There is nothing good in man (by nature). No reira, let’s stop thinking that there is anything good in man. Even Jesus said, why do you call Me good? There is none good but One, that is, Atua. If Jesus spoke these words, who are we to contradict His words with our opinion. The world is evil because the ruler of the world is evil. Te mau taata atoa, who belongs to the world is not good but evil. The Bible speaks about the pride and foolishness of the wicked (ungodly). Because as the devil walked in pride and exalted himself above God and because of his foolishness he fell from his position, and from his fallen state he tempted man to disobedience to God, whereby man fell just like him, his children also walk from their fallen state in pride and foolishness in sin. They exalt themselves above God and His Word and tempt others to disobedience to God and His Word and eliminate God and His Word on earth. Let’s look at what the Bible says in Psalm 10:2-9 about the pride and foolishness of the wicked.
What does the Bible say in Psalm 10 about the pride and foolishness of the wicked (ungodly)?
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net (Psalms 10:2-9)
In Psalm 10:2-9, we read about the pride and foolishness of the wicked, who live without God and don’t think they need God.
The wicked have the nature and character of their father; te diabolo. And as Jesus said, they do the lusts of their father, whereby they speak and act as their father the devil, and live according to his will. (A tai'o atoa: What is the will of God and the will of the devil?).
Therefore through people’s lives, you can determine, whom they serve; Atua (through righteousness) or the devil (through sin).
The children of God belong to God and His Kingdom, through regeneration in Christ. They don’t belong to the world and the ruler of the world anymore.
Through regeneration in Christ, they have the nature of their Father. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, they do the will of their Father and the works of His Kingdom and walk in righteousness in the light.
The children of the world belong to the devil and the darkness. They do the will of the devil, which reigns in the sinful flesh, whereby they walk in sin in darkness under the authority of death.
What does the life and behavior of the wicked look like?
The wicked (ungodly) live in rebellion as enemies of God and His Word on earth. They do everything that opposes the will of God and despise God and those, who do the will of God. As the wicked increase, wickedness will increase on earth.
Even in the church are wicked people, who are natural and don’t have the Spirit of God abiding in them (both among church visitors and in church leadership). They’re Christians by name but not by heart.
They go to church to fulfill their duties in the church and ministry. They behave in a Christian manner and speak the usual Christian words, while the rest of the week they speak and live as the wicked, as if God doesn’t exist and His words have never been spoken.
The wicked in their pride predominate on earth
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned, held guilty (Psalm 34:21)
The wicked in their pride predominate on earth. They are subtle and selfish. From their evil heart they devise subtle plots to pursue and persecute the afflicted (the weak, humble, poor,) and misuse them for their purpose and own gain.
They think they can get away with it without being punished for their wicked plans, but they will be disappointed. Eventually, their wickedness and sin shall destroy them.
The wicked are prideful and boast in themselves and of their heart’s desire
The wicked don’t know God and don’t boast in Him. But they are prideful and full of themselves, whereby they only boast in themselves.
They’re proud of everything that derives from their depraved state and their carnal mind. They exalt themselves above others. They glory to their heart’s content in themselves; their knowledge, wisdom, ability, title, position, works, achieved results, and the desires of their (evil) heart
The wicked boast in sin, which is their heart’s desire. They praise and bless the covetous, whom the Lord abhors. They consider greed good instead of evil, whereby they despise God. (A tai'o atoa: When money becomes your god).
The wicked don’t seek after God: God is not in the thoughts of the wicked
Because of the pride of their countenance, and the fact that they don’t believe and acknowledge God, Who is the ruler and the Creator of the heaven and the earth and all there is within, the wicked will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts and ways.
They don’t give accountability to Him. They also don’t believe that there will come a time when they must give account to God for their works and they receive the wages of their works
Because the wicked don’t believe, they don’t seek God and don’t study the Bible (God’s Word). Instead, they reject all things of God and what God has given them. And they mock God and all those, who belong to Him.
The wicked do the lusts of their father and delight in the works of their father, te diabolo. They’re not ashamed of their (Te viivii ore i te pae no te) unclean and wicked works (hara). On the contrary, they are proud of it. They boast in their sins and show that openly through their lives.
The wicked don’t believe they need God and that they shall not be moved and never be in adversity
The ways of the wicked seem prosperous but in reality, their ways are grievous and cause disaster. The judgments of God are far above out of their sight. And as the wicked do with all their enemies, they blast at them.
The wicked think they know it all and don’t need God. The wicked think they can do everything by themselves and shall not be moved. They believe, that they are invincible and never be in adversity.
But because they don’t keep God’s words and live according to His standards, the judgments of God shall come over the earth. And in due time, God will deal with the wicked and their wickedness, in which they boasted. (A tai'o atoa: The measure of sin and the judgments of God).
The mouth of the wicked is full of cursing and Deceit and fraud and under his tongue is mischief and vanity
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips (Psalm 140:4)
The wicked are unreliable. Although they often may be charming and eloquent and their words seem sincere, compassionate, hopeful, and many times even godly, in reality, their mouth is full of cursing, Haavare, and fraud.
They have sharpened their tongues just like their father, the serpent. Under their tongue is no justice, but mischief and vanity. Their words are like poison, that (spiritually) kill people.
The wicked go around as roaring lions, seeking whom they may devour
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)
Just like their father, who goes around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, their sons also lie in wait secretly as lions in their den, in wait to catch the poor and draw them into their nets.
They don’t care about others, but they only care about themselves. They don’t have good intentions towards people. Although sometimes it may seem that they have good intentions towards people. But that is only an appearance. Because out of their evil heart don’t derive anything good.
The wicked know exactly, who and how they can manipulate and win people for themselves.
The wicked don’t lead the people to Jesus Christ and a holy and sanctified life in submission and obedience to God and His Word. But the wicked lead the people into rebellion and wickedness and a sinful life.
The Bible warns for the pride and foolishness of the wicked and their works
Throughout the Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God warns for the pride and foolishness of the wicked. God has revealed through His Word the pride, the foolishness, the nature, and the works of the wicked. He warned His children to not be joint together with the wicked and follow their example and enter the path of the wicked.
Tera râ,, despite the warnings and revelations of God’s Word, many people, who are darkened in their minds through the world and a lack of knowledge of God’s Word, are misled by these smooth talkers, who walk in pride and wickedness and delight themselves in it and give approval to sin and sinners, and fall into their trap.
By faith in their words, which derive from their evil heart and reprobate mind, they walk in lies, that contain the death, and in ways that don’t lead to eternal life but eternal death.
Jesus gave His words, Ta'na mau faaueraa, and His life, out of love for the salvation of man, but many prefer the lusts of the flesh above Him.
‘Be the salt of the earth’