Of the Guilty and the Pure

For Friday, April 20, 2007
Proverbs 21:8

The way of the guilty is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.

What is within us will come out in our behavior. The guilty's way will be crooked; the conduct of the pure will show in their very demeanor - standing upright with a clear conscience. The guilty must lurk about, hiding in the shadows, checking their backs, slipping across from side to side of the road, never walking down the middle. The pure walk straight and tall. They have nothing to hide and are not planning wicked deeds.

What a difference there is for the two types. One sleeps peacefully at night; the other tosses and turns in worry. One looks his neighbor in the face; the other averts his eyes. One walks with a sense of purpose and confidence; the other slinks about wary of his enemies. One is moved by the mercy of God, desiring to please him; the other despises God, wanting to escape him.

And then there is the guilty who acts as though pure. He looks his neighbor in the eye as he lies. He walks straight and tall with no care for the recompense to come. And there is the pure who acts under guilt. Having experienced the mercy of God, he nevertheless lives under a cloud as though God is displeased with him.

Being pure in heart is understanding that it is Christ who makes us righteous before God; it is the Holy Spirit sanctifying us; it is the mercy of God that makes it all happen. With that kind of knowledge, we will find walking straight and standing upright more natural to do.

Without Excuse

For Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Proverbs 21:7

The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.

As we have learned in other proverbs, the wicked bring on themselves their own destruction. They suffer the consequences of their own violence. It is easy enough to see how they create trouble for themselves, but the consequence is that they place themselves under the judgment of God who will not be mocked and will see that justice is carried out.

Note here the real problem of the wicked. It is not that they do not know what is just, but that they refuse to do what is just. Compare this proverb to Romans 1:18: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."

Before we apply this proverb to our neighbor, let us look at ourselves. Romans goes on to say that such persons are without excuse because what can be known about God is made plain through natural revelation. But we have the special revelation of Scripture, and we have within us the Holy Spirit to open our minds to the truth. Will God excuse our sin because we did not know better? Will he accept that we ever act in ignorance?

Give praise to God that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for our sin would not only be held against us, but our guilt would weigh upon even more heavily because of our lack of excuse. Every day we are living testimonies of the unfathomable mercy of God and of the inestimable power of Christ's work on the cross.

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord (Psalm 36:5-6).

Fleeting Vapor

For Monday, April 16, 2007
Proverbs 21:6

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

The liar thinks he is setting a snare or escaping it by lying. To gain treasure he thinks is escaping as a fleeting vapor, he lies in order to snatch it. But he is merely setting up his own snare and insuring that his treasure will escape. Ask the white collar executives in jail now because of their deception how much good their lying did them. Ask those who are bankrupt how much good cheating did for them.

The shocking surprise is that most of them will rue that they did not do a good enough job lying. Even now while lying in their snares they are mulling over how they should have covered their tracks better. That is the way of the fool. He does not learn from his consequences - especially the liar. Is there a more difficult pattern of behavior to break than that of lying? It is easy to do, and when it becomes so engrained as to be instinct, it is difficult to break.

All the more reason then to confess this sin now if it has you in its grasp. Husbands lying to wives, employees lying to supervisors, students lying to teachers... And all to gain treasure - affection, promotion, good grades. Break the habit now, for it will only grow more difficult and the snares will multiply.

How do you break the habit? By desiring true treasure - the grace of God - and by trusting in the one whose promise is not fleeting - God. How do you get to God? Through the one who has never lied and is truth personified - Jesus Christ.