The road most traveled

“Avoid it [the path of the wicked]; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”
-Proverbs 4:15

Most of the time, I know it’s coming. I know I’m starting to get angry. Some of the time, I recognize that I’m getting angry and I take a walk or start praying. Sometimes I ignore all off that and lash out.

Afterward, I wonder at how stupid I was. I never get out of a fight with my wife, family, or friend thinking, “That was good. I really stuck it to him!” No, I always regret it. So why can’t I remember that for the next time?

Sometimes we think of sin like a line that we cross. I was fine until, oops, I stepped over the line. I sinned. That’s true in a lot of cases. But I love how this passage describes it more like a road.

I was taking a very long drive one morning, making really good time, when I realized I had missed my turn about thirty miles behind me. Sin can be something like that. The second I missed my turn, I was heading in the wrong direction, but the more I drove, the worse the problem got.

The thought enters our mind, and already we have a problem, but it wouldn’t take much effort to pull over and turn around. It’s pretty easy to concentrate on something else, start praying, or something. But soon it is consuming us, and then we let it out. With anger, it can begin with something very small – “That’s not right! I need to defend myself.” Within a few minutes I am in a full blown fight that I will regret in an hour.

A glance at a suggestive image can lead rather quickly to pornography or adultery. A little shame can lead to lying, just like that! A little ambition can lead you to neglect your family for your work. A little pride can cause you to turn completely within yourself.

James tells us, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (1:14-15). It’s a road, my friends, and it leads to death.

Do not go on that road. Don’t even start down that path. Turn away and walk somewhere else.

The trouble is, the road looks mighty nice at the beginning. At the beginning, when we are really hurt, and our emotions are running deep, and there are just so many things we want and think we need and have to say – that road looks like the best one.

Whether it be birthed from anger, lust, hatred, pride, selfishness, or greed, that looks like such a great road, and everyone is walking on it. And sometimes we even have a just cause to push us down that road – some injustice that needs correcting.

But God tells us that those things are for Him to work out. Our job is just to believe and obey.

Except there’s a problem. We’ve been down that road so often that we don’t really know how to get off. We think we’re turning down somewhere else, but it is just a different road that leads to the same place. We cannot will ourselves out of sin. We are trapped. We cannot stop sinning.

But God succeeds where we fail. Jesus came to earth in the form of a man and died on our behalf. In essence, He took us off the road to death and walked it in our place. At the same time, He sets us on the path of righteousness – His righteousness. By His Blood we are now able to walk it. With repentance and belief in Him, we can walk it.

And that Blood continues to pay our way. Even now we try to be righteous, and we cannot, but every time we stumble, His Blood pays for that too. We can walk to eternal life rather than death because He died for us.

Podcast: Gospel: The Darkened Heart

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
-2 Corinthians 4:3-6

On work days, I am usually picking out my clothes in the dark. Maybe I’ll have a dim light on, but between the shadows and my heavy eyelids, I’m not always sure what I’m wearing. Just the other days I went into my closet to get my black shirt. It wasn’t until I was at work that I realized I was wearing blue. That’s not so bad, but there have been countless times that I went to work with socks that didn’t match. I finally wised up and started pairing off my socks after doing laundry, so I only have to grab one of the rolls in my drawer.

I’ve never worn shoes that didn’t match, but that’s only because I only have one pair of brown shoes and one pair of black shoes. If I had more, I would totally mess up on that too.

It is the nature of darkness to conceal, to disguise, and to mislead. The road that is familiar in the daytime suddenly becomes unfamiliar at night. Those keys you left on the counter last night are completely lost in the darkness of the morning. Things that seem to, well, match in the closet make you look foolish at work.

Horror films are almost always take place in a dark place, either night or abandoned house or cellar. The reason should be really obvious – there’s so much UNSEEN in the dark. If you can’t see the other side of the room, the possibilities that run through your head have no end. But once the light is on, everything becomes clear.

But darkness can also conceal those things you may not want others to see. Robberies, thefts, and murders are planned and carried out in the darkness. Sometimes, there is danger lurking in the shadows.

But criminals aren’t the only ones to take advantage of the darkness. We use it every day ourselves. Those things we own that we don’t want others to discover get hidden in a dark closet. We visit those stores we really shouldn’t be frequenting at night so no one can see us. We go to low-lit bars or park with dates where no one can see. It is in darkness that we hide things that would shame us if they were brought into the open.

And if you really think about it, you have those dark corners of your heart too. Those places you put things you would never bring into the light of day. Those secrets you will take to the grave if you have your way.

It is in that dark part of your heart that you carry that lie you’ve maintained for years, the lust you have for your neighbor’s wife, that thing that happened at work you hope your boss never discovers.

From that darkness comes a constant stream of pride, selfishness, lust, and hatred. Maybe you never let these emotions or thoughts out. Maybe you never act on them, never speak a word of them, but they are there.

What’s in there for you? I bet you know right off the bat. I bet you’ve already thought of something. I know I have. Over the years, I have put so much into that closet. When I grew up, everyone thought I was this great guy. Everyone was really impressed with the way I acted and held myself. I was really good at keeping that darkened part of my heart hidden away.

Most of that stuff will never be seen by another soul on this earth. Most of that stuff will, truly, go to the grave with you. Most of it won’t be discovered in this life.

Except by God. Except that God knows all of our secret thoughts. Except that God is going to judge us not only by our actions, but also our words, and also our thoughts.

This world will tell you that there is no God, or if there is one, then He’s just happy with everyone. It will tell you that all religions are true in their own ways. Well, there are an infinite number of wrong answers to the problem 2 + 2, but there is only one right one. In the same way, if you miss this one, you are wrong, and you are lost. If you miss the mark on this question, you’ve missed it. The god of this world wants your heart lost in darkness, and so he will tell you that you’re okay, that no one will ever find out about those secrets in your heart, that God’s not going to hold you accountable.

