Evil – Hope for Complete Healing

THE MYSTERY OF WISDOM—PART 2

What is the correlation between wisdom and the fear of God? Can a worldly person who does not fear God be wise? In the last post, we learned that wisdom is a mystery. We also learned that it is better to have wisdom than gold, silver, and jewels and we need to seek it by seeking God because He is the one that gives wisdom. Lastly, we learned the difference between a wise and worldly person.

As I prayed and asked God to give me a greater understanding of wisdom, I saw in scripture that wisdom is linked with the fear of God and understanding. Why? Here are a few scriptures that outline the relationship between wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and the fear of God.

First, what is the fear of God?

The fear of the Lord is to have deep respect, love, and awe for God that you want to do the following:

1. Praise Him. Psalms 22:23 states, “You who fear the Lord, praise Him! …glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, …”

2. Serve Him. 1 Samuel 12:24 states, “Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you.”

3. Trust Him. Psalms 115:11 also states; “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.”

4. Obey Him. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 states, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³and to keep [obey] the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?”

5. Turn from evil. Proverbs 8:13 states, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” When you sin, you do evil because sin is disobeying God. God commands us to love others as He loves them. Evil people do not love others, but they do and say things to harm or cause trouble for people (Webster

Correlation between fear of God, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

Psalm 111:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” We need to practice, that is do something over and over to become good at it. Understanding means several things. Dictionary.com (2022) says understanding is a mental process of a person who comprehends; has a superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence, etc. Job 28:28 states, “And he [God] said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge [of God]; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” And, Psalm 14:1 states, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” Based on these last two verses, a worldly person, who does not fear God, cannot be wise because their hearts are evil and not good. Because Proverbs 9:10-12 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. ¹¹For by me [God] your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.

What are the benefits of fearing God?

God’s angel protects you, and you will be blessed, and you will lack nothing. Psalms 34:7-9 states, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8) Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9) Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”
God will help you and shield you from all harm. Psalm 115:11 states, “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.” Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”
You will have confidence and you will feel safe. Proverb 14:26 states, “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”
You will have wisdom and know what to do. Psalms 111:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.”
You will have a long life. Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.”
You will have healing. Proverbs 3:7-8 states, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8) It will be healing to your flesh (body; NAS) and refreshment to your bones.”
You will be blessed. Proverbs 28:14 states, “Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (the pit).”
It will go well with you. 1Samual 12:14 states, “If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well.”
You will have riches, honor, and life. Proverbs 22:4 states, “The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.” Is this something you would like? Read “How Pride Destroys” Pride keeps you from being in awe of God and submitting to His authority and turning from your sin.

Fearing God is easy when you keep your mind focused on seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. See the blog post called How do you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? for more details. Job 12:13 states, “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.”

Conclusion:

Proverbs 2:1-5 sums up this post, “My son [daughter], if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, ²making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; ³yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, ⁵then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. The key to getting wisdom is to intentionally seek it. You need the fear of God to have wisdom, understanding, and to know God, but you won’t understand the fear of God and find knowledge until you seek to understand and desire wisdom. Do you fear God by obeying Him and turning from your evil desires (lusts)? Are you praising God and trusting Him to give you wisdom?

Mystery of Wisdom–Part 3

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family; hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my second book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

The Mystery of Wisdom-Overview

I have been pondering why we don’t seek wisdom. God’s wisdom is different than the world’s wisdom. Today’s worldly wisdom is upside down. We are told that your sex is not based on reality but on your feelings, and men can menstruate and get pregnant. I feel like I am living in crazy land. How about you? When you try to correct wrong thinking and speak the truth, you are vilified by foolish people. I don’t need to elaborate on the foolishness of worldly wisdom because it is so evident.

My website is about changing false, unhealthy beliefs to experience a new reality. So, what does the Bible say about wisdom? The Bible says a lot about wisdom and being wise. I want to learn more, so as I dig into the Word of God, I will share my findings with you in the next several posts.

The First Mystery – Why Is Wisdom Worth More Than Gold, Silver, and Jewels?

Proverbs 3:13-14 states, “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.”

Proverbs 8:10-11 “Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.”

Proverbs 16:16 states, “How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

Second Mystery – Why Do We Not Seek Wisdom?

Job 28:12-13 states, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.”

If wisdom and understanding are better than gold, silver, and jewels, then why do we insist on doing things in our own understanding? I must admit that I do not fully understand wisdom. Many verses encourage me to seek out wisdom and gain understanding, but how? I will answer these and many other questions in future posts.

