The dictionary definition of the word deliberation is this:
Dict:- 1 long and careful consideration or discussion:
In all our deliberations.In all the examination of situations in life, and in our endeavour to reach perfect conclusions, we must balance our thinking by the fact that there are no perfect human conclusions. [Perfect as in an ultimate all-knowing kind of perfection]
To see something perfectly from every angle is to have The mind of God Himself. And the bible says We (Humans) ‘know in part’. (I Cor. 13/12)
In an OT context, Solomon exercised wisdom by suggesting the baby be cut in two – thus revealing the true mother’s heart. But don’t think that – that was the only solution to the situation. (Read I Kings 3 for the context of my remarks)
Because of ‘The fall of mankind’, (as in man’s nature becoming corrupt) mankind will always fall short of a perfect conclusion or solution, when left to our own devices.
The best we can hope for is sound judgement.
Acting on the principles of God’s Word and embracing the wisdom we find there – we come to the best conclusion we can.
When we come to any important conclusion, [because besetting double-mindedness gets us nowhere], we must hold fast to it, provided it is not riddled with obvious flaws in the violation of principles.
Paul let’s us know that things are not always biblically black and white, cut and dry, when he informs us that having received ‘no commandment from the Lord’ he gave hisjudgement as one who was found faithful. (I Cor. 7/25)
This statement in The Word of God – fits a different category than commandment. It is sound judgement and guidance.
In other words he gave his advice not as a commandment from God – but we notice – that nevertheless it was/is God-inspired advice, and is perfect in its category, within the inspired Word of God.
I would suggest wisdom and advice is simply a different category than the commandments of God. Both can proceed from God Himself. (See e.g. I Cor. 12/8).
Conversely however there are many truths in the Bible which are dogmatic in the best possible sense. The virgin birth of Jesus to give but one example. This is true-truth – indisputably so.
If Paul, in the above passage (I Cor. 7) had received a commandment from God, then the solution, would have been even more black and white.
But as it was written, it was a man receiving the help of The Holy Spirit to give wise counsel. It is still the word of God and to be followed.
In that sense we might say it is perfect God-inspired wisdom.
We look for wisdom in difficult situations which do not always present a clear solution.
The apostles were privileged in that they did receive from The Lord on a higher spiritual God-given plane than the rest of us.
And they did write the Word of the Lord, (as a result). And so it was – that in God’s plan it was handed down to us. Preserved I believe supernaturally by God Himself.
Sometimes we can discover that in our attempts to reach perfect judgement in everyday life scenarios, we are setting the bar too high. We can be trying to achieve that – which we cannot achieve.
We are called to make wise and principled decisions, asking God for wisdom. But realising at the same time, that there may be another way to look at things, because of something we have missed.
This informs us, that it is unwise, to resent and become bitter towards others who hold a different view point. Even though their viewpoint might be riddled with error. In such cases pick the wheat from the chaff. Usually both are present.
At other times things are clear and even common- sense prevails to give us the right solution.
We certainly don’t embrace that which violates God’s principles, but we violate His principles when we allow bitterness to overcome us, in resenting the viewpoint of others.
Now of course there are diabolical acts taking place on planet earth and we clearly reject these that are usually based on no, or perverted, principles.
We especially should not fall out with those who have a different, yet principled viewpoint, which may just be in fact, another way of looking at the problem.
There may not be only one solution to a given situation.
In all these considerations, we should not stop holding fast to what we have decided.
It’s the double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways. (James 1/8)
There is no doubt that, based on scripture we can reach the best conclusion possible. It’s just that (after doing so) we should still commit our way to God, when we arrive at that place. Especially when further things/results are out of our direct control.
Knowing that He knows more than we do and may have a superior plan, approach or solution, is not a cop out, it is resignation to His will, in trust and faith, committing our decisions to Him.
If we don’t go that way – what alternative is there?
The alternative is double-mindedness, indecision, and things that should be done – left undone.
Thank God for the following as we oft times stumble in our decision making.
Psalm 103
13
As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14
For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
NB: (I use the term ‘man’ in the sense of mankind)
We must understand something. Many do not.
There is the natural man and there is the spiritual man.