But there is a light in all of this darkness. There is a way, there is a truth, and there is life. There is a right answer. We cannot earn our way to heaven. There are just too many dark corners in our hearts for that. Even if we were to not sin in word or deed, still our hearts would betray us.

But God loved us so much that He came to earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life, facing every trial that we face, but walking through without faltering. He died on a Roman Cross, and in that death He took our sins upon Himself and paid the price for them. Those darknesses in your heart will be exposed to the light of Heaven, but they don’t have to be counted against you. If you repent and believe in Him, then your sins have been nailed to the Cross with Jesus. The price has been paid.

It is our only shot. He is the only light able to penetrate to our darkened hearts. It is only by Him we can stand. It is only by Him that we can stand, and it is only by Him we can walk. He doesn’t save us, only to leave us to our own devices as Christians, but His Blood continues to save us, and His Spirit will lead us.

When we are wallowing in darkness, even the faintest glow may seem like a great light. But once you come to realize the darkness of your own heart, you will find the only light able to reach you, expose you, and then forgive you, is Jesus.

Seeking pleasure, or seeking life

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.”
-Proverbs 4:14

What is it we value in our society? What character traits do we seek to emulate? You know, if you ask people who they admire, you’re going to get the strangest mix of egotistical sports figures, power-hungry politicians, movie stars that can’t seem to stay married to the same person for more than a year, and then like the Pope or Mother Teresa. Or you’ll get some really ambiguous group like “single mothers.”

You’ll begin to realize that we don’t admire people anymore for their character or their bravery. We admire then for their position or wealth. Then we throw in Mother Teresa so we don’t look callous. Or we name a group so we look noble, but again, that group is not admired for the worth of character, but for something else.

We have become so hardened in our thinking about morality, and right and wrong, and character, that it doesn’t even enter our heads when voting for a politician or following an actor or wearing the jersey of a particular athlete. That’s doesn’t come into the equation at all.

I ask all of this because our society has accepted a great deal of what previous generations have scorned. We have allowed and embraced behavior that we never have before. We have applauded those who seek their own pleasure above all else, and we think that’s a good way to live.

The verse we’re looking at today has some simple advice. “Don’t do evil.” Our society might reply in a number of different ways. It may say, “Evil is subjective; it doesn’t really exist.” Or it may say, “As long as you’re not hurting someone, what’s the harm?”

But there is evil. There is wrong. And those people who try to deny it will still get angry if they are cheated out of some money. Why? Because in their hearts they know that some things are just wrong.

Right and wrong are absolutes. They are objective, not subjective. They are like that because they were set down by God and defined. These are things that are right, He said, and these things wrong.

No matter what this society says, this verse really does remain a simple one. Don’t do evil. Don’t go down that trail. Turn to good. This is what God expects of us, and He will judge those who do wrong.

Which is all of us. See, it’s not just the completely immoral person who will be damned forever, but everyone who has sinned. Even pride, lust, and greed taints us far too much for Heaven. God is holy and just, and He demands that we be the same way. Only we haven’t. We have sought ourselves; we have chased our own lusts; we have crawled for more, more, more.

The good news is that we can turn back in the right direction. We can come back to God. We can’t do it alone. No, we cannot earn His love. But in mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on our behalf for the forgiveness of sins. He took our punishment upon Himself, and He rose after the third day to provide the way for us to rise too. If we repent and believe, it is His righteousness that will provide our path back home.

We all, at times, turn onto the path of evil. Jesus can move us off that path and back to the path of life, because He IS that way, and it is only through Him that we can escape that way of the evil.

Podcast: Gospel: The Hard Heart

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.


Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!
-Ephesians 4:17-20

I grew up in church, and was pretty active for a long time. I performed with the band. I was one of the most active members of the drama team. I was even an editor of the church literary journal. Well, that idea sort of fizzled, but we actually worked very hard on it for some time.

I was the guy who stops by the church office at least once a week. In a church of maybe a thousand, the entire staff knew me by name. I was that guy.

In my every day life, I would study. I carried the Bible with me to class. I would constantly be reading theology and other Christian books. I witnessed to people. I was very aware of the commandments of God, and I would follow them, well, religiously.

And I was heading straight for Hell.

No one has asked me about this yet, but I’ve been titling each episode in this series with a description of the heart. And none of the descriptions are very good. You may be confused, because the word “Gospel” means “good news,” but I’ve spent most of the time talking about what is inside of us, and it’s not pretty. I’m doing this for a reason. I’m doing this because until you realize what is inside, you’re never going to figure out the good news. Until you understand that you need a savior, you’re not going to be happy that one is available.

On the outside, I used to be pretty clean. I didn’t curse, I didn’t sleep around, I didn’t lie, I didn’t cheat, I didn’t do any of that. Outside, everyone said, I was a great guy! And I was still going to Hell.

If you talk about Heaven and Hell with most people, they’re going to tell you that they will go to Heaven because they are good people. Fantastic. Everyone thinks he’s a good person. Great. But you know what? Even if that were true (and it’s not), but even if it were true, your actions only tell half the story.

God knows our thoughts – every bit of darkness that sweeps over our hearts. And He judges it. Judgment Day isn’t only going to be about you giving money to some charity for the tax write-off, or spending an hour with your kids at night. It’s also going to be about what you thought when that good-looking woman walked by. It’s going to be about what you thought when that guy cut you off in traffic. It’s going to be about what you thought when that person at work was promoted instead of you. It’s going to be about what you thought when your wife asked you to pick up the kids. It’s going to be about your heart as well as your actions.

And it’s pretty ugly in there.

God takes this so seriously, that Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that to even look upon a woman with lust in your heart is to commit adultery, and to even be unduly angry at someone is to commit murder. Ever done those things?

Is your heart committed to God, or is it chasing after other things? Are you ruled by your desires, or is it the other way around? Do you secretly entertain your greed, lust, ambition, selfishness, or pride? If so, it’s because your heart has become hardened against God. It has become callous, and so it seeks out worldly pleasures just to feel something. This is not the life God intends for you. You have exchanged His glory and majesty for something far less satisfying.

