”, Or, “The importance of unity in the family of God”

• So, my goal for this morning is to share nothing less than the most important, greatest, most grand, ultimate purpose for our lives in Christ and how that relates to us living in “Unity” together.   That’s no small topic, but if we could get a grasp on this idea, it would be life changing.

If I could sum up this topic in one word, it would be “priority”.   So what’s your priority?   And the answer to that question might change, based on how old you are, or where you are in life, but in general, what is the most important thing in your life?

• Some people’s lives are all about making money.  What does Jesus say about the importance of money?  Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

• Other people find purpose in raising a family.  That can be a very good thing, but what does Jesus say about the priority of the family?  Luke 14:26  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

• Some people really prioritize their health and their physical bodies.  More important than your eyes and your hands.  Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

• I believe Ephesians chapter 4 encapsulates this whole idea, so I want to let God speak to us, then we can talk about “what God is saying, and how that should affect our lives”.

Ephesians 4

NASB 1995

Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

The Christian’s Walk

17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

• Vertigo as an illustration of how God wants to get the world out of us