What We Should Keep With Diligence in Christian Life?
Base text: Proverbs 4:23-27
A. In this passage, we encounter the timeless wisdom of Solomon imparted to his son, a treasure trove of instruction that remains profoundly relevant even today.
B. These foundational counsels, initially intended for a king's son, serve as a crucial call to attention for every believer who desires to live in accordance with the will of God.
C. Here, we will explore four fundamental aspects that we must diligently guard and maintain, as they are directly and intimately connected to our spiritual well-being and eternal destiny.
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I. WE MUST GUARD THE HEART (Proverbs 4:23)
• A. The heart demands special vigilance because:
◦ “For from it flows the springs of life” – the heart is the central wellspring of our emotions, the seat of our decisions, and the incubator of our thoughts.
◦ Keeping your heart involves diligently filling it with pure, upright, and holy thoughts, consciously choosing what we allow to take root within us.
• B. What can emanate from the heart if we do not diligently guard it?
◦ Mark 7:21-23: Jesus Himself declared that from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
◦ If we fail to guard our hearts, we risk being spiritually darkened and deprived of eternal life (Ephesians 4:18: "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.").
• C. How do we diligently guard our heart?
◦ By diligently keeping the Word of God within our heart (Psalm 119:11: "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.").
◦ Only those with a pure heart will see God (Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.").
◦ Psalms 24:3-4: Only those with clean hands and a pure heart, who do not lift up their soul to falsehood or swear deceitfully, shall ascend the hill of the Lord.
II. WE MUST GUARD THE TONGUE (Proverbs 4:24)
• A. The tongue, if uncontrolled, can lead us to condemnation.
◦ James 3:9-12: With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? The tongue must be consecrated to God for blessing and edification.
◦ Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
• B. We must guard our tongue from evil:
◦ Psalms 34:13: Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
◦ Psalm 10:7: His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
• C. Our tongue must be used to glorify God and build up others, not to tear them down or spread negativity.
III. WE MUST GUARD OUR EYES (Proverbs 4:25)
• A. Many sins enter through what we see:
◦ Eve (Genesis 3:6): She saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, so she took of its fruit and ate.
◦ Achan (Joshua 7:21): When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Babylon and 200 shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them.
◦ David (2 Samuel 11:2): He saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful, and this led to his sin with Bathsheba.
• B. Jesus warns us:
◦ Matthew 5:28: Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
◦ Matthew 18:9: And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.
◦ Matthew 6:22-23: The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
• C. We must intentionally use our eyes for the glory of God, focusing on what is pure, noble, and edifying, rather than allowing them to feed sinful desires.
IV. WE MUST GUARD OUR FEET (Proverbs 4:26-27)
• A. Our feet must walk along the straight and righteous path:
◦ Psalms 26:12: "My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the Lord."
• B. We must use our feet to serve the Lord and advance His Kingdom:
◦ Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, who bring good news of happiness, who announce salvation, saying to Zion, 'Your God reigns'!"
• C. We must diligently prevent our feet from leading us down paths of evil and temptation:
◦ Let us not deviate from the right or the left, but keep our steps on the path of righteousness.
◦ Let us walk straightly along the path of the Lord, avoiding detours that lead to sin and destruction.
- What Words Should not Speak?
- The Power of Our Words
- Only God Knows (Deuteronomy 29:29)
CONCLUSION:
A. Today we have learned that we must keep with diligence: our heart, our tongue, our eyes, and our feet. These are vital areas that require our constant attention and intentional guarding in our Christian walk and everywhere.
