Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. The "sluggard" is one who is habitually inactive or lazy. Poverty is the portion of the person who can work but is not willing to do so. There are those in
our society who think the world owes them a living. I read somewhere
recently this statement, "Many of the people who thinks the world owes them a living are too lazy to go and collect it." Charles Bridges, the old Puritan writer wrote, "The sluggard desires the gain of diligence without that diligence that gains it." We should be diligent in our Christian lives because it is the soul of the diligent that is made fat.
The word "fat" here in this text speaks of prosperity and advancement.
There are at least four areas in which we should be diligent, rather than slothful.
I. Be Diligent In Expression. In Jude 1:3 the Apostle speaks of the
"common salvation" that he was to give diligence in expressing. The
word "common" is the Greek word "koines" which means "understood
by everyone." What Jude clearly warned about and wanted everyone
to understand was the matter of apostacy. Jude realized he was to
defend the great doctrines of Christianity by proclaiming them to
others. In regard to salvation we must express the following-first, the
depravity of man. Man cannot save himself of lift himself up through
his own power. Secondly, the depths of God's love (Jn.3:16). Thirdly,
the drastic difference Jesus can make (2 Cor. 5:17).
II. Be Diligent In Experience. You are to give diligence to make your
calling and election sure (2 Pet.1:10). Make is your business to make
certain you have been born of God. First, you can know by the work
of Christ (Jn.3:36), by the witness of the Spirit ( Rom.8:16), by the
Word of God (Jn.5:12-13). Do not tolerate infernal insecurity, rather
realize your eternal security in what Jesus did for you.
III. Be Diligent In Enhancement. In 1 Pet. 2:5 Paul encourages to
give diligence in adding to or enhancing your faith. See the list in 2 Pet.
1:5-7. If those things are in us then we will certainly be fruitful.
IV. Be Diligent In Envolvement. See Hebrews 6:11,12. Instead of
being slothful, we should do diligence to follow the examples of the
heroes of faith that have gone before us (Heb. 11).
