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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).

The world equates wisdom with the accumulation of technological insight, and the continual progression of moral change. People today are smarter, and less encumbered by outmoded superstitions and prejudices – so they say.

Oh really? Are we to equate political corruption, amoral lifestyle, extreme self-indulgence and a rejection of absolute values to some modern version of deep thought? If so, I choose to remain out of style and out of step.

As Paul wrote, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

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“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Psalm 61:10)

The Psalmist proclaims a beautiful image of the salvation we receive through God’s mercy. We are clothed by God. The vestments are of the greatest quality and value. The ornamentation and jewelry far surpass the earthly baubles we might secure. Praise be to God that the value of our salvation is far greater than any possession we might obtain here on earth.

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:26-27)

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“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:7-9).

The favor of God, described in such poetic language in the text above, is expressed to those who are “upright in heart” (10). The “workers of iniquity” strive against God, and are defeated by Him (12).

And so we, as the Psalmist, pray to Him, “Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart” (10).

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In scripture there are a number of type/antitypes found that accurately show the superiority of Christ and His covenant with man. An example is found in Colossians 2:16-17, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

The law (vs. 14) and the things that surrounded it are referred to as a “shadow of things to come.” That is another way of describing “type.” Paul wrote, “but the substance is of Christ.” That is equivalent to “antitype.”

So, Paul’s comparison of shadow and substance rightly describes the type/antitype relationship. Type is to antitype as shadow is to substance.

With that in mind, we place our faith in Jesus Christ. It is in Him that the substantive fulfillment of God’s scheme of redemption for man can be found!

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In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Paul wrote concerning his apostolic ministry, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

A steward is a manager or overseer. He is put in charge of a particular work or department. It might be a household, a project or a division. In all cases, he is held responsible by the management for the success or failure of the effort.

Paul was an overseer of the mysteries of God. It was his purpose to proclaim the gospel of Christ to God’s satisfaction, not man’s. So, it is not surprising that it was of little concern to Paul that others would judge him to be unsatisfactory (cf. vs. 3). As Paul wrote, “He who judges me is the Lord” (vs. 4).

The same is true of us. We shouldn’t worry what man thinks, but what God thinks. When we consider those things to which God has granted us stewardship, (our children, home, local church, etc.), our only worry must be whether we are faithful to His instructions!

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“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:5-6).

In our conversations with others (both Christians, and those we seek to influence), Paul gives good instructions. First, our speech is to be infused with grace. This is Christ reflected in us. It is not so much that every conversation must be about religious things. Rather, our faith and righteousness must always be evident in what we say.

Second, it is to be seasoned with salt. This indicates that our conversations should be palatable, sprinkled with wisdom, spiritual insight, graciousness and kindness. When others talk with us, we want them to be attracted to the faith we promote, not be put off of it as one who rejects the blandness of unseasoned food.

Always remember, our purpose in interacting with others is to both save ourselves, and them! (cf. 1 Timothy 4:16)..

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In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul wrote, “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

There are many ways we can “give place to the devil.” Mentioned in the text are lying, stealing, all types of evil speaking, bitterness, clamor and malice. In verse 26 the problem Paul addresses is anger.

We all get angry. But, we must control it when it comes, and rid ourselves of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, Satan will use it to cause us to sin. Do not give place to the Devil!

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In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

It is interesting that Peter refers to the second coming of Christ as a promise, since when He comes again it will be “the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (vs. 7). Many would consider it more a threat than a promise.

But, for the child of God, that day holds great hope. If we have “come to repentance”, that day will be a day of glory! According to His promise, Christians “look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (vs. 13).

“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen, Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

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In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (5:17).

This is both a statement of fact (acknowledging the new birth), and a statement of wonder! When one becomes a child of God, everything changes! Where once we were dead in sin, we are now dead to sin. Where once we had no hope, we now have eternal hope. Where once we had no purpose to our lives, now we rejoice in our singular desire to serve God in all things.

As Paul, “we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (vs. 20). It is a commitment you will never regret!

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What does God love? How about the opposite of the things he hates?

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

So, God loves the downcast eyes of the humble, a tongue that speaks truth, hands that protect the innocent, a heart that devises righteous plans, feet that are swift to do good, a true witness who tells the “truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”, and one who promotes unity and brotherhood!

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A woman who had the rightly earned reputation as a sinner knelt at the feet of Jesus, anointing them with fragrant oil, and wiping them with the hair on her head.

In this action she exhibited faith in Jesus. Jesus told the master of the house, “her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” (Luke 7:47). He then told her, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (vs. 50).

Jesus told her to “Go in peace” because her sins were forgiven. There is no peace without the forgiveness of sins. When a man’s sins remain he is separated from God. No peace can be found without His presence in your life.

If your life is not blessed with the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), you need to have your sins forgiven. If you want help, contact us, we would love to study with you online or in person..

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Wisdom begins with a “fear of the Lord.” That means that if one does not fear God, he can not be wise. Perhaps that is why Paul wrote so dismissively of the wisdom of men, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

“Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1:21). If you truly desire to be wise, fearing and knowing God is the place to begin.

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Some are critical of preachers spending too much time preaching doctrine, and not enough time on more practical matters.

Paul told Titus in Titus 2:1, “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine…” But, the “doctrine” of which of Paul speaks consisted of practical matters regarding the behavior of younger women, older women, younger men, older men and bondservants.

The fact is, all Biblical teaching is doctrine. And, who is to say which aspect of that doctrine is most important? Rather than looking for someone who will tell you what you want to hear, find a preacher who has determined to “declare to you the whole counsel of God”! (cf. Acts 20:27)

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In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, the apostle Paul expressed thanks to God for the Christians there, “because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.”

Faith and love are two of the identifying characteristics of the child of God. The love of God abounds toward man, as is evident from His scheme for our redemption. The faithful Christian’s love should be the same, especially toward their brethren.

The faith of the diligent Christian is a faith that grows daily. As the Hebrew writer noted, (Hebrews 5:12 – 6:6), if you are not progressing in your faith, you will regress, potentially to the point of apostasy.

Do you have a growing faith and abundant love?

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“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins”(2 Peter 1:9).

Peter wrote these words after exhorting his readers to spiritual maturity. It is important to add to your faith by incorporating characteristics such as: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (cf. vs.5-7).

Lacking these things brings about spiritual myopia. Short or near sightedness. The inability to see far away (spiritually speaking).

The Christian has the hope of heaven. The best way to keep that hope in view is through spiritual growth. If we grow spiritually, we will receive and abundant and everlasting reward! (cf. vs. 11).

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