“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
A false witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright gives thought to his ways.
No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:27-30 ESV)
This section of Proverbs 21 begins with addressing the issue of religious hypocrisy. For we have many people professing faith in Jesus Christ whose faith in the Lord is not of God, but of the flesh. For it does not agree with the word of God and what it teaches regarding what faith in Jesus Christ should look like. For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self), and follow (obey) him. And he said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father.
And Paul taught that by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to let sin reign anymore in our mortal bodies to where we obey its sinful desires (passions, lusts). For if sin is what we obey, it will end in death. But if obedience is what we obey, it will lead to righteousness, and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God. And Peter taught us that Jesus died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
[Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23; and 1 Peter 2:24]
Yet there are many professers of faith in Jesus Christ who have not died with Christ to sin, who have not forsaken their sinful practices, and who are not now following Jesus in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). But they are still going their own way, doing their own thing, living to please the flesh, and doing evil deeds. And so the sacrifices they make to God, of their own choosing, and not of the will of God, are an abomination to the Lord, because there is no intent on their part to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ and to forsake their sins and to walk with Jesus in obedience to him.
Many of them just put on a show of righteousness, either to cover up secret sins and/or to gain the approval of other religious people (or non-religious people) because they want their approval and acceptance. And for some people, it is because they want to manipulate and deceive others into believing the lies of the enemy, and so they give off the appearance of being Christians but truly they are wolves in sheep’s clothing working for themselves and for their own sinful pleasures, and not for God. And so they are, in truth, against God, not on his side; not living to please him.
Now some of these who have a false profession of faith in Jesus Christ, who are still evil in intent of heart and purpose, are also those who like to stir up trouble for the righteous, for those living righteous and holy lives in the power of God and for the glory of God. And so they will bear false witness against them so that other humans will believe their lies, and so that they will reject those who are pure in heart, and so that they will not listen to what the pure in heart are teaching from the Scriptures. But those who do evil will perish in their sins, and they will not inherit eternal life with God.
Now this says that a wicked person puts on a bold face. What do you think that means? It apparently means to be hardened and brazen and strong in human strength and not in the strength of the Lord. This person with a bold face will not be open to rebuke, and he will not admit to wrongdoing. But he will continue in his evil practices, despite what he knows about right and wrong, for he is bullheaded and stubborn and full of pride, and he is a “My Do It” kind of person who will not bow in submission to the Lord. And so he continues on in his sinful rebellion, even if he gives a different appearance.
But the upright in heart and mind, whose walk of faith in Jesus Christ is genuine, and not contrived, gives thought to his ways, and he desires truth and righteousness and not sin and wickedness. This is not saying that those who live righteously are perfect people in every respect, but that sin is not what they practice. Sin is not what they cling to. Obedience to the Lord and holy living is what they practice and what they cling to, because they love the Lord, and so they want to do what pleases him, and they want to live holy lives and no longer in slavery to sin.
Now with regard to the wicked who put on a show of righteousness but who are living in deliberate and habitual and often secret and premeditated sin against the Lord, and against his servants and messengers, and against other humans, their own fleshly wisdom and understanding and counsel cannot prevail (succeed) against the Lord. Even if it appears that they have gained ground or that they have conquered beyond God’s ability to save, if not before, then in the end it will prove that all their efforts were in vain and that God and his word and his counsel are what have prevailed above all.
So, they may make all sorts of warlike preparations against the Lord, and against his servants and messengers, and it may even appear, at times, as though they have succeeded in their devious plots to undo the work of the Lord in other people’s lives, but God and his word will always prevail, and what the Lord has promised and what he has warned about will not prove false. But please remember here that all of God’s promises have conditions, and we must meet those conditions if we are to be recipients of those promises. But we can only win this battle in the strength of the Lord.
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
It Is Well with My Soul
Lyrics by H. G. Spafford, 1873
Music by Philip P. Bliss, 1876
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well; it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well; it is well with my soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYrL9ea1XUg
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