Summary:
...Who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
...He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity.
...For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light (the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ), lest his deeds should be reproved.
...Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God (the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life), they are the sons of God.
...God
will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious,
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation
and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that
doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory,
honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew
first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons
with God.
Further reading:
(1) An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass, Pro1627-30.
(2) Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? Ecc0611,12.
(3) All
things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not
satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing
that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done
is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the
sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?
it hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is
no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance
of things that are to come with those that shall come after, Ecc0108-11.
(4) I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the
sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful
in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that
no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning
to the end, Ecc0310,11.
(5) I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow, Ecc0113-18.
(6) A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city (mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, Heb1222), Ecc1014,15.
(7) Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh, Ecc1212.
(8) For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me, Isa4710.
(9) Produce
your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith
the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what
shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that
we may
consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us
things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter,
that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that
we may be dismayed, and
behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of
nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you, Isa4121-24.
(10) Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day, Deu0811-18.
(11) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts, Isa1413-23.
(12) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death, Pro1625.
(13) Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be for who can tell him when it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it, Ecc0806-08.
(14) Who then can be saved? Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible, Mat1925,26.
(15) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh (the things which are seen, 2Co0418); but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit (the things which we have heard, Heb0201). For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, Rom0724-0809.
(16) Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together, Rom0810-17.
(17) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it, Rom0818-25.
(18) For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape (indignation and wrath, Rom0208), if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, Heb0202,03.
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