March 20

“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Proverbs 26:11)

“The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:22)

Scoffers are those foolish people who determine not to learn the ways of wisdom; they do not learn from their mistakes.  Scoffers are ensnared in their own feeble-minded sinfulness and have no desire to escape. There is a serious rebellious attitude behind this as if God winks at or excuses certain types of foolishness. It may be conscious or unconscious. When our conduct is foolish, lacking the wisdom of Christ, it is a sign that our faith is dead, at least in this area at this time, if not entirely. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

Saving faith produces good works, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Wisdom yields insightful works; foolishness yields imprudent results, which are recognizable, even if a scoffing heart is not.

Are you teachable or do you resent being corrected? Do you refuse to rebuke your children because you are afraid they won’t like you? One leads to the other; those who scoff at godly wisdom will teach their children to do the same. How many times have I heard parents say that they do this, even while realizing that it is foolish! Scripture makes it clear that the Lord finds all such foolishness offensive and unacceptable. “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)