OLDDESIGN WEBPAGE - OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST ARTICLES AND CHRISTIAN POEMS

The Children Of Pride and The Children Of Light

Eph 6:12:"...For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places..."

These proud (in spirit) "just can't get it". -That is, they can't realize that they are really very poor (not rich) and in the Hand of a Sovereign God (though they really don't want to be in His Hand, because of their inherent pride and trust in themselves as their own helpers, saviors and keepers. These spiritually do-it-your-selfers will therefore not have this Man to come and rule over them) They can not submit to the knowledge, that God, in that He is able and has full authority to do with them just as He may please in order to fulfill His eternal purpose in the earth. This is because God has made them for the "day of evil", as "vessels unto dishonor", " vessels fitted to destruction", etc., and has placed them here to fulfill His purpose - and put the world in their heart, part of which is for them to try and persecute God's humble poor.

"... For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them..." Psa 75:6-8.

And "... And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full..." Gen 15:13-16.

Again, "...Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation..."Matt 23:34-36.

"...That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation..." Luke 11:50-51.

"... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.." Exo 20:5.

"...Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments..." Deu 5:9-10.

"... For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever..." 1 Sam 3:13-14.
These proud and haughty wicked of this earth can no more humble themselves before God, than the humble poor (in their own sight and estimation before God) can exalt themselves in their own estimation in His sight.

The humble poor (through the weakness of their flesh) may sometimes be tempted to exalt themselves and thus trust in their own goodness to earn God's favor and blessing, but this they cannot do, at least for very long, as He will abase them and because of Christ's Spirit that is in them, this He will not allow, as He has said that no flesh shall glory in His sight and presence. These children of the bondwoman, (who look to the Law as a justifier) make light of the children of promise, for they can only conceive of God as doing everything concerning the sons of men upon a fleshly basis: Therefore they cannot conceive, understand or submit to the doctrine and truth of Sovereign Grace. To them, (because of their pride and confidence in their flesh), they really think that the blessings of God must be largely bought or earned by their own (righteous performances.) As the carnal Jews of the Apostle's day, they seek their god's blessing and favor as if it is gained by there own performance and obedience to the requirements of the Law. Therefore, they being ignorant of the righteousness that is by faith alone, they are constantly going about to establish their own righteousness by there own works (which they deem to be meritorious in their god's sight.

"... For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth..." Rom 10:3- 4.

"...Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Gal 4:21.
When these two types come in contact there is always a clash.

The proud (because they are proud) will always begin to tell and boast of the great things that they are doing for their god, and for the welfare of their fellow human beings. They boast of the numbers of converts that they have made to their religion (or philosophy, or political party, etc.) They boast of their wealth, again of the gain of numbers, buildings and facilities for training of men's minds in the way that they esteem to be the true and proper way to live and prosper. And again, like the Scribes and Pharisees of old, they encompass land and sea to make proselytes to their cause, and like the converts and proselytes of the former, when they have been thoroughly brain-washed by these, the converts are found to be two-fold more the children of hell (death) than even those who converted them - and thus they perpetuate their system of religion. They always advocate and emphasize the human doctrine of love of one's self, and self-efforts in salvation (instead of the sovereign work of God in Christ through and by the power of His Holy Spirit) Theirs is a self-made religion of their own admittance, though they will play a lot of lip-service to God's name by using the usual grammatical terms and words often, and thus they are like the Jews of old who "drew near with their hearts and with their lips, but their hearts were far from God" - in spirit and humility towards His Name. They always put man first in salvation, and God must only be allowed to play a secondary part. Thus they say and teach that God has "offered" (not given) salvation in Christ. They constantly say "That Christ has (first) done His part, but has left the remainder up to you". They do this because they are not given and made to believe in an absolute sovereign God, and to not only accede to the doctrine of salvation by grace, but to love this teaching that is done within the truly renewed heart of a child of God that has been born of His Spirit. Some of these will sometimes even come near to where the true gospel is preached in word, but the outward word of grace is only as "a pleasant dream unto them, though they (outwardly) hear the word of grace, yet they in spirit cannot do the things of the Spirit, because these things are really foolishness unto them, and as the stony ground hearers, they have no root within themselves, and quickly fall away from this transient dream; neither can they know the things of the Spirit, because they are only (spiritually) discerned by those whom God has been pleased to quicken unto divine Life by the same Spirit. Others of these proud workers have such disdain for the poor and needy of Christ that they abhor them and cast out their name as being unworthy of the "kingdom of God" because these being so poor in spirit, do not have the means, (or rather have been divested of it) to contribute a sum of pride and wealth to the general assembly of the children of pride.

