Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:15

by David Chadwick

“Those who justify the wicked and condemn the righteous are an abomination of the Lord.”

Proverbs 17:15

The standard of truth and righteousness are obvious in God’s eyes. The lines are not blurred. And his ways must always be kept apart from the ways of the world.

People and cultures, over time, have moved away more and more from God and his truth. This has happened throughout the ages, since the beginning of time. It will continue to happen with greater frequency and intensity until Jesus returns.

Go back to the Old Testament and read what the prophets constantly warned against. Isaiah 5:20, for instance, shows us some of what was going on in those times. Isaiah said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Do you see the parallels from back then to today? The sin patterns in the Old Testament are the same sin patterns we are facing now. The condition of the human heart has not changed. And you can see them everywhere you turn, right before your eyes. It’s an all-out war against truth, justice, and righteousness.

The laws of God that he reveals in nature and the foundational truths of his Word are being jettisoned, discarded, and abandoned frivolously! We are watching wickedness be justified and righteousness be condemned. No nation can stand when it goes down this path.

We must be people of prayer. We must be discerning so that we, too, don’t call evil good and good evil. So that we don’t mix up wickedness and righteousness.

Until Jesus returns for his bride, our job is to pray earnestly and to call people to return to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

One day, the healing that Jesus brings will be eternal. Until that day, may we all seek to contend for glimpses of healing and righteousness as we wait for the soon and coming victory of King Jesus!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:14

by David Chadwick

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”

Proverbs 17:14

Strife is powerfully destructive and like a forceful burst of water, able to bust through the strongest of dams. Like water building up behind a barrier, when strife is set free, it’s awfully hard to stop it. And it’s terribly destructive.

Today, we will address the problem of strife that is frequently addressed in the Bible. Solomon repeatedly addresses strife throughout the Proverbs. Strife apparently comes on the scene when jealousy, selfish ambition, and other sin patterns abound! James 3:16 says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

Strife invites things like division, resentment, retaliation, and so many other evil actions. As born-again, Bible-believing Christians, we must stop strife, and, in turn, we will stop further evil from happening.

Let’s take a look at James 3:13 for a New Testament perspective on this topic. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

Do you see the correlation? A person of wisdom has good conduct. He or she behaves appropriately and displays meekness, which in so many ways is the opposite of strife. A gentle spirit. A calm demeanor. A resolved purity.

Therefore, when it comes to strife, as my mom used to say, “Nip it in the bud.” Stop it before it starts. Seek to never be a source of strife in your relationships. If it comes your way, walk the other way. Quit before the quarrel breaks out. The best way to handle strife is to never allow it in the first place!

Live out Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11. Turn from evil. Seek peace. And pursue it!

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 17:13

by David Chadwick

“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.”

Proverbs 17:13

My kids used to listen to a Scripture memory song from Romans 12:21 when they were younger that said, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Do not be overcome by evil. With good. With good. Overcome evil with good.” Hearing them singing this verse will be forever etched in my mind.

Evil is everywhere. Our world is broken, and until Jesus returns, evil is an unfortunate reality we all must endure. As followers of Jesus, how should we navigate a world full of evil? Do not return evil with evil! Why not? Because when you return evil with evil, the person to whom you returned the evil will only enlarge his or her response to you. Responding to evil with evil will only escalate the evil.

Proverbs 17:13 says, “If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.” In other words, you become a house for evil when you repay someone’s goodness with evil.

This same command is repeated in the New Testament in Romans 12:19. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

It’s called “lex talionis,” the law of retaliation. This Latin principle was what famously became known as “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” The punishment must fit the crime in full! This principle was rooted in vengeance and justice. But Gandhi was correct when he said that this teaching carried out will leave the world blind and toothless.

The only thing that can break this law of retaliation is grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The Bible says to forgive 70 times 7. Over and over again. Repeatedly. This is both for your benefit, for the benefit of the others, and for the health of society.

The key to you being able to forgive is to know Jesus’s forgiveness of you on the cross. He forgave you a $1 billion debt, one that you could never forgive. Therefore, you should easily be able to forgive the $10 debt someone may owe us.

Forgiveness sets you free! It is for your benefit. It stops the endless cycle of revenge. And it's for God’s glory.