A biblical definition of who is the wicked

Good morning friends

As I listened to the Lord carefully

These words came to mind

Proverbs 11:17

17 The merciful and generous man benefits his soul [for his behavior returns to bless him],

But the cruel and callous man does himself harm.

18 The wicked man earns deceptive wages,

But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].

19 He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life, But he who pursues evil attains his own death.

20 The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord,

But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

21 Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,

But the descendants of the righteous will be freed.

22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,

So is a beautiful woman who is without discretion [her lack of character mocks her beauty].

23 The desire of the righteous brings only good,

But the expectation of the wicked brings wrath.

These words should be thought and prayed about carefully. Dear friends if we all measure ourselves we will call ourselves good.

But who was God referring to as "The Wicked" in the book of Proverbs.

Here is an adapted study on the matter.

What are the signs or marks of a wicked heart? What does the Bible say about the signs of a wicked person?

In the Bible, the word “wicked” is mentioned more than 300 times in the Old & New Testament combined.

The word wicked or wickedness is defined as the following:

A state or condition of evil that focuses on the violating of God’s laws or standards;

It is a willful and deliberate disregard for righteousness, truth, justice, honor, virtue and godliness;

It is a mental state, behavior or lifestyle that is malicious in thought, intent and action;

It is the embracing of evil, sinfulness, depravity or criminality

Therefore how can you discover the signs of an evil person? What are the traits of a person with an evil heart?

1 They do not fear God, a wicked person will delight in committing evil because he/she has no regard for God’s authority and the spiritual consequences of his/her wicked actions

2 They are Deceptive A wicked person has a culture of lying or deceitfulness. He/she will always try to manipulate people in order to control them. Evil hearts are good at fooling others through smooth speech and flattering words. Therefore dishonesty, misinformation, hypocrisy and manipulation is like second nature.

Psalms 7:14 says: Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.

Proverbs 11:18 says: The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

3 They Promote Chaos, Division & Confusion

Wicked people will promote confusion and division amongst people who ought to be united. A wicked heart thrives and benefits from the chaos and division of others.

Romans 16:17-18 says: I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Proverbs 12:5 NLT says: The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous

4 They have a seared conscience

They have difficultly expressing remorse for wrong-doing or expressing empathy and sympathy towards others. Wicked people tend to have a damaged or corrupted moral compass. Their conscience cannot restrain them or convict them because their minds are darkened by evil.

Proverbs 4:19 says: The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble

5 They have Pride and Narcissm

Wicked people can be conceited and very narcissistic. A wicked person will always come first at the expense of others – including the weak. All of the plans of the wicked, no matter how damaging to others, are implemented solely to benefit themselves because a wicked heart is motivated by greed or personal appetite and personal glory.

Psalm 10:2-3 says: In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.

6 They inflict pain on others

Wicked hearts have a cruel mindset. Wicked people enjoy plotting evil or pain on others. They feel a sense of cruel satisfaction and accomplishment when they inflict suffering on others, including the innocent.

From malicious gossip & slandering, to performing acts of witchcraft, a wicked heart will do almost anything to witness the misfortunes of others.

Psalm 37:12 says: The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,

Psalm 37:14 says: The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright

7 They are quick to find evil solutions

Proverbs 21:10 says that “the soul of the wicked desires evil” meaning that a wicked person is inclined to take pleasure in evil behavior or to pursue after evil as opposed to seeking after righteousness.

John 3:19-20 says: And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

The reason I write this is recently I encountered someone who was a Church goer and a Bible believer (or so they say) but they turned out to be one of the most deceptive individuals I ever had an encounter with.

I saw their fruit in action so I was able to see beyond that ever so pretentious smile and discern the heart of that individual.

It is an experience through which I learned many lessons, especially that in some instances we cannot confront, we need to continue in prayer and God will do all necessary to keep us in every situation we walk through. Our responsibility is to remain in God's perfect will, in the place of dwelling and abiding, so that God may cover us.

Psalm 91:1

He who [a]dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand

I pray God will cause us to be unmoved by opposition to have more discernment and even when we discern, to cause us to move forth with wisdom. These are times when the enemy will use every "trick" possible to derail, deceive and distract us.

We've got to stay connected to the wine, rooted and grounded in God's - that's the place of being unshakeable and immovable

Amen

Walk good in Christ

Till we meet again

Pastor J