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Proverbs 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Sin is a transgression against the clear commandment of God. The Apostle wrote:

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin begins with the question, “Has God really said?”, and then moves from there to partaking of what is forbidden. Those who minimize sin are not Christian, though they may claim to be so. The person who blatantly and without regard to God sin is the enemy of God, and the partner of Satan. The Scripture tells us:

1 John 3:8 (ESV) Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

To “sin and grin” is to prove that you are not God’s child, but a lost person in need of the Savior. The Christian is called to willingly separate from anything that is “of the flesh” or sinful. God told the Old Covenant priest:

Isaiah 52:11 (NKJV) Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord.

The New Covenant believer is a priest, and IS THE VESSEL of God. We are the possessions of Jesus.

We are indwelt by the Spirit of God. “You are not your own – you are BOUGHT WITH A PRICE” (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23)

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 (NKJV) Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”

False Professors Walk By Desire,
Not By The Word Of God

Proverbs 18:1 Through DESIRE {ta’ăvâ} a man, having separated himself…

The Christian is to be driven by the Word of God, but the world and the worldly are driven by the flesh, by desire. Our Lord Jesus had a very high view of Scripture, as well as the moral requirements of the Old Testament. False professors of Christianity claim that the Scripture, our Bible, is outdated and errant. An early Pastor named Augustine wrote:

“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

Word Study: False professors are not walking in the Spirit of God, but in the flesh. What drives them is DESIRE {ta’ăvâ [pro. tah-av-aw’]}, “the longing of the heart, lust or greed”. This word was used in the Garden of Eden when humanity decided to sin against the goodness of God. We read:

Genesis 3:6 (KJV) the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was PLEASANT {ta’ăvâ} to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Knowing what God said, Adam used his own judgment, his own flesh, and did that which God forbade by His Word. The proper Christian is to separate himself from sin based upon the Word of God. The improper Christian relies not on the Word of God, but on his flesh, his compulsive desires.

Mixed Multitudes Often Visit Us

These people have always invaded God’s people. Jude speaks of these types, saying:

Jude 16-19 (NKJV) These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

When Israel came out of Egypt, we are told:

Exodus 12:37-38 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot [that were] men, beside children. [38] And a mixed multitude {ʿēreḇ raḇ} went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, [even] very much cattle.

A “mixed multitude {ʿēreḇ raḇ}”, a mixture of other people, left Egypt with Israel. The Benson Commentary notes,

“Some perhaps willing to leave their country, because it was laid waste by the plagues. But probably the greatest part was but a rude, unthinking mob, that followed they knew not why. It is likely, when they understood that the children of Israel were to continue forty years in the wilderness, they quitted them, and returned to Egypt again.”

The Pulpit Commentary notes that “it is more probable that they consisted of fugitives from other subject races (as the Shartana) oppressed by the Pharaohs. We have again mention of this “mixed multitude” in Numbers 11:4, where we find that they were the first to regret the “flesh and the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlick” which they had eaten in Egypt freely (ib. 5). They thus set a bad example, which the Israelites followed.”

Both the Church as well as Israel has always had an open door policy. Anyone can come and enjoy the services. But some come not to glorify God, but to twist the Scripture to make it fit their lifestyle choices. They …

Proverbs 18:1 seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Word Study: The “mixed multitude” that joins with us generally will be polite. But some – like Judas Iscariot – seek out and “INTERMEDDLETH” {Hithpael Imperfect gālaʿ}, that is to say, “they stand against or quarrel with ALL WISDOM”. Rejecting the Word and the Command of God, they seek to twist an pervert it in order to please their own desires. Some of this is even in our Baptist Churches.

I recently read in the Baptist and Reflector where Juan Sanchez, pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas talked about “his church’s “robust complementarianism,” with male and female deacons, stating, “Complementarianism frees women to minister in appropriate roles alongside men, not limit them.”

The last few years I’ve heard phrases bandied about that have not ties to scripture, especially phrases like egalitarianism and complementarianism. The problem with big words that are not found in Scripture (and I’ll talk more about this in a moment) is that these big words confuse people. Let me be very much to the point.

For a person to be installed in the OFFICE of Deacon, the Apostles very clearly laid out the qualifications in the Scripture.

1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the HUSBANDS of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

The OFFICE of Deacon is limited to men, just as the OFFICE of Pastor is limited to men. Why? Because God said so. Though there are many honorable and blessed women in the Bible, no Scriptural text, Old or New Testament, is written by women. In the early Church when the Apostles (all male) was founded, these representatives of Jesus Christ said:

Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Not women, but men. Why? Because God said so. Does that offend you? I understand. But God said so. The Bible says so. Period.

Those who ordain women to the OFFICE of Deacon point to Paul’s writing in:

Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a SERVANT {diakonos} of the church which is at Cenchrea:

They say, “See, Phoebe was a DIAKONOS, the same word that was used by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:8 for “Deacons”. So we can ordain women as Deacons”. Did Paul lose his mind? Did he forget that God led him to write one thing in Timothy, and another in Romans? No. Here’s the thing.

