In Proverbs 6, there is a list of 7 things that the Lord hates. The first 5 are parts of the body involved in sin: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, and feet that are quick to rush into evil. Tonight I discoverd a progression.
- Haughty eyes: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” -Romans 12:3 Pride is the perspective which results in all other kinds of sin, because when you come down to it, sin ultimately results from placing yourself over everything else. Pride was the first sin ever committed, before even Adam and Eve. It was pride that felled Lucifer, once head worshipper among the angels, now the father of lies.
- Lying tongue: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” -Proverbs 18:21 The lies of Jacob put enmity between his descendants and those of his brother, resulting in centuries of warfare between the two ancient nations known as Israel and Edom. And lies break trust. In absence of trust, we develop and attitude suspicion and self-preservation which both circles back to pride and leads into violence, if not of deed then at least of thought. Jesus considers the thought as evil as the action.
- Hands that shed innocent blood: “Do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.” -Exodus 23:7 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” -Matthew 5:21-22 Only God is wholly holy; therefore, only He is qualified to judge and exact vengeance.
- A heart that devises wicked schemes: “Don’t secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise you are an accomplice in his guilt.” -Leviticus 19:17 We’ve all seen it before: a person will repress their feelings for a myriad of reasons and eventually explode. Or more frighteningly, quietly plot their vigilante “justice”. When you hold it in, problems brew. Thought becomes deed one way or another, one day or another. Remember, it is NOT YOUR RIGHT or responsibility to fix the wrongs of this world. It is your job to give everything over to God and let Him handle the results, because let’s face it, He can and will do a way better job than you ever could.
- Feet that are quick to rush into evil: “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” -James 1:15 Pride changes your perspective, lies falsely justify your perspective, anger festers and puts distance between your heart and God’s, this separation makes your will seemingly more important than God’s, and thus your feet rush to do that which has been in your mind, in your heart, and indeed all throughout your body.
But when we renew our minds, guard our hearts, and bring our bodies into submission, our will becomes aligned with His. Then our feet serve a different purpose, the purpose for which we are called……
“The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” -Romans 10:12-15
BecomingEllipsisMark 