The Path of the Just

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P roverbs 4:18

 

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

The Hebrew word path means, a well trodden road, (literally or figuratively), which in turn is derived from the primitive root, which means to travel.

The English word comes from the Anglo Saxon, poeth; the Dutch, pad; the German, pfad, a path; the Greek, patos, a trodden way; and the Sanskrit, patha, a way; pada, the foot. A way trodden or beaten by the feet of men or beasts; any narrow way; a course; a way; a passage; a track; course of life.

This word is used 59 times in the Old Testament.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.


Psalm 25:4 Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

 

Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.


Psalm 27:11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

 

Isaiah 35:8 And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: they wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

 

Matthew 7:13,14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.


There is only one path, one way, that leads to life. That way is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.


John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The Path is narrow: but it is well-worn. It is the only Path that leads to God There is no other It is only by receiving Jesus Christ as Personal Saviour and Lord that the true God can be known.

The Hebrew word, just, means to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense).

The English word is derived from the Latin, justus, founded or resting on law. Just, from jus, law, right. Italian, giusto, and French, juste. That acts in accordance with the principles of law or justice; conformable to laws, human or divine; true; right proper; righteous; upright; innocent; accurate; merited; deserved.

Justify comes from the French, justifier, to justify, which in turn comes from the Latin, justus, just, and facio, I make. To prove or show to be right or just; to vindicate as right; to pardon or clear from guilt; to accept or treat as just or righteous for the sake of the merits of Christ Jesus.

Justification: a plea of sufficient reason; vindication; defence; deliverance by pardon from past sins; the treating of sinful man as if he were just or righteous in the sight of God, for the sake of the merits of Christ Jesus.

The Greek word, means to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent. Equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively). Right (as self evident), i.e. justice (the principle, a decision, or its execution). A prolonged form of the absolute primary of the same meaning; to show (literally or figuratively).

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.


This word is used 40 times throughout the New Testament.

Any human being, irrespective of how bad or how good can receive the merits achieved by Jesus Christ at Calvary, by repenting from their sins and acknowledging Him as their personal Saviour and Lord. At that very moment, the law courts of heaven pronounce the recipient justified: and providing the source of that justification is maintained by faith as he walks the Path - a personal faith in the work of the Lord Jesus, he will continue to remain justified (just-if-I’d never sinned).

What a powerful, wonderful work of God in a human being’s life. The effect of sin neutralised. The original sin of Adam rendered ineffective. The work of the devil destroyed.

Now the new Christian can stand before God, his fellow man and the devil as though he had never sinned! Think of it. A condemned criminal restored to complete and unabridged fellowship with his Maker. A sinner declared righteous, absolutely free from guilt, liberated totally from inferiority complexes, released from fear, knowing no lack of any kind.

This is the truth that God burned into Martin Luther’s heart in the 16th century. This is the truth that set Germany on fire. Little wonder that this is the first step on the Path that is going to explode into the brilliant light of the glory of God.

Oh, the grace of God!

The word translated shining, means brilliancy (literally or figuratively), which in turn is derived from a primary root that means to glitter, causatively, to illuminate.

The English word means bright; splendid; distinguished; clearness of light. It is derived from the Gothic skenian; Icelandic, skina; German, scheinen, to shine; Breton, skina, to scatter and Anglo Saxon scinan, to shine. To give light; to exhibit brightness or splendour; to be eminent or distinguished. Light; brightness.

It is used 19 times in the Old Testament.

The Hebrew word for light, means illumination (or concrete luminary), in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc. It comes from the primary root, to be (causitively, make) luminous (literally or figuratively).

The English: Gothic, liuhath; German, licht, light; Anglo Saxon, liht, bright; Latin, lucere; French, luire, to shine and Greek, luchnos, a light, a lamp. The agent or medium by which objects are rendered visible to the eye; day; anything which gives light; a candle; a lamp; knowledge; means of knowing; explanation; aspect; point to which the view may be directed; existence; time of prosperity.

There are two very important aspects of light that require to be noted here:

Firstly, light travels. It travels at a speed of 300,000 km per second.

Secondly, light is composed of three primal colours (yellow, red and blue) which break into seven (red, orange, yellow, green, blue indigo and violet).

God tells us that the path of the just is as the shinging light that shines more and more.

The Hebrew word for more means to walk (in a great variety of applications), literally and figuratively.

When a person walks, they travel from one point to another, from a source to a destination. So it is with the Path of the Just. Justification by Faith is the source point of a Christian’s walk.

God’s word is light. The seven colours are seen in Hebrews 6:1,2.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

These foundational principles are to be established in the believer's life. They are to be found as the cornerstone of the Christian church. They are also essential in the restoration programme of the church.

Light (white) is the composition of all colours.

Darkness (black) is the absence of all colour.

There has been no truth restored to the church since 1948! In that year God restored 22 subsections of the Laying on of Hands.

Repentance from dead works, and faith towards God came with Martin Luther, in 1517.

The doctrine of water baptism (the most persecuted in the history of the Christian church) came with the Anabaptists.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was restored in 1900 in Topeka, Kansas and Asusa St, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

The restoration of the laying on of hands (with its 22 distinctive truths) came in 1948.

Thus it is seen that the church has had four of the seven foundational truths restored.

The next truth to be restored is resurrection life. It will be engrafted in all its variety of applications.

Then will come eternal judgment. A judged church will produce a perfect church, which is the seventh or final truth.

When metal is heated it advances through the colour spectrum until it is said to be white hot.

With the absence of just one colour (truth), the church can never become perfect. Until this is achieved, the Lord Jesus Christ will be restrained in heaven.

Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.


The Hebrew word perfect is only translated once as such in the entire Old testament. It is a primitive root: properly to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular: hence (causitively) to set up, in a great variety of applications whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous).

A foetus, a new-born child can not stand erect, perpendicular. It has begun its life progression to maturity, but must advance through childhood, adolesence and adulthood on its path. It is not conceivable to set up a building which is comprised of only a foundation. It must be erected. It must stand perpendicular.

This word is used 235 times in the Old Testament, its dominant translation being, prepared. It is found 54 times in the Psalms, 27 times in 2 Chronicles, 24 times in 1 Chronicles, 21 times in Ezekiel and 20 times in Proverbs.

It is translated prepared 96 times, established 63 times, and ready 18 times. It is also translated meet, certain, firm, frame, standeth, stood, certainty, very, deed, confirmed, stable, provisions, set, order, directed, fitted, fastened, fashion, right, faithfulness, ordained, free, fixed, setteth, aright, tarry and perfect.

The Hebrew word day, is derived from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next) or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term (often used adverb).

When the first dwelling place of God was fashioned with all its articles of furniture, it had to be established, it had to be set up. It had to be erected. It served no useful purpose while all the components lay anywhere. This act of establishing, setting up, standing perpendicular fell to the lot of Moses (the ministry).

And so it is with the Christian church, the true temple of God, erected by God and not man.

Ephesians 4:12, 13 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

That times and seasons are in the Word of God there is no doubt.

A space of time defined by an associated term.

Leviticus 23:4 These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

Today is the season of the Feast of Tabernacles. This is the appointed time; this is the appointed season.