Proverbs Devotion - Day 20

Wisdom and humility go hand-in-hand. We see that in verse 9. This proverb asks a very direct question: who can say they have a pure heart and clean from sin? Solomon wants to teach about the necessity of humility. No one is without sin. Therefore, it is imperative that we begin from humility so that our pride nor ego gets in the way. So often, that is exactly what pollutes our heart and, left unchecked, can cause all kinds of damage. 

Solomon says this to teach us two things. First, our sin is inevitable. There is no one on earth who can say that they are sinless, perfect, or completely righteous. Even if we do something pure right now, there’s a one hundred percent chance that you sinned yesterday, today, and you will again tomorrow. No one can stand with a completely pure heart or pure motives in every situation. The more that we are seeking to know God and are in His word, the more He will reveal the level of our own sin and impurity. Each time we hear or read God’s word, it is shining a spotlight on the sin in our life. Solomon asks this question that should cause us to say “certainly not me!” I know I am not pure or clean in myself. 

But secondly, knowing that about ourselves, it should drive us to God even more. For wisdom, for forgiveness, or cleansing, for power to overcome these desires and motives that lurk in the darkest parts of my heart. Our sin problem is not something we can do anything about, or else we would simply eliminate it. That seems to be part of the question Solomon asks: “who can say I have made my heart pure”? The answer again is “certainly not me”. You may identify with the Apostle Paul, who said “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19) If it was as simple as “stop it”, that would have worked long ago. But Solomon is reminding us that not only are we sinners, but also we don’t have the power to fix it within ourselves. 

That’s why we need Jesus. He is the one who can answer this proverb with “I am pure, I am clean!” He came to earth to go in our place to pay for the sin but also to provide the power to be transformed. He came to give us a new heart, with new desires, and new passions. Peter writes in his first letter: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” - Titus 2:11-14

While we cannot make our hearts clean or ourselves pure, the blood of Jesus can! His blood purified a people to redeem us from all lawlessness. The word “redeem” has the idea of a payment to purchase a slave’s complete freedom. Christ’s death sets us free from the power of sin and it also purifies a people for himself. We are made new, cleansed, pure, and holy. Otherwise, we could not associate with Jesus. But he makes us set apart for himself. So we are set free from the power from sin, purified for Jesus, and then given power for good works. This empowerment enables us to live now in a way that honors and glorifies God, so that, while we still fail, we are being trained us to renounce ungodliness and to live in righteousness. That still doesn’t happen by us, but through the Spirit’s power that now lives within us.

Knowing that God has done all this for us in Christ, then as sinners saved by grace, we have a new way of living. This should humble us to begin from a place of “I am a sinner saved by grace.” When we begin from that place, we can give the benefit of the doubt to other sinners with which we interact. Instead of standing in judgment of others, we can humble ourselves to serve others in the way Christ served us. Are we sinless? No way! But we know one who is and he demonstrated that by giving himself for us to make us his. Praise him for that today!