Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

“Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep…I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I lay down my life that I may take it up again…Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends…By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us.” (John 10:7-11, 17; 15:13; 1 John 3:16)

Tonight, Christians all over the world will celebrate Maundy Thursday, the night Jesus ate his last supper with his disciples. It was the Passover, so they were celebrating the traditional service as Jesus shared the bread and wine, instructing his disciples to practice the custom, to remember him until he returns (Luke 22:19-20). Jesus went to the garden to pray, knowing that he was about to be arrested and then crucified. He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Who among us can imagine the agony of his soul and the joy of his Spirit? The greatest act of love was about to transpire with the greatest pain any human being would ever endure.

You and I could probably rehearse all his painful physical, emotional, and spiritual trials that night and the next day. We know that our Good Shepherd was abandoned by friends and disciples before his crucifixion, and then by the Father, during it. What we don’t know how to describe, though, is the mixture of pain and joy he had in light of the magnitude of the gift he was giving us; “…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus did everything with divine dignity. In “Joy Beyond Agony,” Jane Roach writes: “He faced his betrayer and the armed crowd with sovereign dignity. His actions showed that he was giving them permission to arrest him. He allowed Judas to kiss him, graciously calling him ‘friend.’ He approached them, asking whom they sought. When they answered, ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ he responded, ‘I am he (literally ‘I am’). His words were so powerful that they drew back and fell to the ground. They were unable to stand in the face of his power and majesty.”*

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) How do we show our love for Christ? Today, perhaps it will be in part by meditating on his humble, painful, sacrificial, dignified, joyful, generous gift of suffering for our eternal freedom from sin’s condemnation. No matter how much we know about our Lord’s passion night, we can be united to him more deeply to prize him more highly.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1-4)

* Roach, Jane, “Joy Beyond Agony, Embracing the Cross of Christ,” P&R Publishing 2015, page 106.

“Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-32, 36)

We speak differently to different people in our lives. Sometimes we are corny, mildly sarcastic, or lovingly chiding with those closest to us (not so extreme as to offend anyone, hopefully). With strangers we may be politer, guarded, and unfortunately, even indifferent. We speak one way with Christians and another with Jews, Muslims, or others who are not of the faith. It is right that we do so since our Lord also spoke differently with those who believed. As a believer, I appreciate the emphasis that Jesus placed on freedom in John Chapter 8. I heartedly give thanks for his warning to stick to his word for liberty, not to customs, rituals, or legalistic ideas.

Faithful disciples of Jesus should jettison the idea that there is any soul liberty in following rules or laws. As long as we put our faith in doing the right thing, doing enough good for others, or being a good person for approval from God we are enslaving ourselves to the Law. Grace says that we do right from the good God has done in us, through regeneration, not for his approval but his glory (Ephesians 2:9-10). The world lives by rules, moral imperatives, and social justice. This is the wisdom that is “from below,” and has nothing to do with the sinfulness of humankind (John 8:23-24). Therefore, it is worthless for freedom from the consequences, power, and presence of sin, which is our greatest problem of all.

Freedom is possibly the most sought-after ideal in our world, through wealth, nationality, position, or social class. Who doesn’t want to be free? The problem is that the freedom the world provides is an outright lie. Satan, the ruler of this world, uses deception and illusion to imitate the truth of God, to lure us away from Christ, the only giver of real freedom. Jesus alone can free us from old beliefs, reliance on worldly information, and Satan’s elaborate schemes. As children born in sin, we often feel more “comfortable” with sinful ways and moral platitudes than with grace and repentance. Paul reminded the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Peter reminded the believers, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16). We should remind ourselves daily that Christ died to give us true freedom and have it in full.

Will you reject the world’s focus on relative morality and relational truth? Will you ask God to help you see how you may still revert to old ways of thinking, rather than live by his grace? Will you do so not just for yourself, but to be a more effective witness of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for those who are still enslaved by the lies of the world?

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life…I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.’” (John 8:12; 12:46)

Light is a powerful symbol of wisdom, truth, and righteousness while its opposite, darkness, is a good metaphor for foolishness, deceit, and sin. Jesus does not say that he is “like” light, as a metaphor, but said he is light. In Jesus’s time, the light came by the sun, moon, and stars, or by fire. Today, in most places in the world, we have electricity, providing us with artificial light when it is dark outside. We don’t even think of it as artificial because we take it for granted that every room has a light switch and that the darkness will vanish when we flip the switch. But people living in the country, the bush, or cities in developing countries know how precious light is when the electric grid is off, and there is no generator to furnish man-made light. It’s very dark when the moon is dim.

