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Proverbs 29 Select Verses NASB1995
Now I have personally witnessed in my life men and women who had hardened their necks after much reproof, but who continued with their hardened necks and their hard hearts for 50 years or longer, some right up to the point of death. Some of them did repent, and some did not. And that grieves me that some of them remained hardened right up to the point of death. One of my biggest prayers that I pray regularly is for changed hearts that surrender to Jesus Christ in obedience and in putting sin to death in their lives, that they might have true hope of eternal life with God.
For so many people today are believing the lies which tell them that all they have to do is to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all their sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed them when they die, but regardless of how they live. Or they are being told that all they have to do is to ask God for forgiveness of their sins and now they are saved and on their way to heaven. But the Scriptures teach that, by faith in Jesus Christ, if our faith is of God, we will die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, or the faith we think we have is not biblical faith.
Now, the truly righteous in the eyes of God are those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in holy living, by the grace of God. They are those for whom living righteously is what they practice, not necessarily with absolute perfection, but as a matter of life course. Sin is no longer their practice, their habit. But obedience to God and to his commands is what they put into practice in their daily lives. They want to obey God!
But I don’t see much rejoicing in our world today over the truly righteous who live and who teach the critical nature of death to sin and walks of surrender to God in obedience to his commands. I see a lot of rejoicing over a fake diluted and altered gospel message which teaches people that they can be saved and on their way to heaven by lip service only which makes no requirements for putting sin to death and for walks of obedience to God. And I do see a lot of professing Christians rejoicing over a wicked man who rules while there are others who do groan over this same wicked man.
And it appears from all outward appearances that the majority of those professing faith in Jesus Christ, at least here in the USA, are not people of God who love the wisdom of God and who follow after his wisdom. But they love the teachings of humans who dilute and alter the gospel truth in order to appease humans in their sins so that they won’t feel guilty for their sins, and in order to not offend the ungodly of the world who they are trying to attract to their gatherings. And so a lot of them are those engaged in sexual immorality, especially in the area of addiction to pornography.
Now, if by the grace of God, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, you have put your faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, that should automatically result in you dying with Christ to sin and having a change of heart and mind away from sin to now desiring to obey the Lord and his commandments, in practice. But if this is how you are living, and if it is the truth of the gospel you are sharing, don’t be surprised if you are hated, rejected, mistreated, and cast aside as unwanted, even by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, some of whom are pastors of “churches.”
But we should be those who love those who hate and misuse and abuse us and who want nothing to do with us because of our walks of faith in obedience to the Lord, and because of our testimonies for Christ and for the truth of the gospel. And we should pray for our persecutors and for those who do evil against us that they will surrender their lives to Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands and in dying to sin daily, by the Spirit. And we should demonstrate the love of Jesus to them, a love which speaks truth to the people for their salvation from sin, not the lies that tickle itching ears.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Love Wisdom, Hate Evil
An Original Work / October 2, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.
2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.
3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.
6 By transgression an evil man is ensnared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.
10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,
But the upright are concerned for his life.”
Now I have personally witnessed in my life men and women who had hardened their necks after much reproof, but who continued with their hardened necks and their hard hearts for 50 years or longer, some right up to the point of death. Some of them did repent, and some did not. And that grieves me that some of them remained hardened right up to the point of death. One of my biggest prayers that I pray regularly is for changed hearts that surrender to Jesus Christ in obedience and in putting sin to death in their lives, that they might have true hope of eternal life with God.
For so many people today are believing the lies which tell them that all they have to do is to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all their sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed them when they die, but regardless of how they live. Or they are being told that all they have to do is to ask God for forgiveness of their sins and now they are saved and on their way to heaven. But the Scriptures teach that, by faith in Jesus Christ, if our faith is of God, we will die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, or the faith we think we have is not biblical faith.
Now, the truly righteous in the eyes of God are those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in holy living, by the grace of God. They are those for whom living righteously is what they practice, not necessarily with absolute perfection, but as a matter of life course. Sin is no longer their practice, their habit. But obedience to God and to his commands is what they put into practice in their daily lives. They want to obey God!
But I don’t see much rejoicing in our world today over the truly righteous who live and who teach the critical nature of death to sin and walks of surrender to God in obedience to his commands. I see a lot of rejoicing over a fake diluted and altered gospel message which teaches people that they can be saved and on their way to heaven by lip service only which makes no requirements for putting sin to death and for walks of obedience to God. And I do see a lot of professing Christians rejoicing over a wicked man who rules while there are others who do groan over this same wicked man.
And it appears from all outward appearances that the majority of those professing faith in Jesus Christ, at least here in the USA, are not people of God who love the wisdom of God and who follow after his wisdom. But they love the teachings of humans who dilute and alter the gospel truth in order to appease humans in their sins so that they won’t feel guilty for their sins, and in order to not offend the ungodly of the world who they are trying to attract to their gatherings. And so a lot of them are those engaged in sexual immorality, especially in the area of addiction to pornography.
Now, if by the grace of God, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, you have put your faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, that should automatically result in you dying with Christ to sin and having a change of heart and mind away from sin to now desiring to obey the Lord and his commandments, in practice. But if this is how you are living, and if it is the truth of the gospel you are sharing, don’t be surprised if you are hated, rejected, mistreated, and cast aside as unwanted, even by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, some of whom are pastors of “churches.”
But we should be those who love those who hate and misuse and abuse us and who want nothing to do with us because of our walks of faith in obedience to the Lord, and because of our testimonies for Christ and for the truth of the gospel. And we should pray for our persecutors and for those who do evil against us that they will surrender their lives to Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands and in dying to sin daily, by the Spirit. And we should demonstrate the love of Jesus to them, a love which speaks truth to the people for their salvation from sin, not the lies that tickle itching ears.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Caution: This link may contain ads
Love Wisdom, Hate Evil
An Original Work / October 2, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
