My dear readers,

Please don’t fall!

Proverbs 11:5: “The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.”

When children learn to walk, falling is part of the learning process. This is the norm for all growing up. Parents try to be as close to their children as possible so that when they fall, they will not be injured. This falling is not the focus in Proverbs 11:5.

The new babe in Christ will also fall when he is learning to walk as a Christian. He does not know enough of God's Word yet as he tries to live the life of a Christian. His fall refers to the sins he commits, as these mistakes in life negatively impact his Christian witness. However, his heavenly Father will ensure that when he falls, He is always nearby to comfort and alleviate the hurt. Like a loving parent who desires their child to keep learning to walk, no matter how many times they may fall, God desires the same for all believers. Is this not the only route to Christian maturity?

Christianity is not just about studying the Bible. The bane of theological studies is that it often provides many Christians with a piece of paper that shows they are knowledgeable about the Bible. Knowing the Bible well has become synonymous with knowing God well. Knowing the facts of the Bible does not mean knowing the Bible well. Spending three or more years in a Bible College or seminary does not make a sinner a Christian. Many assume that a person who graduates with a Master's degree or a Doctor of Theology is not only a Christian but also a mature Christian. The entire congregation of believers would look at them with respectful eyes and ascribe to them a “god-like” aura when it comes to preaching and teaching God’s Word. These man-made “degrees” are awarded to graduates who have completed specific subjects in the Bible and passed within a man-made system of Grade Point Average (GPA). They are nothing but a piece of paper bearing empty accolades given by fallen men.

Many, including the teachers in these theological institutions, are not even believers! They think they know God because they are familiar with the facts of the Bible. They cannot be more wrong! On the day of Christ’s judgment, they will be evaluated on how they have obeyed and lived, not on how familiar they are with the Bible.

The fall referred to here in Proverbs 11:5 is the fall of a lifetime. It is a fall because of “his own wickedness.” This is a fall of all falls whereby he dies in his sins and is cast into hell, where he will remain till the Great White Throne Judgment and he will join the devil, the Antichrist and the False Prophet in the Lake of Fire. All the falls of man in this life can be repented of in Christ. However, the fall at the end of life is without repentance, for the day of salvation will end with death, and then the judgment. Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

The only way not to fall – Falling short today in life, i.e. to fall into sin while seeking to be holy as Christ is holy, is the biblical blueprint for Christian witness. Before salvation, man is in bondage to sin. Sin was man’s master controlling his thoughts, motives, words and deeds. Everything he did was sinful. It does not mean that he walks around like a crazy man doing crazy things. Some of the things he does may have the appearance of kindness and goodness, but these “good” deeds are only skin deep. By the common grace of God, sinful men with depraved minds are allowed to know how to care for and love their families and provide for them. Sinful men can even sacrifice themselves for a cause that they think might be good for humanity, country or loved ones. But at the end of it all, God still considers them as filthy rags in His holy sight because the motives behind every kind-hearted deed is a man-centred motive committed by sin-stained hands. A deed may be regarded by humanity as good because it saves fellow men, but from God's perspective it is still not good enough to enter heaven, which is the ultimate purpose of the “good” deeds of man.

All are born sinners because they are all conceived in sin. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life rule their hearts from the beginning of their existence. The evidence of this truth is the fact that babies die at birth, and some even die inside their mother’s womb having committed no sin. Death is the result of sin. Get rid of sin; get rid of death. Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

But when a sinner accepts Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour (who died on the cross for his sins, i.e. as his Substitute whom God punished), all his sins are forgiven by God for Christ’s sake. The righteousness of the law is now imputed to him. God sees him as having God's righteousness, i.e. as if he has never sinned a single sin in his life and will not sin again, which would condemn him to hell. He is now perfect in God's sight, positionally. He becomes a child of God, establishing a new, eternal relationship with Him. God will forever see him as His child. From a practical standpoint, the child of God will continue to sin, but every time he sins, he will repent. If the Christian regards iniquity in his heart, God will not hear his prayers or receive his worship. Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” The fellowship with God is suspended until he repents, but the Father-child relationship remains intact and eternal.

God knows that believers are not sinlessly perfect in their earthly vessels, even as they desire to be perfect without, and they are perfect positionally within. The convicting power of the indwelling Holy Spirit propels them in the direction of sincere repentance. The righteousness of the perfect directs (i.e. makes straight) the pathway of his life. The righteousness here means to do all things according to the Holy Scriptures. The life of the believer reflects the holy image of Christ. His words are the words of Christ, as the counsel is based on the Holy Scriptures. His motive is the love of Christ constraining him. His deeds are kind, gracious, thoughtful and considerate, for they are according to the Holy Scriptures. He does all things based on God's truth, including admonishment.

Biblical righteousness guides his life. He will always strive to do what is right, according to the Holy Scriptures.

The way that guarantees a fall – But the wicked one is known by his fall. The wicked one is an unbeliever. He lives in sin. He does not care at all for Christ. He does whatever is right in his own eyes. He is motivated by money and a desire for self-love. The vices of life characterise his daily routine. He feels no shame about his carnality. He constantly boasts of how good he is at cheating and bullying others to make another dollar. He feels no shame as long as he is living the life of a king.

The other kind of wickedness is more deceptive, committed by those who think they are children of God. They attend and serve faithfully in the church. They think they know God’s Word because they teach or preach it, share the gospel, or even hold a theological degree, but God measures their life, not their intellect. They may even be ordained as pastors, but they are wicked still in God’s eyes. Their wicked deeds may not be as overt as gossiping, lying, cheating, stealing, or bullying; these wicked ones will continue to do them without repentance. They deceive themselves by justifying their actions of doing Christian works. Hence, they sear their own conscience with their delusion, not knowing that the righteousness of the perfect should direct his way, not wickedness. They may even walk around with a smile on their faces, thinking that all is well with their soul when it is still as dark as charcoal.

One of the hallmarks of the righteous Christian is his sincere repentance. The only way to get out of the state of wickedness is to be hidden in Christ. Getting rid of sin through Christ, rather than justifying it, characterises the life of the righteous. The wicked deludes himself by holding on to errors in his teaching or his sinful conduct. His life is carnal outwardly because it is a reflection of his inner carnality where the Holy Spirit does not dwell.

Fall today and repent with all your heart before God in Christ. Do not fall at the end of life like the wicked.

Please don’t fall at the end!