Lighting a candle, turning on a flashlight, or lighting a kerosene lantern will immediately vanquish the blackness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5) Jesus is not just light, he is the light of the world, the light of life. When he walked on this earth, Christ shone his light for men to follow just as God appeared in a cloud and pillar of fire to guide the Israelites (Exodus 13:21-22). God also protected his people from the dangerous Egyptians and provided warmth for Israel. But most importantly, God used the cloud and pillar of fire to let the Israelites know that he was with them; they were not alone in the wilderness.

Perhaps we wonder how more than a million people can think they are alone. The truth is that having others physically close frequently makes us feel even lonelier than if we are by ourselves. Superficial human contact does not comfort our souls as the presence of God does; it is like being in a dimly lit room when we need bright light to read the fine print. Jesus is the light that comforts us, guides us, protects us, and warms us. He comforts us with his righteous presence, love, forgiveness, and victorious conquest over Satan and sin. Christ guides us in a fallen world with his Word, uniting our minds and hearts to his, to live by faith and not by sight. He shines his light into our hearts to expose our sin, confess, and receive his forgiveness and power to repent. Jesus protects us from the many temptations that prey upon our desires and the dangers of the world—all the hidden, subtle snares we don’t see in the darkness. Finally, he warms us with his mercies, by his indwelling Spirit when the world treats us coldly, without compassion, as we witness for him.

When Jesus was crucified, the skies darkened and the light went out from the world because our sin was laid on him who died for us. His disciples were forlorn, thinking that he was gone forever. Now his light is in Christians; we are called to shine his light in the world. John calls us to account: “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7)

Are you walking in the light of Christ?

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”” (John 7:37-38)

Jesus was speaking publically and openly about his identity as the Son of the living God. Some wondered if he was the Christ while the confused Jews questioned his veiled statements about “finding” him (John 7:25-36). They, of all people, should have understood his meaning about the thirst for righteousness that God alone can quench. These religious leaders should have been familiar with passages from Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets that describe the outpouring of God’s Spirit on his people (for example: Isaiah 55:1; 58:11; Ezekiel 36:26-27; 37:14; Joel 2:28–29). Isiah 12:3 speaks of “water from the wells of salvation.” In 44:3 Isaiah prophesied of a time when God “will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

The unity of the Holy Trinity of God is seen in the harmony of Scripture, from beginning to end. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Jesus challenged the Samaritan woman at the well to drink of his living water (John 4:10-14). Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… all were made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). In John’s vision on the Isle of Patmos, he saw “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1). In many parts of the world, rivers are still associated with free drinking water, although the purity of the water is not what it used to be. Jesus promises his believers the pure, free outflowing of his Spirit to them in their new life with him, supplying spiritual comfort, guidance, gifts for service and witness, repentance, assurance of salvation, perseverance, sanctification, and glorification.

Matthew Henry commented on John 7:37-39: “This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to come to Him and drink. The comfort flows plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bear down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a fullness in Christ, of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in believers, is as a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful streams flow, cooling and cleansing as water.” *

Proverbs 4:23 speaks of this living water, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Are you vigilantly thirsting for God’s living water, his Holy Spirit, to fully appreciate the joy of Jesus’s sacrificial atonement and resurrection?

 

* Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise), Thomas Nelson, 2003.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me…Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:1, 27)

Over the next eight days, we will consider the words of Jesus to his disciples at various times during his last days on earth. In this passage, and specifically in these two verses, Jesus says we should not “let our hearts be troubled.” Perhaps the use of the word “let” has some significance here. Imagine a mother not letting her children run across a busy street or a pastor not allowing his congregation leave church without hearing the gospel in his sermon. We are transformed sinners but still have a natural bent to do that which isn’t good for us. However, wise Christians don’t let themselves make foolish choices—we restrain and retrain ourselves to do that which is glorifying to God and repent when we do foolish things.

The method prescribed is one of self-control, and the object is peace that comes through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). This peace is not a void or black hole with nothing contained in it, not the cessation of worry and anxiety. God’s peace is not the opposite of “something” (which is the definition of “nothing”). It is the opposite of “troubled.” When our hearts are troubled, they are fearful, anxious, restless, and distracted (v. 27). Peacefulness is blessedness from God, especially experienced in the severest outer turmoil. “The story has occasionally been told of a contest in which artists were to submit paintings and sculptures portraying their understanding of peace. Some showed beautiful sunsets, others pastoral scenery. But the prize went to an artist who had painted a bird in its nest, attached to a branch protruding from the edge of a thundering waterfall. This is the idea involved in Christ’s legacy. In times of outward peace anyone can be at peace, or at least many can. But it takes an exceptional peace, a supernatural peace, to prevail in the midst of great outward trouble and inner distress. Christ’s peace is just that, exceptional and supernatural. As he explains in these verses, it is a peace that is to be present in his own in spite of the vacillating nature of the world around them, his own absence, and the vigorous activity of the devil and evil persons.” *

James Boice goes on to write that this is Christ’s legacy to his followers as he prepares to leave them. You and I can’t really know what it was like to have Jesus physically present for three years, teaching, healing, and praying with his closest disciples. How they must have depended on him—how they must have become agitated by his talk of leaving! We have the advantage of celebrating Good Friday knowing the blessed outcome of Christ’s sacrificial atoning death. At the same time, though, we are disadvantaged, not having the emotional and physical intimacy of his disciples who shared meals and journeys with him. Wisdom would have us looking forward to being in his presence in glory and staying as close as possible to him in this troubling world.  “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

*Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, Baker Books, 1998, Commentary on John 14:27.

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed…” (Psalm 2:1-2)

“When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3)

Any believing Christian should ask the question, “Why do people scheme in vain against God’s purposes and plans? After all, the Lord is not only omnipotent but the sovereign Creator of all people. As our Creator, he has the right to do as he pleases with, for, and to us. Those who scoff at these truths have only themselves to blame when everything falls apart, they lose hope, and life seems futile. But scoffers do not blame themselves for their failures and ruin; they blame God for the natural consequences of their foolishness.

Placing blame on the Lord for God for the results of our folly is like blaming fire for being hot when we burn ourselves or blaming the rain for the soaking we get if we go outside without an umbrella. Fire is hot, rain is wet, and God is sovereign, righteous, and orderly. Scoffers rail at the fire that burns them and the rain that soaks through their clothes as if they had no part in their experience. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, but they were the responsible parties. All creation and humankind have suffered the consequences of their folly because, in the divine order, those answerable must pay the price.

The Pharisees scoffed at Christ’s message of repentance and judgment for sin (Matthew 23). The Romans scoffed at the idea that Jesus could have been raised from the dead, assuming that someone had stolen his body (Matthew 27:62-66). People today scoff at the idea that Jesus is the Son of God, was crucified, buried, raised, and then ascended into heaven, from where he came in his incarnation. As believers, we know this to be the historical record of our Savior. David knew the facts, and wrote, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” (Psalm 2:5-9)

As Easter approaches, we should examine our confidence in the Word of God and all that is recorded about Christ, lest we scoff at Messianic passages, pictures, and prophecies like that of Psalm 2. We will also suffer if we do not take divine providence and our part in it seriously. During this period of lent, perhaps we should give up murmuring and complaining about the challenges in our lives. “Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord” (Proverbs 16:20).

“A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 14:6-7)

Do you remember these idioms: “Clothes don’t make the man;” “Don’t judge a book by its cover;” and “The proof of the pudding is in the eating?” Do you know what they have in common? They all speak to the fact that what we see with our eyes is not necessarily indicative of the true nature of the quality of the man, book, or pudding. We can add scoffers to the list since they may appear to be wise but mock true wisdom. Scoffers, by definition, mock God and seek that which brings glory to themselves, ironically emphasizing and showcasing their lack of wisdom. While they may have convinced themselves and others that they are in earnest, the truth is that at the very least they are deceived and complete hypocrites at their worst.

This month I have already identified some of the ways we scoff: in our struggle with pride (March 3rd); when we judge God’s law and compare ourselves with others instead of with God’s standard (March 9th); and when we scoff at God’s warnings and correction from others (yesterday). Now we consider that we are sometimes foolish, acting like those who want to be wise but mentally and attitudinally mocking wisdom, and therefore unable to use the very wisdom we seek. It is our scoffing that prevents us from being people of “understanding.” That being the case, why should any sincerely wise person want to be in our company? Oh, and why would we want to hang out with fools who have no knowledge? Or, if they have some, they are unable to use it because of their scoffing attitudes.

Many religious people believe themselves to have great wisdom and understanding. I have found that university-level comparative religion classes are taught mainly by these men and women. They may indeed have a broad knowledge of man’s religious practices, but no understanding of God. Religion is the study of worship practices; theology is the study of God. If you would like to understand the real God of the Bible, I might suggest picking up a copy of R. C. Sproul’s “Everyone’s A Theologian” to read alongside your Bible. (1) One of the reasons why many Christians insist that Christianity isn’t a religion is because we cannot attain anything worthy of heaven or salvation by our religious practices (our works). Only by being chosen, regenerated, and justified by God are we able to enjoy freedom from the presence of sin, even from scoffing. (2)

If we admit that we would not want to be around foolish scoffers, how much more should we seek to be aware of our own mocking of God’s excellence, holiness, and purity? Yes, we are destined, on this earth to struggle and sometimes fail. But let’s not lessen our determination to stop our mocking of God’s righteous standards. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

(1)   Sproul, R.C., “Everyone’s A Theologian, An Introduction to Systematic Theology,” Reformation Trust Publishing (a division of Ligonier Ministries), Orlando, FL, 2014.