We don’t deserve that life. We don’t deserve to be united with God forever. We don’t deserve Heaven. Imagine, if you will, that you went to Heaven, dragging all of those impure thoughts and feelings in with you. Imagine if everyone did that. Imagine being in a place with no death, disease, or pain with the constant temptation for evil. How fast would we turn Heaven into Hell?

The Bible tells us we deserve death for what we have thought and done. We’re not “good people” who just make mistakes every once in a while. We’re evil people who can usually keep our dark thoughts inside and hidden. We’re sinners.

Right now, many of you are shaking your head, ready to dismiss all of this. You’re telling yourself that you’re doing just fine with God. And you have to ask yourself: Did God tell you that you’re okay, or was it your own hard heart?

God’s Word tells us something very different. God tells us that “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

If your heart is telling you something else, that it is only because the truth is having trouble breaking through the calluses and hardness.

If you are beginning to understand, then the good news will seem good indeed. We cannot earn Heaven, but we don’t have to. When Jesus died on the Cross, He took our sins with Him. See, He was sinless, and so He did not deserve death. But in death He took our place there so we can live.

By His Blood, we can be carried into Heaven and live forever. God will forgive all our sins and count us as righteous. We will be changed by His Spirit so we will not be beholden to sin. If we repent and believe, we will find eternal life. But not everyone will receive this gift. The hardness of their hearts will keep them from it. They will not repent and believe.

When I was younger, I used to work so hard to follow every rule, to try to earn my way to Heaven. I know now that I can’t. In every day I have to lean on the Grace of Jesus, but that Grace does not end and does not fail. I still mess up. A lot. But my righteousness comes from Him, not myself.

The one way street of eternity

“Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.”
-Proverbs 4:13

Have you ever driven the wrong way on a one-way street? The only time I can recall doing it was on the way to a tennis tournament, when our bus driver overlooked the sign, and turned left when she should have turned right. Luckily, no one was there. I’ve probably done it myself some other time, but this is the one that comes to mind.

On several occasions have I been going the right way down a one-way street and seen someone coming the wrong way at me. That is a frightening experience. In all cases was a crash easily avoided – the other driver wasn’t drunk or anything, he was just trying to take a shortcut. But when you see someone coming at you, and you don’t know his state of mind, it’s frightening.

When we drive, we constantly see signs that could literally mean life-or-death for us. A one-way street is a great example. We have large signs warning us of dead-ends so we don’t drive into a lake. Stop lights warn us that another car has the right-of-way.

Most of us look for these signs and obey their instructions. We understand the danger in ignoring them. There are many who do no such thing. In Texas, where I live, we have a big problem with drunk driving. It seems like there is another news story about a drinking-related fatality every few days.

It does surprise me, though, with so many people being so careful with their mortal lives, that we don’t have more people worrying about eternity. We take such care to not lose a moment of the eighty-so years we have on earth, but we don’t give much thought to the forever that begins after these eighty-so years are done. It’s like 99% of the population is driving drunk spiritually.

The Bible is our warning. It is that sign that tells us we’re going the wrong way on the road to eternity. It gives us a list of things that God expects of us. It tells us some very basic things, like we shouldn’t steal or lie or kill people, things most of us would admit aren’t good.

But then it tells us that God expects us to follow these rules perfectly. And more than that, God tells us that He will also judge our hearts, and those things like lust, pride, selfishness, and hatred are enough to get us to hell.

So many people just assume that they are fine with God. They just figure they are good enough, and they don’t worry about it. If you are doing this, you are ignoring that warning sign when eternity is on the line.

The truth is this – none of us are good enough. There is no one who has not messed up in thought, word, and deed. There isn’t anyone who has achieved God’s standard for goodness.

This is so critical to understand, because when you understand this, you will also understand why trying to be a good person will not get you to eternal life. You’ll understand why not all religions are leading you to God. You can’t just get it right most of the time and make it.

But in the death of Jesus we have a way to life. Jesus lived a perfect life and did not deserve death, but He died in our stead. It is through Him that we can get to the Father, by repenting of our sins and believing in Him, and it is ONLY through Him that we can make it. Any way that requires us to be good enough isn’t going to work.

Once you have this bit of wisdom, this instruction, hold on to her! We are saved by His Blood, by His Grace, and we never stop being saved by that Grace. Even though I’ve been a Christian for years, I still mess up constantly. But the Blood of Christ still saves me, and it is ONLY by that Blood. It is a truth I cling to, because without it I have no hope.

Let me tell you about my bruised shins!

“When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.”
-Proverbs 4:12

You ever have those days you just wish you could take back? Said something you wish you could erase? Did something you wish everyone would forget?

At the time, it really seems important that you say that line that just popped into your head. At the time, it seems so important that it be said. That would just make your point and vindicate you.

Then, later, you’re thinking, “Wow. Shouldn’t have said that.”

Sometimes anger, lust, or pride just overcomes us. It clouds our thoughts and tells us things that just aren’t true. All those stupid things I’ve said – most of the time I thought they were brilliant before I said them. The hurtful things we do – we don’t very often admit to ourselves that someone will get hurt over it.

I had one of those days yesterday. The problem is fixed now, forgiveness given by all sides, but I’m still kicking myself over it. You know what? I have one of those moments at least once a week. It really seems like I’m always kicking myself over something.

I would so very much like the life described in this verse, one where I would not stumble. And it’s easy enough to just say, “Just don’t do that, ding-dong head!” But the trouble is, if I knew it was stupid when I did it, I probably wouldn’t have done it.

The problem with almost every religion is that it says there is something in you that can fix it. It tells you to just do better. Be good, and God will like you. The self-help gurus tell you the same thing – reach within yourself and achieve!

And I tell you what, it’s not there. You tell me to reach inside myself to overcome by pride, anger, and lust, but all I find within is more of that stuff.

