One Path

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
(Pro 4:14-19 KJV)
One Path
Some religions claim there are many paths to God. Some claim there are no paths to God. Some claim that man can become God. God proclaims that he is God and there is only one way to him and only one path to follow when we get to Him.

I. Only One Way as a Child of God
A. We are told in verse 14 not to begin going in the path of the wicked.
B. The word wicked means criminal.
C. As a child of God, this instructs us that there is only one way to go.
D. Just as there is only one path to salvation John 14:6 “I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by me.” There is only one way to live as a child of God.
E. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding (Pro 3:5 KJV)
F. So if we take the principle of only one path to God and only one path with God, this verse tells us that that path is in the Lord God.
G. The word trust means to be safe.
H. There are many areas of life where we may feel like taking a risk.
I. Finances, relationships, sporting events, etc.
J. But it is better to be safe in God than to be hurt or injured or distressed, when we follow the ways of the evil man.
K. The word evil in verse 14 of our text describes man, and mean injured or distressed.
L. Verse 15 tells us to Avoid, pass away turn from the path of the evil man.
M. To ignore it, decline it or alienate yourself from it.
N. Make it a foreign concept to you.

II. Following the Path of the Wicked is Addictive in Nature
A. Verse 16.
B. They sleep not, until they have done mischief.
C. Sleeps evades them until they have made some fall.
D. An evil minded person on the wrong path cannot have peace until they have broken someone down or caused to fail.
E. Think about times in your life when you were not on this one path that God has for you.
F. How did you act? Are you on this path right now?
G. Do you feel the need to succeed by making someone miserable?
H. As a child of God, you will be miserable.
I. Do you long for that moment when you can bring failure to someone with words, or actions, or non-actions.
J. Is this a feeling that you have to have in your life?
K. If so you are leaning on your own understanding and not letting God direct your paths.
L. God does not want us tear each other down.
M. He does not want us to tear those that are without Jesus in their lives down.
N. Evil minded people who long for this feeling of hurting others feast on the wrongness and the guilt ridden situations, and they drink the fruit of cruelty and injustice.
O. Does this describe you today?

III. God’s Path is Bright
A. You can tell the difference of which path you are on today, by examining yourself and determining whether you are walking in a dark place that longs to bring suffering to others.
B. Or if the path you are on is bright and God is the one in control of your life.
C. Verse 18 says the path of the just or righteous is a bright light.
D. When we are walking in the light, we can see what is ahead of us. We know where we are going.
E. As a child of God, we know our destination.
F. The journey to get there is different for all of us.
G. Our journeys all begin the same way, but having faith and belief that Jesus died on the cross to cleanse us of that that separates us from God.
H. But our journeys to the destination are different.
I. Sometimes we are in the well lit path, and sometimes we are stumbling blind in the darkness.
J. A person that has not accepted their sin or separation from God, and has not put faith in Jesus Christ to save them is stumbling toward a destination that is destruction and brokenness.
K. Verse 19 says the light shines more and more unto that perfect day.
L. As we walk in the light, we get closer to the light.
M. It becomes brighter and more clear for us to see where we are supposed to be going.
N. It will become crystal clear in that perfect day.
O. That perfect day is when we get to see Jesus face to face.