Proverbs 12:2-3
“A
good man obtains favor from the Lord, but
a man of evil devices he condemns. No one is established by
wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.”
If we substituted a
word for good to help us define the man Solomon is referring to, it might be
righteous, just, or a man of integrity. An excellent biblical model or
Scripture for such a man you will find in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man,
what is good; and what
does the Lord require of
you but to do justice, and to love
kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” When
a man makes Micah 6:8 his model, it is my understanding from Scripture he’s
becoming a good man, but is it him or is it Christ in him that is good?
Do
you recall the conversation between Jesus and the rich young man found in Mark
10:17-18? “And as he was setting out on his
journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one
is good except God alone.” Our flesh is of this world, and unless trained in righteousness it will
seek the world and not the things of the Spirit. So when we see a man
acting like Jesus, we see Christ in him, doing what Micah 6:8 tells us is good,
and the requirement of allowing Jesus to do it all for you. Such
a man God calls righteous and will never be moved by the acts of the wicked, to
do as they do.
It all began in the Garden of Eden with a
question, “did God really say” a great answer would have been yes and do not
ever ask me such a foolish question again. But it did not stop with that
question, and Eve’s reply did open the door for that old serpent had this to
say in the response found in Genesis 3:4-5, “But
the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For
God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil.” Now, if that is all true
what a deal, you become the moral authority, the one in charge, but it was a
lie from the one Jesus refers to as the thief, the devil, the deceiver, or
Satan. And God calls that evil or wickedness, for we have one God and He
will not share that title or His place with His creation.
Many a person has bought the lie that you
can be in charge of your life, old blue eyes sang a song I did it my way, and
many a person is following that model, how about you, who is your model?
Only two plans, one designed by the old serpent, or thief, as Jesus described
in John 10:10. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy. Or you have
the other plan we can call the first plan #1 and the second plan #2, it’s God
plan of redemption, its part 2 of John 10:10, “I
came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” It
has always been a choice, and once more today as you read this it is yours to
make.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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