Our Reputation Reflects Our Hearts – (Proverbs 24:8-9)
Daily Proverbs
He who plots to do evil Will be called a schemer. The devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Daily Bible Study
Here the Bible is giving us practical wisdom to help us build godly character within our hearts. As these passages point out those who plot evil and devise foolishness not only sin against God, but become known by their behavior. And for us this is evidence of how sin destroys our hearts and distorts our perception of the world around us. Sin tricks those who embrace it, into believing the lie that no one will find out. Those who are captivated by sin are greatly deceived, they believe their sin is secret, when all know about it. They believe that no one can know what they do in secret. All the while God not only sees everything, but He knows the motives, desires and reasons behind all their activity. They forget God judges us, not just on the things we do or say, but more so on the motives and reasons behind our actions.
Moreover, those who devise foolishness and sin believe their reputation is good when it has already been destroyed and no one trust them. And they believe God will not see them, they do not understand that nothing is hid from the eyes of God, and their fate and judgment has already been conferred upon them. The penalty for their sins has already been placed against them and only the blood of Christ can remove it. For those who do these things the message is clear! Their behavior is an abomination in the sight of the Lord who is watching. Therefore, we are all called to put away scheming, scoffing and foolishness. And to put on Christ Jesus and become a new creation in Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts, in our minds and in our lives. To "put on Christ Jesus" means to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, believing He is who He claimed to be, that is the incarnate God of Heaven!