Beware Fair Speech

(Proverbs 26:25 KJV)  When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

Discernment is a very hard quality to develop.  This is double true in our current culture that talks about tolerance and safe spaces and trigger warnings.  We have seen the problem in the church when we misquote the “judge not” passage to mean spiritual blindness.  We are told “don’t speak ill of the dead” and “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”.  Those are all important points but they become destructive if applied without discernment.

There are some people who are living “abominations” (8441).  This is a word that is used at least 25 time in Proverbs.  God is serious about getting across to us how serious this is.  Some people are evil, not by accident but by intent.  They are sometimes smart and clever at the same time.  It is a deadly combination.

So?  We can of course trust in the Providence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We do not need to walk in fear but in discernment.  If something seems off, approach it with spiritual eyes.