Growing in Wisdom Through Self-Reflection

Those who resist correction do not become wiser.

"Proverbs 27:5-7 "…5 Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. 6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7 The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet."

They preserve their pride and lose their soul.

Proverbs 16:18

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Romans 12:3

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."

Proverbs 29:23

"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."

Proverbs 16:5

"Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished."

Proverbs 12:2

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

1 Corinthians 11:30-32 "…30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.…"

When we self-reflect regularly as the Holy Spirit teaches us we will make important changes and growth in our hearts. Those who do not grow and change over the years have not been evaluating themselves according to the Bible. They remain baby Christians all their lives or they were never born again to begin with.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 " 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you— unless you actually fail the test? 6 And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test.…"

How do we examine ourselves? We will not be able to examine ourselves if we compare ourselves with others or how bad we used to be, we can only examine ourselves according to the Bible. In order to do this we must know the Bible intimately.

2 Corinthians 10:12 "For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding."

We will always elevate ourselves when we compare ourselves with others. Often those who do this believe things about themselves that are not true, they watch what they perceive to be the worst in others affording themselves the luxury of feeling superior to those around them.

When we compare ourselves with Jesus Christ we have reason to feel ashamed and seek Him for cleansing. No one measures up to Him and no one is superior to anyone else.

May we all self-reflect often according to God's standard so that we can grow in holiness.

Hebrews 12:14-15 "14 Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.…"

Two Prodigals not only One

Remember that the father had two prodigal sons, one left home rebelliously and the other stayed home rebelliously and did not honor his father's request to come to the celebration.

The son who stayed home was there to gain his father's confidence not because he honored him. Both sons did not honor the father they just did it in different ways. I call this story the story of two prodigals.

Luke 15 speaks of it and it seems clear to me but we have been taught all our lives that there was only one prodigal son, when really there were two.

Luke 15:28-30 "28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’"

Graciousness grows better as we grow older!

I believe kind loving people become more gracious in their old age not worse. I believe this because those who are kind and gracious all their lives are not trying, it is as natural as breathing.

Those who get worse have been pretending all their years until it became a burden to them to work at being friendly but were not naturally inclined to be that way.

Pretense ruins relationships and is strong evidence that someone was never changed into a new creation by Christ.

Here is what God does in us when we become born again.

2 Corinthians 5:17

"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!"

He then comes to live in us and brings with Him all the fruit of His Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

We have no need of rules about how to act when the Holy Spirit comes to live in us because He gives us what we should be and maintains it through the rest of our lives.

Matthew 7:17-20 "17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Those who are cut down are those who were pretenders never having been changed by Christ because they wanted His blessings but didn't want Him.

Those who didn't want Him will hear some very frightening words on judgment day unless they repent and confess their sin to become born again.

Matthew 7:21-23

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"

These are vitally important principles in these last days because some people, even many, who think they are going up in the rapture have never been born again and will be left behind.

It is not too late yet to repent and trust in Christ. I speak now to those who are pretenders playing church without a love for Christ. Unless you confess that you were playing the church game and need to be born again, you will not go up in the rapture and you are not saved from hell.

The Pillar of Salt

We were taught all about Sodom and Gomorrah as cities God destroyed, Lot escaped out of Sodom, the only family of those cities who were saved. We know there were actually five cities but no one except Lot and his family escaped by the hand of God.

Then Lot's wife who did not obey God when she was warned by the angels not to look back and did anyway was turned into a pillar of salt by God.

Salt kills germs and heals wounds is it possible that God knew Lot's wife would have corrupted Lot and her children had she remained alive after longingly looking back at what she missed in her heart. Would his wife have worked to undermine or even be angry at God for the destruction of the city she loved?

As far as I can see from our English Bibles there is no mention of the significance of God turning Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.

I would be interested if anyone else has found evidence of the significance of God's judgment on Lot's wife.

One thing for sure, when God commands us to do or not do something and we ignore Him we are in danger of suffering the consequences of our disobedience as well as a regression of spirituality unless we repent and begin to obey again.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. .."

John 14:15 ESV / 284 helpful votes

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

James 1:14-15

"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

Those who think it is alright to ignore God's Word to do their own things will suffer, if not in this life they will suffer loss in the nest. Temporary willfulness produces permanent regret.

Narcissistic Family: Odd Ways They TARGET the Scapegoat

Often the scapegoat ends up being the more rational person in the family, and the more rational they become the worse the narcissists treat the scapegoat.

The Heart Determines the Actions and Attitudes

Enduring to the end is the evidence that someone was born again. If they do not endure to the end they were never born again. Many fakers are in the church today.

1 John 2:19-20 "19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us. 20You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.…"

Matthew 7:21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"

Those who become less obedient in their old age, more rude and less kind were likely never born again. Especially those who fight against scripture when we bring it to bear on any situation. There is often embarrassment when the name of Jesus Christ comes up.

In the born-again believer there is joy at the reading of God's Word and an fervor to discuss the things of God.

Luke 6:46

"Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I say?"

Matthew 12:50

"For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Matthew 10:32,33

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven…"

We know them by their fruit, says God!!!!

Matthew 7:16-17 " 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.…"

What is the fruit of the Spirit?

Matthew 716 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit."

Galatians 5:22-23

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

If someone does not have this Spiritual fruit they are not born again and their actions and attitudes will demonstrate this.

If someone has the fruit of the Holy Spirit they will have these wonderful character qualities, their actions and attitudes will reflect what is on the inside.

No one's inner heart can be separated or different from their actions. Actions can be faked but only for a short time, as soon as trials emerge and they are challenged to obey God the real them will show up.

Let us make sure that we are honoring Christ in our hearts so that when the actions come they too will honor HIm. The heart comes first then the authentic actions.

Luke 6:45 "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

SERVE AN EVICTION NOTICE! You Will Get Rid Of These Types Of People Afte...