Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 111:10, Romans 1:21-22, James 3:13

Summary: Biblical wisdom is not intelligence, education, or cleverness. It is the God-given ability to understand reality from His perspective and live faithfully within it. This is the first message on why Christians need to be the wisest people in society.

The Fear of the LORD is where wisdom begins (Proverbs 9:10). Every society has experts, institutions, data, and powerful technology. The trouble is that none of these things guarantee that someone has the wisdom to handle them. A culture might know how to do remarkable things yet still fail to ask whether those things are right. There may be a plethora of information within a society but be devoid of moral clarity. The Bible addresses these issues by teaching us that true wisdom begins with a reverential view of God.

The “fear of the LORD’ as described in the Bible does not mean servile terror, as a slave in ancient times would have towards a cruel master. It is a reverent recognition that God is God, and we are not. It means receiving His character as the standard of goodness, His Word as the measure of truth (John 17:17), and His authority as final.

Wisdom begins when human pride bows before Divine reality. The wise person does not place God at the edge of life as some kind of private preference. God becomes the center from whom every part of life is clearly understood. This explains why intelligence alone cannot save a society from folly. People can reason brilliantly but do so under false premises. If we deny the Creator, redefine good and evil, or treat personal desires as sovereign, our conclusions may appear sophisticated while leading away from life. Romans 1:21-22 describes people with this mindset:

“…Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (NKJV).

The Bible describes people who became futile in thought yet believed the idea that they were wise. They did not lack mental ability. They chose to deny God and refuse Him worship and recognition.  Christians must therefore be the wisest people in society because they begin where reality begins – with God. This wisdom should shape our judgments about work, family, morality, money, justice, truth, power, suffering, and death. The Christian does not merely ask, “What is popular?” “What is profitable?” or “What is possible?” Instead, we ask, “What is faithful to the LORD?”

Proverbs 3:5-7 warns us to not lean on our own understanding or be wise in our own eyes. Trust in God delivers us from the tyranny of limited perception. The fear of the LORD also produces humility. Those who know God’s holiness cannot boast in their intelligence. Those who know His mercy cannot despise others.

Proverbs 11:2 joins humility to wisdom, and James 3: 13 says wisdom is demonstrated by good conduct in meekness.  Biblical wisdom is never arrogant. It is teachable, sober, courageous, and obedient.

Society needs people who cannot be bribed by applause, frightened by pressure, or seduced by novelties. It needs people whose convictions arise from reverence for God. When Christians fear the LORD, they become steady in confusion, truthful amid manipulation, and hopeful amid despair.

The beginning of wisdom is not found in trusting ourselves more deeply, but in acknowledging God more fully. Where the fear of the LORD is restored, wisdom can flourish.

Our next venture into Biblical wisdom will focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, who personifies the wisdom of God.

https://drwhitchardteaches.org

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

 

 

I have included a Special message at the end of this article. I hope you will read it and take it to heart.

Reportedly, America is currently seeking an “exit strategy” from the conflict with Iran.

As ever today, we must exercise caution in believing “reportedly.”

Seeking an “exit strategy” always implies that there is no longer any real expectation of “winning” – something that should have determined the wisdom of initiating hostilities prior to initiating hostilities.

It would have been a good time to examine (Ezekiel 38:1-6). Iran (Persia) is there.

It also encourages the enemy to “hang in there,” as there is a sense that they can prevail over time. This is what happened during the Vietnam War, and it worked…for the communists.

I don’t believe the American public is going to forgive yet another humiliating “exit” without total victory (more accurately described as a “defeat”). We have had too much of this in the past, and patience wears thin.

It’s not because our military is not able to win. That is not the issue. It’s the recurring plague of incompetent politicians. And now, the very ideology that is our adversary (Islam) is being allowed to infiltrate and weaken our divided and corrupted political system from within by many of those same politicians. Who do they “represent”?

I think we must consider that it is not the Constitution and the country they swore to serve.

These enemies are in plain sight, and unless we enforce the existing regulations that are designed to protect America from this internal subversion, America will be lost.

If the U.S. allows this internal takeover to happen, it would, I believe, have several immediate impacts with very sobering consequences. I could be wrong about any of these, but nevertheless…

• A shift to democrats/socialists/communists regaining power in the mid-term elections. That has its own truly terrifying implications, morally, politically and militarily. In moral terms, it would only contribute to God’s reasons for judgment.

Anything less than complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear ambitions as well as their warfighting capabilities will be viewed as American weakness and will strengthen the perceived power of Islam’s “god,” with the following very likely consequences.