Deacons {DIAKONOS} are servants of the Church. There is an OFFICE of Deacon. But when you study the word DIAKONOS, you find out that it does not just refer to the OFFICE. Biblically ..

1. Secular Rulers and Presidents are DIAKONOS. In Romans 13:4 the Apostle wrote, “he is the MINISTER {DIAKONOS} of God to thee for good”. President Trump is, by this Scripture, a SERVANT or DIAKONOS of God – but he is not an ordained Deacon – nor would he be qualified to be a Deacon in our Church. For that matter, since “the powers that be are of God”, then Putin and Zelenskyy are also DIAKONOS.

2. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is described as DIAKONOS.

Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a MINISTER {DIAKONOS} of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.

Jesus came and ministered (DIAKONOS) to the Jews first – but He is not in the OFFICE of Deacon. No, in the Church JESUS IS THE HEAD (Colossians 1:18), the LORD, our BOSS.

3. The Apostle Paul himself, Apollos, and every believer who labors with him in the Gospel as DIAKONOS:

1 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but MINISTERS {DIAKONOS} by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

2 Corinthians 6:3-4 Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: [4] But in all [things] approving ourselves as the MINISTERS {DIAKONOS} of God …

4. The Lord Jesus Christ calls ALL His Children to be not masters but DIAKONOS or servants. He is not calling every Christian to the OFFICE of Deacon, but to serve one another in love:

Matthew 20:25-28 (KJV)But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. [26] But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your MINISTER {DIAKONOS}; [27] And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your SERVANT {DOULOS}: [28] Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto {diakoneō}, but to minister {diakoneō}, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Matthew 23:10-12 (KJV)Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ. [11] But he that is greatest among you shall be your SERVANT {DIAKONOS}. ..

What God has said in Scripture is very clear – but we often allow our desires color and contaminate what the Lord has told us. Phoebe, like all good Christians, served (DIAKONOS) the Church. But she was not in the OFFICE of Deacon. Feminism demands that we culturally toe the line, and say “Whatever men can do, women can do”.

Not if God says otherwise.

Pastor Harry Ironside wrote:

“To separate from apostasy is right and Scriptural. To separate from what is godly causes grievous division in the church. It is the human will setting itself above the authority of the Word and Spirit of God.”

We must not let desire, nor the whims of our culture to invade the clear textual teaching of the Scripture.

The Godless Pursue Self Satisfaction

Proverbs 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Though highly religious, Jesus called the Pharisees “fools”. Why? Because they didn’t want to live by God’s Word, but twisted the Word to suit themselves. Read this and see if you understand why Jesus called them “FOOLS” or godless people:

Matthew 23:16-22 (ESV) “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

When people start using doublespeak – deliberately distorting the language to hide or twist the truth – you should immediately be suspicious.

The fool isn’t driven by a desire to understand truth, for all that matters to them is what’s on their mind. I heard a feminist say:

“The men you should avoid are those born on their birthday”.

That is about the stupidest statement I’ve ever heard. Or this gem:

“All white people are racist”.

That is, in and of itself, a racist remark. It makes no sense, for it is not based in truth. It is not a productive statement, but tears at the fabric of our nation.

Proverbs 18:3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also CONTEMPT {bûz}, and with IGNOMINY reproach.

The word translated “CONTEMPT” is the Hebrew bûz, which means “that which shows disrespect, to despise or shame another”. Fools or godless people who reject Christ mock the Gospel of God and the lifestyle of the Child of God. The wicked disrespect the way of Christ. What do they get for this? In time, they suffer “IGNOMINY” the Hebrew qālôn means “shame, confusion, dishonor”. Eventually righteousness and the Christian way of life brings peace, whereas the wicked and disrespectful way of life brings dishonor. Why?

Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are as DEEP WATERS, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

Human wisdom and human opinion is like “DEEP WATERS”. What does that mean? Think about “DEEP WATERS” for a minute. The deepest waters on earth are in our oceans. There are hidden treasure in the oceans. But the water itself is undrinkable. If you are caught in deep waters, you can be drowned. There are hidden dangers in deep waters, like sharks. Deep waters can be a blessing, or they can be a curse. You can get lost – or worse – in deep waters. If the words of a man’s mouth speak the Word of God, these deep waters are always beneficial, always a blessing.

Proverbs 18:4 … and the WELLSPRING {māqôr} of WISDOM as a flowing brook.

Word Study: The word “WELLSPRING” is the Hebrew māqôr, which means “the source, the fountain or origin”. Wisdom comes from God, from His Word. Wisdom comes from Jesus. Our Lord Jesus said:

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

The flowing brook is drinkable water. It satisfies the thirsty soul. Man’s wisdom often leaves us wanting more, but God’s wisdom satisfies and blesses.

The “flowing brook”, fed from God the Son, never dries up.

When people heard Jesus speak, they professed “No one ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46). The words of man may sometimes be beneficial, but Christ’s Words are always a blessing. Jesus said:

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

We who love the Lord must cling to His Word, regardless as to what the current culture says. It is God’s Word that saved us. It is God’s Word that keeps on saving us. I close with this:

Philippians 2:14-16 (ESV) Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life

May God touch your hearts with His Word!