Third Mystery – How do we get wisdom?

The Bible tells us several ways we get wisdom. Here are a few ways.

1Kings 10:24 states, “And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.”

Job 28:28 states, “And he [God] said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

What is the fear of the Lord? What is evil, and how do you turn away from it?

Fourth Mystery – How Do You Know You Are Wise?

James 3:13 states, “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness [humility] of wisdom.” Are you humble? I know I fight pride regularly because it is an integral part of our sinful nature.

Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Do you listen to advice from those who are wise and follow it?

Ecclesiastes 10:2 states, “A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.” These are the words of King Solomon, the wisest man on earth. How is this verse relevant to today?

Fifth Mystery – What Are The Benefits Of Wisdom?

There are many benefits of wisdom, and I will cover all the verses describing the benefits in future posts. Wisdom finds favor with God and man because the wise person does what is right and has integrity. Someone with wisdom can look at a situation and determine what is right and just from God’s perspective, not a worldly perspective.

Sixth Mystery – What is Wisdom?

The best description of wisdom is found in James 3:13-17, which describes the difference between worldly wisdom and the wisdom from above.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice [evil work].

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Wisdom is not being jealous, having selfish ambition, boasting, and being deceitful, which is described as unspiritual and demonic. Yikes! Ask God to search your heart and mind to expose any jealousy, selfish ambition, pride, and deceitful spirits. If God reveals any of these in your heart, then repent and ask God to show you why you have that issue and let Him bring up any repressed memories. I explain how to be free from negative issues in my post called Five Steps to Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul.

James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

Ponder each characteristic of wisdom. Where do you fall short? I fell short until I resolved the many issues from my traumatic childhood and adult life. Selfish ambition is when you want your way and think it is the best way, and you don’t care about the other person or their needs and desires. You become jealous when someone gets their way and prevents you from getting what you want or expect. Therefore, a person who seeks to be wise is also at peace with themselves and those around them. So, strive to be humble, gentle, and sincerely open to reason and other people’s ideas and desires. I can only imagine what the world would be like if everyone would get rid of their self-centered pride and arrogance, then humbly value others as more important than themselves. A wise person is humble and seeks to do good for others.

Check back to learn more about the mystery of wisdom. In the meantime, I pray that God blesses you richly and that you grow in wisdom and understanding.

Mystery of Wisdom–Part 2

Mystery of Wisdom –Part 3

Mystery of Wisdom–Part 4

Check out my first book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

17 Part 2—Does God Promise to Love Unconditionally?

How often have you heard that God’s love is unconditional? Where does the Bible say this? Some people give vague verses that allude to unconditional love, but nowhere does the Bible state it. This knowledge does not negate the fact that God loves the world and gave His only Son to pay the penalty for our sin so we can be justified by faith and have peace with Him.

Most of God’s promises are conditional; for example, Jeremiah 7:23 states, “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” When we obey God and walk in His ways, then He will abide with us so that it will be well with us. We can trust that God will always be faithful to us. So, how faithful are you to God? Here are a few verses that show God’s love is conditional on our love, obedience, trust, and forsaking evil.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. ̶̶̶ Deuteronomy 7:9

And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.” ̶ Nehemiah 1:5

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” ̶ John 14:23

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. ̶ Psalm 32:10

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children. ̶̶̶ Psalm 103:17

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. ̶̶̶ Psalm 103:13

You may say that you love, obey, trust, and fear God. But what are you filling your mind and heart with? Do you keep your mind on the things above by reading your Bible every day and talking with God? Or do you watch ungodly TV shows or movies that act out every evil, immoral thing God hates?

Does God Hate?

Yes, God does hate, as explained in Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: ¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, ¹⁹a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Ask God if you are guilty of any of these things He hates. Remember, our hearts are deceitful, as explained in Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV), “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” And Psalm 11:5 states, “The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” Someone who is wicked is evil and immoral. Evil people harm others for their own gain because of sin. Also, Proverbs 8:13 states, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”

Not only are we to turn from doing evil but also watching and enjoying evil and immoral scenes. What kind of books do you like to read? Do the stories you read contain the things God hates? We should hate the same things God hates and avoid filling our minds with such things if we truly love God with all our hearts, soul, strength, and mind. Proverbs 16:6 tells us, “By [God’s] steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.” Psalm 34:16 states, “The face of the LORD is against those who do [think] evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”

