The Way Which Seemeth Right

 

Proverbs 14:12 “THERE IS A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, BUT THE END THEREOF are THE WAYS OF DEATH.”

 

Introduction

 

            Deception is so easy, partly because many people are so gullible; many are so trusting, especially in the realm of religion.  Even in the denominational world men have moved from the old-line established religious groups to virtually anything man can think up.  A recent number heard is that there are now some 22,000 denominations in the world.  Just one example is the Spirit Wind Ministries on LA3 north of Bossier City, LA.  The right way to one man is the wrong way to another. Any man that can generate a little following can start a church and if they are successful in men’s eyes, such as Rick Warren with his Saddleback Church, can fool thousands.

            If we but study the will of God we can see the Way that is right.

 

God’s Way or Man’s Way

 

            The nations that Israel were to overthrow to possess God’s promised land had abandoned God many years before.  They worshipped idols, pillars, and groves; they were instructed:

 

“YE SHALL NOT DO AFTER ALL the things THAT WE DO HERE THIS DAY, EVERY MAN WHATSOEVER is RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.” Deuteronomy 12:8

 

            God’s ways are higher than man’s ways:

 

Isaiah 55:8-9 “FOR MY THOUGHTS are NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NEITHER are YOUR WAYS MY WAYS, SAITH THE LORD.  FOR as THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.”

 

Psalms 103:11 “FOR AS THE HEAVEN IS HIGH ABOVE THE EARTH, so GREAT IS HIS MERCY TOWARD THEM THAT FEAR HIM.”

 

            Man, of himself, does not have the wisdom to guide his own footsteps:

 

Jeremiah 10:23 “O LORD, I KNOW THAT THE WAY OF MAN is NOT IN HIMSELF: it is NOT IN MAN THAT WALKETH TO DIRECT HIS STEPS.”

 

            We see on the TV news every night and read in our newspapers every day about members of our current generation that are without God and like those described by the Holy Spirit through the pen of Agur:

 

Proverbs 30:11-14There is A GENERATION that CURSETH THEIR FATHER AND DOTH NOT BLESS THEIR MOTHER.  There is A GENERATION that are PURE IN THEIR OWN EYES, AND yet IS NOT WASHED FROM THEIR FILTHINESS.  There is A GENERATION, O HOW LOFTY ARE THEIR EYES! AND THEIR EYELIDS ARE LIFTED UP.  There is A GENERATION, WHOSE TEETH are as SWORDS, AND THEIR JAW TEETH as KNIVES, TO DEVOUR THE POOR FROM OFF THE EARTH, AND THE NEEDY FROM among MEN.”

 

            Men justify themselves, they justify their teachings and their surmising before men, they are more than accepted, they are touted and held high for their false teachings but what are they in the sight of God?

 

Luke 16:15 “AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, YE ARE THEY WHICH JUSTIFY YOURSELVES BEFORE MEN; BUT GOD KNOWETH YOUR HEARTS: FOR THAT WHICH IS HIGHLY ESTEEMED AMONG MEN IS ABOMINATION IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.”

 

            Because they would not accept the teachings of the Son of God the disciples of Jesus that stood for the truth of God’s word in the days of Jesus were in danger.  They were not only in danger of being driven out of the houses of worship and out of the fellowship of the congregations of the people but even being killed as many were.

 

John 16:2-3  “THEY SHALL PUT YOU OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUES; YEA, THE TIME COMETH, THAT WHOSOEVER KILLETH YOU WILL THINK THAT HE DOETH GOD SERVICE.  AND THESE THINGS WILL THEY DO UNTO YOU, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE FATHER, NOR ME.”

 

            Even today in the Arab world we see men slaughtering other men in the name of God, a slaughter that will only grow worse unless stopped.  These people are some of the most zealous in their cause that we will ever find in this world but they fit Paul’s description of those that stumbled at the teaching of Christ:

 

“FOR I BEAR THEM RECORD THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE.” Romans 10:2

            Those that know the way of God know without doubt that we will not escape the consequences of the things that we do.  Paul wrote:

 

“BE NOT DECEIVED; GOD IS NOT MOCKED: FOR WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP.  FOR HE THAT SOWETH TO HIS FLESH SHALL OF THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION; BUT HE THAT SOWETH TO THE SPIRIT SHALL OF THE SPIRIT REAP LIFE EVERLASTING.” Galatians 6:7-8

 

God’s Way is the Right Way

 

            Many men would have us to believe that so long as we are honest and sincere we will be right with God.  But this is a delusion.  There is no doubt there are millions of people on this earth that are doing sincerely those things that they think are right but that God finds to be an abomination.  In fact we could stretch this notion so far as to say that those who murdered over 3,000 people on 9/11 were honest and sincere in their belief that they were doing the will of God.

            Millions of men take false teaching that is spiritual poison, thinking that they are doing right but God finds them to be an abomination.  We even have people in this country who do strange things such as handling poisonous snakes in their worship and frequently pay the consequences.  Their way seems right to them but has no basis in God’s way.

