Bloodthirsty Men Hate the Righteous

Proverbs 29 (Select Verses) ESV

 

1 “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

    will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,

    but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

    but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.”

 

There are people professing faith in Jesus Christ who are not living for the Lord, but they are living for themselves. Although they profess to know God and to be followers of Christ, by their actions they deny him as their Lord and Master. And although the Lord does reprove them through various means and sources, and they even know it is the Lord who is speaking to them, they will then stiffen their necks, and they will refuse to hear from the Lord, and they will go their own way, instead.

 

Now, when the righteous increase, which doesn’t seem to be happening much these days in America, it is the people of God who are following the Lord with their lives who rejoice. For those who are wicked in behavior do not rejoice, but they will cast out those who are walking in holiness and in righteousness, even though they themselves profess faith in Jesus Christ. And this is because so much of what is called “church” or “Christian” today is not much different from the world, and many are keeping on in their sins.

 

5 “A man who flatters his neighbor

    spreads a net for his feet.

6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,

    but a righteous man sings and rejoices.

10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless

    and seek the life of the upright.”

 

There are many people today who are flattering others with their tongues, many in hopes to deceive and to manipulate others into believing their lies. Many pastors of “churches” today are smooth-talking the people into believing their lies over the truth, and they are leading many people away from genuine faith in Jesus Christ to a false faith which does not deliver them from their sins but which gives them a false hope of eternal life with God based on a lie.

 

So many people are now professing faith in Jesus Christ but they have not been crucified with Christ in death to sin, so they have not been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. But they are continuing to live in sin. And so those who are living righteously are being demonized while the wicked are being raised up and admired. Those who are living righteously are being largely rejected, even by the church, and are being cast out.

 

18 “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,

    but blessed is he who keeps the law.

19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined,

    for though he understands, he will not respond.

20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

    There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

 

Where the truth of the gospel is being rejected in favor of the lies of the enemy, the people indeed are casting off restraint. And this is because they are being instructed to reject the thought that the Christian life involves walks of obedience to the Lord, and walks of holiness and righteousness, and no longer living in sin. But blessed are those who are walking in obedience to the Lord living holy lives pleasing to God. For there is no better life than a pure walk of faith and obedience to the Lord, doing his will for our lives.

 

Yes, we can speak the words of God to the people, as we ought to do, but many will just ignore us, and they will ignore the words of the Lord, or they will listen with their ears but not with their hearts and therefore they will walk away and continue on as they were. And they may also be those who are hasty with their own words and who will attack those who are telling them the truth, and who will refuse the truth in favor of the lies. And there is no hope for such people as this unless they repent and obey the Lord.

 

“23 One's pride will bring him low,

    but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

25 The fear of man lays a snare,

    but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.”

 

Many people, even many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, will not surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus because of their pride, because they will not humble themselves before the Lord in obedience to the Lord. And this is largely because they want to maintain control over their own lives, and they want to make all their own decisions, and they want to continue in their sins, and they do not want to give up their sins. And they also want the approval of man more than they want the approval of God.

 

If you live in America, where I do, or if you live in other nations, you may find that if your walk of faith in the Lord is genuine, even many others who profess faith in Jesus Christ will not like you, and they will reject you, because you are too serious about the Lord, and you are not living like the rest of them who are not much different at all from those who make no profession of faith in Christ. And they will not like you because you are opposed to people professing faith in the Lord and still living in sin. You are against fakery and false professions of faith, and they will not like that.

 

Blessed Be Your Name

 

by Matt Redman

 

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

 

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

 

Blessed be the name of the Lord

 

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

 

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