There are two interpretations of this quote. Either the famous philosopher was speaking as to the individual's power to chose what will be right and wrong in his life, or he was giving that power to the majority in that society decides what is equitable or intolerable. No matter what, he was wrong! 


     Where Protagoras messed up wasn't in implying the ability to chose which is placed in us (i.e. free will) but rather the degree to which he elevated that free will. Solomon wrote it very clearly when he said, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." 

     While we do have the ability to decide what we will do, we do not have the ability to chose whether that thing is right or wrong - it has already been decided. 

      That being said, let's think about that in light of today. It's April 1, 2014 which means today is the day of the practical joker, and I plan on taking my holiday to heart and celebrating it with passion. That being said, there was once another very wise, inspired man who wrote another passage of Scripture stating that the fool, or the wicked man, has determined to reject the overwhelming evidence of his Creator and Lord and deem his own free will as the measure of all things. 

     It's extremely sad to see our world in its current situation. God is mocked as if He were the intended victim of April Fool's Day. He is cursed and condemned even though He is the condemner. And yet all the while He's looking down on us pleading with our race to reject the words of a man (Protagoras or any other relativistic philosopher) and receive the words of the Master. 

     While you are playing jokes today, don't forget that your acceptance of God and obedience to Him is no joke! 

     "[L]ooking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:12)." - What an amazing thought! The fact that the Lord of Glory will descend from heaven (Acts 1:11) in order to receive His children back to Him (John 14:3) to take them to their eternal rest (2 Thessalonians 1:7) is awe-inspiring to say the least. 

     However, there is a word in that passage of inspired Scripture that seems to be overlooked on a daily basis. It's the word "hastening". Now, to some that word gives the idea of causing to speed up, but we understand there is no Biblical precedent on how a Christian can do anything to speed up or slow down the coming of Christ. No, the word means an earnest desire, a hope. 

     Do we honestly, sincerely and reverently hope that Christ will return sooner rather than later? There is a song which some sing called, "Jesus is Coming Soon" in which the singers say that Jesus is, in fact, coming soon. The problem with the song does not arise from that idea, per say, but that the second verse is very premillennial and cannot be sung in accordance with God's will (check out this article for more insight). 

     That being said, do we earnestly desire and expect Jesus to return to gather us for the Judgement? 

     I'm afraid that if we don't, we are in danger of being caught off guard and ill-prepared for that Day!

     So, what does this mean to us in 2014 as Christians living in a much different world than that of Peter and John yet still having the same Christianity and standard of such as they? It means we have to have that same hope! 

     I once heard a brother end his prayer with something to the effect of, "Please, Lord, bring the Judgment soon so that we can be with you!" When he said that, I have to admit that I was somewhat uneasy praying that but upon further meditation I'm convinced that is exactly how we ought to be thinking today. 

     Let's face it, our world is a sinful place filled with ungodliness and Satan is well-loved. It is a place in which Christ and His church is the source of derision and even hate. It's a place where the individual can find salvation and encouragement through the Word of God and yet many would have that Word thrown into the nearest dumpster at a moment's notice. I don't know about you, but I hope Jesus comes soon! If not just to get out of this world and live in a place where righteousness reigns. 

     So, if you have the understanding that Christ will return to bring Judgment on the world and take the faithful to heaven eternal, tell someone about it because at the same time you are to be hoping that it happens very quickly and you just might not have time to tell other people. 

     "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

     With just a cursory Google search you can find hundreds of images that read, "There are two types of people in this world..." with some funny, catchy or even degrading thing to follow. And while some of those are true, like "There are two types of people in this world: those who have a plan for the zombie apocalypse and dinner" those memes are nothing more than things meant to make people laugh and fill the Facebook feeds of the world. However, Psalm 1 actually defines the two types of people that are in this world; the godly and the godless. As we start our weekly study of the book of Psalms I thought it appropriate to start with the first chapter and understand the two categories into which every person fits. First, read Psalm 1!

   The Godly - Psalm 1:1-3
     If you were to take a study of the entire population of the world and ask them the definition of the word "blessed" chances are you would get an overwhelming majority answer "happy." While it's true that to be blessed is to be content with your place in life and joyful of your surroundings, that isn't the best definition of the word. There are two verses that give us a better insight into the true meaning of this word Psalm 2:12 and Psalm 32:1-2. In Psalm 2:12 the psalmist is attempting to encourage the leaders of government to take heed to the instructions from God (Psalm 2:10-12) and that they must "trust" Him for guidance. Doesn't that show a tremendous relationship between the person and the Creator? So "blessed" has with it the idea of a relationship that results from obedience! But, Psalm 31:1-2 is speaking of salvation, "Blessed is he whose transgression [sin, LMS] is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute [count, LMS] iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." Taking both verses into consideration, along with the definition of the original word (happiness, Strong's) one can easily see that to be blessed is to be joyful based upon obedience to God's commands and salvation from one's sins. That is going to come into play when we study the rest of this section!

     Let's think of verse 1 as a conditional statement, because it is. If a person considers his counsel (friendships, relationships, those in whom credence is placed) and does not follow that which would lead him away from godliness he will be blessed. But, as many people have realized, notice the progression! The psalmist speaks about the person that walks, stands and then sits in order to hear unrighteous advice. Isn't that the case in our lives sometimes? We begin a friendship with someone who is not a child of God and therefore not "godly," thereby "walking" with them, and we start to consider their statements, and even teachings, and before we know it we have begun to "sit" and stagnate in their falsehoods! The words of Paul could never be clearer, "Evil company corrupts good habits (1 Corinthians 15:33)"! 

     If one can read verse two of Psalm 1 and get from it that a person is godly who does not hold the Word of God in high esteem and importance to life, there is something lacking in his reading comprehension skills. How does one combat the false advice of the world? How am I supposed to make sure that my friends who are not members of God's body (cf. Ephesians 1:22-23) do not cause me to lose my way? By the Word of God! There is a big push today for God to speak to mankind and guide them through what could be called nothing other than individual inspiration and revelation and I am convinced it is because we don't realize how important, helpful and divine the Bible and God's commands are! The person wishing to be "blessed" is going to spend time in the word of God (meditate) and be happy (delightful) knowing that God has given him everything that he will ever need, in written form, in order to please the one who created him (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3)! And when a person does that he will be able to stand firm even though the world tells him to do ungodly things, because he will have God's law in his heart and will be profitable to Him (Psalm 1:3). 

   The Godless - Psalm 1:4-6
     When you study what it is to be "godly" (Psalm 1:1-3) and that it is a conditional statement it is almost common sense to understand what it means to be "godless". It is whatever is in exact contradiction to faithfulness, righteousness, godliness and blessedness. It is frailty of being thrown about like dead hulls in the wind (Psalm 1:4) by different doctrines and examples because of the obvious lack of knowledge when it comes to God's word (cf. Ephesians 4:11-16). It's the weakness of a person not prepared to meet their God (Psalm 1:5a, Psalm 1:6, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11). It is the visible contrast seen in a person that is characterized by this compared to a person that is "blessed" (Psalm 1:5b, 1 Peter 2:9).
     
     Godlessness is the plague of the world and yet it can be stopped by simply doing one thing. - Going to God for guidance through His divine words of instruction and dismissing the guidance given by those that have no more religious authority than a bag of grapes. Why would anyone want to go to their neighbor for advice in religious matters when the one that created religion, action based upon one's beliefs (cf. James 1:27), is standing right there just waiting to give it (1 Timothy 2:4)?