Proverbs 21:15 ¶ It is joy to the just to do judgment: but
destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
A few verses ago, back in verse 7, the wicked
refused to do judgment. Here, the just take joy in doing judgment. To discern
between good and evil, to choose righteousness over sin, to help those weaker
than oneself, to love one’s brothers and sisters in Christ, to have compassion
for the lost, to obey God’s words in His Book, and to do those things which
draw one closer in a relationship with Christ each and every day are a joy to
the just. Literally, this verse would have been to the Hebrew under the Law
which, while revealing God’s standard of righteousness, doesn’t bind us because
we are justified by Christ by faith, and not by observing ritual practices,
ordinances, regulations, and the memorials of the Jews.
The workers of iniquity face destruction in Hell
and the Lake of Fire. But there is something interesting about that phrase.
Initially, we think it would be a reference to those who have turned their backs
on God, who reject Christ. But, in addition to that, notice who is called a
worker of iniquity in another reference. Here, Jesus is talking to religious
people, still under the Law, mind you, as He has not been crucified and
resurrected and the Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell the believer yet.
Matthew 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?
and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Now, it would seem that religious people engaged
in what they imagine is working for the Lord can work iniquity instead.
Remember the warning that Jesus gave His disciples?
John 16:2 They shall put you out of the
synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he
doeth God service.
It is possible to do works that you believe are
for God and from God and to actually be a worker of iniquity. How so, you ask?
Well, if a preacher gets in front of a congregation and calls the women in the
congregation whores if they wear women’s slacks at home or have shorter hair
than he prefers he is certainly working iniquity. God has given no man a
calling to demand anything other than modesty in dress AND demeanor from women.
If you want to follow the Bible literally in regard to dress then we’d all be
wearing robes. In any event, the breeches talked about in Exodus 28:42; 29:48;
Leviticus 6:10, 16:4; & Ezekiel 44:18 are underwear for the priest sons of
Aaron. (I’ve already discussed the short versus long hair by way of the head
covering, no head covering issue.) If you have a conviction I will respect it.
I will not respect you placing your conviction on someone else as a condition
for their salvation.
A preacher who gets up in front of his
congregation and tells women they are wicked if they have to work outside of
the home and are anything but housewives is working iniquity by placing an
economic burden on a family that God never placed on them. To some, they have a
conviction that they should not work outside the home. That is good. There are
some sound reasons for having that conviction. However, it may be necessary to
meet basic obligations for both husband and wife to work outside the home. Just
because you have been blessed with a well-paying job and can afford that
conviction, you should praise God rather than condemn families who have not
been blessed with such.
The much abused phrase that some say means
“housewife”, “keeper at home” in Titus 2:5 “To be discreet, chaste, keepers
at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed”, can easily be cross referenced to;
Habakkuk 2:5 Yea also, because he
transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who
enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but
gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
...and compared to the problem young widows
presented in the early church;
1 Timothy 5:13 And withal they learn to be
idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also
and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
A person who doesn’t keep at home is a gadabout,
out and about looking for trouble and causing trouble; a drunkard or a gossip.
If you want a verse that directs women to be responsible for the home it is
wiser to use the next verse;
1Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the
younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the
adversary to speak reproachfully.
So, while your conviction and your wife’s
conviction that she is to stay home and guide the house and that should be her
employment is a good one and well justified to get up in front of the church
body and condemn those women who are struggling in this economy to help keep
the family alive outside of the home, as some do, is evil.
There are many workers of iniquity in churches
who will knowingly give a church leader a pass when he abuses either physically
or sexually a member of the congregation, even blaming the victim completely,
and continue to extoll the virtue and merits of the offender all the while
calling the victim, even a child, “a Jezebel” or a “temptress”. There are
actually workers of iniquity who lay the blame for all of men’s sexual sins on
a woman when we all know we own our own sin; whether it be the woman who flirts
or dresses provocatively or the man who acts on his lust. We choose to do it.
We have access to the grace to not do it and they are apparently ignorant of;
1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation
taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
There are those who believe in a form
of Nicolaitanism where the preacher is a special class high above the laity and
cannot be questioned and lives under a different set of rules than the rest of
us, which he does, but they view his standard as lower than the one that
applies to the rest of us, apparently. They will angrily denounce you if you
question “the man o’ God”, who is, after all, a man, and not some anointed
Hebrew priest or possessing of any more of the Spirit of God than the humblest
congregant. The bishop, pastor, or elder is held to a higher standard morally
than the rest of the congregation because of his position. Calling a member of
the congregation evil because they privately and respectfully questioned the
basis for something the Pastor has said is just wrong but you read of it all
the time in churches around the country.
If these judgmental, Bible twisting Pharisees
I’ve been talking about, and I haven’t even scratched the surface, are even
saved and won’t hear “depart from me” they will at least be ashamed at the
judgment seat of Christ where all Christians will be judged for what they have
done in the body. When you hear anyone in front of the congregation spewing
hate toward the brethren who don’t share their convictions and twisting
scripture to justify their hate then you have one worker of iniquity, among many.
Let me give you an example. I believe that a
woman, a wife, in order to have her work blessed by God must only work under
the authority of her own husband; say in a family business or activity. I think
and am convicted that it is confusion for her to work under the authority of
another man. That’s my belief. I think it’s Biblically based and sound. If I
were to tell you that if you don’t agree with me and don’t quit your job at the
school or the factory that you are wicked, crushing your spirit, laying a guilt
trip on you, etc. etc. then I have engaged in a wrong action. That’s totally
different than showing you from God’s word that God condemns adultery or
profanity or commands for us that are clear as a bell. One’s a conviction; an
interpretation, while the other is as obvious as the nose on your face.
Workers of iniquity have destroyed so many
Christians’ faith and relationship with the risen Saviour by shutting them off
to God’s truth in His word and laying burdens on them that God never intended that
it’s sickening. It is a joy to the just to do judgment, a righteous, Biblical,
and Godly judgment but destruction is what’s coming to the workers of iniquity.
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