We live in a wildly sin sick and narcissistic world now. So much so that it feels like a nightmare that we cannot wake up from.
In recent years I run into many people who will say they are Christians but know little about the Bible, worse than that they don't want to know God's mind.
I have encountered people who declare decisively that they are against the killing of animals. These same people eat hamburgers at the fast food restaurant and turkey on the holidays but decry the use of them by others. This is called hypocrisy.
There have also been people who claim to be against killing animals while they are adamantly pro-abortion. These same people tend to be for gun control, claiming that guns are the problem.
It never works to have words alone. One can say they are against murder and allow for the killing of innocent babies who have done nothing to deserve this torturous means of unjust execution.
Some of these people are against smoking because it is bad for their bodies but will use drugs such as pot, which is smoking.
Then there are those who "say" smoking is bad for them but they keep doing it as though they are wise by saying so even though they will not quite. The truth is that a wise person quits what they know to be harmful.
The foolish person says something is bad but continues it. It has been my experience that those who "say" what they are going to do but never do it are lying. They think saying something makes them wise without any needed change in behavior.
There are many Christians who employ the tactic of speaking without actions. They think they will impress people with their words even if their words do not match their actions.
In our disordered and irrational culture right now this mentality of speaking and not engaging in change is acceptable. It is called encouragement when we praise someone up and down for merely saying something. This is not encouragement, it is in fact enabling.
Encouragement would be to expect the one who speaks to act what they speak.
Enabling is the way of this culture now. Correction is the new hate speech. Accountability is seen as mean and judgmental. Sadly, they do not understand that its the accountability and correction that helps those who are seeking solutions to make improvements and strides in their life.
Those who speak the things of God but will not obey Him, make no strides in holiness nor do they improve their life in general. In fact these people regress rather than grow. The further they regress the more hardened they become, even unable to hear truth and sensibleness.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
Proverbs 10:18-20 "…18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. 19 When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth.…"
Ecclesiastes 5:3
"For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words."
Proverbs 13:3
"The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."
Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel."
These days we have more people listening to the counsel of fools than will listen to the counsel of a wise person.
Psalm 1:1-6
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ...
Those who love their sin will surround themselves with those who will praise them in it, even encouraging them through constant validation of his lifestyle.
Wise people will bring blessing and growth to those who will listen to them Wicked people will bring ruin to those who enable and encourage sinfulness.
