~ Avoid Extremes! ~
Scripture
~ “I
have seen everything in my days of vanity: there is a just man who perishes in
his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his
wickedness. Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly
wise: Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? It is good that you
grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other; for he who fears God
will escape them all” (Ecclesiastes 7:15-18).
Comment ~ This
difficult passage of Scripture is seldom discussed or used as a text for
sermons. Solomon is noting what we all
learn: life on earth in man’s fallen state is not fair!
Solomon is not
saying balance your spiritual life with some carnal activities. Rather, he is warning about a
“holier-than-thou” attitude, showing off your spirituality (i.e., “when you
pray enter into your closet”—Matthew 6:6), or pseudo—Christianity. The word righteous here carries the thought
of conceit or “thinking you are righteous” (i.e., forgetting you are a sinner
saved by grace—Ephesians 2:5-8). The
word wise also carries the thought of pride or “thinking you are wise.” The fear of God is the beginning of true
wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES:
(1)
The
current
TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very
bottom of this home page.
(2)
There
is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the
left column.
(3)
You
may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.
(4)
You
may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by
prominently displaying the following statement: Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free
blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid
Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/
.
