Proverbs 18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Take a hint. There is something for everyone in this.

James 1:17 New English Translation

17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.

God does not change, but we do. There are few reasons to isolate oneself and hiding our true identity is one and the other is to hide our past. We either are ashamed of what we are or ashamed of what we were.

Those that are proud of what they are desire the limelight. Darkness tends to hide from the light.

I had to dig deep to find any translation that used the word hint. What is not obvious here is the comparison of God’s personality with our own. God is not ashamed to be seen by anyone. We on the other hand tend to hide either what we are or what we were.

Recently we discussed the tax collector that confessed he was a sinner. He did not go into the details of everything he had done as a tax collector. People have opinions about what that tax collector might have done, either by experience or rumor.

Yesterday I said that God has declared what we were to be a witness of God’s influence over our lives, saving us from what we were. We do not have to go into every ugly detail of what we were to be a witness. People will fill in the blanks, either worse or less than fact. That does not matter nearly as much as indicating that God saved us from ourselves.

When I was born again those closest to me witnessed a radical change. Some were grateful, some were afraid for me. My constant move in the right direction allowed those people to accept that the change was real and for the better.

Others fall into two distinct categories, The first are people that did not know I was hiding myself from them. The second are those that have a hard time believing I was any other way than what they knew me to be. Both will have a hard time seeing that I have been changed by God and that I did not change on my own.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This is not a one time event but a constant progress in the right direction.

Luke 18:9-14 English Standard Version

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The focal point of this parable is verse 9.

We all want to feel better about ourselves. What doesn’t work is looking down on others. We see it almost daily, everywhere we go. Some of it is rather harmless, like seeing someone else’s driving. “I would never drive like that.” Then I misjudged the clearance between my car and another as I park. It was not intentional but I rubbed fenders.

That is Vine’s definition of sinner, missing the mark. What is missing in that definition is what you are aiming to hit or in my example, what you intend to miss.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia lists the first definition as “devoted to sin”.

Both definitions deal with the noun and fail to define sin itself.

Proverbs 18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Sin is defined by God. Some deny God’s right to judge us.

1 Peter 1:16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

This is not a commandment, it is a reminder.

Leviticus 11:45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

That is not a commandment, it is a declaration. God said so, so it is so.

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.