The spiritual man is firstly – one who has accepted Christ Jesus into his life.
This happens when we respond to God’s message. Yes – He has left a message for man to hear or read.
This is the most important ‘message’ in the form of ‘messages’ that exist on the planet.
Stop and think it over (Selah) – how God has chosen this means.
Written words that are more than written words. Words that are ‘spirit and life’.
John 6/63: Jesus says:
…The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spiritandlife.
And now the words He spoke, are recorded for all to see. These words must travel to all the world, down through the ages – before the end of this present age, will come.
It is the duty and privilege of every Christian to proclaim these words – often to an uninterested, bewildered or belligerent public.
Part of the multi-faceted message is the fact that all are natural beings.
And all need to become spiritual beings.
Jesus spoke to a ‘religious’ person and said: (John 3)
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is bornagain, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
He was referring to the new birth – the natural man – born natural – must be born again and become spiritual through encountering Christ by encountering the Holy Spirit in a born again experience – available to all who will seek it 100%.
First we are natural. Then we become spiritual.
The person Jesus said these words to was religious. Yet he had no idea about this truth – that all are natural beings and need to become spiritual beings.
So like this man Nicodemus we need more than religion.
In the context of this truth – what good was his religion, when he missed the only way to become spiritual?
You see your spirit is dead because of your natural sinful fallen nature, the nature that dominates mankind, the nature you and I inhabit. The one we were born with.
So your dead or insensitive spirit needs to become ‘born again’. Rising from the prison of your sinful nature.
Coming alive to the reality of Christ and His Presence waiting to come into your spirit.
Jesus said: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
It’s all about ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – acknowledging that Jesus Christ is God who inhabited the body of a man.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – Acknowledgement of this untamed and often out of control sinful nature that is running rampant across the world expressed in all sorts of diabolical acts.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – on a deeply personal level that we too are indeed trapped by this sinful/selfish nature.
Turning to God in prayer and ACKNOWLEDGING OUR state of sinfulness and apologising for living by its dictates and ignoring Christ.
ACKNOWLEDGING that we need Him to come into our lives permanently, and show us His divine nature within our beings.
How should we pray?
Something like this:
Lord Jesus I see clearly that I am sinful, I sin in small ways and big ways. I confess my sins to you. Please forgive me. I realise that my punishment for sin is gone if I acknowledge you took my sin and it’s punishment on the cross. Come to me today and make yourself known by the Holy Spirit coming to me. I put my faith in you. Come into my spirit and ‘cause me to be born again.
As human beings we can be rightly full of questions or wrongly full of questions.
What do I mean?
Well – God is only too glad if you bring your questions to Him.
But if your questions are really accusations in disguise, then He has this to say in response:
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,…*
5 For this they willfully forget:…** (II Peter 3/3,5 etc.)
30 There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord. (Proverbs 21/30)
Now as you can see I have not quoted every part of the verses, that I might draw attention to specific phrases.
There is the type of questions that come from scoffers.
They have no intention of changing their opinions, they have hardened themselves against God and His ways and don’t want answers from Him. They simply and ignorantly want to accuse God unjustly, prefer their own self-righteousness than acknowledge God’s righteousness.
***
Christians however, have more answers stored away in their hearts or in the ancient texts, than the rest of the world population, who do not believe in Christ. How come?!
Because we have a book (The Bible), that is far greater than every piece of Artificial Intelligence – Internet – or any other means of a factual CONGLOMERATION OF INFORMATION.
This book (the Bible) is greater and carries more important information than all the AI (Artificial Intelligence), put together – because it is the only means of GLIMPSING INTO THE ETERNAL REALM OF EXISTENCE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS – commonly referred to as the hereafter.
Not only does this book give us answers about this life – but, when we meditate on it’s pages – it opens us up supernaturally to the eternal realm.
The bible says Colossians 3/
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
You see not only does the Word of God convey things that we can grasp WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING as human beings, it also opens us up internally to the spiritual realm. If we operate in faith.
Notice we are being exhorted to not only read the word – but let it dwell richly in us.
Why? Because regardless of whether we understand it or not – when it dwells in us it effects our very inner-being in a powerful way.