"... And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them...." Ezek 33:32-33.

They are given to be boastful

The wicked (those that do not know God in the Spirit) boast of these desires of their carnal hearts, and instead of reproving the covetous, they actually bless them and encourage them in their selfish way. Jesus taught to give freely, asking nothing in return; but these through the selfishness and pride of their hearts actually teach the very opposite. They teach the same doctrine as did the Pharisees of Christ's time, who were covetous of wealth so much that they advocated and promoted the usury system in order to extort wealth from all orders of their society that they may enrich themselves and their system thereby. "... He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD..." Prov 17:15. These types seem to conform to this. They teach to give, "hoping to receive interest for payment of their "good" deeds, thus teaching the usury system, which the Jews were forbidden to use - especially when exeedingly high interest rates were charged. But these say "Give the Lord one dollar, and you will receive twenty dollars in return, thus in violation of the principles that Christ taught His children, instead of giving freely, asking and hoping for nothing again in return, they selfishly teach their votaries to follow after the principles of human selfishness in religion. Again, they are like the covetous Pharisees, who gave only of their usury, or out of their great wealth (which they had largely extorted out of the people, including the poor, and that too in the name of their religion) In thinking and acting this way, they show that they have no true knowledge of the goodness of the grace of God Who freely (without charge) gives us richly all things to enjoy. They do not understand that all of what God's creatures possess or rather enjoy, comes down from the Father of lights, in Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning from His purpose and goodness to those whom He loves in Christ. And that He also makes His rain to fall upon the just and the unjust. - And that The Heavenly Father has not required His people to "buy" any blessings from Him; but has "given" them all things through grace, and that richly to enjoy, and that it is His good pleasure to give (not offer) unto them this heavenly Kingdom, which is Christ in them, the Hope of Glory.) Luke 12:32, Eph 1:5, Eph 1:9, Phil 2:13, 2 Th 1:11. These legalists, since they are under bondage themselves to the law of salvation by works, would also bring others to their place of trusting in lies and the refuge of death, and so they proceed with vigor.

The Wicked Will Not Seek God

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. The Scriptures affirm that "There is none that seeks after God"

"..Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD..." Isa 26:10. "... The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one..." Psa 14:2-3.

"...As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one..." Rom 3:10-12.

No natural man has the desire (before being quickened by the Spirit) or capacity, power (after regeneration) to seek the true God, much less find Him;

"... Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him..." Job 23:8-14.

"... Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea..." So says Zophar the Naamathite to suffering Job... Job 11:7-9. -- But Job replies:

"... No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?.." Job 12:2-9. --But the children of pride consistently teach that they can easily seek and find their god, and thus enjoy communion with him at their leisure and option. And why shouldn't they think that they are able (of themselves) to do so? - After all, they have created such a god as this in their own imaginations, and therefore must fall down and worship him. God is only in their thoughts as the God of nature: Listen to the Apostle in Romans 1 upon this:

"... For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things..." Rom 1:20-23.

"... Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen..." Rom 1:25.
"..Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father..." John 6:65.

and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?.." Dan 4:35.

Their notion of their supposed "free will" must be removed from their conscience; They must be made to see God as The Absolute Sovereign, Who does His Will (not merely desires or tries to do it) in the army of Heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him "What doest Thou?"

The effectual call to seek and thus find Him is only to the "poor and needy" - not unto the proud and arrogant man in nature, because they that esteem themselves righteous and sufficient within themselves actually feel that they have no need of anything of the Spirit, for Jesus came not to call the righteous (or those who esteem themselves to be whole, sound and filled, in need of nothing of the spirit, but sinners to repentance (those who feel and realize that they are breaking the Law of God through inherent or indwelling sin, and are not able in their flesh to conform to the least of it's requirements). The old proud man of the flesh must be burned away by the fire of the Spirit. The call to seek and thus find God is only to those who are hungering and thirsting after that they do not presently have: We do not hunger and thirst in this respect, if we are always full . It is only the hungry and the thirsty that stand in need of sustenance.

"... Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest..." Matt 11:28. "... But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven..." Matt 19:14. "... And he said, (Jesus)

This hungering and thirsting is a lifetime experience for the true spiritual children of God, and God (Who made them thirsty for the water of Life) also supplies their every need for this water, because He said that this same water would be as a Living well in them, springing up unto everlasting Life.

... When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water..." Isa 41:17-18.

"... Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God..." Psa 84:5-7.

