A wicked man displays a bold face, But as for the upright, he makes his way sure. Proverbs 21:29
We have shown to us here two ways of confidence. What distinguishes them is two important things. The first is pretty obvious - which is that one involves a wicked man while the other is upright. The other is a little more subtle because it involves attitudes and ways that they approach the confidence that they have.
The wicked man, we are told, displays a bold face. A better way to say this is that he displays his confidence with arrogance. He is a man who is not open to rebuke or correction. He is not open to anyone opposing his ideas or where he stands. This is due to a hardened heart. His confidence is a show - and often is not based on fact but on being able to bull their way through life - making others back down due to their confidence - even if it was based on false premises.
The upright man is about truth. Note that the wicked man just "displays" a bold face. His confidence is an act that he keeps up before others. The upright man is interested in making his way "sure." He wants facts and a confidence that is based out of doing God's will and living in His ways. He makes his way sure by making it biblical, god-honoring, and god-glorifying. He seeks a God-oriented confidence not based on himself and being able to make others think he is confident. It is based on knowing God - and being confident that no matter what happens - if God is pleased he has done what needs to be done. He doesn't want to be "right" in his own mind, he wants to be right with and before God. What is important is being "sure" that God is pleased.
As I close today's post, I want to share a little about the word "sure" because is it such an important concept for us if we want to understand biblical confidence. The word "sure" is from a Hebrew word that speaks of a firm, strong foundation. Confidence in our lives is not based on our works - but on God's grace that changes us. Worldly confidence is founded on the shifting sands of achievement based on this world's standards. God, though, says that what will we be profited if we gain the whole world, yet lose our souls? The core of confidence is knowing that we are living for something (or in our case Someone) that will never be subject to the destruction of moth or rust - something that cannot be stolen or taken from us. Thus to live for what is "sure" is to live for what God's Word teaches us is eternal. And as my former pastor, brother Al in Auburn, said - that is the Word of God and the souls of men.
The wicked may put on a bold face in their lifestyles, their wealth, their short-lived happiness, and their godless choices, but these things are not sure. They WILL fade away. They WILL pass away. They WILL burn in the end. When time passes away and is exposed for the shadow world it truly is. When eternity establishes itself as the true substance - then we will iknow that the upright man made the right choice. He did not merely try to convince others of his confidence. He had a confidence rooted in God' grace, God's Word, and in God Himself, the Ultimate Reality.
We have shown to us here two ways of confidence. What distinguishes them is two important things. The first is pretty obvious - which is that one involves a wicked man while the other is upright. The other is a little more subtle because it involves attitudes and ways that they approach the confidence that they have.
The wicked man, we are told, displays a bold face. A better way to say this is that he displays his confidence with arrogance. He is a man who is not open to rebuke or correction. He is not open to anyone opposing his ideas or where he stands. This is due to a hardened heart. His confidence is a show - and often is not based on fact but on being able to bull their way through life - making others back down due to their confidence - even if it was based on false premises.
The upright man is about truth. Note that the wicked man just "displays" a bold face. His confidence is an act that he keeps up before others. The upright man is interested in making his way "sure." He wants facts and a confidence that is based out of doing God's will and living in His ways. He makes his way sure by making it biblical, god-honoring, and god-glorifying. He seeks a God-oriented confidence not based on himself and being able to make others think he is confident. It is based on knowing God - and being confident that no matter what happens - if God is pleased he has done what needs to be done. He doesn't want to be "right" in his own mind, he wants to be right with and before God. What is important is being "sure" that God is pleased.
As I close today's post, I want to share a little about the word "sure" because is it such an important concept for us if we want to understand biblical confidence. The word "sure" is from a Hebrew word that speaks of a firm, strong foundation. Confidence in our lives is not based on our works - but on God's grace that changes us. Worldly confidence is founded on the shifting sands of achievement based on this world's standards. God, though, says that what will we be profited if we gain the whole world, yet lose our souls? The core of confidence is knowing that we are living for something (or in our case Someone) that will never be subject to the destruction of moth or rust - something that cannot be stolen or taken from us. Thus to live for what is "sure" is to live for what God's Word teaches us is eternal. And as my former pastor, brother Al in Auburn, said - that is the Word of God and the souls of men.
The wicked may put on a bold face in their lifestyles, their wealth, their short-lived happiness, and their godless choices, but these things are not sure. They WILL fade away. They WILL pass away. They WILL burn in the end. When time passes away and is exposed for the shadow world it truly is. When eternity establishes itself as the true substance - then we will iknow that the upright man made the right choice. He did not merely try to convince others of his confidence. He had a confidence rooted in God' grace, God's Word, and in God Himself, the Ultimate Reality.
RSS Feed