Of course this only works when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Where He is not welcomed into our lives through believing that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God – then the bible for such an unbelieving person, is just so many words written on parchments.
So this spiritual opening up takes place PROVIDED THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD who provides His enlightenment to what we otherwise cannot see or properly comprehend.
Acts 19/
2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
The people being addressed here (by Paul the Apostle) were God-searching people.
People who wanted to follow God but yet their spiritual education and spiritual experience, was lacking and limited.
In fact they needed to hear the most important part of acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord of all.
The most important part – being, the need to repent of sin, reach out in prayer and ask The Holy Spirit to come into their lives, in order that they be guided into further and eventually someday – all – truth. John 16/13.
He (The Holy Spirit) will ONLY EVER come – in response to believing on The Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world.
He (The Holy Spirit) must have the acknowledgement of the Lordship of Christ and the acceptance of Christ fully and honestly – before He will come to us, and give us the further enlightenment we need, thus enabling every human being to know the reality of God.
The Holy Spirit leads us to God The Heavenly Father experientially, through faith in His Son Jesus the Christ, – both now and in eternity.
But we cannot approach God the Father without The enablement of The Holy Spirit of God.
This enablement is provided firstly through our exposure (if we allow it to happen) – to the truth of The Bible.
And He (The Holy Spirit) cannot help us in this way, until we come to God, through believing on and welcoming Jesus Christ as Lord of all, into our life. John 14/6.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
However – when will we come to Him? Will you, will I, come to Christ in prayer today?
Truth is, God is taking the first step. And although He may not have been welcomed into our/your life He graciously influences us with His truth in order to get us to follow Jesus Christ and His ways, and therefore to welcome Him into our life.
So bring honest questions to The Lord in prayer, and then turn to the means of answering those questions (the Bible), and ask Him to guide you to His understanding about what it is you ask.
These Words of God are not like any other words. His Word is not ordained to be left written in stone or parchment, but upon the human heart, after which by dwelling in/on this Word of God, we receive enlightenment, and therefore answers.
Don’t be amongst the predicted scoffers*. Don’t wilfully forget God**.
Seek Jesus the Christ today. Acknowledge your sins to Him. Turn from the imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and accept that the book He has preserved is for eternity, and is the only guide to true truth, on the planet, and beyond.
The dictionary definition of the word deliberation is this:
Dict:- 1 long and careful consideration or discussion:
In all our deliberations. In all the examination of situations in life, and in our endeavour to reach perfect conclusions, we must balance our thinking by the fact that there are no perfect conclusions.
To see something perfectly from every angle is to have The mind of God Himself. And the bible says ‘We know in part’, not in full, as God knows. (I Cor. 13/9,13)
Solomon exercised wisdom by suggesting the baby be cut in two – thus revealing the true mother’s heart. But don’t think that – that was the only solution to the situation. (I Kings 3)
Why not receive a ‘word of knowledge’ instead?
[supernatural knowledge given by God directly, rather than acquired knowledge by examination or communication of facts] I Corinthians 12/8 NKJV
as to who the right mother was? Instead he received a ‘word of wisdom’ as to how to EXPOSE THE WRONG MOTHER. God knew that would work (I Corinthians 12/8) NKJV.
The bible says in Proverbs 4/7:
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
The bible also speaks of ‘foolishness’. In fact it mentions it and companion words over 308 times. God equates foolishness with sin.
Today how much wisdom is present in world leaders?
Moral principles are cast aside for all kinds of other things, oneupmanship, and a hunger for power with career opportunities as the chief motivational factor in a man/woman stepping up to supposedly make a difference.
So what does the wisdom look like, – that we should all seek after?: Here it is James 3/17. Look it up for yourself.
Any deliberations we make, should be made before God in prayer.
Where we can get His enablement and help. In fact He says:
James 1/
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
In this day and age, as wisdom flies out of the window to be replaced by bickering and fighting, rudeness, negative pulling down of those who are not in our camp to the degree where there is no room for coming to agreement. As a madness falls over the corporate mentality of the world.
We must flee to the Saviour’s side and seek His wisdom and knowledge from above, to win the day for us.
seedsinmotiontruthnart 