A lot of Christians will take this verse out of context and tell you to work hard so you won’t stumble. But what is great about this verse is that it’s not like that at all. Take a look at what’s being said around it. It takes about the gifts wisdom will GIVE you. It is talking about the way that is TAUGHT to you.

In other words, this is something external, not internal.

The Christian life is not about working harder and going farther and having your best life now. It’s about confessing, repenting, and accepting Grace. We cannot earn God’s favor. We mess up too often and too badly to impress a perfect and just God. But Jesus can, and He did. He lived a perfect life and died in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. He died, so that we may live. By His Blood we are washed and made new.

That is the wisdom Solomon is talking about.

When we confess our sins and believe in Him, His Spirit will come to indwell us, and that Spirit’s lead will keep us from stumbling.

That is also the wisdom Solomon is talking about.

The Spirit of God teaches us and guides us. He moves us in the ways to righteousness. I don’t always listen, and I put my foot in my mouth like I did yesterday. But the Blood of Christ does not fail there either. I can mess up, but I will still be judged by His righteousness. It’s like I never stumbled at all.

Where are you leading?

“I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.”
-Proverbs 4:11

If we knew how much influence we have in the course of a day, I wonder how surprised we’d be. You don’t think about it, maybe, when you’re driving wildly with a Jesus fish on your back bumper. How many see that and curse God because of it? Or when you pray before a meal at a restaurant and then stiff the waiter on the tip. Did that customer you brushed off a month ago see you in church on Sunday?

I’ve only given examples of religious influence, but there are so many more. The people you encounter in the world very well end up being a customer, a future boss, a police officer who will pull you over next week, a political leader, a voter, a substitute player on your softball team. People all the time are seeing you, hearing you, watching you, and what they see and hear will influence them.

Are they seeing Christ, or are they seeing something else?

I’ve known of several people who have been so good in their influence at church or the world, but then at home, something happens. It’s tough, I know, with your family, because you can’t always put on a false face with them. They’re going to see what you are really like.

Are we leading our kids to Christ, or somewhere else?

There are many hopes I have for any kids I may have. I hope my son plays baseball. I hope they are smart and love to read. I hope they can appreciate good Rock ’n’ Roll. I hope they can achieve their dreams.

But most of all, I hope and pray that I will be the sort of father who leads his children to Christ. I hope and pray that I will be able to repeat this verse at the end of my life. I will make mistakes, I know, but if they grow up understanding the Grace of Jesus Christ, then I will be successful as a father, even if all of those other hopes never come true.

We spend so much time with our kids teaching them stuff. From math to a fastball to riding a bike, we are always teaching. How often does God’s love come into that?

It’s so critical because this life is only this life. We have maybe eighty years and then it’s done. We won’t be riding a bike very long. We won’t be pitching very long. We won’t be doing math very long. But what we believe about Jesus will determine our forever.

Jesus tells us that He is the only way to life. Anyone who wants to have eternal life must go through Him. Why? Because we’ve messed up. It’s that simple. See, God is so perfect, so righteous, and so just, that He must impose the rightful punishment for our greed, lusts, and pride. That punishment is death. In those sins we have rebelled against God, and God, being just, must put an end to the rebellion.

A good judge must follow the law. It is only bad judges that let criminals go free without punishment. So it is with God.

But when Jesus died on the Cross, He took our sins with Him. He paid the price we were supposed to pay. So if we repent and believe in Him, He will atone for our sins with His Blood. We will be counted righteous because of Him, not because of ourselves.

That is why the question of Jesus is so important. That is why Grace is so critical. Put down the baseball and talk to your kid about it.

Podcast: Gospel: The Deceitful Heart

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
-Jeremiah 17:9-10

As I sat down to write this, I was just overwhelmed by this sadness. I had just finished a conversation with a friend about Scripture. I won’t go into details, but basically she wanted to arrange things in her home a certain way for the sake of money. I pointed out some passages that suggested that her idea wasn’t the best one, and she tried to wiggle out of it by saying, “Well, it’s up to interpretation.” I reminded her that the Word does not come from someone’s interpretation, but from the Spirit, as 2 Peter 1:20 tells us.

She couldn’t get out of it, so she merely replied, “Yeah, but I’m not going to change my life just because the Bible says something.”

And that just made me sad. You know, a lot of people reject God outright, but there are so many who claim to love God, claim to be Christians, but will not allow one of His perfect Words to influence them.

And I am right there sometimes too.

We claim to love God, but we don’t treat Him like anyone else we claim to love. We love our wives, so we spend time with her, talk to her, listen to what she has to say. We love our grandmothers, so we go to visit them, help them out when they need it. We love our kids, so we do our best to provide for them, to give them what we need. Then we say we love God, and . . . And what? Nothing. Not a thing. We don’t pray, we don’t read His Word, we don’t consider what He says, we don’t seek Him, we don’t give to His Church. We just say, “Oh, yeah, I love Him, and that’s it.”

And we actually believe it. That’s what is so sad. We believe that we can act this way and still love Him. You know what? We can’t. That is not love, to ignore someone, never speak to Him, scorn His Commandments, and ignore His Bride. That’s not love.

Jeremiah tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.” Yeah, that’s about right. We do all sorts of terrible things, and our hearts lie to us and tell us we’re okay. We lie, cheat, steal. We follow our lusts, ambitions, pride, and arrogance. And our heart tells us we’re doing just fine. Enough! Enough of the lies!

God has laid out exactly what He expects of us in the Bible. He tells us not to lie, and we do. He tells us not to put anything before Him, and we put darn near EVERYTHING before Him, including money, baseball, work, sex, and power. He tells us that He counts even undue anger as murder, and we get that angry every day. He tells us that lust is like adultery, and we lust constantly.

Your heart is telling you that these things aren’t that bad. Your heart is telling you that you’re okay. Your heart is telling you that God doesn’t really expect you to live up to those commands. Your heart is telling you that you’ll be fine with Him at the end. Well, He is telling you through this verse that your “heart is deceitful . . . and desperately sick.”

The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All of us, every one. Not one of us lives up to His holy standard. This is not something you can blow off and be okay in the end. The second part of this passage terrifies me. “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

You think your actions are okay? They aren’t, but take a look at this verse. God’s going to judge your heart. Those thoughts you have that you thought no one would discover – they are plain to the Lord. And He’s going to give to everyone according to what He finds there.

Your heart is telling you not to worry. Your heart is lying to you.

We have one shot at this, and only one. See, we can’t make up for the sins we’ve committed. We can’t make it all better with God. We deserve death for what we’ve thought and done. But there is one who has already paid our price, though He did not deserve it. God came to earth and lived a life as a man. Though He was without sin, He died anyway. He didn’t deserve it, but He died. Then He rose again on the third day.

He is our one shot. He is our chance for life. And you know what? His gift is a free one. See, there is nothing we can do to please God, but He loved us so much that He gave us a way back to life. If we repent of our sins and believe, we will find eternal life, not by our own efforts, which fail every time, but by His effort.

If you are relying on your own goodness to get to Heaven, I ask you to look at your heart. If you are honest with yourself, you will find it deceitful and sick. If your thoughts were presented as evidence against you, as they will be, what fate would you deserve? Turn instead to Jesus, for in Him we can have life, and only in Him. There is no way to earn this, but He’s not asking us to earn it. He already earned it for us.

If you are struggling in your Christian walk, and keep getting frustrated with the ways you fail, turn away from your heart and look to Him. Keep your eyes on Him, for it is still in Him that we have life. Those mistakes are forgiven by His marvelous Grace.

Want a long life? Talk to dad about it.

“Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.”
-Proverbs 4:10

Do you remember the time when kids used to willingly accept the counsel of their elders? Me neither. I keep hearing about such a time in the past, but I’m not really sure it ever existed.

I’ve read some history and some literature, and it seems to me that people have always been a stubborn bunch. You tell people, “Don’t go over there!” and they’ll start packing for the trip. There is a spirit of rebellion in most people I’ve met that cannot be explained except to say that it is pride. It is pride that tells someone that he should walk where angels fear to tread, that he should use business practices that the world would condemn, that he should drink excessively the night before the midterm, that he should sleep around when such activity has harmed so many before him. It is pride that tells you to seek after your own pleasures and that you can control the consequences.

Over and over again in the Bible, from the Ten Commandments all the way through the New Testament, it is said that we should obey our parents and, in so doing, gain long life. Solomon repeats that same promise here with his son.

Why would this be? Well, let’s take this instance in context. Solomon has just been telling his son to seek wisdom, and if you seek wisdom, wisdom will bring you honor, protection, and life.

Now he is reiterating, saying, basically, “And you can start gaining wisdom here by listening to me tell you to seek wisdom,” which is exactly what Solomon’s father David said too.

The truth is this – if I want to do well at work, I’ll get advice from the people at work who have succeeded. If I want to succeed in marriage, I’m going to get advice from people who have had successful marriages. If I want to succeed in have a long, fruitful life that is focused on God, I’m going to talk to God-focused people who have had fruitful lives. These people probably will have failed a hundred times in a hundred ways, but I’ll be able to use those stories too.

If you don’t want to make the same mistakes your parents made, you probably should find out what mistakes they made.

You need to listen to those people who can say, “I’ve been there, and it’s not worth it.” In our rebellious natures, we don’t want to listen to that, because the activity in question looks fun and adventurous. But if you listen to those who went before, maybe that can teach you something.

The Bible is like that. Just like sound advice from an earthly father, our Heavenly Father has given us the Bible and the Holy Spirit for guidance. He wants us to walk righteously, because He knows that is the way to life. His Commands are made out of love, because they direct us to the Source of life, which is God Himself.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been all that righteous. In our rebellious natures, we have scorned His commands just like we have scorned the commands of our parents. We have rejected God to go our own way. We have disobeyed, and that is called sin.

We can continue in disobedience, but it does not lead to life. That way will end in spiritual death, just like wild living will lead to physical death. But God came to earth as the man Jesus to pay for that death we have already earned. By His Blood we can be saved by repentance and belief.

If I ignore my dad’s advice, but I come home, repentant for my mistake, will he shut me out? No. If I do it again, will he shut me out then? No. If we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive in the very same way. We cannot prove ourselves worthy of that sort of love. We just accept is as the love between a father and His children.

Love, and side benefits

“She [Wisdom] will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
-Proverbs 4:9

I was married almost ten months ago, and it was a particularly lovely wedding. I know most people say that, and I imagine it’s true whenever someone says it for the right reasons.

Too often we say it because of the flowers and the music and the food at the reception. Frankly, I most often judge weddings by the food at the reception. I never mind seeing friends get married, and often I celebrate that, but good food is so critical to my own enjoyment of the event.

In these ways, my wedding was lovely too. It was in a prayer garden under an oak tree that is well over a hundred years told. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the pastor led us through a number of profound examples for marriage. My wife was beautiful (as she always is, though she will not believe me), and I felt blessed to just be there. It was memorable in every way.

But when I say it was lovely, that’s not what I am talking about. I’m talking about taking the woman I love and being bound to her, for better or for worse. I’m talking about becoming a family, trusting God with our common fate, and standing as an example of His love for us.

I became her husband, and that to me is lovely.

I longed for that day, waited for it, planned for it, sought it, and pursued it. Not for the day itself. Too many, I think, forsake the marriage for the wedding. They ignore everything about their relationships except for the planning of that day. No, that’s not why I sought it. I sought it because I sought her, and that was the natural and right result of that seeking.

So often I hear in the church that people need to follow Christ for everlasting life. That is true. I often present the gospel that way myself. Others will say He gives peace. That is true as well, though it is often peace in the midst of terrible trial. Others will say God gives wealth. That is sometimes true, though not as often as we hope.

I long for those things. I long for life with Him. I long for that peace. I long for Him to tell me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But I don’t long for them for the day itself. I long for them because I love Him.

The verse previous to this one says that these things will come about because we prize wisdom highly. When I think back on my wedding day, I understand better. It was a wonderful day, but it would have been terrible if either one of us had sought that day for its own sake. It was wonderful because it was about something greater than itself.

The evidence of wisdom, of faith, is wonderful, but it is mostly wonderful because it points to something greater. When someone comes to me for spiritual advice, I am glad, because that person has seen Jesus alive in me. When I am asked to do something at church, I am glad, because I can serve Him with it.

Too many come to the Gospel with some great goal. There are preachers who tell you to follow Jesus for money. Money may come, but that’s a goal much too small. Some will tell you about peace and life. Indeed! But what would life be without Him?

I spent so much of my life seeking my own ends. I spent them in selfishness and lust and greed. He showed me that these goals were fallen and tainted. In repentance and belief I was saved by His Blood, and that Blood continues to save me every day. I am still lost without Him.

At my best, that faith is like a crown on me. But it is a crown I long to cast at His feet in worship. It’s about life. It’s about peace. It’s about forgiveness. It’s about repentance. Yes, it is all of these things. It’s about God most of all. Just like on my wedding day, it’s not about me. It’s about Him.

Following Jesus so we can get . . . what?

“Prize her [wisdom] highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.”
-Proverbs 4:8

As I write this, I have been married a bit more than nine months. Hardly enough to be giving marriage advice, right? Well, since when has that stopped me?

I don’t fully understand most of what goes on in my house. Ironically, my wife tells me the same thing, and I think I’m remarkably easy to understand. But there is one thing I noticed very quickly – when I show my wife attention, she blossoms. I don’t know how else to describe it. She smiles, she laughs, she has fun, she grows. When I ignore her, her mood darkens. (This is a general rule, which doesn’t work all the time, but pretty close.)

Basically, I’m going to get out of this relationship in proportion to what I put in. I can’t ignore her and expect everything to be lovely and shiny.

Which sounds sort of like what so many preach about Christianity, right? They tell you to give more in the offering and you’ll get a raise. Obey these laws and God will like you. Say this prayer and God will be forced to listen. Ultimately, they say, give God His due, and He’ll bless you with a lot of cool stuff.

Except that’s not how I would describe my relationship with my wife. That’s not it at all. See, the words are all there. I show my wife attention and she blossoms. On the other side, give God attention and He’ll respond. The difference is, I’m not being kind to my wife to get something in return.

Here’s the truth of it – I am kind to my wife because I love her. That strengthens her, and she reacts in kind, which strengthens me.

Ephesians describes the relationship between Christ and the Church as a marriage. And every time my wife becomes stronger because of our relationships, I understand this passage better.

Christ showed His love for us by, while we were sinners and did not deserve it, dying for us on the Cross. When we recognize that love and mercy, we react to it by repenting of those sins and believing in Him. He reacts by giving us His Spirit. We react by growing in righteousness. It is a wonderful cycle of love that strengthens us.

And it all begins with Him loving us when we did not deserve it, just like most of fights in my home end when one of us acts in love rather than anger.

The temptation with this verse is to take it out of context and talk about what we have to do to get blessings. That’s not what it’s about. The verses all around it tell us to seek wisdom (that is, Christ) for the sake of wisdom. And, oh, yeah, when you seek wisdom, wisdom will respond.

There are benefits to following Christ. There are a lot of them. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about love. It’s about following someone who loves us so much that He died for us, even when we ignored Him or made fun of His followers or mocked His Word. He still died for us, though we deserved so much worse.

The seeking, the finding, and the showing

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”
-Proverbs 4:7

People tell me that I’m smart. I really don’t think of myself that way anymore. I’m very curious, which causes me to research almost everything I come across. I just really want to know! So I have accumulated quite a bit of information out of just being a curious fellow. That probably makes me appear smart.

But I used to think of myself as VERY smart. I used to think I knew the answers to everything because of my powerful intellect. Frankly, it was one of the most foolish times of my life. I was so foolish in that time because I stopped listening to anyone. I thought I knew it all, or would know it all very soon and without anybody’s help thank you very much, so what did I need to listen to others for?

That’s a big pet peeve of mine – people who think they know everything. Even when I was one of those people, I used to hate it when someone wouldn’t listen. No, I didn’t see the problem there, but I do now. You can’t talk to people like that! Your words just pass through their heads and out the other side. They are there to talk, not listen.

And when you live like that, it’s over. That’s it. That’s as smart as you will ever be, because you’ll never move beyond yourself.

What David is saying here (as reported by Solomon), is that the first step in being wise is knowing you need to seek wisdom. I don’t like the ESV translation here, because it’s sort of hard to follow. The King James Version says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

You want to be wise? Seek wisdom, because wisdom is gained in the seeking. Did you catch that? Wisdom is both goal and journey here. It is what we are after, and it is how we get there. In wisdom we set out, and wisdom grows in the walking.

And how should we walk? See, so many religions out there have so many ways to find wisdom. They’ll tell you to go experience the world, which will likely only get you a shot of penicillin. They tell you to go talk to an elderly person, which will get you just as much wisdom and foolishness as the person you choose. They tell you to meditate on nothing, which will get you exactly that. They tell you to believe in the book written by the religion’s founder, which again only gets you the wisdom and foolishness of the founder.

What we have to understand is that wisdom, as with all good things, comes from God. Wisdom, by its very nature, relates to who He is. Therefore a walk around the world will only get you as far as the world, but no farther. And a walk with a guru or spiritual leader will show you their world, which doesn’t get you any farther than your own.

