Proverbs 13:14, To the Wise Law Means Life!

July 11, Proverbs 13:14

1 Corinthians 6:9-20 “All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Cor. 10:23).

To the Wise Law Means Life!

1. The Right Way Abused: Time was when converted people knew they must part with the world and live separated lives. One could identify born-again people by their transformed life. Everyone associated with these converts knew that a radical change had taken place (1  Pet. 4:4). Sadly, this led to some negativism and legalism. The emphasis seemed to be on what not to do. Those who did not follow their rules were scorned. Their assembly was the only one that was true to the Word. This led to a tendency to major on externals and to turn a blind eye on glaring hypocrisy. As with the Pharisees of old, unbelievers took delight in pointing out the inconsistencies they detected (Matt. 23:27).

2. The Wrong Way Excused: With the arrival of neo-evangelicalism, one of its objectives was to attack what they called the taboos, the do’s and don’ts of the old fundamentalism in which many of them had been brought up. They told the new young evangelicals there was no need to give up anything. They advocated infiltration with the world to better witness to unbelievers! Worldliness, they said is a state of mind, not a matter to be regulated by a set of taboos! This resulted in a state of affairs where one can no longer identify who are the Christians and who are not. Their life-styles are now so nearly identical! Christians are lost in a fog. One cannot tell the sheep from the goats! Both of these extremes have brought harmful results to the cause of the Gospel and the testimony of Christ. It is the old struggle between law and grace, between extreme legalism and extreme antinomianism. The key word here is extreme. Neo-evangelicalism may scorn law, but if law doesn’t matter neither does sin! This is what has given rise to the present wave of self-indulgence and immorality so prevalent among professing Christians.

3. The Life Way Renewed: Praise God, we are not under law for salvation, but to be right with God, law remains. Is there a remedy for this confusion? Solomon speaks of the law of the wise. To follow this law would keep us from falling into the snares of sin and death. There are practical rules for guarding the heart and life of young and old. They are: a. Do nothing of which its lawfulness, before God, is questionable. b. Consider everything unlawful that hinders your prayer life or breaks your communion with God. c. Never go into company or a situation in which the presence and blessing of God cannot be asked and expected. Dr. Payson, who followed the above rules, testified: “By the help of these three rules, I soon settled all my doubts, and find that many things I have hitherto indulged in, are, if not utterly unlawful, at least inexpedient, and I can renounce them without any sighs.” You must remember that “it is the law that sends you to the gospel, that you may be justified, and the gospel that sends you to the law again to enquire what is your duty as a justified sinner” (Samuel Bolton).

Thought: “There was grace under law and there is law under grace.”

Prayer: Deliver me from all self-righteousness.