Akakos

Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

The Greek word for simple here is akakos.

Guileless (Without Guile):

lit., “without evil” (a negative kakos, “evil”), signifies “simple, guileless,” Rom 16:18, “simple,” of believers (perhaps == unsuspecting, or, rather, innocent, free from admixture of evil); in Hbr 7:26, RV, “guileless” (AV, “harmless”), the character of Christ (more lit., “free from evil”). Cp. Sept., Job 2:3, 8:20; Pro 1:4, 14:15.
See Harmless. (Source Vine’s Expository Dictionary)

Allow me to remaster the definition in a way that makes sense in light of the danger of deception which Paul speaks about in this opening verse.

Faithless acceptance.

It takes on the form of trusting men to do your thinking for you. It is easier to accept than it is to investigate. Good words and fair speech spoken by the Serpent are a perversion of the truth. It may sound good, but it isn’t good for you.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

That takes time, effort and sacrifice. It is easier to just buy the CD, DVD, or book and let someone else do the thinking for you. That is the relational equivalent of hiring someone to date your wife. It does nothing to improve your personal relationship with God.

Even this devotional, if used to replace real study time, is a hindrance to relationship if this is all you have the time for. None of us who provide you with encouragement of words would ever want this to replace your quiet time with God.

People who come to church each Sunday and snicker at those who only come at Christmas and Easter are no better off if the only sustenance they get is the Sunday Sermon.

Expectations

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Yesterday I tried to explore the minds of those who have no hope for an expected end. To be fair to them, let us now ask the rest of you, what do you expect?

It all comes down to what you consider to be the end. Are you looking at the end as being the end of the church age? Perhaps it is the end of this earthly life. Perhaps it is the end of time.

How about this for a thought about an expected end; to be conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

How many of you were taken aback by that thought?

Psalm 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Isn’t this verse the perfect counterpart to Jeremiah 29:11? You might think yes and then again you might think no. That depends on your expectations of an end.

There is no doubt that the bible asks about the end times, the end of the church age, the end of time, and if those are your focus, fine.

I tend to think about God’s purpose in what He says. It all begins and ends with relationship. He created us to be loved and to love Him. Everything else is coincidental to that goal. Since sin cannot exist before God then in order for us to be with Him forever, sin has to come to an end.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The End

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