April 10, 2017
Steven F. Hotze, M.D.
Publisher, CRTX News
“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always.”– Proverbs 23:1
God has set standards in His word for how He expects us to conduct ourselves. He has given us a way, the Bible, to know whether our actions are right or wrong, good or evil. Those who choose to reject God’s sovereign rule over their lives and who engage themselves in immoral, sinful activity are referred to as wicked. We should not desire what the wicked have achieved through their ungodly lifestyle. We should seek for that which is good, honorable and right.
The apostle Paul teaches us in Romans that the purpose of God’s Law is to instruct us that, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seek for God: All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one…There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-12, 18) God sends His Holy Spirit to convict us that we are desperately evil and have black hearts. If that is the plight of every man, then how can the Bible teach us that there are those who are good and those who are evil?
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:21)
God in His mercy and grace has provided a way for us to escape the just penalty we deserve for violating His Law.
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
All of us have sinned. God has provided a way of escape from our ungodly lifestyle through Christ’s atoning death on the cross. By placing our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord and King we become new creatures in Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Now we have the indwelling of Jesus Christ to empower us and to give us the desire to fear God and keep His commandments.
What is the fear of the Lord? “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride, arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
Those who love God are righteous in Christ and should be expected to conduct their lives in a manner that is worthy of this high calling. Those who have rejected God’s love in Christ should be expected to conduct themselves in an evil fashion, full of pride, following after evil, and be foul, vulgar and profane in their speech. This is their nature.
When Christians sin, we admit our sin and guilt, and ask forgiveness from God and from the person against whom we have sinned. We do not try to make our sin out to be something good and honorable as those who hate God do. This is what separates the good men from evil men.
When those who are evil try to impose their perverted lifestyle on society, they must be opposed and defeated. Those men and women in elected office who condone and justify immoral actions and behavior must also be opposed and defeated. Those men and women who hold to Biblical standards must be honored and supported.
“Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive with them.” (Proverbs 28:4)
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