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Proverbs 14:2,5,6 ESV
Another way of wording this first verse (sentence) here could be, “Whoever fears the Lord walks in uprightness.” Either way it says the same thing, but this way it is showing the fear of the Lord as what produces the walk of uprightness. First we have to fear (honor, value, respect, revere, worship, and obey) the Lord, and then what follows is us walking in uprightness, in moral purity, in holiness, in righteousness, in honesty, and in faithfulness.
In other words, some people will say that they try to walk in uprightness, to do what they think is right, to forsake their sins, and to live morally pure lives, but they don’t have the fear of God within them, and so they go right back to living in sin, doing what the flesh dictates. For, if our lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ, and if our hearts have not been changed by the Spirit of God, we are not going to be able to walk in uprightness.
These same people, too, could be saying that they are desirous to walk in the ways of the Lord, to obey him, and to not continue in deliberate and habitual sin, but it could all be a ruse. They who are devious could be putting on a show of a desire for God and for righteous living, but because they continue in their sinful paths, and they don’t ever surrender their hearts to Jesus Christ, then it is entirely doubtful that their intentions are upright.
And this segues right into the next verse which says that a faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. For, those who are addicted to sin will lie to cover up their sins which they usually do in secret if they are trying to give an impression of goodness and they don’t want people to know what they are really doing. But those who are living righteously have no reason to lie about anything.
There are some people claiming faith in Jesus Christ who disdain the gospel that Jesus and his NT apostles taught, and so they make up their own gospel, or they adopt one that someone else created in his flesh, and they make that their gospel. So, even though they may be seeking wisdom to know what to do or how to overcome evil in their lives, they are seeking wisdom in vain because they are not willing to accept the wisdom of God as taught in the Word of God but they are seeking wisdom outside of God.
Proverbs 14:9,12,14 ESV
Now, I did not understand this first phrase here, so I did look at some Bible commentaries, as I believe the Lord led me to do so. Several of them translated this as “Fools make a mock at sin,” where another wrote, “Sin mocks fools by making them its slaves.” Another said something similar when he wrote, “Sin mocks the fools who are its victims.” And another said, “Sin deludes fools.” (1)
One said that fools (wicked people) commit sin lightly and they give these grievous sins misleading names, and they pass over rebuke with a joke, and they encourage others in crime by their easy way of viewing it. Now, this commentary was first published in the late 1800s and yet it sounds just like what is happening today. For the church at large is now calling sin “I messed up,” therefore lightening the offense to something equal to spilling milk.
And they are vilifying those who do rebuke sin. And they are indeed encouraging others to sin by their easy way of viewing sin. For they are teaching that if we “believe” in Jesus that all our sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and thus we are no longer going to be held accountable for any sin, because they say we are redeemed and therefore guilt free. And so they encourage people that they can keep on in habitual sin against God.
And this definitely segues right into verse 12 which says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Absolutely! Many people today are claiming that they are saved, forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, purified and on their way to heaven while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. But the Scriptures teach that if we walk in sin, that it will end in death, not in life eternal with God.
Now this last one here about a backslider and a good man both being filled with the fruit of their ways fits right along with Galatians 6:7-8:
The Scriptures definitely teach that what we sow we will also reap and that God is going to judge us by our works, for certain works are required of us under the New Covenant, but they are the works of God which he had planned for us in advance that we should walk in them. And you can read about these works and how God will judge us in the following Scriptures:
[Eph 2:10; Tit 2:11-14; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 2:6-8; Gal 6:7-8; 2 Co 5:10; 1 Co 6:9-10; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 6:16; Rom 8:1-17; Jn 15:1-11; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Rev. 2-3; Rev 18:1-6; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Matt 7:21-23; Heb 10:26-27]
Proverbs 14:16,22,25 ESV
Now, it is true that the one who is wise turns away from evil. But it is also true that the true follower of Jesus Christ turns away from evil. He is transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and now he walks in obedience to the Lord and to his will for our lives. And I am not talking about just following a set of rules, but about following Jesus moment by moment, day by day, in whatever he leads us to do or wherever he says to go.
And we can only devise true good under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit and in his power, wisdom, and strength. For in our flesh dwells no good thing. And if we are following our Lord and doing the good that he would have us to do, it will produce in us steadfast love and faithfulness. But if we depart from him, and we choose to go our own way, instead, it will not go well for us in the end. So, be faithful to the Lord!
Oh, and I love this! A truthful witness saves lives! Amen! For, if we lie to people, and we tell them that their sins no longer matter to God, and that they can sin as much as they want and not have it impact their eternal security, then we are not saving lives but we are condemning people to hell on a false promise of eternal life with God. So we need to tell them the truth that we must die with Christ to sin and walk in obedience to his commands.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co 15:58; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23]
Courageous!
An Original Work / December 24, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures
The Word of God throughout taught.
Some people heard but did doubt.
Still others had faith in Christ.
By grace He purified them.
They turned from sin
And they obeyed Christ.
He opened up their blinded eyesight;
Turned them from darkness
To the true Light;
Forgave their sin by His might.
He strengthened them in their faith.
He said, “Remain my faithful.”
He called them to obedience.
By faith, they were so grateful.
By faith, they were to follow Jesus;
To daily sit and listen to Him;
To have such faith
That mountains could move;
To love those whom He gave them.
Be on your guard; courageous.
Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.
Take up the shield of your faith;
Protect against all evil.
Do not move from
The hope that you have.
Your faith in Jesus let it endure.
Hold to the truth;
Your conscience be clear.
Endure with perseverance.
(1) Proverbs 14:9 Commentaries: Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will.
“Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.”
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.”
