Which Way Are You Going? (Part 2 of 2)
In Part 1, we examined the first of the two paths in life—the Way of Righteousness and the Way of the Ungodly. While people may think there are many ways to live, in reality, every path is either with God or without God. In this article, we’ll look at the life without God and then give you a chance to determine which path you are following.
The Way Of The Ungodly
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Psalm 1 tells us about both paths in life and its description of the Way of the Ungodly is found in verses four through six. The first thing to notice is that this path is the complete opposite of the Way of Righteousness. “The ungodly are not so,” (Psalm 1:4a) meaning that you could take the five characteristics we examined for the righteous in Part 1 and write “not” in front of them. Thus, the ungodly are not separate, not studious, not steadfast, not successful, and not secure. This makes sense because it is the life that is lived without God and is Self-centered. It is not separate from things that are spiritually unhealthy because this person can go along with any crowd and be comfortable. His only constraint is the old motto, “if it feels good, do it.” Obviously, those in the Way of the Ungodly have no need of studying God’s Word since they would not apply it to their lives. The only logical result of such a life, as we will see, is that it is shifting (not steadfast), defeated (not successful), and fearful (not secure). Let’s look at this life that can be described as hapless, helpless, and hopeless.
Living Haplessly
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Psalm 1:4 describes the person who lives a haphazard life. “The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” (Psalm 1:4) It is very sad to see a life that is like chaff, the unneeded part of a grain that blows away in the wind. You’ve seen the person who drifts from one endeavor to another, one relationship to another, one job to another, one place to another, one party to another. This person is seeking happiness in everything except God, going here and there never finding fulfillment. At the end of their days they look back over a sad wasted life—no one helped, nothing accomplished, no lasting relationships, and no hope of Heaven. Why is there no hope for this person? The Bible tells us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14.12) This person followed his or her own way, which just happens to be the Way of the Ungodly and it leads to the way of ruin.
Living Helplessly
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Psalm 1:5 gives us a picture of a person who is helpless. “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” (Psalm 1:5) This person intends to make his own way in life but makes no preparation for the afterlife. Following their own path, they avoid the one path that God made which leads to internal peace on Earth and eternal life in Heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Since Jesus is the only way to Heaven, who can help those who say no to Him? As the Bible says, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3) Surely, those who walk in the Way of the Ungodly can expect no help when they face the Judge of the Universe and give account for a life that rejected God.
Living Hopelessly
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Psalm 1:6 tells of the finality of the Way of the Ungodly. “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psalm 1:6) Those who walk with God are secure, but those who go their own way have a horrible end. These words, “the way of the ungodly shall perish”, should strike terror in the mind of everyone because it means eternal death, eternal separation from God in Hell. This fate is so bad that God Himself doesn’t want anyone to suffer it. He made the ultimate sacrifice to prevent any human from going to Hell. Jesus told us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It is clear that God does not want anyone to live without hope and perish in Hell, but He will not force you to change paths—you must decide!
Summary
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Psalm 1 tells us about two paths in life—the Way of Righteousness and the Way of the Ungodly. Remember, there are only two paths in life. Jesus made this clear when He said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) In these two articles we have seen the blessings that come to those who follow God’s way, the Way of Righteousness, and we have seen the wretchedness that engulfs those in the Way of the Ungodly. Now it is time to ask yourself, what path are you on, what way are you following in life? If you are not already in the Way of the Righteous and sure of it, remember the words of Moses, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life…” (Deuteronomy 30:19b) If you are not sure how to get into the Way of Righteousness and walk with God, read our articles at About Jesus.
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