It is evident that God hates evil and all who do evil. The Apostle Peter also wrote, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1Peter 3:12). A righteous person thinks righteous thoughts and does what is good and right. Romans 6:11-13 teaches, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³Do not present your members [mind and soul] to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

If God’s Love is Unconditional, Then Why Does He Have Wrath

One of the hardest topics to teach is God’s wrath, which also counters the notion that God loves us unconditionally. If you disagree with my thinking and beliefs, please comment and let me know, but please use solid scripture to correct my wrong thinking. John 3:36 states, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Saying a salvation prayer does not guarantee eternal salvation, obedience to the end does. Ephesians 5:5-6 states, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

Romans 1:18 states, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” We are saved from God’s wrath when we believe in His Son and receive the atonement for our sins that Jesus bought. Then we must love and fear God by obeying His commands, turning from evil, and putting our trust in Him. Romans 5:8-9 states, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Conclusion

God’s promises are for everyone. Acts 2:39 states, “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” I have shared many promises from the Bible, and I am sure there are many more. We can trust that God never lies. Titus 1:2 states, “In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” And we will receive the promised eternal life if we endure to the end and do the will of God (Hebrews 10:36). The mission of this website is to uncover false beliefs and replace them with biblical truth. As much as we want to believe that God has unconditional love, the truth is that He wants our love, obedience, and trust, and to turn from our evil, sinful ways in fear of His wrath.

EVIL—What is it and what is the remedy?

Part 2: How to Overcome Evil with Good.

Are You a Sheep or a Goat?

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Check out my book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book read: How to Fight Unseen Battles

11—God Promises to Give You Peace and Rest

Would you agree that we live in a world full of chaos and hate? Does the world news make you anxious? Do you feel stressed by the pressures of life? If so, God promises to give you rest and peace. Imagine that you are lying in a hammock under a shady tree, relaxing by a pool or lake somewhere, or sitting on a porch swing reading a captivating book. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? God promises to give you everlasting rest and peace that rivals the ultimate relaxation situation.

What do you need rest from?

We need rest from carrying our worries and responsibilities. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When our eyes are on Jesus, and we pray about everything, we will stop striving and feeling weighed down by the world’s concerns. 1Peter 5:7 states, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” King David said in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” So when you pray and give your cares to God, He promises to sustain you, and you won’t be moved, that is, to be provoked. The Apostle Peter tells us in 1Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Doing evil is disobeying God.

We also need to enter God’s eternal rest. Hebrews 4:1, 6, 11 explains, “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” 6) “Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience.” 11) “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” These verses encourage us to strive to obey God, so we don’t lose our eternal rest. In my last post, I explained how God promises to rescue us from His wrath when we obey Him and do what is right. Hebrews 4:1 says we are to “fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it [His rest].” This type of fear is forsaking evil and not giving in to our sinful nature and lustful desires but turning to God and obeying His commands.

How do you achieve peace in a world full of troubles and chaos?

I found that peace resides in my heart when I look to Jesus and give Him my concerns. My favorite go-to Scripture verse is Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” I wrote a series of posts about trust because trust is so hard to do, and we become disappointed when our expectations are shattered. Understanding God’s promises help us trust Him. 2Corinthians 1:20 states, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” God keeps His promises because it brings Him glory.

Troubles Are Inevitable, but Peace Is a Choice We Make

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus has overcome the world, but how do we overcome the world? 1John 5:4 explains, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Because we have faith that God keeps His promises, we don’t have to carry the cares and troubles of the world. The Apostle Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:7-8, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If you don’t give God the issues that cause you anxiety and worry, then you choose not to have peace.

When We Obey God, We Will Have Peace

I don’t know about you, but I feel miserable and guilty when I sin. I have no peace when I say or do something that hurts another person. But when I repent and ask forgiveness, I also must ask God to take my guilt to feel peace again. Proverbs 3:1-2 tells us, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, ²for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.” And Isaiah 57:21 states, “There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.” Wicked people do not have peace, which is why our world has so much chaos and hate.

Conclusion

I hope you have been blessed by this post, and I pray you will have peace and rest during these troubling times. Keep your focus on the things of God and not on the issues of our world. There is nothing that escapes God’s notice. 2Chronicals 16:9 tells us, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him [completely His].” God keeps His promises; you can trust Him.

RELATED POSTS

POSTS about God’s Promises

Check out my first book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think.

