“When the wicked man comes [to the depth of evil], contempt [of all that is pure and good] also comes, And with inner baseness (dishonor) comes outer shame (scorn)” 

Proverbs 18:3 AMP

Strong words of truth spoken by the King today! Notice that the road to wickedness is progressive in nature. Our verse tells us that they “come” to the depth of evil. Satan generally doesn’t come publicly with an invitation to be wicked and evil. The process happens over time as the master of deception slowly works his influence over a person, a group, a city, a nation, and then his ultimate goal of deceiving the world! Jesus warned us that,

“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]”

Matthew 7:15-16 AMP

Note that it is a made-up doctrine of self-focus. Sin always is about what self wants. James talked about this in his Epistle.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one. 14But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). 15Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death” 

James 1:13-15 AMP

Straight to the point! It is when the desire of our flesh wins out over the will of God. Left to ourselves, sin will be the master over us, and we will begin to find justification for the sin running ramped in our life. The word “wicked” here is the word meaning “a person living in a state or condition of evil, with a sharp focus on the deeds which violate the law.” As that person delves deeper and deeper into the abys, an anger rises inside because of the conflict between his conscience and his behavior! The result is a “contempt” for all that is reminding him of his erroneous way! A better word could not have been chosen to describe the behavior that springs forth from all this anger. The word “contempt” used here is defined as, “a manifested act of disrespect with the implication of a verbal mocking, though disrespectful action seems to be more the focus.” Can you say amen? Think about the recent rallies and events where we see thousands of lost souls expressing anger and rage because the righteous will not sanction their sinful ways! The result of all this will be dishonor and shame.

We do not think much about the concept of honor these days. The word honor is defined as “practicing that which is morally right; fairness, honesty, or integrity in one’s beliefs and actions. In order for to know that which is morally right, fair, or honest, we must have a standard by which we measure our actions. Therein lies the problem. Man wants to invent his own system of morality based upon what he thinks is right. It does not acknowledge that there is an unchangeable standard which one should live by. Like shifting sand, man’s tolerance for sin and self will cause the standard of right and wrong to shift and change with every crushing wave of culture!  The world’s system is described here as formulated in the baseness of man’s sin. It is no wonder that people are so confused and scared today. There is nowhere in the world’s system to your feet down and feel secure! We however have a rock upon which we can stand!

Let me encourage you today that the Lord He is good! Be steadfast in all that you do and say for the eyes of the Lord are looking to support those whose hearts are towards Him! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken