“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Pro 29:18 KJV).
This verse is often used at mission’s conferences to convict a young man’s heart that he is needed out on the field because the heathen are dying and going to hell, and will continue to do so unless he surrenders his life and goes there. Often we also hear as a companion verse, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Ac 16:9 KJV). Now, when God leads a missionary or a preacher to apply this verse in that way, God bless him and his message. Would to God that it would bear fruit and more men would respond to the missionary call.
However, this verse also speaks to the believer. No, certainly not is it speaking of eternal damnation as if a true believer can lose their salvation, for did not Jesus tell us that he gives us “eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (Jo 10:28, 29). If we fell out of the Saviour’s hand, we would fall into the Father’s hand, and He would put us right back in His Son’s hand. Salvation is eternal!
How can it be applied to Christians? It is possible to grow weak and powerless in our Christian lives. Here the idea of the word “perish” could be seen as “withering on the vine.” How is that possible? Through weak, anemic preaching of the Word of God. Pulpits today are filled with men that afraid to preach on sin. Churches are filled with people that have no fear of God and their lives reflect it. They don’t read their Bibles, they don’t pray to God for the filling of His Spirit for service, and they rarely plead the Blood for their cleansing from the filth of this world.
Paul wrote: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal 1:3-4 KJV). Frankly, the majority of those that “name the name of Christ” refuse to “depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2:19) and could be said to have lost the effectiveness of the present tense of their salvation. They are “in” the world, and sadly, for the time being, they are also “in” the world.
Father, encourage us today to walk close to You and Your Word, through the ministry of Your Word. Forgive us if we have strayed and cleanse us and fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we would not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We thank You again for loving us. Amen.
