Proverbs 10:17. Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
Sadly, the fool who rejects reproof (correction) takes other fools down a bad path with them. By contrast, the wise person is always teachable. They heed (listen to and apply) instruction. And when they do, it puts the wise person on the path of life.
In Christ, we can say the first part of this proverb backwards. “Whoever is on the path of life heeds instruction.” If you are a Christian, then you are on the path of life. Eternal life. That is the promise of our union with Christ. Jesus doesn’t just show us the path, the way. He doesn’t just give us instructions to heed. He IS the path. He IS the way He IS the instruction, the wisdom. Therefore, if you have Christ, you ARE on the path of life. If Christ is in you, you ARE heeding God’s instruction. The indwelling Holy Spirit is guiding us on this path of Christ’s life by grace through faith.
Christian, nothing can take us off of that path. With Jesus we are saved forever. Saved forever with a new heart that supernaturally heeds the instruction of the Lord.
Of course, becoming a Christian doesn’t mean that we are magically filled with the wisdom of Christ in all its fullness so that we know what to do in each and every situation without any questions. That would be nice, but it’s not reality, and it’s not faith. God wants us to grow in Christ. He wants us to grow in faith too. That means we have to learn to be teachable moment by moment. Yes, our new heart wants to obey, but our mind must also be renewed in the knowledge of Christ. Yes, we are on the path of life, Jesus himself, but we must still learn to keep in step with the Spirit.
The key is to remain teachable throughout your entire life. Listen. Ask questions. Be humble. Never stop learning Christ and his grace. Study scripture. Meditate on the gospel. Join a class or small group. Have spiritual conversations. Sit under the preaching of the word. Heed instruction. If you are not intentional in these ways you WILL find yourself rejecting reproof and even leading others astray. Consider Diotrephes and Demetrius. One rejected reproof and led others astray. The other is on the path of life.
3 John 9-12. 9I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. 11Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
You: How teachable are you?Do you heed instruction? Or are you a Diotrephes?
You in Christ: How does knowing that in Christ you are on the path of life motivate you to heed the instruction of Christ?
Christ in you: What practical step can you take today to heed instruction? Read the word? Go to church? Join a group?
Pray: Father, deep inside I want what you want. Help me to heed instruction from you and obey you from the heart of Christ that you placed in me. Amen.
To Live is Christ 