Foundation???

 Do you act, teach from what you Know? Or Think? Or Hope for? Is there any collaboration among any of those positions? Do you have ‘verification’ for your stance from Scripture? Your Experiences? What you were Taught? What you Feel? Is there any correlation among your sources? What is YOUR foundation. Or... have you ever asked yourself afterwards - why did I ever  say/do that!? Join the club. Unless you are highly disciplined or have a very tight reign on your emotions… you probably have joined in what I call Paul's lament.

   "For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me."  Romans 7:15-20

Such a dilemma. Can we really gain control over our own sinful nature? I would suspect that the answer is - probably not. But this does NOT give us license to continue our known sinful actions... nor does it give us excuse nor freedom from responsibility. We always bear the consequences of whatever we say and do - we can never point fingers in another direction, regardless how often we may try. The point. The promise. We can never stopped trying to be our best selves. 

Our role on earth includes study, prayer, growing, applying. We can't be like one of the servants in the Parable of the Talents - Matthew 25:14-30. James talks about works describes our faith. It does. But if we are only learning, like an oversoaked unused sponge - we begin to stink. Our learning is the basis from which we share. How does our living bear out our testimony. What you do is critical - it's a witness. Again the point... the promise. 

   “For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have [because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God], even what he does have will be taken away.  And throw out the worthless servant into the outer darkness; in that place [of grief and torment] there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]." verse 29-30

You need to know which [10, 5, none] defines you. Look to your foundation and what you are building upon it.