How to Convert Pridefulness to Gentleness and Humility

You might think you have the right to be prideful because of your position in life, accomplishments, or status in the community. None of those situations are bad, nor does it mean you have arrogant, self-centered pride. Being proud of your accomplishments is different than thinking you’re better than someone else. I have to admit that I struggle with pride because I slip into thinking more highly of myself than I ought to. Most pride issues come from unhealthy beliefs that need to be uncovered and transformed by truth.

How often have you heard people make excuses for their bad behavior and accept it as part of who they are? So why is self-centered pridefulness a bad thing? The Spirit of pride keeps you from acknowledging your sin, apologizing, and repenting. I have written several posts on this subject, to learn more please read the posts listed below:

HOW PRIDE DESTROYS

#1 Destroyer of All Relationships and the Solution

Anger Issues Protected by Pride and Judgmental Strongholds

My website is about changing unhealthy beliefs to experience a new reality. What we think and say comes from what we believe, and what we believe directs our behavior. Our choices determine how healthy our relationships will be. In this series of posts, I will expose the unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and how to transform them with the truth to experience a new reality. So why should we deal with pridefulness, and how does it block a gentle and meek attitude?

Where Does the Prideful Belief Come From?

The primary source of sinful pride is the devil. Self-centered, unhealthy beliefs are based on wrong assumptions and perceptions put into our minds by the demonic spirits all around us. Remember, we are spirit beings in a physical body living in a physical world controlled by the spirit world. You can read more about that in my post called: Four Realities of the Spirit World, also see the link below by Dr. David Jeremiah. If you are not submitted to God and are not resisting the devil, he will put the thoughts into your mind that you deserve better treatment than that, and so on.

Satan (angel named Lucifer, meaning “morning star”) sinned because of his pride by wanting to set his throne above God’s throne and was thrown down to earth (Isaiah 14:13-15 and Rev. 12:7-9). He causes us to sin through the same prideful attitude. Pride is thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think (Romans 12:3), which also encourages us to think with sober (sound) judgment, that is, with a humble attitude. You know you have a spirit of pride when you are self-centered and insist on getting what you want at the expense of others. And, you know you are prideful when you become offended and get a bad attitude toward someone for what they said/did not say or did/not did something you felt was unfair.

How do you know if you are humble?

God’s word defines a humble person as follows:

1. Someone who fears God (Prov. 15:33; 22:4).

2. A person who bears with others and is kind, patient, and forgiving (Eph 4:2 & 32).

3. When we count others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).

4. If you have wisdom that is pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17; Proverbs 11:2).

5. Someone who has acknowledged they are a sinner and repents (Psalm 149:4).

6. A person with a contrite (repentant) heart who trembles at God’s Words (Isaiah 66:2).

7. A humble person is not judgmental but gives grace (Eph 4:29).

What Is the Truth That Transforms this Unhealthy Belief?

The truth is that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1Pet 5:5 and James 4:6).” 1Peter 5:6-7 states, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Give God all the worries that cause you to be anxious, and trust God to take care of all your concerns. When you worry, you exalt yourself above God because you do not trust Him to take care of your affairs. When you humbly give God all your concerns, He promises to exalt you at the proper time.

James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When we submit to God, we are humbling ourselves and acknowledging our sin and need for His power and strength. But we are also to resist the devil and his temptations toward selfish ambition and pride. James 3:14-16 states, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to [deny] the truth. ¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile [evil] practice.” First, humbly ask God to show you if this verse applies to your life. Secondly, if you see selfishness, acknowledge that you have an unhealthy pride that leads to selfish ambition and ask for God’s forgiveness. Thirdly, ask God to remove it and to give you a humble spirit.

How To Change Unhealthy Beliefs

1. Before you can transform unhealthy beliefs, listen to what you are saying and pay attention to your thoughts because they come from unhealthy beliefs.

2. Submit the wrong thinking to God and ask Him to show you His transforming truth.

3. Ask God to show you if there is a painful memory contributing to your pridefulness. Satan takes every opportunity to inject pride into our minds.

4. Pray and put off the unhealthy belief controlling your thoughts and put on the truth God shows you from His Word.

I first loosed the wrong thinking that God showed me and replaced it with scripture truths similar to the following:

Humility realizes that everything I have, including my abilities, is a gift from God. Deut. 8:17-18

I do not think of myself more highly than others, but in humility, I will regard others as more important than myself. Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:3

God lifts up the humble in due time, so I will cast all my anxiety on Him because He cares for me. 1 Pet. 5:6-7; James 4:10

I am humbled when I see my need for God and trust He will guide me in what is right for all His ways are loving and faithful. Ps. 25:9-10

When I am humble, then I will be honored. Prov.15:33b

HOW TO DESTROY THE DEVIL’S WORK IN YOUR LIFE

Who Is Lucifer in the Bible?

