“Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.” Proverbs 14:2, ESV 

Jesus walked with integrity all the time. There was not an instant in which Jesus changed into a state that was imperfect, rather he kept in perfection as his father called him to do. As any Christian would tell you this is not an easy thing to do. Christians in this world experience imperfections. We sin and we must repent. However in the church there are some sinners who are devious. They walk in ways that do not reflect Christ. When they are caught in sin, if they are caught, they make a big show of repentance but never actually transform. This is very dangerous.

This has been a huge struggle for me personally. It has been said that my grandpa, who was a salesman his whole life, could have sold ice to Eskimos. I inherited that capability. I can look people in the eyes, connect with them, and get them to like me if I want. However this is sometimes a veneer rather than myself. I can easily walk in deviousness, distracting people from my sins. This requires much repentance and honesty.

The reason why honesty is so essential in church is that dishonesty creates a false religious standard. Walking in uprightness leads to humility as repentance becomes necessary because of sin. It is easy to look your sin in the eye when it is obvious to everybody. He who walks in deviousness conceals his sin, so others are lured into thinking he or she is perfect. However this is not the case and it sets a false standard. Say the woman in deviousness reads one author, others may think real religion is found in that one author. Say the man doesn’t listen to certain kinds of music, others might think that real religion is found in that legalism. This is false.

Real religion is found in Christ who exchanges our dirt for his righteousness. If you are walking in deviousness forsake that dead lifestyle and start walking upright in fear of the Lord. Please pray for me as I continue to walk upright, that the Lord would strengthen my spine. Let us grow in repentance together as the church universal.