Proverbs 12:28
‘The wicked are overthrown…. But the house of the righteous, shall keep on standing…. The wicked gets snared, by the transgression of his lips…. But the just shall come out of trouble…. True lips shall be established for ever…. But a lying tongue, is but for a moment…. In the way of righteousness, is life; and in its pathway, there is no death!’ Proverbs 12:7-28.
Calvin says in his Institutes III:17:15: “Solomon says…’In the way of righteousness, is life; and in the pathway thereof, there is no death!’ (Proverbs 12:28)…. But let one of the sons of Adam come forward, with such integrity! If there is none, they must perish from the presence of God — or betake themselves to the asylum of mercy! Still, we deny not that the integrity of believers — though partial and imperfect — is a step to immortality!”
Meanwhile, ‘the wicked are overthrown’ (Proverbs 12:7). They are utterly uprooted, and then hurled down into Hell Every human soul will one day have to acknowledge that God is righteous, even in overthrowing the wicked for ever..
However, ‘the house of the righteous, shall keep on standing.’ It is unoverthrowable — both now, in this present life; and beyond, everlastingly!
On the other hand — ‘the wicked gets snared, by the transgression of his lips.’ His own speech breaks the Law of God, and ensnares him more and more closely. Yet ‘the just shall come out of trouble.’ Though he goes through it, in the end he emerges from it — as a free man! He puts his trust in God, and bears fruit to His glory!
For his lips do not keep on transgressing! His lips are true! And ‘the lip of truth, shall be established for ever!’ (Proverbs 12:19). On the other hand, as regards the wicked, his ‘lying tongue is but for a moment.’ It ceases to do damage the moment he dies, and sinks into Hell.
The bottom line, then, is this. ‘In the way of righteousness is life; and in its pathway, is no death’ (Proverbs 12:28).
Those who seek life, and especially everlasting life, need to seek it in the way of righteousness. They need to walk and to keep on walking along that way. Though that path leads through this present land of death, it finally leads to the land of life — of everlasting life. For then, there is no death — but death is then merely a doorway at the end of our present life which passes straight into life everlasting.
On the other hand — the way of unrighteousness leads to death. Yes, the unrighteous way of constantly breaking God’s Commandments leads to death. To everlasting death!
In the way of righteousness is life — and no death! In which of the two ways, do you walk?