If God's children are taught to take no (anxious) thought for the things of their natural lives, how much more are they to doubt of the grace of God in Christ in supplying their every heavenly need? God will keep, and does keep His promises in Christ - whether we keep our promises or not. In fact, God's children have no business in making foolish promises to God anyway; because we are not to trust in our own strength as being able to keep any promise, but we by faith are to trust in His Grace as being sufficient for us, because it is, and out of our weakness we are then made strong in the Lord. All of the promises that we make are foolish and vain, and only emanate as the manifestation of sin and depravity that dwells in our vile flesh where there dwells no good thing for righteousness in God's sight.

"...But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation..." James 5:12.

These promises are not fulfilled as we may close with offers of grace, or as we may manufacture them at our option, but they are fulfilled in us by the operation of the Spirit, "who works in the children, both to will, and not only will, but also to do" - of The Spirit's good pleasure in Christ. Our faith couples with the promise that God has in store for us in His treasury house of Grace in Christ.

"...In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day..." Isa 27:2-3.

"... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

"..Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof..."Matt 6:33-34.

"...But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus..." Phil 4:19.

The Wicked's Ways Are Grievous To the Righteous

These ways of those who do not know God in The Spirit are grievous to God's humble poor, who live in the Spirit.

"...His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them..." Since these two groups are always at odds with one another in their feelings about God and His salvation, this causes much grief, anquish and distress in the hearts and minds when these individuals come in contact with one another to express their feelings and faith toward God. Essentially, the main difference between them is how they feel about salvation and the surety and securty of it as being effectual to save the elect from their sins; One group feels that salvation (all of it) is completely free and unmerited upon the children's part, but the other side avows that something must be helped along and even added to the process by the free-will of the child. To the one, salvation is not fully complete on the part of God until it is made effectual by the child.- and that it must after all, be made effectual at the free option or free will of the creature (as they style it) - that God's grace after all is not absolute in accomplishing His will in every child of promise, but there is a "conditional" part (so they affirm) that is left to the free-will option of the child to either accept and voluntarilly fulfill, or otherwise "miss" or fall short of the "proffered" blessing)s). Now, can not anyone see, that upon this basis, it would be possible for every child of God to not only "fail" or "miss" of timely promises and therefore blessings, but by the same rule they could fail of all the promises of God in Christ? -that God has promised that He will fullfill :

"... And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham..." Gal 3:8-9.

"... Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:..." 2 Th 1:11.

We know from the Scriptures, that the passage "some must enter in to rest". "... Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:.." Heb 4:6. Since the Apostle says, "That some must enter" it seems to follow that God has appointed some to enter the rest under consideration, while some He has not appointed to thus enter. When God says something must be done, then it will be done, and God is the Sovereign Cause for it being done. What we receive as The blessings of God is only that which He has already determined in His Love and Goodness to give us! How mundane and joyless in their unthankfulness toward God must all mere legalists indeed feel to be! - When they would take the credit, and therefore the praise and glory that truly and properly belongs unto God in all His blessings in Christ, and thus accede it unto the persons of men, as if they had actually earned the eternal blessings of God by closing with the "offer" of them. In a like manner, when Christ says that "anything must be" does He mean that it only "may" be? The term "must" cannot be used in any other way in the English language but to affirm this meaning: "Used to express a command, obligation or necessity." - dictionary. We know that the word "must" as used in the following Scriptures would eliminate the meaning as referring to a only a mere "obligation" on the part of the recipients - and most times creatures' and their wills had nothing to do with the fulfilling of these events, but these things "must" have been accomplished to fulfill the eternal will of God.

"... For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled..." Rev 17:17. "...But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? Matt 26:54. "... The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again..." Luke 24:7. ",.. all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me..."Luke 24:44. "... "..there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved..." Acts 4:12. "... Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island..." Acts 27: 24-26. "...For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you..." 1 Cor 11:19. "... Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter..." Rev 4:1. "... till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season..." Rev 20:3.

God's Judgments are far out of sight of the wicked

These wicked do not take heed to, or regard the judgments and the Hand of God that is so manifest in the earth to God's people, for when His judgments are manifest in the earth, it is then that His people learn righteousness. God is not in all their thoughts. They only think of Him when they are made to and (against their will), because they are adverse to His righteous ways as the Sovereign of His Universe. They try to avoid thinking and recognizing Him as The Sovereign God and Judge. Because His precepts does not square with them, they seek to avoid a true knowledge of He that "does His Will in the army of Heaven, and in the

By O. Allen Bailey

Psalm 10

"..The LORD hath made all things for himself:
yea, even the wicked for the day of evil..." Prov 16:2-4.

