The Word and The Way

Turn away from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 34:14) How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

The highway of the upright turns away and departs from evil;

He who guards his way protects his life (soul). (Proverbs 16:16-17) A highway will be there, and a roadway;

And it will be called the Holy Way.

The unclean will not travel on it,

But it will be for those who walk on the way [the redeemed];

And fools will not wander on it.

No lion will be there,

Nor will any predatory animal come up on it;

They will not be found there.

But the redeemed will walk there. (Isaiah 35:8-9) Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer;

They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,

Because they hated knowledge

And did not choose the fear of the LORD [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect],

They would not accept my counsel,

And they spurned all my rebuke. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way

And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

For the turning away of the naive will kill them,

And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.

“But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust

And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.” (Proverbs 1:28-33) For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8) When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness [you had no desire to conform to God’s will]. So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death! But now since you have been set free from sin and have become [willing] slaves to God, you have your benefit, resulting in sanctification [being made holy and set apart for God’s purpose], and the outcome [of this] is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23) I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom;

I have led you in upright paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open];

And when you run, you will not stumble.

Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go.

Guard her, for she is your life.

Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not go the way of evil men.

Avoid it, do not travel on it;

Turn away from it and pass on.

For the wicked cannot sleep unless they do evil;

And they are deprived of sleep unless they make someone stumble and fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness

And drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is like [deep] darkness;

They do not know over what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:11-19)