A Life in Exile

Continuing our theme of righteousness from our last Friday Focus, our verse today conveys a further truth about the righteousness we gain through Christ. Let’s look at the verse and consider the implications.

No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved. (Proverbs 12:3 ESV)

The contrast made between the wicked and the righteous is clear-cut and easy to relate to many areas of life today.

Life without a firm foundation

The wisdom of this verse is clear: NO ONE is established by wickedness. Do you agree? Can you see evidence of this in our modern world?

Though nothing new is under the sun, with the ever-present internet and social media, we have more than enough insights into the mindsets and lives of those who despise the ways of God and deny His existence. When God is set aside, all regard for human life is as well. We see it in the abortion and pornography industries, just to name two of many, that degrade human life and view them as objects to be monetized, used, and abused.

Man loses his identity as being made in the image of God, and works to make himself in his own image, distorting God’s plan and the beauty of His creation. Man becomes a god, living for his own pleasure and purposes, but quickly finds himself lost and enslaved to those same ideals.

The problem with this is that there is no root to the way of wickedness. One day a person goes one way and the next, he swings to an opposite extreme. When you create your reality from your own will and pleasure, there is nothing to catch you when you fall, fail, or are attacked by opposition. Even people you think are “like-minded” are not. They’re going after their own way and quick to abandon you when you don’t meet their needs.

In the end, it’s not a pretty picture. The psalmist illustrated it well.

He [the righteous man] is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:3-6)

Chaff has no root. It is easily blown away. So too, the wicked.

Our immovable righteousness in Christ

In wisdom, the writer relates righteousness to a root, and not just any root, but a strong and deep root that will never be moved. How can we understand this? By the imparted righteousness we have in Christ Jesus. We are enabled to stand firm and steadfast by the root of righteousness as we’re anchored in Christ and filled with His Spirit. Paul explains it.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Rom. 3:21-22)

What are the implications of such righteous rootedness? We saw it in our verse from last week (Proverbs 11:30) as the righteous will yield fruit and capture souls. Psalm 1 also refers to the fruit of the righteous one, relating it to a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season.

When a person is rooted in Christ, they cannot help but yield fruit. Fruit that reflects the character of Christ, as seen in the fruits of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Also, fruit, as in good works, is given to us by God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10).

All this fruit of the Spirit, good works, and capturing of souls is given to us by God by grace. We don’t make it happen; he works it out through us—from the roots outward.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Col. 2:6-7)

With our roots firmly established in the righteousness of Jesus, we can live as the wise man who built his house on the rock.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24-25)

Are you established in Christ? Be confident whatever comes—you will not be moved!

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Friday Focus post, click HERE, or start this Walking in Wisdom series from the beginning.