            There is a Latin saying that was held as truth for many years that says “Vox Populi, Vox Dei”; “The voice of the people, the voice of God.”  In other words whatever the people chose to do, whatever the people chose to follow as law, whatever the people chose to practice as religion or present as worship to God was acceptable.  Vast multitudes are following that same philosophy today and thousands of our brethren are joining them in their teaching and practice.  They are accepting a fallacy, a falsehood as their spiritual guide.

            This is nothing new to the world or the Word of God.  In the days of Noah the “voice of the people” was definitely contrary to God:

 

Genesis 6:5 “AND GOD SAW THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN was GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND that EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART was ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY.”

 

Only Noah “FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.” Genesis 6:8

 

            In II Chronicles 18, one man, the prophet Micah, was asked whether Judah should join Israel against their enemies at Ramoth-gilead.  Micah gave God’s word:

 

II Chronicles 18:16  “THEN HE SAID, I DID SEE ALL ISRAEL SCATTERED UPON THE MOUNTAINS, AS SHEEP THAT HAVE NO SHEPHERD; AND THE LORD SAID, THESE HAVE NO MASTER; LET THEM RETURN therefore EVERY MAN TO HIS HOUSE IN PEACE.”

 

But the false prophets hired by Ahab, the king of Israel, were many and told the king what he wanted to hear.  As a result the king of Judah was taken in.

 

II Chronicles 18:5 “THEREFORE THE KING OF ISRAEL GATHERED TOGETHER OF PROPHETS FOUR HUNDRED MEN, AND SAID UNTO THEM, SHALL WE GO TO RAMOTH-GILEAD TO BATTLE, OR SHALL I FORBEAR?  AND THEY SAID, GO UP; FOR GOD WILL DELIVER it UNTO THE KING’S HAND.”

 

            The “voice of the people” were wrong at the crucifixion of Jesus.  Peter brings their sin home to them in one of his sermons in Jerusalem in the first days of the church this way:

 

Acts 3:14 “BUT YE DENIED THE HOLY ONE AND THE JUST, AND DESIRED A MURDERER TO BE GRANTED UNTO YOU.”

 

            Convinced by the words of his sons, Jacob thought Joseph to be dead for 22 years but he was mislead with Joseph’s bloody coat:

 

Genesis 37:33 “AND HE KNEW IT, AND SAID, it is MY SON’S COAT; AND EVIL BEAST HATH DEVOURED HIM; JOSEPH IS WITHOUT DOUBT RENT IN PIECES.”

 

We could present example after example of men thinking that they were right when they were not but this is sufficient to illustrate the point of this lesson.

 

But Men Insist

 

            Across the country and even within the ranks of our brethren we have men serving to God in worship that which they think God should require rather than what His words tells us is required.  Across this country and around the world men are teaching what they think God might say, may of said, should have said regarding our service to him, what is required to be a faithful child of his, what is required to reach that eternal destination, heaven.  But they are wrong. Around the entire world men are teaching, practicing and in some cases forcing on other people religions that are based totally upon the whims and wants of the people.

            But the Bible does not leave us in doubt.  Jesus said:


Matthew 7:21 “NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH TO ME LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.”

 

Paul made sure that the Thessalonican brethren were grounded and anchored in The Faith.

 

I Thessalonians 3:2 “AND SENT TIMOTHEUS, OUR BROTHER, AND MINISTER OF GOD, AND OUR FELLOWLABOURER IN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, TO ESTABLISH YOU, AND TO COMFORT YOU CONCERNING YOUR FAITH.”

 

            We must believe and follow God in order to enjoy the blessings of eternity and heaven:

 

Hebrews 11:6 “BUT WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE him: FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND that HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.”

 

But the entire world those who rejected God after the flood, lived without God for centuries, and/or rejected Christ as the Messiah sent by God all had ways that seem right to them:

            Mohammedans do not completely deny Jesus.  They recognize him as a prophet but secondary to Mohammad.  But the Son of God tells us:

 

“I SAID THEREFORE UNTO YOU, THAT YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS; FOR IF YE BELIEVE NOT THAT I AM he, YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS.” John 8:24

 

            Buddhists, Hindus and the litany of eastern religions believe in everything from a golden statue of a tubby man, to reincarnation, worship their ancestors, and a variety of other things.  But the Word of the Creator of our universe, the Holy Spirit tells us through the pen of Paul:

 

Romans 1:16 “FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH; TO THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.”

 

            Many teach that all you have to do is be a good moral person to enjoy the blessings of salvation but the scripture does not teach anything of this nature.  There were many good moral Jews and I’m sure not a few good moral infidels during the time of Christ.  In fact we have an example in the New Testament of a good, moral man but one who was not saved:

 

Acts 10:1-2 “THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN IN CAESAREA CALLED CORNELIUS, A CENTURION OF THE BAND CALLED THE ITALIAN band, a DEVOUT man, AND ONE THAT FEARED GOD WITH ALL HIS HOUSE, WHICH GAVE MUCH ALMS TO THE PEOPLE, AND PRAYED TO GOD ALWAY.”