Another way of wording this first verse (sentence) here could be, “Whoever fears the Lord walks in uprightness.” Either way it says the same thing, but this way it is showing the fear of the Lord as what produces the walk of uprightness. First we have to fear (honor, value, respect, revere, worship, and obey) the Lord, and then what follows is us walking in uprightness, in moral purity, in holiness, in righteousness, in honesty, and in faithfulness.
In other words, some people will say that they try to walk in uprightness, to do what they think is right, to forsake their sins, and to live morally pure lives, but they don’t have the fear of God within them, and so they go right back to living in sin, doing what the flesh dictates. For, if our lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ, and if our hearts have not been changed by the Spirit of God, we are not going to be able to walk in uprightness.
These same people, too, could be saying that they are desirous to walk in the ways of the Lord, to obey him, and to not continue in deliberate and habitual sin, but it could all be a ruse. They who are devious could be putting on a show of a desire for God and for righteous living, but because they continue in their sinful paths, and they don’t ever surrender their hearts to Jesus Christ, then it is entirely doubtful that their intentions are upright.
And this segues right into the next verse which says that a faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. For, those who are addicted to sin will lie to cover up their sins which they usually do in secret if they are trying to give an impression of goodness and they don’t want people to know what they are really doing. But those who are living righteously have no reason to lie about anything.
There are some people claiming faith in Jesus Christ who disdain the gospel that Jesus and his NT apostles taught, and so they make up their own gospel, or they adopt one that someone else created in his flesh, and they make that their gospel. So, even though they may be seeking wisdom to know what to do or how to overcome evil in their lives, they are seeking wisdom in vain because they are not willing to accept the wisdom of God as taught in the Word of God but they are seeking wisdom outside of God.
Proverbs 14:9,12,14 ESV
“Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.”
but the upright enjoy acceptance.
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.”
Now, I did not understand this first phrase here, so I did look at some Bible commentaries, as I believe the Lord led me to do so. Several of them translated this as “Fools make a mock at sin,” where another wrote, “Sin mocks fools by making them its slaves.” Another said something similar when he wrote, “Sin mocks the fools who are its victims.” And another said, “Sin deludes fools.” (1)
One said that fools (wicked people) commit sin lightly and they give these grievous sins misleading names, and they pass over rebuke with a joke, and they encourage others in crime by their easy way of viewing it. Now, this commentary was first published in the late 1800s and yet it sounds just like what is happening today. For the church at large is now calling sin “I messed up,” therefore lightening the offense to something equal to spilling milk.
And they are vilifying those who do rebuke sin. And they are indeed encouraging others to sin by their easy way of viewing sin. For they are teaching that if we “believe” in Jesus that all our sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and thus we are no longer going to be held accountable for any sin, because they say we are redeemed and therefore guilt free. And so they encourage people that they can keep on in habitual sin against God.
And this definitely segues right into verse 12 which says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Absolutely! Many people today are claiming that they are saved, forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, purified and on their way to heaven while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. But the Scriptures teach that if we walk in sin, that it will end in death, not in life eternal with God.
Now this last one here about a backslider and a good man both being filled with the fruit of their ways fits right along with Galatians 6:7-8:
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
The Scriptures definitely teach that what we sow we will also reap and that God is going to judge us by our works, for certain works are required of us under the New Covenant, but they are the works of God which he had planned for us in advance that we should walk in them. And you can read about these works and how God will judge us in the following Scriptures:
[Eph 2:10; Tit 2:11-14; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 2:6-8; Gal 6:7-8; 2 Co 5:10; 1 Co 6:9-10; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 6:16; Rom 8:1-17; Jn 15:1-11; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Rev. 2-3; Rev 18:1-6; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Matt 7:21-23; Heb 10:26-27]
Proverbs 14:16,22,25 ESV
“One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.
Do they not go astray who devise evil?
Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.
A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.”
but a fool is reckless and careless.
Do they not go astray who devise evil?
Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.
A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.”
Now, it is true that the one who is wise turns away from evil. But it is also true that the true follower of Jesus Christ turns away from evil. He is transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and now he walks in obedience to the Lord and to his will for our lives. And I am not talking about just following a set of rules, but about following Jesus moment by moment, day by day, in whatever he leads us to do or wherever he says to go.
And we can only devise true good under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit and in his power, wisdom, and strength. For in our flesh dwells no good thing. And if we are following our Lord and doing the good that he would have us to do, it will produce in us steadfast love and faithfulness. But if we depart from him, and we choose to go our own way, instead, it will not go well for us in the end. So, be faithful to the Lord!
Oh, and I love this! A truthful witness saves lives! Amen! For, if we lie to people, and we tell them that their sins no longer matter to God, and that they can sin as much as they want and not have it impact their eternal security, then we are not saving lives but we are condemning people to hell on a false promise of eternal life with God. So we need to tell them the truth that we must die with Christ to sin and walk in obedience to his commands.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co 15:58; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23]
Courageous!
An Original Work / December 24, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures
The Word of God throughout taught.
Some people heard but did doubt.
Still others had faith in Christ.
By grace He purified them.
They turned from sin
And they obeyed Christ.
He opened up their blinded eyesight;
Turned them from darkness
To the true Light;
Forgave their sin by His might.
He strengthened them in their faith.
He said, “Remain my faithful.”
He called them to obedience.
By faith, they were so grateful.
By faith, they were to follow Jesus;
To daily sit and listen to Him;
To have such faith
That mountains could move;
To love those whom He gave them.
Be on your guard; courageous.
Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.
Take up the shield of your faith;
Protect against all evil.
Do not move from
The hope that you have.
Your faith in Jesus let it endure.
Hold to the truth;
Your conscience be clear.
Endure with perseverance.
(1) Proverbs 14:9 Commentaries: Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will.
