The righteous are guided by their integrity. The wicked are destroyed by their dishonesty.
People who are upright—who lead lives that are in harmony with what God says is right—have a high level of integrity. They are faithful to God’s commands—as opposed to transgressors, who are unfaithful. Integrity is a powerful word, and those who are guided by it are powerful witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who lack it are a detriment to the gospel; in fact, no one does more damage to the cause of Christ than professing believers who lack integrity.
People with integrity base their lives upon the truth. As a result, they are blameless before the world.
Furthermore, the upright are guided by God’s truth; they are not guided by …
• emotions or feelings
• what is most pleasurable
• what is most profitable
• what is most popular
• what is most pleasing to other people
People with integrity make their decisions and chart their lives according to what God says is right. They do the right thing even if it is difficult or painful. They do the right thing even if it creates or provokes enemies. They do the right thing even if it costs them promotions or jobs.
They also do the right thing when it costs them money, which is the background for verse three. Solomon is still speaking about being honest in all dealings with others. Transgressors (bagad) refers to those who act treacherously or deceitfully; it means to be unfaithful to or to violate God’s law. People who are unfaithful to God’s law in their business dealings—who are deceitful and dishonest—will be destroyed. They may prosper for a while, but the day will come when they will be caught in their crookedness. They will be found out, and when they are, they will possibly face the loss of their businesses, prosecution, or even worse.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2012. Proverbs. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment