Proverbs 25:26
“A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.”
This verse is an illustration of what the world commonly calls hypocrisy when read at face value. When a person receives Jesus as their savior and Lord then they become the righteousness of God in Christ. As well, Jesus stated in John 4 that the righteous will have from their bellies living water flowing. The purpose of the living water is so that that person and anyone they are around can be refreshed with the Spirit of the living God. As this verse alludes to, when a righteous person- a saved person falters and unbelievers see it, then no one can be refreshed from the living waters in that person. They are indeed tainted and polluted. However, when we examine the meaning of the term “falters” we find that it is more precise than just stumbling into sin. In actuality it includes that, but the meaning is to be greatly shaken. This means that when a righteous person encounters a situation that challenges their faith they are in a precarious position. If they have professed to believe that God has the answer to their situation then it is at this time that they must walk that belief out. This is where the tipping point is. 1 Peter 1:7 assures us that it is not us specifically or individually that are attacked by the wicked one, no it is our faith. When we come under the onslaught of the enemy, he is deliberately attempting to shake us off of our faith in Jesus Christ. He attacks what we say we believe.
Recently the world has experienced the Covid-19 pandemic and there have been orders for churches across the country to transition their services from in person to virtual. God emphatically and specifically said that we are not to forsake the gathering together of the saints {Hebrews 10:25}. Now, according to every law or standard placed on the American people during this pandemic, gatherings can be of no more than 10 people. However, almost every church in the country shut its doors and is not even making an effort to keep God’s command. They are not even attempting to gather together even in groups of ten, and yet for years they have promulgated that they believe the Bible and they imply that they follow the Bibles dictates. This situation of them closing and bowing to the will of the ruler of this world is the perfect example of Proverbs 25:26 in action. Those people who have built up giant megachurches and little congregations all over the country who have claimed to follow Jesus in every way have just been shaken off of their faith and have thus become polluted wells. Notice, however, that they are still righteous and that they are still wells. That is good news because it means that they can be cleaned by God and be restored their former flowing, life giving waters. If you have found yourself shaken off of your faith in some area of your life, please do not attempt to go about telling others how they can master that same area in their lives. Instead, forsake your unbelief, go to the Father and ask for His forgiveness and help getting your waters clean again and then you will be able to stand in faith and declare the goodness of the Lord to those who would attack your faith again.
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