Proverbs 16:25. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
This proverb is exactly the same as Proverbs 14:12 (see June 13). Why would Solomon (and God) include the same proverb twice? Well, probably because it is that important. In fact, this proverb describes the basic condition of every person who tries to live without God through Christ. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, we all live in the self-deception of believing that our way is right when it is actually the path to death.
How many examples of this truth can we see just in the Bible alone?
Jacob thought he was doing right when he stole the blessing from his brother Esau, but without God’s intervention his big brother would have killed him.
King David thought he was doing right when he numbered his armies, but the end was the angel of death.
Jonah thought he was doing right when he asked God to destroy rather than forgive the wicked Ninevites. In the end he wanted to die if the filthy pagans were spared.
Peter thought he was doing right when he defended Jesus in the garden and cut off a soldier’s ear, but those who live by the sword will die by the same sword.
What about you? What do you do that seems right to you, but might actually be the path to death? Your refusal to forgive and reconcile? Your desire to disconnect from that difficult person? Your plan to withhold affection until your spouse learns their lesson? Your pursuit of authenticity that prevents you from dealing with your annoying character traits? Your consumeristic lifestyle that keep you bouncing from church to church unable to commit to a local family of believers?
Most important of all is being able to recognize THE way that seems right to every man, the path we chose back in the Garden, the way of self-righteous salvation by works of the flesh. Works salvation is our default. Earn it. Prove yourself. Perform. Try harder. Keep short accounts with God. Obedience brings blessing. Of course this sort of religious moralism seems right. Just make sure your good outweighs your bad and that you tried your best and everything will be fine, right? Right?
Wrong.
The WAY of Christ, which is Christ himself, is actually the exact opposite of this way that seems right. The way of Christ is foolishness to man. Why? Because it is the way of complete faith, not in our own performance, but in Christ’s performance for us. Jesus is the only person to ever get everything right. And yet he still ended up on the way of death. In Christ we still get almost everything wrong, and yet we end up on the way of life. How? Because the way of life lives in us. He (yes, the Way is a person) lives through us. Now we can live right. We can know that anything we do from faith in Christ’s finished work is counted as righteous. And we can know that anything we do that looks like the selfless sacrificial love of the cross is truly right.
You: Where are you relying on your own personal judgment or performance in your daily life?
You in Christ: How does union with Christ keep us from trying to perform for our righteousness?
Christ in you: Is Christ living his life through you, or are you still trying to impress Christ? Can you tell the difference?
Pray: Father, you have placed me on the way of life because you have put the Way of life in my heart. Keep showing me the difference between faith and works today. Amen.
To Live is Christ 