There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above himself (Prov 14:12,14).
This proverb refers to natural man being born with a nature which is exceedingly sinful at the very moment of birth. Such is the reason a person must be “born again” spiritually for reconciliation with God to occur. It is this sinful nature or what is often termed the “old man” which causes many things to seem right to a man even though the ways thereof are the ways of death meaning eternal separation from God and torment. It is God Himself who tells us, “My thoughts are not yours, neither are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). It is for this reason that we are instructed by the apostle Paul to not remain conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). We must cooperate with the inner work of Holy Spirit in order to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The way we learn to know and approve of God’s will is to continually wash our minds with the water of God’s Word. Unfortunately, such is not practiced by many who at a point in life experienced godly sorrow and come to repentance, receiving the gift of faith to believe in Christ to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 2:8,9). While Paul tells “contentment with godliness is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6), the pull of the world is such that many who come to Jesus fail to turn away from loving the world and the things of the world (1 John 2:15). Consequently over time they backslide and again become snared by their old ways. This is the conflict between the indwelling Spirit of God and an inherited sinful nature of which Paul speaks in Romans 7 when he refers to the sin which dwells within himself. The apostle also describes former coworkers who once labored with him in the work of God, only to backslide and eventually return to their former ways (1 Timothy1:19,20; 2 Timothy 4:10). The only way to avoid falling away from intimate relationship with God is to depend upon the divine influence from above which is revealed for us in the Word of God. This requires keeping one’s mind faithfully renewed through daily submission, prayer, and meditation upon God’s Word. We dare not forget God’s warning to Cain that sin is always crouching at the door of our lives and desires to have us should we give it opportunity. This is why the disciples were strongly urged at Gethsemane to “watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). If we do not keep ourselves satisfied with that which comes from above, sooner or later we’ll find the world, the flesh and the devil having us for lunch. So let us not be filled with our own ways.