This sort of wisdom is not going to be achieved on your own. You have spent too much time ignoring God. You have spent too long following your own desires. It’s all you know. In merely lying have you offended His holy character. In your heart you have kept hatred and lust, which cannot mix with the love and purity of the Lord. God demands righteousness, and you have fallen short.

But God came to earth in the form of the man Jesus. Upon the Cross, He took the punishment we deserve in our sins. Then He rose again to prepare a place for us in eternity. He came to show us a way to forgiveness. He came to show us wisdom.

His Grace is good for any sin. If we repent and believe, we will be forgiven. And if we stumble, we will be forgiven again. Believe, and you will have life.

This wisdom must be sought, surely. But truly to be found, it must be shown to you by God. Any wisdom we can discover on our own is only good for this life. Thank God that He was willing to stoop down to show us something greater.

I had a cool title for this one, but I forgot it

“Do not forsake her [wisdom], and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.”
-Proverbs 4:6

We are a forgetful people in general. Some of us are worse than others. My memory is terrible. If I get a bill from the mail after work, I will have forgotten about it by dinner if it’s not sitting out in the open. I am horrible with names. Someone says, “Hi, I’m John. I’m a lawyer,” and I’ve forgotten the person’s name by the time he’s done saying “lawyer.”

My wife is better, but still forgets much more than she retains. We all do. No one has a perfect memory.

Our schools are built to cater to that. From day one important information is drilled into us with repetition. I remember writing out my letters scores of times for each one. In Spanish class we repeated the words over and over again (it still didn’t help). We have reviews in class, and we go back over notes.

This is how we learn it – repetition, repetition, repetition. I needed help the first few times I tied my shoe, but no more. I can type without looking at the keyboard, but I couldn’t for the first few years doing it.

If you’ve been reading this blog since the beginning, you’ve looked at the idea of this verse many times. Solomon is beating it into us. This is too important for him to have said once and assumed that we would remember the chapter and verse of where he did.

Do not forsake wisdom. What is wisdom? Let’s do this again. Wisdom is the understanding of God’s ways and the ability to apply it to your life. Do that, Solomon is saying. Seek out God’s ways and follow!

What is wisdom? Wisdom is the understanding that we do not deserve eternal life. Wisdom is looking honestly at yourself and realizing that you can’t make it on your own. When you see the sin in your life for what it is – the anger, the lust, the greed, the pride, the ambition, the lies, the deceit, the jealousy – you’ve got a good start.

Wisdom is seeking God in every moment, because if you don’t, you know you’re going to get exactly what you deserve. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. But wait, you say, my sins aren’t that bad. Really? The Bible says that if you look at a woman with lust in your heart you are guilty of adultery. If you get unduly angry at someone, you are guilty of murder. God expects perfection, and any slip makes us unworthy of Him.

Wisdom is falling at His feet and begging for mercy, because you realize that it’s the only chance you’ve got. Wisdom is turning toward Jesus. When He died on the Cross, He took the punishment for our sins. In that death, He paid the price that you were meant to pay.

Wisdom is repenting and believing in Jesus, because there is no other way to the Father but through Jesus. In a previous chapter of Proverbs, we saw that Jesus was mentioned under the name “Wisdom.” This is why. This is the path of wisdom.

And what happens to those who believe in Jesus? He will keep you. He will cover you in His righteousness and take away your sin. He will protect you and deliver you into eternity, perfected and ready to stand before the Father.

The wise seek Him, for there is no other way. We cannot make it on our own. We cannot impress God with our works. We cannot be good enough. All other religions want you to earn your way to Heaven. The wise know that it’s already too late for that. The wise know they need Jesus.

Podcast: Gospel: The Fool’s Heart

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
-Psalm 14:1-2

I have to admit something. I don’t understand it. I don’t. I’ve tried to think about this, and it’s just not connecting in my brain. I’m talking about people who don’t seem to care at all about God. I just don’t understand them. And I was one of them for the longest time, but I still don’t understand.

It really does seem to be most of us. Most of us go about our day-to-day lives without giving Him a thought.

Some go farther than that and just declare that God doesn’t exist. The Bible calls people who say this “fools.” The reason it does is because it is a moronic statement. You know, I haven’t even driven on most streets in my hometown, much visited most places on earth. And earth is only one tiny dot in a vast universe. And yet people who have just as little experience as I do are making declarations that there’s no God, anywhere. It’s like saying that there’s not a needle in a massive haystack when you haven’t even looked.

Such bold assumptions are foolish. You can say that you don’t know whether there is one or not. You can say that you don’t think so. You can say that you haven’t seen any evidence. But if you say there isn’t one, you’re either claiming to be omniscient, which is an attribute of God, or you’re just being a moron.

And some of these fools actually evangelize a lack of faith. They try to convert people into atheism with speeches and books and debates. Why? Does that make sense at all? Look, if the atheist is right, and he and I die, we’ll both go to the same place. That is, into the ground as worm food. What possible advantage is it to believe that? It doesn’t get me into a heaven; it’s no advantage in life. It’s like they’re doing it just so they can be proven right.

And then you have people going about their business, believing in God, but not really thinking much more about it. If you ask them about heaven, they can tell you that they are going, but if you question them about it, they’ll only vaguely say that they are good people, or that God is loving and so He’ll let them in.

All this is silliness. It’s silliness. And I say that because, if there is a God, then this is the most important question out there. If there is a God, then I don’t give a flip what YOU think will get me to heaven. I want to know what HE says about it. If there is a God, then your vague notion that you are a good person doesn’t mean squat unless God thinks so too.

If you believe there is a God, then why in the world would you not be seeking Him with your every breath? We don’t have long on this earth. We may not have a tomorrow to figure this out. Why would you go about your life with just vague notions of who He is? If you believe in God, then you better make sure you have it right with Him, because nothing else could possibly matter as much.

And if you don’t, you better make sure. You better make absolutely sure, because getting this question wrong could cost you your life. If I am right, and there is a God, then nothing else matters. If there isn’t, then nothing matters, because it will all be gone in death.

