By: Joel & Lydia Ramirez
We are not justified because we successfully walk the righteous path. Through the work of Christ we are washed, sanctified, and justified; having been set apart for God, we begin to walk a different path. The fruit produced along that path does not purchase our righteousness; it bears witness to the One to whom we now belong. So, what began as a simple homework assignment asking why three Bible translations treat Proverbs 12:26 differently has led us much further than one difficult Hebrew word. It has led us to a theme that runs through Scripture: there are two ways, they produce different kinds of fruit, they influence not only those who walk them but also those around them, and ultimately, they lead to different destinations. Perhaps this helps us better understand the instruction of Psalm 37:37 to “mark the blameless man, and behold the upright.” We mark him because there is something worth observing, not because the man himself is the source of righteousness, but because his life bears witness to the path he is walking and to the God he follows. His words, his character, his fruit, and his influence allow us to recognize the way he has chosen. Most importantly, Scripture tells us to look at where that way leads: peace. Psalm 1 tells us that the LORD knows the way of the righteous. Psalm 37 tells us that the end of the upright is peace. Proverbs 12 tells us that the way of righteousness is life. Then Romans brings these ideas together by showing us that the mind set on the Spirit is “life and peace.” But Romans also gives us the piece we cannot afford to miss. We do not become the righteous man simply by identifying the correct path and trying harder to walk it. The path does not justify the man. Our hope rests in Christ. Through His sacrifice we are washed, sanctified, and justified; we are set apart for God and called into a new life. From that new identity comes a different walk, and along that walk begins to appear different fruit. Perhaps, then, “marking the blameless man” is not simply about looking at someone else. It should also cause us to examine ourselves. Who is influencing me? Which way am I walking? What fruit is my life producing? How is my walk influencing those around me? And where does this path lead? Proverbs 12:26 began our study with a question about translation. The NASB reads, “The righteous person is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” After following this theme through Scripture, perhaps we can better appreciate the weight of those words. We are all walking somewhere, and our walk affects more than ourselves. The question is not simply whether we can recognize the righteous path. The question is whether, through Christ, we are walking it and whether our lives are helping others find the way to life and peace.