Blinded to Godliness - The Pig - The Character of Creatures

This is a chapter from the book The Character of Creatures: What the Animal Kingdom Teaches Us About God and His Word.

Blinded to Godliness – The Pig

Pigs love the mud, if they cannot find mud, they will make their own. A useful animal on the farm, it does not have any understanding of the finer things of the world.

God gave the pig such an earthbound mind to warn us:

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
    is a beautiful woman without discretion. ~ Proverbs 11:22

and

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. ~ Matthew 7:6

Discussion:

1.      The world has no interest in “putting on the new man” (Colossians 3:11–12). Even if they tried, they would still wear the old man under their masquerade. The Christian must be changed and renewed, and people will see the change. Have you been changed?

2.     Hypocrisy is when a person pretends to be someone they are not, such as by putting on a mask. When someone pretends to be better than they are—and points out the faults of others without working on their own—they are like dressing up a pig. God can see who they really are, and so can a discerning believer. Have you tried to present yourself as better than you are?

3.     The world does not see the value in what Christ did for lost sinners on the cross, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Like a pig with valuable jewels, all he knows is that he cannot eat them, so why are they so important? But if you understand the value of Christ’s unsearchable riches, then you will give up all the world has to offer to gain him and press onwards towards his upward call.

The gift is wasted, the recipient is defiled, and the lack of judgment is exposed. ~ JC Ryle