All verses are from the English Standard Bible unless otherwise indicated. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. No part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name so I know you are a person making the request.

RECOGNIZE WORLDLY THINKING AND BE FREE

Our world has many distractions that keep our focus away from the true source of life, peace, and love. We want to fill-up on all the world has to offer, and wonder why we feel empty, anxious, and lonely.

Rick Renner expressed the following belief. Before we received the life of Jesus Christ, we are dominated, manipulated, and mastered by the culture in which we live.¹ For example, the news outlets shape our opinions; advertisers influence our desire for things we don’t need; movies and TV shows numb our moral conscience; and social media shapes our attitudes. You will think worldly thoughts when you immerse yourself in worldly activities and around worldly people. 1John 5:19 tells us “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one,” so be wise in how you spend your time and what you put into your mind. The Apostle Paul explains worldliness in his letter to the Ephesian believers. Meditate on each line of the following passage. Ephesians 2:1-3 state,

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked,

following the course of this world,

following the prince of the power of the air,

the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,

carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and

were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Did you know an evil spirit works in those who disobey God? Someone told me the “prince of the power of the air” is the devil controlling what comes into our homes via the airwaves, referring to the Internet, TV, and radio. Satan uses any worldly device to wage war in your mind to allure you away from devotion to God. He first blinds your mind so you are not aware of his attractive temptations. In 2Corinthians 4:4, the Apostle Paul states, “In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds….” The god of this world is the devil as described in Revelations 12:9, which states, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” A person deceived and blinded by the devil will say they are fulfilled and satisfied with worldly activities. However, many people realize the despair and futility of this lifestyle and turn to Jesus Christ, which happened to me.

The following questions are tough, but an honest answer is necessary for you to have victory over the unseen battles with temptations to love worldliness more than God.

??- Do you dress in the latest fashions, act like the world, talk like the world, and be controlled by worldly activities, such as drinking, tattooing, gambling, video gaming, sexual immorality, etc.?

??-Do you put into your mind evil images of death and lust in the form of pornography, ungodly TV shows, magazines, books, and movies?

??-Do you often skip church to go to a sporting or recreational events?

??-Do your favorite activities distract you from reading and meditating on God’s Word, praying, or spending time with fellow believers?

You might be thinking two things right now: first, none of these questions mean I’m worldly; second, I can still do these things and still love God. Now imagine if you lost all your possessions, beauty, prestige, and successes, would you still love God and be thankful? Or what if your favorite team or activity disappeared, would you feel depressed and lost? Because of this pandemic, I miss doing many activities I use to do, which has caused me to evaluate my priorities. Is this pandemic causing you to become depressed or re-evaluate your priorities?

The Bible does not say doing or having enjoyable things is wrong? But when you love and value them more than God, this is loving the world. 1John 2:15-17 explains, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17) And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Why does God tell us not to love the world or the things in the world? Do you think God knew mankind would worship and serve what they can see and touch and what appeals to their pride and pleasures of their sinful nature? One of His Ten commandments found in Exodus 20 was not to worship or serve anything created by man because God is jealous. God created us and wants us to love and serve Him only.

Examples of the lust of the flesh in 1John 2:16 could be our appetites, cravings, and desires for alcohol, drugs, sugar products, over-eating, sexual immorality, gambling, and greediness. The lust of the eyes includes those things we specifically see and covet, which may spark our lustful desires and appetites. Examples are pornography or wanting what someone else has, such as possessions, achievements, and advantages. The boastful pride of life refers to anything that promotes or elevates a sense of independence from God.

Independent thinking causes us to believe we can do our own thing, live a self-serving life, and have it our way. For instance, the pride of life is anything giving you the right to boast and may include gaining possessions to show a certain status; gambling to hopefully win big; success to show you are someone, or wealth to be admired. All of these are passing away, then you will spend eternity with God or in hell. So, if you don’t want to be devoted to God while on the earth, then why should He want to let you in His heaven?

The Bible warns against being enslaved or taken captive by elementary principles or spirits of the world, Galatians 4:3 states, “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.” Colossians 2:8 states, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” And, Colossians 2:20 states, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations.” These Scripture passages tell us, we can be enslaved to the elementary principles of the world, but in Christ, we have died to these elemental allurements. Now, these worldly spirits do not control us anymore. Being aware of your thoughts will prevent you from being taken captive by the evil spirits of the world. Memorizing the truths in God’s Word will help you distinguish between elementary principles of the world and godly principles.

