February 20, 2024 -- Proverbs 20:11 -- Every child is known by his actions

Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
    by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Proverbs 20:11 ESV

It is certain that a child does not have the same skills to deceive as does an adult. You meet little ones who bat their eyes and seem sweet and innocent, but all it takes is a few minutes of watching them when they think no one is near and their conduct will reveal their heart’s wretched condition. Watch a man long enough and you’ll know what he truly honours. He may say he loves the LORD, but such things as his spending and indulgences in lust will prove otherwise.

The fruit of one’s conduct reveals the heart. David, writing about the wicked, noted “For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue" (Psalm 5:9 ESV).

By way of contrast, David wrote of the people of God: “But I, through the abundance of Your steadfast love, will enter Your house…Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness (Psalm 5:7a,8a ESV). What prompts the Christian to act in purity and uprightness? It is the steadfast love of the LORD, which has been revealed by the gift of Jesus Christ. Jesus sacrificial love, sealed to the believer by the Holy Spirit, prompts believers to respond with ever greater acts of devotion and love for God.

The contrast between the saint and sinner is this: both sin, but the saint turns to Jesus Christ in repentance, confessing his sins while hating them more and more. The saint is made a saint by the on-going work of the Holy Spirit Who throws down sin and reveals the intentions of the heart so that such a man takes refuge in God and sings for joy at the work of God’s hands.

Mighty God, all who take refuge in You rejoice, singing for joy, for You have spread Your protection over them by the reconciling blood of Jesus. Those who love the Name of Jesus exult in You by the power of Your Spirit! For You bless the righteous, O LORD; You cover him with favor as with a shield. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ezxuJ_Irpks?si=g7rvjR9FB51FzGxj "The Perfect Wisdom of God"

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