Read all of Proverbs 24, the focus of the devotion is on Proverb s 24:23-26
We live in a time where the dominant philosophy has been called Postmodernism. The basic teaching of this generation is that there is no absolute truth. What is right for one person, may not be right for another person. There is no such thing as that which is right for all people at all times in all places. In this mind set, the goal of life is to find your own truth, your own reality, your own destiny.
On the other hand, according to this philosophical viewpoint, one person should never tell another person that he or she is wrong. Postmodernism teaches that the highest moral is tolerance, accepting others as they are without judging what they do. If a person decides that he is gay, or decides to worship the sun god, or if a girl decides to have an abortion, these are all personal choices that no one else can judge. Not only is this the viewpoint on moral choices, it is also the stance taken on religion. One’s pursuit of God, they might say, is a personal choice and there is no right or wrong path to spirituality. It is the path he or she choose, and that path is right for him or her. Anyone who determines that another person’s moral choices or religious preference is wrong is intolerant.
As a follower of Jesus, this puts you and me in a difficult position. God’s Word is very clear, there is eternal, absolute truth. God has created us, gave us the Bible as the source of truth and authority, told us that Jesus is the only way to know God, and gave guidelines for life. There are principles and commandments in Scripture that are to be followed. God has called us to represent righteousness and truth. This means that followers of Jesus will need to be counter-cultural.
We live in a world that tells the wicked, “You are righteous.” Immoral, wicked people are applauded because they are “open minded”, and “politically correct.” If a person makes decisions that are completely contrary to the truths God has given us and then claims to be a victim, they will end up on the Today show, hailed as a hero for standing for their true self. On the other hand, God wants His people to know what He commands, and to understand when people disobey those commands. He wants us to understand that rebellion against God never ends well, but that Jesus has died for sin and will forgive and renew. He also wants his people to stand for truth and point out wickedness and rebuke.
This does not mean that every Christian should put on their holier than thou suit and start looking for people who are messing up. It does not mean that as believers, we realize that the standard is God’s Word. To rebuke someone is to show them the right direction. To do this, a believer must first examine himself or herself, and make sure they are trusting and obeying God. Next, a believer must deal with sin in a prayerful, humble manner. When another Christian or a non-Christian is caught up in sin, we should not look down our noses and laugh. Actually, we should pray for the person, and lovingly point them to Jesus.
But the worst thing Christian can do with sin is to ignore it, or to call what God calls evil good. So the next time you hear someone say, “What is right for you may not be right for someone else,” remind them that God loves them, but there is a standard that we have to follow.