Reflections and Application:

How were you dominated, manipulated, and mastered by the culture of this world?

Further Study/Footnotes:

1. Renner, Rick, (2007), Dressed to kill. Published by Teach the Nations, Tulsa, OK

What Controls Your Thoughts?

ALL THOUGHTS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL

Bondage to Unseen Controls

Can You Be Too Heavenly Minded?

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name so I know you are a real person making the request.

P.S.: Experiencing a lasting change in your life depends on having a right relationship with God the Father through believing in His Son Jesus Christ and obeying His command to love (1 John 3).

Part 1: How to Achieve Genuine Goodness?

Why do people riot, cause trouble, and even kill people? What is good about destroying businesses and stealing their merchandise? So, what has happened to goodness? This post and the next will explore what goodness is and how to achieve it. I have to admit, I only had a vague idea of what it meant to be good. I was challenged by what I found in my research. I hope you will be challenged too.

What does goodness mean? Which definition do you think describes goodness?

Obey instructions.
Be moral or virtuous by choosing the right actions and thinking and having a “good” character.
Be kind; generous; unselfish.
Have excellent quality, like good workmanship.

What does the Bible say about goodness?

Obey God’s instructions:

Deuteronomy 12:28—Be careful to obey all these words … that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. Also, read Jeremiah 42:6.

Turn away from evil: good is the opposite of evil:

To do evil is to cause harm or trouble. God, instead, wants us to pursue peace with all men (see Romans 12:18 and Hebrews 12:14). He also expects us to love one another, so when we do not love but are unkind, impatient, or destructive, we do evil (see 1Corinthians 13).

1Peter 3:11—let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Romans 12:21—Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

1Thesalonians 5:15—See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. And, Proverbs 17:13—If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.

Proverbs 11:27—Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. And, Proverbs 12:2—A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of evil devices he condemns.

Isaiah 1:17—learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Be humble and generous and ready to share with those in need:

1Timothy 6:17—As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18) They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19) thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Titus 3:14—And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Hebrews 13:16—Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Rely on God’s goodness, not your own.

Most of us are born, grow-up, and die as selfish, self-centered sinners; wanting our needs met instead of loving and caring for other people. So, how can we achieve the standard of God’s goodness? Only through the power of the Holy Spirit as you humbly renew your mind with the truth of God’s Word. If you are uncertain that you have the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, then pray and ask God to forgive your sins and ask the Holy Spirit of Jesus to come into your heart. Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit to do good. Act 10:38 states, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

How should good deeds benefit others?

The good deeds we do are from faith in Jesus and are like the good fruit on a tree or vine (see Matthew 7:15-20). In John 15:5, Jesus states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Ephesians 2:10—For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

James 2:15-18—If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17) So also, faith, if it does not have (good) works, is dead being by itself. 18) But someone will say, you have faith, and I have (good) works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith out of my works.

1John 3:17-18—But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18) Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Galatians 6:10—So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Luke 6:33—And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Hebrews 10:24—And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

Matthew 5:16—In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

You can love your enemies and do good to those who hate you through the power of the Holy Spirit in you. And, God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil, and so can we through His goodness.

Luke 6:35—But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Luke 6:27— “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

We receive God’s goodness when we fear Him and take refuge when trouble comes:

Psalm 31:19—Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

King Solomon said at the end of his life in Ecclesiastes 3:12—I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.

Conclusion

I asked at the beginning of this post, what definition described goodness. The answer is all the above. When I began this post, I did not know much about goodness. I learned it is good to obey God and do what is right, to share, and help others in need. One word of caution, your perception of good works can be a source of legalism and judgmentalism. To learn more, read my post called How To Overcome Legalism And Judgmentalism. Doing good also raises another controversy. Some people believe that being a good person and doing good works gets you to heaven. The Bible says we are saved by grace and believing in the Son of God. I write in my post called What Is Required?, we also need to do the will of our Father in heaven, which is to obey God’s instructions to do good works because of our faith. Those who riot and destroy are following their evil nature. We all need the power of the Holy Spirit through believing in Jesus Christ to be genuinely good.

Do you obey God’s instructions in the Bible?

Do you sacrificially help others in need and share what you have with them?

Do you avoid evil and do good to others, even if they hate you?

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, then please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name so I know you are a real person making the request.