"...Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall..." "...Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud...." Prov 16:18-19.

"...Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word..." Isa 66:1-2.

1. "...The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

2. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

3. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

4. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

5. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity..." Psa 10:2-6.

"... All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps..." Prov 16:2-9.

"... Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

"... The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found..." Psa 37:32-36.

"... Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.."Job 9:12-13.

When the average person thinks of the "wicked" for an identity, they usually tend to think of the lower classes of the world, or the filthy, rich wicked who oppress the poor (materially speaking) and the bad and even criminal elements of this world.

But the "wicked", as the Scriptures style them, seem to represent those who do (yet) "know not God" in righteousness and the work of salvation, and so do thus persue their wild course through the earth, truly unmindful of their Creator and His care and blessing upon them, whether it be of a spiritual, or only of a natural kind; as God is a God of both Providence and Grace, for all live unto Him, and in Him they live and move, and have their being.

--But the proud in heart can be found among all orders and social levels. This is not a condition confined to one's social status, but is one of the condition of the human mind and heart

If God will bless us, let us try to look at some of these traits (of the wicked) to see if we can identify them by any persons or groups that we may know:

1. They persecute the poor.

As the wicked of the earth (especially the materially rich wicked, who often persecute the materially poor and needy by making servants and slaves of them in order to receive gain from their labor and industry: so do the self-righteous rich (those whom esteem themselves to be possessed of higher and greater gifts than others in virtue and goodness that they think they have such a bountiful supply that must distribute their surplus out to the others whom are less endowed with these virtues. - Because they esteem themselves so wealthy (in these things) they disregard others (the faith of others especially) whom they think to be of less status in good works. This principle was brought to view in the Scribes and Pharisees of Christ's day, who trusted that they were righteous in themselves, and therefore despised, or disregarded others, especially the faithful children of God, though they were poor in spirit, and whom were opposite (in spirit) to the haughty and proud rulers of the people, who trusted only in their fleshly descent from Abraham, and the "good" works they deemed themselves to perform in the name of God.

"...And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:.."

--Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican..." Luke 18:9-10.
For these principles and comparisons are to be especially applied to the things of the spirit, and not merely to the fleshly make up of human nature; because the Apostle has said :

inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him 'What doest Thou?"

As far as their enemies, the righteous, (Rom 11:28) or those who are justifed by faith in Jesus, they huff and puff at these at every opportunity; but as only being insignificant and below them and therefore not worthy of any real attention, because after all, these have so little effect upon the progress of their enterprises, so for the most part, other than a little huffing and puffing at them from time to time, they let them pass in silence - though they still despise and disregard them in their poor estate and foolishness, with all that they stand for in exalting the name and power of God alone, without feeling any need of help and assistance in salvation from other human creatures in the flesh.

They say (and so live) as if they shall never be in adversity

God's children, who are called by grace to rejoice in the finished work of Christ, and thus renounce their own works, are also appointed to many trials, temptations and afflictions in this life; John Bunyan once wrote: " A Christian man is never long at ease; When one fright's gone, another doth him cease."- But the children of the wicked teach otherwise, as they are strangers to these things. Spiritual affliction and adversity is foreign to them. While they in common with all mankind suffer the afflictions of the natural body, "soul" trouble, or affliction of the spirit because of the knowledge and presence of indwelling sin, is unknown to them. As they feel sure they are always doing the will of God by their many rictuals, efforts and activities, they have no trouble this way; They think and believe that they have power "to do all things commanded" by the Law, and therefore the knowledge of a "body of sin and death" that the Apostle bore about is unknown to them, neither is it in their (religious) vocabulary.

They look upon those who speak of the experience of these afflictions as being either mentally unstable, depressives, having mostly a dark outlook on life, dwellers upon negative thoughts, feelings and attitudes, etc,. The wicked (those that know not God) are determined to never be overtaken with any "negative" thoughts or feelings of depression or despondency, as they believe (and are taught) that the appearance of these phenomena can lead to nothing but that which is only detrimemtal to the health and well-being of God's children. Therefore, they run to extremes with this idea that man was put upon the earth to live a life of joy and pleasure (in the flesh, no doubt) and if humans could only perfect their plan, than they could indeed create some some kind of Utopia on earth. Compare their teaching with that of the Scriptures:

"... Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me. How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away..." Job 21:7-18.

Now who is correct in their doctrine - Job or these "wicked"?

"...Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.." 1 Pet 1:5-7.

"...The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all..." Psa 34:18-19. "... In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old..." Isa 63:9.

And what about patient Job. "... For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came..." Job 3:25- 26.

