8/19 Strength for Today

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right


1 Kings 13:33

“After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.”


The sin of Jeroboam moved God to send a prophet who would testify against him because of his wickedness. God instructed the man of God to tell Jeroboam of God's judgment and turn around and immediately go home without turning aside for anything. After delivering God's message to Jeroboam, the young man of God started home when an older man of God deceivingly lured him over to his house. The sin of this young man eventually led to his premature death.


It says in the verse above, “After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way...” Notice that it was after the sin of the man of God that Jeroboam decided not to turn back to God. Jeroboam justified his sin because of the disobedience of the man of God. Jeroboam's mistake was that he allowed the one wrong of the man of God to blind him from believing all the good and right that the man of God had preached. Just because the man of God did this wrong did not change the message of God.


Unfortunately, in the ministry there are men of God who will do wrong and some even mess up their lives in sin. Though I am not justifying the wrong of men of God, I want you to understand that two wrongs don't make a right. What I mean by this is that blaming your wrong actions on the sins or shortcomings of a man of God is not right. Just because a man of God does wrong, that does not make it right for you to do wrong. Right is always right whether or not the messenger does right.


There are many people who become disillusioned because of the wrong done by a man of God. Then they live a sinful life only to bring God's judgment upon their lives. You must be careful not to use the wrong of another person to justify your wrong. Just because your parents do wrong does not give you a right to do wrong. Just because your preacher does wrong does not give you a right to do wrong. Two wrongs don't make a right!


Be careful not to allow a person’s sin to blind you from the good that they taught you. The good and the right that a person has taught you is still good and right whether or not they continue to do right. Don't let your disillusionment in man pull you away from doing right.


Yes, men of God will do wrong, and I am sorry about that, but their wrong is no excuse for you to do wrong. You should do right because right is always right to do. No matter how bad a man of God’s actions may be, don't let those actions cause you to forsake the commands of God and face His judgment. If you keep your eyes on God and not on man, then you will find that when man does wrong you will still do right.