Psalm 50:16-22
But to the wicked person, God says:“What right have you to recite my
laws or take my covenant on
your lips? You hate my
instruction and cast my words
behind you.When you see
a thief, you join with
him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your
mouth for evil and harness your
tongue to deceit. You sit and
testify against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. When you did
these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly
like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before
you. “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you
Most of us take God's silence for granted and think that God approves us of our evil behaviour. He does not. When the right time comes He will rebuke you and may even discipline you if you are his child who would obey Him after some chastisement, if need be. The others who do not care to obey Him even after many rebukes may face His ultimate wrath with no chance of return.
Hebrews 12:5-13
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees."Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
A situation where the people who carry the word of God in their hands openly do not live obeying it as God's word to them, whereas there are those who denounce it openly but are obeying Christ our Lord and everything He had commanded. Who do you say is wicked, between the two? Here is a parable of the Lord Jesus that brings to pass the words of the Greatest Prophet of God.
Matthew 21:28-32
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went."Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go."Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