This series, called “Gospel,” is going to talk about this question. We’re going to talk about who God is and what He wants. This is the question of the age.

I hope you’ll keep listening, but I’m going to jump to the end in case you don’t, because this is just too important to put it off for another week. There is a God, and we’re not good enough. God is just and holy, and He is so perfect and good that we cannot stand before Him. The reason we can’t is because of sin. You have sinned, just like me. Just like everyone else. That lie you told the other day was one. When you stole something, that is another. When you lust after someone, or when you get jealous over something a friend bought. Your greed is an abomination to Him. Your pride is wickedness. Your selfishness is abhorrent. These are things God hates, and you cannot stand in His presence with these things in your heart.

When you deny Him, that is another. You are denying the One who created you, who gave you life. We cannot get to heaven with these sins.

But God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to earth to save us. We deserve death because of our sins, but Jesus died in our place. He paid the price we should have paid. That is the love that God has for us.

Because of Jesus, we can find eternal life. If we repent of our wicked ways and believe in Jesus, we will be saved. That is His promise. We don’t have to earn it. We couldn’t earn it. God has everything; what could we give Him? Instead, we can take His gift of life by repenting and believing, or we can refuse it.

Don’t be foolish. The fool thinks he knows everything. The fool goes his own way and assumes he’s doing fine. You’re not. You need Jesus as much as I do.

What to seek, what to avoid

“Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.”
-Proverbs 4:5

Get laid; get high. Get a cool car with racing stripes. Get a hot girlfriend. Get a wicked sound system. Get a great job and make tons of money. Get ahead; get up the corporate ladder. Get respect; get a gun. Get power; get out the vote. Get a shrink; get some help.

Get married; get divorced. Get some action on the side. Get a bigger TV. Get a drink. Get a new wardrobe; get some new décor; get a face lift. Get a new job with more money. Get stock options. Get a new haircut; get a new life. Get some new friends. Get out more.

Get involved. Get productive. Get some love. Get real.

The world is full of advice of what to get. Sometimes, there are so many voices in a day, you get turned around. You get lost in the crowd. You don’t know where to turn.

This verse is a call to remember something much greater. It is a call to seek out the ways of God, to understand His ways and to make them our ways. To look out for those things that will not fade away and turn to dust. This verse is a call to push away that other stuff and make sure you are focused on what is important.

Do not forget. Do not forget the wisdom found in the Bible. No matter what else you are seeking in this world, it is fleeting. No matter if it is the most noble thing out there, it will only last a little time, and it will be gone. All other pursuits will perish, except this one. Except this one.

The reason this one will not perish is because this is the way to life. Do not forget, because everything that happens to you after the grave is going to depend on this one. On this one right here.

We are not worthy of life. You may think you are, but you’re not, just like I’m not. We have spent too much time pursuing our own goals, our own lusts, our own pride, our own ambition, our own selfishness, our own anger, and our own hatred. Nothing we can do will make up for that. We are desperately fallen, and we are not good enough for eternal life.

But Jesus came to earth to die on the Cross to take the punishment for our sins. He took the price we could not pay upon Himself and died. And then He rose again to prepare a place for us. If we repent and believe in Him, we will have life eternal. Repent, and believe.

Do not forget. Seek this one out. Get wisdom; get insight. Read the Bible, and keep reading it. Start praying and keep praying. I don’t care what else is going on, what else you need to “get,” because this is the issue that will outlive all others.

Finding a better source than my feelings

“he [my father] taught me and said to me, ‘Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.’”
-Proverbs 4:4

“Keep my commandments, and live.” Stop and think about that statement a minute. How can any man make that claim? How could any father tell a son that, that his words are the way to life?

Do you understand how bold of a statement that is? Seriously. Imagine if I said to you, “You want the way to eternal life, just obey what I say.” The first thing you would ask is, “How in the world are you the authority on life?”

On my own, I can’t even see beyond my next sentence, much less forever. I can’t tell you what the weather is going to be like tonight. Neither could David, who was Solomon’s father. So when David tells Solomon in this passage that his words will bring life, he’s either egotistical to the point of delusion, or he’s got a source greater than himself.

You meet people every day who will tell you, with absolute certainty, what eternity is going to be like. On one side, you have devout atheists who mock those who believe in God. On the other side, you have people who just assume that God is love and will let anyone into heaven.

Ask them where they are getting their information. Ask them about the sources of their “wisdom.” Chances are, it’s just a feeling they have. Atheists cannot disprove God, because it’s logically impossible to prove a negative like “God doesn’t exist.” All you can prove is that you haven’t seen any convincing evidence. So they ultimately have no source for their beliefs, just an instinct. Universalists have come up with a god they like (a warm, fluffy god who doesn’t expect anything of us, like, you know, being a decent person) and believe in him, but that’s only a god based on themselves, not on a reliable source. They too are left with their feelings.

With great arrogance and foolishness they stand and say, “Believe me, and you will live.”

This from people who don’t even know what they will eat tomorrow.

That’s not what David or Solomon is doing here. Not at all. The only way either one would say such bold statements is because they know something outside themselves. They have encountered God – the God who created the world, who moves history, who is the source of all things good – and God told them Who He is. He has given us His Word, a Word that will stand forever.

And beyond that, He stepped into human history as the man Jesus. When we were lost in our sins, fatally fallen from the glory of God without a hope to recover, Jesus died in our place. Do not be fooled by those who say that everyone will get to heaven. In truth, every sin must be punished, because if we were dragging our sins into heaven, we would make it into a hell. But every one will be punished, and that means every lie you have told, every moment of hatred, every lustful glance, every greedy ambition. It will all be punished.

But listen to my words and life – Jesus died in our place. He paid for those sins. If we repent and believe, we will find life.

How can I say that, when I don’t know what shirt I’ll wear this weekend? I can say it because I know God. I have read His eternal Word. I have repented, and I believe in Jesus. I can say this because I have a Source.