The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
The upright are guided by their integrity. The transgressors are destroyed by their perverseness.
These sorts of contrasting proverbs are interesting because as a Christian, I know that we are all sinners. I know what it is like to be destroyed by perverseness, to a degree. I also know the difference it makes to follow Jesus and learn to walk more uprightly.
I also know that people will tempt you to deny Jesus in many ways but in our integrity, we have to stay true to what we have been given. Jesus gives us a lot.
The forgiveness of sins is the starting point, but there is so much more. As we get to know Him, we learn what living an upright life looks like and we embark on a journey of living that out, better and better until we meet Jesus at His coming.
I don’t walk perfectly, but I am thankful for the work the Lord has done. If I had continued down the path I was heading about seven years ago, I’m not sure where I would be physically, but I’m certain that I would be spiritually “woke.” And by that, I mean spiritually dead.
Those who are alive in Christ are the real “woke” – not in the same connotation, of course. This world is full of confusion and corruption (perversion) of what is right and good, and these perversities are going to be the undoing of all who are led away into mental/spiritual captivity.
Jesus said this: “He that leads into captivity must go into captivity.”
The perverse are captured by their lying and corrupted ways, and they are not content unless they do all that they can to drag the whole world down with them. They need to be justified, accepted, and glorified for their lying and wicked ways.
They will fall into captivity as a result, even the greatest captivity of all: the delusions of the false christ. Even if we are not in the final “last days” there are always some sort of “last days” approaching because man repeats the same mistakes. We cannot help it. It is in our natures. Until Jesus comes to establish His kingdom, we will keep fighting to establish ours, and eventually, the truly destitute rise to the top because they have no real moral compass keeping them from trampling all who oppose them.
This is found in social, political, scientific, religious, and all manner of fields where power is given. The whole world is on this trajectory, and the whole world will worship Satan in some form and join with Him.
The upright do not need the justification of the wicked. We have our integrity to guide us and keep us as those who follow Jesus Christ.
As those who want to “keep the patience of the saints” while we wait on the Lord, doing as He would have us do despite how confused and wicked this world gets, we can rest in this knowledge. Though we might suffer, Christianity is built for persecution and hardship. Though we might go through much, our soul will rest in Christ. It is not so for the wicked. They will have no place to go but right into the bottomless pit of man’s corruption that they dug for themselves and others. Let them think that they rule this world and will not see any sorrow.
I have come to see the Great Whore of Mystery Babylon as not just a country, or not just a religious corruption, but as a symbol for all systems of man that join themselves with the ways of Satan—and eventually—the false Christ and His world dominating power. This includes the corrupt and fallen away church, but that is not all. I think this extends to any who are made rich and drunken off of their power by wicked means that destroy others and feel entitled to do so because “they sit a queen.” These also think that because of their cleverness and alliances, they “shall see no sorrow.”
Jesus says that “her plagues shall come on her in one day: death, and mourning, and famine. She shall be utterly burned with fire.”
We are instructed to “come out of her my people that you partake not of her sins and receive not of her plagues.” This is an on-going call for the people of God in Jesus Christ because this world is always fornicating with the ways of darkness and the prince thereof.
So, let us come out of her and walk in the integrity of the truth of Jesus Christ. Though our enemy might be spiritually drunken with their perverse ways that destroy the truth and those who stand by Jesus, we know how it will end.
I will be away for a couple of weeks. I will probably work on the introduction to Thus Saith He while I am away and share that at some point, then we will get back to the Proverbs and Parables of Jesus, Lord willing.
This is part of a series of articles considering the Proverbs from a Christian mindset and applying these lessons to present-day events. You can find all of the Considering Proverbs writings here. Subscribe to receive future posts by email.
Do you have thoughts to share about Proverbs 11:3? Leave a reply in the comments!
Jesus Alone 