“Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.” (Prov. 11:21 NIV).
Wicked people will be punished. God says so in His word. And we are all wicked. There is not one of us who hasn’t done something evil, the only question is whether we admit it or not. I did everything possible to get my brother’s in trouble when we were kids. I skipped school when I was in highschool. I flunked out of college three times before getting my degree. We all are wicked, it’s why we need Jesus. When we understand that Jesus knows that and loves us anyway, we find the freedom of the righteous. Wicked people will be punished, but the righteous will go free.
Wicked people will be punished, but the righteous will go free.
Righteous is a word that can be easily misunderstood. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines righteousness as Just; accordant to the divine law. Jesus is the divine law:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17 ESV)
When we believe in Jesus, that He died on the cross and rose again, we become just. We are in accordance with the law. Our heart is in the right place. That is what it means to be righteous, our heart belongs to Jesus. Our first step out of our wickedness is admitting we’re wicked, then giving our heart to Jesus. Our righteousness comes from nothing we have done. Our righteousness comes from what Jesus did for us.
Confessing we need Jesus in our lives is our first confession, not our last. As much as we try not to be wicked, we can’t help ourselves:
“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18-19 NIV)
Jesus knows this about us. I’ve learned, as I’ve grown closer to Him, I become more and more sensitive to my sin nature. Each morning when I open the scriptures, I’m convicted of something I need to confess. An ill spoken word, a nasty thought, whatever the case may be, something always comes to mind. Sometimes, tearfully, I once again confess my sins to the One who always loves me.
G.K. Chesteron was an English writer. He described Jesus like this:
We must certainly be in a novel; What I like about this novelist is that he takes such trouble about his minor characters.
The novelist of your life is Jesus. No matter how minor of a character you may feel, the truth is, to Jesus, you’re the star.
Question of the Day:
What do you need to confess to Jesus today?
Further Reading: Numbers 30:1-31:54 NIV, Luke 4:1-30 NIV,Psalm 63:1-11NIV, Proverbs 11:20-21 NIV
