Proverbs 13:5-8 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 13:5-8, which read,

v.5 - A righteous man hates falsehood, but a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully.

The just or the lawful man hates lies and deception but the criminal man creates an ashamedly bad smell with his life.  Sin is wrong but do you hate sin?  Does it turn your stomach?  If it doesn't then you will probably not do what you need to do biblically when you sin.  It will probably not lead to confession that leads to continued transformation to be more like Christ.  

You will start to live in sin or with sin.  I know that we usually think of the certain situation of cohabitation when we say that phrase "live in sin" but it is anytime that we live with any sin unconfessed and it creates a bad smell in our lives.  It is something that is rotting inside of us and eventually will come out in some type of action.

v.6 - Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, but wickedness subverts the sinner.

When we live rightly or a life of justice that can only be based off of the only One who is just and righteous, Jesus Christ, it guards; it watches over; and it keeps us marching down a path or journey of integrity to a completion or fulfillment.  There are so many things that we avoid because of living a life that honors Christ.  There are definitely things that we go through because the rain falls on the just and the unjust but there are so many obstacles that are not experienced because His righteousness protects us while being on that righteous path.

The opposite is that wickedness or living a life of shame and guilt because of wrong or sinful living leads us down a twisted path.  It is a path that is riddled with perversion, distortion, and ruin.  You are receiving the consequences of living in and with sin that could have been confessed and resulted in a very different outcome.  

v.7 - There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.

There is a lot of pretending going on in this verse.  One is pretending to be rich and one is pretending to be poor.  The one pretending to be rich thinks that his riches will make up for any unconfessed sin.  He can live in sin and with sin by buying it out with his resources.  He thinks he will get out of it and its effects by throwing his money at it.  We know that this is not the biblical instruction of dealing with sin and therefore he has nothing because he doesn't experience the forgiveness of God which is true peace and riches.

The other one is pretending to be poor and putting on a show of "poor me."  This one is looking for sympathy and a way out of unconfessed sin because there is some excuse to not resolve it God's way.  You have great wealth because you have the words of God and the instruction to deal with sin rather than live in it or with it.  But the one pretending to be poor chooses to make excuses to foster the sympathy of others to continue to live shamefully.  

The great wealth of God is sitting on the sidelines while you play the pretend the rich card with the thought that you can buy your way out of that sin or you play the pretend the poor card and you look for other's sympathy rather than God's forgiveness.  

v.8 - The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but the poor hears no rebuke.

If we are seeing true wealth as following after God, it will bring upon you ransom, atonement and reconciliation.  The wicked, the fool and the poor don't follow after God and don't receive that ransom because they do not listen to God's rebuke about the sin they are living in or living with.  They ignore it.  They know it but they decide to go it their own way and therefore they do not receive the reconciliation that they could have.  The riches of God are sitting on the sidelines of their lives instead of being in the game calling the godly plays.

Do you want to experience God's ransom?  Do you want to experience God's guarding of your life?  Do you want to experience God's wealth for you?  Hate sin, confess sin, and kill sin with His righteousness.  Keep God in the game when the temptation to sin comes along and don't pretend to be someone you are not.  You are not Him who can deal with and kill sin.  You just play with sin and it gets you in a heap of trouble.  Let's pray.

"Lord, teach us to confess.  Teach us to make right by following after your instruction.  Teach us to see when we have put You on the sidelines.  Help us to keep You calling the plays.  When I hate what You hate then I can live like You live and receive what You promise and provide.  Amen."

Pastor Adam