“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalms 1:1)

Life is too short to follow bad advice. I have learned that the counselor does not have to deal with the consequences of his bad counsel. The counsel we receive can and will impact our lives. There is a story about George Washington receiving good counsel from his mother. His father died when he was eleven. It became his dream to join the British Navy, but his mother counseled against it. Instead of becoming a ship captain, he became the commander-in-chief of an entire military. When receiving counsel we must seek God’s wisdom because we must take the long view of life. Bad counsel can harm our lives and Godly counsel can propel us.

“Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.” (1 Kings 1:12)

This Psalm teaches us about the way of blessedness and warnings of destruction. Blessings and destruction can be linked to the counsel we choose to follow. Life is too short to choose to listen to ungodly counsel. Let us understand what ungodly counsel is.

Ungodly counsel is different than bad counsel. Ungodly counsel is bad counsel, but bad counsel could just be counsel from someone who just does not know, and instead of admitting ignorance about a subject he gives bad advice. Case in point, I am not a carpenter. Do not come to me if you have structural issues in your house. I would give you bad counsel. The council would not be ungodly, just bad.
Ungodly is the key. Strong’s teaches us that ungodly means morally wrong. That means there must be some moral code on which the council hinges. Godly counsel is built on the foundation of God’s book. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalms 19:7). Anyone who strays from God’s Word is an ungodly counselor. He values his opinions or feelings higher than God’s.

Webster also defines ungodly. It is an adjective that describes a person. This person is wicked and neglects the fear and worship of God. He does not want to violate God’s commands. (1 Peter 4:18) The ungodly is Sinful and commits ungodly deeds. (Jude 4). Finally, an ungodly person is someone polluted by wickedness. Pollution makes things dirty. An ungodly person is dirty because he is not cleaned by the Word of God. (Psalm 119:9)

Counsel is defined as a plan or advice. It would be wise get get a plan from someone who knows what they are talking about. We seek counsel from someone who will guide us. I do not know one person who does not need some type of a plan. A young person needs counsel as he seeks what to do after high school. He also may need some help when it comes to finding God’s will for a spouse. (Fall asleep in God’s will and let God bring that person to you. If a person is not a Christian, does not go to a good church, or serve God they are not God’s will.). A person may be confronted with a life-changing career decision and they need some kind of a plan.

Let me use a simple illustration. When I go to make a purchase I like to speak to people that have had to make that same decision and I want the pros and cons. I want to know about the things that they did not think about. I will go to YouTube and find different reviews and see the thing in action. I rarely will go to a salesperson and ask because he has a vested interest.

This message is going to discuss this warning about ungodly counsel. We do not need a plan of action from someone who does not know the Lord. To do this I have some questions for us to consider.
The first question is “What are some ungodly counsels.” There are things people say that have no Biblical basis. Let me quickly give five ungodly counsels with a brief thought behind them.
If it feels good, do it. Truth is never based on feelings. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17). An honest study of God’s Word has a way of making us feel bad sometimes. That is because our flesh does not want to be told what to do. Paul knew this. “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)

The second bit of ungodly counsel that is often given is like the first, “Follow your heart.” What does the Bible warn about our hearts? “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Why would I want to listen to something that God says is deceitful? Who is being deceived? ME! We know politicians lie, but we listen to them. We do the same thing with our hearts. Don’t listen to your heart.

The third thing that may be said is, “So and so is doing it. Why can’t I?” “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14) I see said the blind man to the deaf guy. Just because someone else is doing it does not make it right. I see many people doing something because others are doing it. Finish the statement, “If so and so jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge…”? Yet, what do we do? We allow what others do determine what is right. This is the whole idea behind polls.

Have you heard someone say, “When you’re in Rome.” The idea is that it is wise to blend in. Christians are not to blend in. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). We are to separate unto the Lord from the world. Rome will not live like this. Christians do not need to adapt to Rome, we need to conform to the image of Christ. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

The last bit of ungodly counsel that is often given is, “As long as it is not hurting anyone, it must be ok.” Are there not consequences? Are you ok with hurting yourself? How do you know that you are not hurting others? Never forget that every one of us is leading at least one other person. Let me give some bit of Biblical counsel here. “Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27). Do not give place to the devil in your life.

Here is another question, “What are some of the dangers listening to ungodly counsel?” There has to be some consequences. In our text, we see the word blessed. We are being told that if we want to be blessed then we must avoid ungodly counsel. God is warning us that it is dangerous to listen to ungodly counsel. The danger is seen in two areas.

The first area is in direction. A simple reading of our text reveals a digression. Ungodly counsel takes us backward in life. The very idea of living the Christian life or the faith life is forward-moving. God wants us to progress not digress.

The digression is a process that begins with where we stand. David said, “walking in the counsel of the ungodly.” Standing gives us time to contemplate what the ungodly counselor is saying. It gives time for us to say, “That sounds good.” Standing gives us time to listen. It is dangerous to listen to ungodly counsel. We are not expanding ourselves or growing as a person. The only learning we will do will happen when we have to deal with the consequences and we are asking God to help us get back on track.
It is dangerous to listen to somebody attack the truth. Are we aware of how our own philosophy is shaped by what we hear? That is because we want to please the person we are listening to. That is the wrong motive. As a child of God, we should always want to please the Lord, even in the counsel we receive. Paul counseled the Thessalonians this way: “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Walk in a way that pleases God. That means do not even listen to ungodly counsel.

Standing at the door of ungodly counselors leads us in the direction of standing in the way of sinners. We go from walking to standing. We go from listening to looking. We are no longer contemplating what we are experiencing. There are just some things God does not want us to experience.

Go back to the garden and listen to the counsel of the serpent. He wanted them to experience life. He told them that God was hiding something from them. They were not living life to its fullest. This was bad advice. We know this because they experienced sin and the consequences of sin. They learned what guilt felt like. All because they walked and stood.

The final direction is “sitting in the seat of the scornful.” Strong’s definition of scornful is an ambassador. They are an ambassador of sin. They represent sin. They speak well about sin. They are trying to entice others to walk, stand, and sit.

Not only do we need to be concerned with the direction of ungodly counsel, but we must also be aware of the consequences. Remember that the scornful are ambassadors for sin. They need someone to take their seat because they must deal with the consequences of their actions. God will not be mocked, He will chastise us if we head ungodly counsel. There will be consequences for our decisions and actions.
Hebrews gives us the classic passage for chastisement. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:5-10)

God speaks to us about chastisement to let us know that He loves us and wants the best for us. He will get involved in our lives so that we may live a life that pleases Him. He wants to clean out the rubbish. Would it not be wise to heed this counsel and to voluntarily repent and do right? “Form the habit of heeding His taps, and you will be less likely to receive His raps.”—A. W. Pink

The third question to ask is, “What are some ways to avoid ungodly counsel?” If there are warnings and consequences, then there must be a plan to help us avoid ungodly counsel. God’s plan to avoid ungodly counsel is found in HIs Word.
The first way is for us to know our Bibles. We want to allow God to be our number counselor. Let us look at the Bereans. “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” (Acts 17:10-12)

If the Lord ever led me to start a church I would want to name it The Berean Baptist Church. This passage is why I would want this name. They heard the Bible preached, went home and studied the Scriptures, found the Scriptures to be true, and implemented the teachings in their lives. They became believers because they studied to see if those things were so and found them so.

I have found that Biblical counsel is a topical study of Scripture. I am so grateful to have study tools that are topical by nature. Someone took the time and arranged things topically so all I have to do is look it up in the index and then go to my Bible and receive God’s counsel on the matter.

Here is a truth, it does not matter how well we know our Bibles, we do not know it well enough. “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:14-15). Paul told Timothy to put the people he pastored in remembrance of some things. The only way for him to be the counselor he needed to be was to go to the Book and to know the Book.

It may be wise that as we receive counsel from the Book we write these things down, type them out, print them, and place them in our Bibles. This way we have a ready reference.
Do not just have a tool like this and not use it. A reference is a guide. It will guide us to the Book, to specific counsels. Those counsels are only good if they are used.

Another way to avoid ungodly counsel is to have a team of Godly counselors. “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” (Proverbs 15:22). “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:6).
Solomon did not counsel his son to have a bunch of random counselors. He wanted him to have a team of good, godly counselors. Nor did Solomon want his son to run from person to person until he got the counsel he wanted. Oh, how often do we do that? I think that this is why we do not go to good Godly people because we know what they are going to say and we already do not like it. I think this is why many people do not go to their pastor.

This team of counselors should include your parents, your pastor, your Sunday school teacher, and A Christian who has a real walk with God (These are people who read their Bibles and pray, they are faithful in church and service.). A godly counselor is going to love God, His Word, and you. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:15). He will want the best for your life.

This brings us to one final question. “What are the dangers of giving ungodly counsel?” Here is where it gets really scary. I do not have to live with the consequences of ungodly counsel I may give.
Somebody may come to me and say this or that. They are seeking counsel and because of my position, I could abuse what God has given me. That person may listen to me, believing that because I am a pastor I won’t mislead them. They do not “try the spirits.” They do not search the Scriptures to see if those things are so. May I say this is one of the best ways to make something personal? They take what was given them, follow the counsel, and are now left with the consequences. There is no redo button. Time cannot be reversed. They have to deal with the consequences, I do not. This is a dangerous thing.
Here is counsel for the godly counselors. It is wise to remember that we do not have to bear the consequences of bad counsel or ungodly counsel.

Be prayerful. Seek God’s face as you search His Word. Be slow in giving counsel. Give God time to lead you in your counsel. Be knowledgable. Study the Word of God for it is our guidebook. Be silent. Do not share with others that you are counseling someone else.

God hears ungodly counsel. He is insulted by ungodly counsel. If a man fears God this would do much in the counsel given. An ungodly counselor may not have to deal with the consequences of his ungodly counsel, but he will be held accountable for giving ungodly counsel.

This message just makes us realize the importance of avoiding ungodly counsel. It is not directing us away from counsel. Counsel is important. God advises us to seek and to give Godly counsel. Both parties require discernment. The one seeking counsel must discern if a counselor is Godly and the counselor must discern what is it that God is advising.