DEALING WITH "MADNESS": PART THREE

The Bible depicts several instances of "madness." Some examples are: feigned (1 Sam. 21:13-15); demoniacal (1 Sam. 16:14; 18:10); and instances of people being cured (Matt. 4:24; 17:15). Jesus and other men of God were accused of "madness" (Mk. 3:21; Jn. 10:20; Acts 26:24-25; etc.). Of course, Jesus and His messengers, especially the prophets, were viewed as being mad because their message was not received by faith, but by indignation. Can you just imagine what Noah's neighbors thought of "the boat?" Not a whole lot has changed; we are often considered to be "mad" when we believe the Bible from cover to cover instead of believing the challenges of "science falsely so called" (1 Tim. 6:20).

Because we believe what God's Word says, we know that He is good, and therefore, all that He does is good (Ps. 86:5; Matt. 19:17). However, God often allows the agents of evil to do what comes natural to them; He allows Satan to harm mankind, and in some cases, to even kill (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; Lk. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 5:5; Heb. 2:14). By faith, we understand that the final outcome of all that God does or allows is motivated by His love for mankind (Rom. 8:28-29; 1 Jn. 4:8, 16). But the Word also says, "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (Gen. 6:3). Again, the Scripture says, "He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever" (Ps. 103:9). When God has had enough, He allows man to "do his thing."

"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. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 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. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Rom. 1:22-32).

The word, "reprobate," according to the Webster's New World Dictionary, means: "to disapprove of strongly; to condemn; to reject and abandon; etc." The Greek word for reprobate is ἀδόκιμος (adokimos) means: "not standing the test, not approved." It is translated "castaway" (1), "rejected" (1), and "reprobate" (6) in the King James Version.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will suggest ways Christians should respond to "madness" in others.