Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.

Be honest with yourself, when you saw the title you thought I was going to be talking about that other abomination didn’t you? No? Are you being honest with yourself? There is much said about that sin. I do not even have to mention it and you know its name.

So much is said about that sin in Romans 1 that many Christians quote it often but yet fail to quote God in context. Here is what God said in context.

Romans 1:29-32 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Proverbs 11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

A hypocrite is one who with joy calls out that sin with pride and ignores the rest. Sin is sin and to weigh one sin against all the others is a false balance and an abomination to God. You will not find the hate mongers quoting Proverbs 11:1.

Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Here is one of the most important subtleties within scriptures. It is often overlooked but is in fact the essence of relationship with our Lord and the Word. It is directly related to the condition of that spiritual heart which is the main focus of God’s concern in conforming a new believer into the image of His Son,

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Helping our infirmities, to change the condition of the heart, is of utmost importance to God.

Ephesians 3:16-19 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The inner man is God’s concern, not the outward and seeming but the inward and real. In this we can know that God is at work in the inner man, if when Christ is revealed to us in the inner man, our hearts are touched. It may not be as strong as the disciples on the road to Emmaus, but bit by bit we should be able to detect changes in the inner man.

Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

A change of heart is required.