A Great Folly

A Great Folly

There is much folly, also among believers. Most of them are greatly lacking in God’s wisdom. We are now going to look at one of the greatest follies, which is to claim and console oneself with God’s promises without thinking of fulfilling the conditions required in order to partake of them, even without seeing any conditions and conducting oneself as if there were no conditions! Spiritually speaking, such a person is blind, for there are no promises without corresponding conditions.

When a person is blind to this, he can pray for patience, love, wisdom, and everything else that is good, for as long as he lives, without God giving it to him. He remains impatient, still lacking love and wisdom, among many other things. In spite of this, people do not wake up to the root cause of it; namely, that they have not fulfilled the conditions and have therefore no reason to expect what they have prayed for. Therefore: Wake up in earnest! Search diligently in the Scriptures to find the conditions in order to fulfill them completely so that salvation, virtue, and blessings can rain down on you. God’s great desire is to save, transform, and bless you. He is only waiting for you to fulfill the conditions.

You think that you were not exalted as you would have liked. “He who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matt. 23:12. You have not humbled yourself. On the contrary! You now see the absolute, plain, clear condition, do you not?

“God . . . gives grace to the humble.” 1 Pet. 5:5. You desire to receive grace, more and more grace unto life and ministry. Do you now see the condition? Being humble is doubtless and without question, having lowly thoughts about oneself. You have not received the wisdom you have prayed for. You still say and commit foolish and stupid things. When you read James 1:5-8, can you now find a certain condition for being able to receive that wisdom that God so willingly and gladly wants to give you? Take a good look! God’s Word must be read and fulfilled exactly. Can you find a condition for receiving forgiveness for your sins in Matthew 6:15? What is the condition for possessing the kingdom of heaven? For receiving true comfort? For inheriting the earth? For being filled with righteousness? For finding mercy? For seeing God? For rightly being called God’s child? For being called great in God’s kingdom? Matt. 5.

What is the condition for receiving new strength, for mounting up with wings like eagles, and for running without being weary? Isa. 40:31.

What is the condition for possessing peace as deep and wide and still as a river and righteousness as mighty as the waves of the sea, and as many descendants as the sand? Isa. 48:18-20.

What is the condition for receiving much? Luke 6:38. For not being judged, for not being condemned? Luke 6:37. Can you find a condition in Luke 18:17 for even entering the kingdom of God? And another condition in Matthew 11:12?

What is the condition for being like a tree whose leaves are green and will not cease from yielding fruit (Jer. 17:7-8), and the condition for never being moved? Ps. 15 and Ps. 125:1. The condition for having perfect works? Jas. 1:4.

What is the condition for truly becoming Jesus’ friend? John 15:14. The condition for not being spewed out of Jesus’ mouth is that our love is boiling hot. Rev. 3:16 (French translation).

The condition for receiving the crown of life? Jas. 1:12. A condition for our religion not being in vain? Jas. 1:26. The condition for partaking of sincere brotherly love? 1 Pet. 1:22.

The condition for wives to win their unbelieving husbands is that they cease from attempting to win them with their words, instead making an effort to convince them with their demeanor and their behavior. 1 Pet. 3:1-2.

What is the condition for getting Satan to flee from us? Jas. 4:7 and 1 Pet. 5:6. And what is the condition for being exalted in due time? 1 Pet. 5:6.

The condition for the saints always having a reminder of what you have preached to them after your decease is that you have been diligent in your preaching. 2 Pet. 1:15.

What is the condition for being saved at all? Heb. 5:9.

What is the condition for inheriting the promises? Heb. 6:12. What is the condition for going on to perfection? Heb. 6:1.

What is the condition for receiving earthly things that we need as a gift? Matt. 6:33. What is the condition for being received by God to a deeper degree? 2 Cor. 6:17.

The condition for seeing good days? 1 Pet. 3:10. The condition for ceasing from sin? 1 Pet. 4:1. The condition for no one harming us? 1 Pet. 3:13. What is the condition for having fellowship with each other (namely, in spirit and in truth)? 1 John 1:7.

A condition for the love of the Father to be in us? 1 John 2:15. What is the condition for being in a state of not sinning? 1 John 3:6, 9.

The condition for being able to love one another? 1 John 4:7. And we could continue like this. I hope that everyone who reads this now is convinced that it is out of the question to partake of the promises without fulfilling the conditions!

Therefore may all your interest be concentrated on fulfilling every single condition.