"...Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it..." Isa 55:5:11.

"...This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away..." 2 Tim 3:1-5.

O. Allen Bailey

But there is a sense in which the quickened and called children of God also retain the remnants of this old fallen (wicked) nature in their fleshly body of sin and death, and from this perspective could be classified with all the wicked of this earth, who are dead in trespasses and sins before God:

Only when we they brought to realize this truth, are they able to...
"...Seek the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: - And they all, whom are all as an unrighteous thing because of sin, are they then then delivered from their bondage of corruption, unto the glorious liberty of the sons of God, and are enabled to forsake their (wicked) thoughts and ways, and again return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon them; and to their God, for he will abundantly pardon..." When this takes place, they then joyfully find that: "the way of a man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jer 10:23. How do we then rejoice in Spirit, and again in our experience it is manifest that God still "... knows the thoughts that He thinks toward us, and that they are thoughts of good will and peace in Jesus, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give us an expected end." (Jer 49, Isa 55) - Then we stand in Hope of the glory of God, "...and rejoice with joy unspeakable, receiving the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls." 1 Pet 1:8-9. - As the Jews in captivity in Babylon were literal types of this experience, when God delivered them from their captivity. (Jer 29:10). God is merciful unto His Own to deliver them from these vain delusions and so give them peace and quiteness in the emaculate, complete and finished work of the Lord Jesus. They now rest in His Love, because there remains a rest for the people of God.

"... And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts..." Mal 3:17-18, 4:1-3.

O, what grace the Son of God brought when He appeared in likeness of sinful flesh in the end of the legal world, and by His death and resurrection, once and for all has abolished death, and brought His Own Immortality and Life to light in His people through His Gospel !"

The Children Of Pride and The Children Of Light

They are given to be boastful

The Wicked Will Not Seek God

"..Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father..." John 6:65.

The pride of the wicked prevents them from seeking God. Jesus said that one one must first "be converted" and made humble as a little child, before they can enter into the realm of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. - not "convert" themselves , but "be" converted, that is, they must be wrought upon by a Higher Power, even the Power of the Eternal Spirit. Their native pride must be stripped from them, so that they are made to recognize themselves in nature as nothing, and less than nothing in God's sight.

"... And (Jesus} said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven..." Matt 18:3.

"... It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers..." Isa 40:22.

"... And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and (among) the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?.." Dan 4:35.

Their notion of their supposed "free will" must be removed from their conscience; They must be made to see God as The Absolute Sovereign, Who does His Will (not merely desires or tries to do it) in the army of Heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him "What doest Thou?"

The effectual call to seek and thus find Him is only to the "poor and needy" - not unto the proud and arrogant man in nature, because they that esteem themselves righteous and sufficient within themselves actually feel that they have no need of anything of the Spirit, for Jesus came not to call the righteous (or those who esteem themselves to be whole, sound and filled, in need of nothing of the spirit, but sinners to repentance (those who feel and realize that they are breaking the Law of God through inherent or indwelling sin, and are not able in their flesh to conform to the least of it's requirements). The old proud man of the flesh must be burned away by the fire of the Spirit. The call to seek and thus find God is only to those who are hungering and thirsting after that they do not presently have: We do not hunger and thirst in this respect, if we are always full . It is only the hungry and the thirsty that stand in need of sustenance.

"... Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest..." Matt 11:28. "... But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven..." Matt 19:14. "... And he said, (Jesus)

The Wicked's Ways Are Grievous To the Righteous

God's Judgments are far out of sight of the wicked

By O. Allen Bailey

Psalm 10

1. "...The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

2. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

3. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

4. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

5. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity..." Psa 10:2-6.

"... All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps..." Prov 16:2-9.

"... Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

"... The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found..." Psa 37:32-36.

"... Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.."Job 9:12-13.

When the average person thinks of the "wicked" for an identity, they usually tend to think of the lower classes of the world, or the filthy, rich wicked who oppress the poor (materially speaking) and the bad and even criminal elements of this world.

But the "wicked", as the Scriptures style them, seem to represent those who do (yet) "know not God" in righteousness and the work of salvation, and so do thus persue their wild course through the earth, truly unmindful of their Creator and His care and blessing upon them, whether it be of a spiritual, or only of a natural kind; as God is a God of both Providence and Grace, for all live unto Him, and in Him they live and move, and have their being.

--But the proud in heart can be found among all orders and social levels. This is not a condition confined to one's social status, but is one of the condition of the human mind and heart

If God will bless us, let us try to look at some of these traits (of the wicked) to see if we can identify them by any persons or groups that we may know: