Building a Lion-Hearted Family Legacy

Proverbs 28:
1. The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The story goes that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle claimed he once sent five or so important people a telegram reading "ALL IS DISCOVERED - FLEE AT ONCE." According to Doyle, they all fled the country by the end of the week. [I have not been able to verify the truth of this story. A similar story is attributed to Mark Twain. If anyone can help confirm this, please let me know.]

The above story, even if not true, is funny and illustrates at least the first half of this proverb. This is what happens when the conscience brings guilt to people by applying the work of the law written on their heart.

“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)” (Romans 2:14-15)

Now it is important to note a distinction. All men have "the work of the law” written on their hearts – which we call the conscience. But some have more – they have the law written in their heart.” There is an importance difference.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:” (Hebrews 8:10)

These are those who have been joined to Jesus Christ by faith. Now are these who have the law written in their heart the same as the righteous in the last half of the proverb? Unfortunately – No. How can that be? It happens because not everyone who has been joined to Jesus Christ by faith always lives with a clear conscience and blameless life. Does this mean that we have to attain sinless perfection to be the righteousness and have the resultant boldness described in this proverb? No. The simplest way to describe what is required is found here.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-11)

Now you can see that the person who is joined to Jesus Christ by faith has much that needs to be added to that faith for him to attain the righteousness, assurance and boldness described in this proverb. And this is a perfect process outlined and goal identified for every one to pursue in building a thriving, robust and lion-hearted Family Legacy.