(2)  At salvation, we receive complete freedom from condemnation for sin at the final judgment. Through the process of sanctification, we continue to recognize and do battle with our sin, having the Holy Spirit to empower and enable us to repent. We are victorious in many ways, until the time of our physical death, when we will be completely free of the presence of sin, including scoffing, for all eternity.

“At the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, ‘How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.’” (Proverbs 5:11-14)

Let’s all first agree that the context of the above passage is that of sexual immorality. Isn’t it ironic that Solomon (probably the author) wrote a passage warning other men about the dangers of sexual sin when he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines who turned his heart from the Lord (1 Kings 11:3-4)? I can only wonder if Solomon felt or expected to feel, at the end of his life that he was in complete ruin within God’s congregation, the nation of Israel. In 2018, the world scoffs at this biblical wisdom supporting the view that sexual immorality is acceptable with whomever one desires, of any sex, under any circumstances—and sees its consequences as limited to pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and relational conflicts with those of us who think differently.

The biblical worldview, however, sees other additional consequences including regret, embarrassment, guilt, shame, being on the verge of collapse with public humiliation. Many Christians have experienced these devastating costs, having lived immorally before being rescued by God through faith in Jesus Christ. But some Christians who were sexually active were spared these consequences by God’s mercy, not having received what was due for their illicit sexual encounters. I genuinely hope that these believers appreciate God’s pity and clemency since heterosexual marriage is the only biblical relationship for sexual intimacy. We have all earned condemnation but are forgiven in Christ and justified—delivered from our guilty sentence—to live at peace with God by his power and grace alone.

Since this is a devotion on wisdom (not on marriage and sins relating to marriage), let me propose a broader application—that the gospel should be our standard for reproof and correction for all sorts of folly. In the notes for this passage, the Reformation Study Bible states that “sexual immorality epitomizes the way of folly that rejects the discipline of wise instruction.” Having admitted that we deserve punishment for our sinful desires, attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors, we ought to accept admonishments from God (through the Bible and prayer), teachers, elders, mentors, brothers, and sisters in Christ. Scoffers reject warnings, instruction, correction, and discipline only to regret it later, like a child who refuses his parents warning just to end up in trouble. Those who scoff run the risk of becoming habitual in their refusal to yield to wisdom and wind up being utterly miserable. It’s one thing to be known to other scoffers as an infidel, but a wholly different matter to be known as a scoffer in the church or among those we respect. Unfortunately, those who try to correct scoffers are abused or may find themselves injured or hated (Proverbs 9:7-8). At the end of life, when it is too late, the words of those who loved them will haunt them.

Will you pray with me for God’s help to recognize our scoffing and repent? Will you join me is learning how to offer winsome correction to scoffers, employing the gospel to bring our brothers and sisters to the feet of Christ?

 

“They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.” (Psalm 73:8-9)

“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.” (Proverbs 21:24)

Have you ever wondered why, given the importance of the Ten Commandments, that there is no commandment against pride? Why didn’t the Lord command his people to be humble, as Jesus did? Well, I submit that he did when he gave us the first three Commandments: worship no other God, have no idols, and don’t take God’s name in vain. These laws require submission to God as the highest authority, who is supreme to all other “gods.” Scoffers pridefully set themselves above all other beings, even God, by their arrogant disregard for the Lord, the heavens (God’s dwelling place), and all creatures on earth.

Proverbs 21:24 names this characteristic of scoffers three times. They are arrogant, haughty, and prideful—supercilious, puffed-up, and superior. Psalm 73 exposes their motivations as malicious, meaning cruel, with the intent to harm. They threaten others, who are inferior, with abuse through oppression. The Egyptian Pharaoh who enslaved the Israelites in Moses’s day is an example of an arrogant, malicious dictator who scoffed at God’s miraculous plagues to the point of losing his young son (Exodus 12:29). In the New Testament, King Herod was determined to kill all the boys in his territory to murder the Savior of the Jews (Matthew 2:13-18). One ruler scoffed at his refusal to submit to God; the other scoffed in his aggression toward God.

Christians are called to do the opposite of both: to submit in humble obedience to the Lord’s revealed will in Scripture, and to honor God’s name, worshipping him. We are also called to reject all idols—those things or people who would demand our worship and capture our hearts—even ourselves. As much as we hate to admit it, we are our own biggest fan clubs. We congratulate ourselves on our obedience and humility, and we neglect regular confession as if we do no wrong toward God or others. We become haughty in our complacency as if a day without the gospel working in us is normal and acceptable. We scoff at our need for and Christ’s provision of sanctification.

Rather than scoff, will you spend some time today reflecting on the gospel, allowing it to break through your self-righteousness and complacency? Christ came in humility and holiness, lived perfectly and innocently, died obediently and sacrificially, rose victoriously, not arrogantly, and ascended in glory, spotlessly, so that we will live mercifully and eternally, in union with him.

“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)