 

But the scripture tells us that God’s richest blessings and the salvation of our souls is given only to those who obey the words of His Son:

 

Mark 16:16 “HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED.”

 

Ephesians 1:3 “BLESSED be THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HATH BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY places IN CHRIST;”

 

Bible Examples

 

I Peter 4:11 “IF ANY MAN SPEAK, let him speak AS THE ORACLES OF GOD; IF ANY MAN MINISTER, let him do it AS OF THE ABILITY WHICH GOD GIVETH: THAT GOD IN ALL THINGS MAY BE GLORIFIED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, TO WHOM BE PRAISE AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER.  AMEN.”

 

            In His oracles God has been exact in his instructions and expects exact obedience to his commands.  God does not change (Malachi 3:6).  Uzzah is our first example.  Man was not to touch the Ark of the Covenant at the penalty of death.  It was to be carried by the priests on poles running through rings on the sides of the ark.  But when Israel recovered the Ark of God from the Philistines it seemed right to them to move it by ox cart:

 

II Samuel 6:6-7 “AND WHEN THEY CAME TO NACHON’S THRESHINGFLOOR, UZZAH PUT FORTH his hand TO THE ARK OF GOD, AND TOOK HOLD OF IT; FOR THE OXEN SHOOK it.  AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS KINDLED AGAINST UZZAH; AND GOD SMOTE HIM THERE FOR his ERROR; AND THERE HE DIED BY THE ARK OF GOD.”

 

            Under the Mosaic Covenant the priests were the only people that were authorized by God to offer sacrifices and burn incense in the temple of God but Uzziah, their king, decided to take that privilege upon himself:

 

II Chronicles 26:18 “AND THEY WITHSTOOD UZZIAH THE KING AND SAID UNTO HIM, It appertaineth NOT UNTO THEE, UZZIAH, TO BURN INCENSE UNTO THE LORD, BUT TO THE PRIESTS, THE SONS OF AARON, THAT ARE CONSECRATED TO BURN INCENSE: GO OUT OF THE SANTUARY; FOR THOU HAST TRESPASSED; NEITHER shall it be FOR THINE HONOUR FROM THE LORD GOD.”

 

            One more example from the schoolmaster:  when Aaron and his sons were consecrated to make sacrifice for the Israelite nation he also instituted sacrifices for them to prepare and present in worship to him.  In Leviticus 9:24 those sacrifices were consumed by fire that He sent down for that purpose and designated what fire they should use in their daily offerings.  The sons of Aaron who served as priests seemed to think that another way was just as right.

 

Leviticus 10:1-2 “AND NADAB AND ABIHU, THE SONS OF AARON, TOOK EITHER OF THEM HIS CENSER, AND PUT FIRE THEREIN AND PUT INCENSE THEREON, AND OFFERED STRANGE FIRE BEFORE THE LORD, WHICH HE COMMMANDED THEM NOT.  AND THERE WENT OUT FIRE FROM THE LORD, AND CONSUMED HTEM, AND THEY DIED BEFORE THE LORD.”

 

            It is indeed that these things were given unto us that we might learn the nature of God and how God deals with his creation.  As the Holy Spirit tells us through the pen of the Apostle Paul:

 

Romans 15:4 “FOR WHATSOEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT WE THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE.”

 

II John v.9 “WHOSOEVER TRANSGRESSETH (goeth onward), AND ABIDETH NOT IN THE DOCTRINE (teaching) OF CHRIST, HATH NOT GOD.  HE THAT ABIDETH IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, HE HATH BOTH THE FATHER AND THE SON.”

 

Conclusion

 

            Indeed, for multiplied millions and billions of people in the day of judgment who have followed a way that seemed right to them are going to be deeply disappointed with their eternal destination.  God has warned man repeatedly, destroyed him from the face of the earth once, except for Noah and his family, destroyed nations and peoples because of their refusal to obey him but the lesson never seems to sink in for very long that:

 

“THERE IS A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, BUT THE END THEREOF are THE WAYS OF DEATH.” Proverbs 14:12

 

            We should take God at his word.  He is our Supreme Being, our Creator, the Finisher and Ruler of our universe.  The day will come when he will bring this world to an abrupt end and all mankind from all ages will be judged.

 

“AND SAMUEL SAID, HATH THE LORD as great DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICE AS IN OBEYING THE VOICE OF THE LORD?  BEHOLD, TO OBEY is BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, and TO HEARKEN THAN THE FAT OF RAMS.”  I Samuel 15:22

 

Matthew 7:21 “NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH TO ME LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.”

 

Hebrews 5:8-9 “THOUGH HE WERE A SON, YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED; AND BEING MADE PERFECT, HE BECAME THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION UNTO ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM;”

 

Invitation