Faith Bible Fellowship

Sin confounds the world. Paul relates part of this in Romans 8:22, that creation groans because of our sin. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes saw and knew this as well. As he sought to understand the world, to know wisdom, he encountered great folly. From folks who self-destructively argue their position, to others overreacting at someone speaking ill of them. As we look at Ecclesiastes 7:15-29, consider the following:

Genesis 3 – The account of the fall of our first parents. Note the schemes of Satan, how he twists the words of the Lord to entice to sin. And further, note the reaction of Adam and Eve to the presence of God in the garden. The schemes of sin are still working in us now.

Mark 1:1-11 – The Baptism of Christ is recorded here by Mark in his characteristic short and quick style. Note the brief account of John’s purpose, especially the words of promise for the coming of the Holy Spirit. As we see Christ baptized, the spirit rests on him visibly, showing the pleasure of the Father in the Son. It’s the work of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that transforms us and enables us to fight the sin nature that is so strong in us.

James 3:1-13 – The tongue. It’s a mighty tool used all to often for destructive ends. Read and ponder the power of words. We’ll see a bit of the power of words in Ecclesiastes, how we overreact to insults all to often. This is especially true when we consider what we’ve said in the past, and how we would still say the same things, were the situation correct.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Grace & Peace,
Jason

 

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