Profitless attitudes

Tuesday July 6, 2021

Profitless attitudes

Whoever sins against me is hurting himself. Proverbs 8:36

Like the salmon flowing up streams, we Christians go the opposite way to the world, in our way of thinking, reacting or making plans. When we happen to be in "cantilevers," we may feel awkward and tempted to conform to the world. In the face of this, the desire to obey and please the Lord must be our deep motivation, in fear of the consequences of sin within us. The following verses, which speak to us of profitless attitudes, are likely to challenge us :

- Lack of love

If I distributed all my possessions with food, and delivered my body to be burned, but have no love, it is of no profit to me (1 Corinthians 13:3).

The treasures of wickedness profit nothing (Proverbs 10:2).

- To meet in church with questionable motives

In prescribing this to you, I am not praising you: you are coming together, not for your profit, but to your detriment because when you come together in assembly, there are divisions among you (1 Corinthians 11:17,18).

- Replace a duty of love with a rite devoid of value

It is I, Paul, who tell you, if you are circumcised, Christ will be of no profit to you (Galatians 5:2 ; see Acts 15:24).

What profit is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, and he has no works ? (James 2:14).

- Or talk about what does not edify

Avoid disputes over words, which is of no benefit, but to the ruin of the hearers (2 Timothy 2:14).

Behold, you trust in lying words, which do not profit (Jeremiah 7:8).

What a shame to indulge in such behavior! On the contrary, let us be subject to God who tells us : I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your profit, who guides you in the way by which you must walk (Isaiah 48:17) and who reminds us that wisdom is profitable in bringing about success (Ecclesiastes 10:10). What an encouragement to build our life with the Lord, for he tells us : If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them (John 13:17)

Source (Pleasing the Lord)