Yesterday’s Lesson posted so late (due to an extremely tight preaching schedule) that I fear many of you may have missed reading it.

It’s still easily found here on the Blog, our Website.

And it is succinctly titled: “THE BIBLE LINKAGE BETWEEN THEOLOGY AND MORALITY.”

The Text, a critical verse in Psalm 14, validated by a verse from Romans 1, is well worth reading!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

(Don’t forget our Jude video Lesson tonight on our YouTube Channel. Jude Verse 24, in fact. Come study with us, the greatest Book ever written!)

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Psalm 14 is a didactic Portion of Scripture. (The word means that the Passage is instructive, teaching us something.)

It’s opening Line clearly illustrates my point today.

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works.”

The first thing out of this “fool’s” mouth is a statement of faith, lack of faith really! “There is no God.” He sincerely means this, speaking from his heart! And such belief forms an intellectual position concerning Divinity, a theological conclusion!

But as soon as his theology is skewed (according to the Bible) … he veers morally! He lapses from God’s Commandments, especially those with sexual mores, standards!

“They are corrupt,” meaning “ruined, decayed.” A term with sexual overtones, deviancy in that sensual area of life!

“They have done abominable works,” a further slipping into the cesspool of iniquity! Even to this point … “For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly.” Romans 1:27

Do you see this nexus?

Wrong theology leads to wrong morality!

Wrong Belief leads to wrong behavior!

At times the reverse may be true as well. I mean it can happen this way … Wrong morality (sexual perversion) leading to a rejection of Bible Doctrine (Teaching that condemns such perverted lifestyles)!

Wow!

I’ve just given you the Bible’s Perspective (hence the Mind of Christ) on Theology and Morality!

Believe it (and as a result live it) and be blessed, Reject it and be condemned!

What a choice!

I feel that Deuteronomy 30:15 applies to this Lesson. “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Oh, this too. “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3

Enough has been said!

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PSALM 13 (having only 6 verses) is an exquisite example of one of the “patterns” in the whole Psalter. (Simply meaning all 150 Psalms as a Collection.)

In fact, it is a paradigm of the Christian life. A parable of one of the astounding Ways of God.

I shall explain this Truth by merely pointing your attention to the first Verse and then the last Verse of the Poem.

Verse 1 … “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”

Do you hear the sorrow, the lamentation, the confusion, nearly the hopelessness in these few words?

Now Verse 6 … “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”

Wow, what a change in perspective! Now we see faith, joy, thanksgiving, praise even!

This is a good example of David encouraging himself in the Lord! Or maybe … David being encouraged by the Lord!

1 Samuel 6:30 … “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

Psalm 3:3 … “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” (“Lifter up” meaning “Encourager!”)

This trajectory of Psalm 13 is repeated in dozens of other Psalms, countless human lives, and even world history (with the Lord at the Helm)!

Psalm 13 is an exposition of Psalm 30:5 … “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

No matter the trial you’re currently navigating … the Lord Jesus has planned/provided ultimately for all us who believe in Him and His shed Blood … victory and joy and peace!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

An interesting study now would be to further examine Psalm 13 and see HOW this great transition came to be! The tools used, the mechanics involved in producing such a dramatic change!

What a Book, the Bible!

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The inspired man of God laments: “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth.” Psalm 12:1, where the verb “ceaseth” once in the King James Version of the Bible is translated “come to an end!”

Frightening!

Even Jesus incisively asks: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8

In a reenactment of the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah, “Can fifty righteous men be found?” (Today’s numbers may be different, but the principle is the same.) “How about forty?” All the way down to “ten!”

Things there being in such a spiritually sad state … (“the godly man having ceased”) fierce Judgment fell, in the form of fire and brimstone! See Genesis 19:24.

Contextually, Psalm 12:4 even has the world’s masses saying, boasting … “With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?”

And Psalm 12:8, the Poem’s last verse, very aptly suggests: “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”

Look around, folks!

But Preacher, one might ask, “WHAT CAN I DO, A BELIVER IN CHRIST, IN TGHE MIDST OF ALL THIS UNGODLINESS?”

Answer … Be the salt of the earth! (Salt retards corruption, if you will remember from history.

Matthew 5:13 … “Ye are the salt of the earth,” Jesus’ Words. (Do not lose your saltiness, savour!)

Answer … Be the light of the world! Light conquers, dispels darkness! Godly men and women make darkness “uncomfortable.”

Jesus again … Matthew 5:14 … “Ye are the light of the world.”

Light and salt are excellent illustrations of what WE can be as earth’s armies of godly men dwindle away.

Hopefully, prayerfully … to slow the rot, the decay we see all around!

Just some thoughts this morning from a computer keyboard in a motel room. Typed while pondering tonight’s Revival Sermon in a nearby Bible-believing Church.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Most of us are familiar with that list in Proverbs, things God hates …

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:6-19

But Psalm 11 adds to the list!

“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” Psalm 11:5-6

I wonder if “violence” (in Hebrew spelled “hamas”) here includes murdering unborn babies in their embryonic stages?

Or rioters and looters rampaging (destroying) a city? Sounds pretty violent to me!

And of course that part of our Psalm about God “raining” fire and brimstone … a joke nowadays. But it certainly happened in the past, Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 19.

And if it happens again, I should say WHEN it happens again … tribulation the world has not yet seen will envelop this whole planet!

God means what He says.

Given the sinful, apostate situation today, nearly world-wide … JUDGMENT IS COMING!

It’s only a matter of time.

This bears repeating, re-reading …

“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” Psalm 11:5-6

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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