Proverbs 4: 14, 16
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
The above verse paints a pretty gruesome picture of the mindset of some people. There are people in this world who live to do wickedness. If they have not caused heartache to someone that day then they can't sleep at night. The very thought of it makes me shudder. But more than the thought of how evil some people can be, it gives me a picture of the distinction God makes between the righteous and the wicked.
Proverbs 24:16 says, "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.
Without a doubt, none of us is perfect. Those who don't want to do what is right often point to the faults of the Christian to justify their own sins. The prevailing thought seems to be, if the Christian is not perfect, then why do I have to worry about how I live. And that is the demarcation line between the righteous and the wicked.
The righteous may fall down but he keeps getting back up and trying to do better. He is aware of his humanity but does not make excuses for his sin. He is constantly in a state of growth. He does have a struggle but it is probably not the same thing he struggled with last year or two years ago at this time. Why? Because God has helped him to overcome some things. He is maturing and everyone around him can see the difference in his life.
The wicked, on the other hand, does not concern himself with growth. He lives for what satisfies his own desires for the moment. He is not concerned about the feelings of others nor with what God thinks. He justifies his sins by pointing to the struggles of the righteous; he absolutely never repents of his sins. He delights when he sees someone else fall down because it gives strength to his creed that no one can live any better than he does.
The fine line of demarcation between the righteous and the wicked is two-fold: attitude and growth. If someone is struggling and trying to do better, God sees that man in the category of the righteous. He may not have it all together but he will overcome his struggles as long as he doesn't give up. If someone is justifying their own sin with no desire to change, that man is in the category of the wicked. Where are we today? Do we earnestly want to do God's will or do we just want to see someone else fall so that we can justify our own sin? The difference may determine how God sees and deals with us!
God help me never to rejoice when someone else falls but to pray for him that he might be restored to God. After all, it could be me that falls the next time and I would want God to have mercy on me and someone to pray for me.
In Christ's Love,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
The above verse paints a pretty gruesome picture of the mindset of some people. There are people in this world who live to do wickedness. If they have not caused heartache to someone that day then they can't sleep at night. The very thought of it makes me shudder. But more than the thought of how evil some people can be, it gives me a picture of the distinction God makes between the righteous and the wicked.
Proverbs 24:16 says, "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.
Without a doubt, none of us is perfect. Those who don't want to do what is right often point to the faults of the Christian to justify their own sins. The prevailing thought seems to be, if the Christian is not perfect, then why do I have to worry about how I live. And that is the demarcation line between the righteous and the wicked.
The righteous may fall down but he keeps getting back up and trying to do better. He is aware of his humanity but does not make excuses for his sin. He is constantly in a state of growth. He does have a struggle but it is probably not the same thing he struggled with last year or two years ago at this time. Why? Because God has helped him to overcome some things. He is maturing and everyone around him can see the difference in his life.
The wicked, on the other hand, does not concern himself with growth. He lives for what satisfies his own desires for the moment. He is not concerned about the feelings of others nor with what God thinks. He justifies his sins by pointing to the struggles of the righteous; he absolutely never repents of his sins. He delights when he sees someone else fall down because it gives strength to his creed that no one can live any better than he does.
The fine line of demarcation between the righteous and the wicked is two-fold: attitude and growth. If someone is struggling and trying to do better, God sees that man in the category of the righteous. He may not have it all together but he will overcome his struggles as long as he doesn't give up. If someone is justifying their own sin with no desire to change, that man is in the category of the wicked. Where are we today? Do we earnestly want to do God's will or do we just want to see someone else fall so that we can justify our own sin? The difference may determine how God sees and deals with us!
God help me never to rejoice when someone else falls but to pray for him that he might be restored to God. After all, it could be me that falls the next time and I would want God to have mercy on me and someone to pray for me.
In Christ's Love,
Rev. Sullivan Jones
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