We are living in an age where right seems to be wrong and wrong seems to be right for some people. History tells us that many have lived a lifetime of doing wrong things. Some have even been incarcerated as a result. Others have paid hefty fines as well.
Sadly, some have never tried to change for the better. Perhaps they regard evil as good and good as evil. The Bible cautions those who do wrong things with this “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). The woe means great sorrow and distress.
Perhaps one of the reasons why people do wrong things, they feel they can get away with it and without paying the consequences for their actions.
In applying the Scriptures, let’s go back to creation where we understand that man was created in God’s own image. The Bible says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
God also created man with a free will, whereby man can choose either to do right or do wrong. This doesn’t mean that God will condone wrong in any way, shape or form. It must be remembered, “For the LORD our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9). This means God is absolutely holy and divinely perfect in all His ways.
Because of his God-given free will, man is therefore completely “free” to do as he thinks and desires. For example, if man chooses to lie, steal, cheat, or be wicked, he has the in-born power to do so. With this in mind, it should be no surprise why people choose to do wrong things, which has been going on from time operating in the distant past and will also continue in time to come.
With his free will, man may also choose to do right things. And many people do. A similar principle applies to the people of Israel.
The Bible tells us Moses set before the people of Israel a crucial choice in which they had to decide who they would worship and serve. The text says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). God says choose life.
That choice between life and death remains before us today. The Bible says, ”For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
This means death is the consequence or punishment that is due to sin. And death here refers to spiritual death or eternal separation from God. Christ purchased eternal life for us on the Cross through His death and shed blood.
Because “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12), God is giving man the opportunity to utilize his freewill and make the right choice by choosing the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy (and Christians as well), “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1Timothy 6:11).
This statement follows various wrong things that people do because they “are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain” (! Tim. 6:5,6).
The word pursue in the text is an interesting word. It means to go after something, to attain or accomplish a goal. To pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and godliness, means being godlike in our behavior and fully committed to God and the principles of His Word; irrespective of the circumstances and distractions around us.
Paul also instructed Timothy to: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence off many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Dr Charles Stanley gives an insightful commentary of this text. He writes: “We must be unreservedly committed to Christ—regardless of our circumstances, challenges, or obstacles—realizing this leads to spiritual victory and eternal hope. We must believe in Him and obey with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths—standing firm for Him and representing Him well in the world so that others will believe in Him and be saved” (The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible NKJV p. 1467).