Our God is a just God.  He is righteous and He sovereignly rules.  It is easy to remember the goodness of God and remember how faithful and loving and gracious and merciful He is; but we forget about the righteousness and justice of God.  We forget that God is a God of judgment.  He judges the sins of every man and if there is no repentance for those sins and a turning away from those sins that man committed, God is just in judging that man to death.

It is not God’s desire for man to die in sin and go to hell.  He desires for us all to turn from our wicked ways and come back to Him.  All forms of sin separate us from our Most Holy Father.  Because we have a sin nature, we are subject to sin if left to our own devices.  That is, however, no excuse for a man to continue in sin because he says he cannot help it.  Ezekiel 18:21-24 explains that if a righteous man turns from goodness and sins, none of his goodness is remembered and he will die.  This may seem hard to apprehend, but it is just.  In order for God to forgive the sins of a wicked man and forget those sins if he turns to righteousness is the same way God has to forget the righteous deeds of a good man if he turns from his goodness to commit sin.  God could not be a just God if that were not so.

The work of Christ on the cross was necessary for our salvation.  Christ stepped out of his divinity to put on humanity to fulfill the Mosaic Law and show the world that He is The Way.  He became sin and lived among us sinless and died a sinner’s death so that sinners could take part in the inheritance of believers.  He became a curse for our sakes.

That inheritance is eternal life for those who believe.  We have been engrafted into The Family of God because Christ saved us (Romans 9).  Before we knew who Christ is, He died for us and imputed righteous unto us.  Salvation is not earned through works.  Salvation is given to the believer who has faith in Christ.  Righteousness is given to us.  We cannot be “right” enough to earn it; else, what would be the purpose of Christ’s work of salvation on the cross?

All we have to do is say yes to God.  After saying yes, we have to turn from our wicked ways and walk in the ways of holiness.  At Christ’s ascension, He promised the disciples a comforter who would come to equip them for the coming work of building The Church.  The Holy Ghost is that comforter and lives inside of men who earnestly seek after God.  The Holy Ghost is the spirit of God living inside of us; He is a gift to the believer.  He is our teacher, our guide, and our keeper.

Recommended Reading:

Romans

Ephesians

It’s simple. It’s short. Yet it’s incredibly powerful. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible–with good reason. It sets forth a life-changing truth that is worthy of our attention. Spend three minutes reading this article, and see if you agree.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Let’s break down this life-changing truth to make sure we understand it.

Trust in the Lord.

It starts with trust. Any real relationship has to start with some level of trust. It’s the only way a friendship will endure. It’s the only way a marriage will work out. It’s the simple reason why an employer hires workers, or why the workers stay employed. It’s all about trust. Trust in the Lord, however, takes on an entirely new dimension. This is our trust in an eternal, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving God. He is worthy of our trust. The trust is important, not just because of who God is, but because of the way in which we must trust him: with all your heart. It involves every fiber of your being. That’s the kind of trust we can have in God–a complete, unshakable, deep, abiding trust.

If you are a Christian, you trusted God for salvation. You can trust Him with the rest of your life, too–every detail.

Read part 2, Don’t Lean On Your Understanding

Read part 1 first, Trust In The Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Don't Lean on Your Understanding

The verse involves a positive–something you must do. But it also involves a negative–something you must not do. Don't lean on your own understanding. Basically, the verse is telling us that we ought not to be self-reliant. We cannot pursue a course of action, a financial decision, a business move, a relationship, or an educational choice, simply based on our own understanding. It must be founded in our trust in God.

Self-reliance is such a deceptive trap. We begin to pride ourselves in something–our savvy, our looks, our intellect, our spirituality, our family, whatever. And when we do, it takes away our trust in the Lord. It has become trust in self. The result is a dangerous compromise that will lead to destruction.

Instead, Acknowledge God. In Everything.

The antidote to this self-reliance is found in the first command of the verse. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Which is developed in the next verse: “In all your ways acknowledge him.” The word “acknowledge” isn't merely a polite tip of the hat to the Man Upstairs, or a few words of grace over your meal, or even perfunctory attendance at church to let Him know we're still cool with what He's doing. It's way more. It's allowing Him access, control, command, and involvement in all your ways.

What's the result of this? Will God ruin your life? Will he be a Sovereign Killjoy? Will He rob you of fun? The verse ends on a promise. What is it?

He will make your paths straight.

The promise is put in the form of a metaphor. What does it mean to have straight paths? Several things. First, paths lead toward an end–a destination, a goal. Thus, trusting God wholeheartedly in every area of life gives your life a sense of purpose and priority. Second, it indicates that there will be a clear understanding of where you are going and what you are doing. It makes daily decision-making an easier and less painful task. You realize you are trusting Him. He, in turn, is making your paths straight. Thus, the way ahead is more apparent. Third, “straight paths” suggests moral purity. It suggests a life that has less of sinful compromise and more of wholesome attitudes, actions, and behavior.

That's the kind of life that God promises. It's the kind of life that you can have. It begins with trust. It involves acknowledging God in every way.