SINFUL PERSUASION

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn.

The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice.

It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.

A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.

Proverbs 17:8, 17:23, 18:5, 21:14, 22:8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever tried to bribe someone?

You know what I’m talking about, right?

You need someone to do something for you and so you give them something to persuade them to do what you want.

A bribe is an enticement, a ploy intended to get someone to do what you want, to do something that is typically in your favor. We have seen examples of it in real life and in productions we have watched either in the movies or on television and it is typically displayed as being illegal, illicit, corrupt, and unlawful.

A drug dealer might bribe a law enforcement officer to convince him to look the other way while he or she traffics and/or sells their drugs. A lawyer might bribe a judge to try and sway the verdict and sentence he issues. A business might bribe a politician in order to coax his vote in a way that favors the business getting a government contract. In sports, a game official could be paid off to make decisions that would affect the game’s outcome in the favor of the briber’s desires. Or a witness to an illicit act might be bribed to convince them to remain silent.

Yes, bribes are alive and well today but they aren’t always on such a large scale.

Think about a parent who tempts their child to clean up their room or pick up their toys with doing something the child loves doing or buying something the child likes. The employee who is always seeking to give little things to their boss with the hope that they will receive special favor on job evaluations or consideration for raises or promotions.   

Now, I would ask again, given these examples, have you ever tried to bribe someone?

If so, you may want to consider that the Bible has something to say about this behavior as it does about almost everything we could do in life. And as we see, bribery can be nothing short of sinful persuasion when it is exercised. Look at these verses:

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn. Proverbs 17:8

The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice. Proverbs 17:23

It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice. Proverbs 18:5

A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath. Proverbs 21:14

Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken. Proverbs 22:8

Note that the matter of bribery for both the giver and receiver is considered a matter of injustice or let’s just cut to the chase, it’s sin. The wicked accept bribes to pervert justice and the briber is an equal participant in the transgression because without the briber, there could be no bribery. And since God is a just God, injustice will never be favorable to Him. The briber gives the bribe thinking it will be their charm, their ticket to success but they are only being tricked and deceived by Satan to believe that. The Lord who sees everything done in secret, the One who nothing can be concealed from, will have the say in the outcome and nothing on earth can be used to sway Him and His judgment.

Perhaps the most insidious part of bribing, even when done in a way that is not considered illegal by worldly laws, is that we try to use our own slyness and intellect to try to affect an outcome. Rather than trust the Lord to work things out in His perfect will and way, we decide to try and trump Him and work things to match our will and way, an action that is not only ridiculous but also fruitless as the Lord’s way will always be done. And perhaps that will is for both the briber and the one receiving the bribe to be caught in the act and fall subject to the associated consequences connected to the injustice. The Lord has a way of teaching us lessons when we decide to willingly choose sin over righteousness. He’s done it for the ages and He will continue to do it as long as we dwell on this earth.

So the message today is simple: Don’t bribe and try and impact the outcome. Instead, trust the Lord and pray for His perfect will and way to be done in whatever your circumstances. It’s the only way you can be assured that justice will always prevail.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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