• Empowerment of Iran and its “helpers,” prompting additional attacks on what they call the “great Satan” – America.
• Prompting (direct?) attacks on Israel. (What Iran calls the “little Satan.”)
• A sudden acceleration in the Muslim push for political acquisition of power in the U.S. Congress and ALL other political offices across the land, likewise with resulting consequences.
• A sudden acceleration of Islamic Mosque building and sharia law enclave construction/acquisition across America, aided and abetted by blind and ignorant Americans who have not the slightest understanding of what Islam truly is.
• Increased infiltration of our nation’s school systems in order to indoctrinate and brainwash young, naive children. (Godless leftists scream about separation of church and state only when it involves the “threat” of Christian teachings.)
• Unrestricted and massive Muslim border invasion from every direction.
• Iran acquiring nuclear weapons with the determination to bring about Dhuhr (the appearance of their 12^th Imam).

These events would be viewed by the Muslims and the rest of the world as further proof that America is not the America that won WWII, and this view is bolstered by the fact that America has failed to win every war since then due to weak and spineless politicians. If these things occur, it will clearly have happened once again.

What might all this mean?

Short Term: The Muslim infiltration of our form of government will completely destroy any semblance of the American “experiment,” the freedoms associated with it, and the drive and determination that any free society must have in order to survive, and that includes ethically pursued capitalism.

Despite the world’s visible, long, and sorry record of the results of socialism/ communism, too many seem to accept the evil of what it promises. They see only what they want to imagine it will be like to have a communist government “care” for them.

The results will be the same that they have always been: Slavery, murder, starvation, misery and massive deaths.

There is a last-ditch attempt currently ongoing to recover America from this disease.

There has never existed in the history of the world, with the possible exception of Israel, a country more worth preserving than the America that was.

With God, nothing is impossible, but…

One thing remains a certainty: if this country continues to deny God’s Sovereignty and act outside His Will, the “American Experiment” will crash and burn.

Long Term: One of two possible outcomes in my mind:

1.  America will not survive because God will execute judgment if we become a curse to Israel, if we cast aside the last remaining fragments of moral conduct, and if we forget that all He blessed us with was because we had always put our trust in Him, and that we had always been a blessing to the Jews in the past, but if we then fail to remember and heed His warning in Genesis 12:3b.

This could include any number of possible natural or military disasters allowed by or caused by God.

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48b)

2.  America will survive, but only because God has a use for it in some form and will go on to serve Him in the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom.

Now to the crux of this article.

The actual eternal significance of these events to individual people.

Whatever the result of these world-related things, it must not be misunderstood: There will be only one of two final destinations for every soul who ever has or ever will live in this current life:

Eternal life: The gift of God to all who repent of their sin and rebellion (Luke 13:3 + 5), and receive Jesus as their One and Only Savior, which enables the Holy Spirit to lead them to Spiritual Rebirth as Jesus requires (John 3:3).

Eternal death: Rejection of God’s Grace and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ in our stead to pay the penalty that must be paid for sin and rebellion, which are clearly described throughout God’s Word.

As well, His Grace and Mercy are also clearly stated in: John 3:16, 10:11, 14:6, and myriads of other verses that can be found throughout the Bible.

In the end: Because God allows humans to choose to accept or reject His Son, there are only two decisions that will matter from the human standpoint: Receive God’s Mercy and Grace in His Son, Jesus, or choose to answer to God based on your own humanly imagined virtue. Note: “For ALL have sinned…” (Romans 3:23).

Those who repent: Based on the clear teaching of God’s Word and full trust in Him, eternal life is determined by repentance and receiving Jesus Christ as your personal and only Savior (John 3:3, John 14:6). It could not be any more clearly stated.

Those who do not repent: Based on the clear teaching of God’s Word, Rejection of God’s Grace in Christ leads to only one eternal destination, and it is clearly referenced by Jesus Himself (Matthew 10:28, 25:41, 8:12, 13:42; Luke 12:5, 16:23).

All that anyone needs to understand in order to decide can be found in God’s Word. If you are in earnest and you ask the Holy Spirit to show you the Truth, you can realize His promise of eternal life in place of eternal separation from the One True God and the Peace and Hope that He offers to all who will turn to Him.

God’s decision: Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and He has made it clear (Acts 4:12).

Today, He holds out His hand of Grace to all who will respond (2 Corinthians 6:2).

If you choose the Way to life, you must do so while you are still in your living years.

The special message I promised you:

For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no real hope or peace in your life.

You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding.

It requires that you come before God on His terms and that you do so in your living years.

And what are His terms according to His Word?

• Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him).
• Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God).
• That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
• To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt.
• Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross and rose from the grave three days later, conquering death, just as He promised.
• To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.

This is what leads one to the Spiritual Rebirth that Jesus requires (John 3.3).

God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.

• No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one.
• No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will.
• Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.

u put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will.

“Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life” (John 5:24).

There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. They are incapable of it. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.

The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God, with all your heart, He will hear you.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Pro Salvator Vigilans                      

To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com