Arizona sun., 1947-08-08
BY WILLIAM CULBERTSON, d. D.
OF The Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.

TT IS well for us to face squarely
l. such a topic as the one assigned.
It is particularly necessary to re-
view the biblical standards with re-
gard to holiness Of life, since the
day in which we live Is one of
lowered conceptions.
You will probably remember the
story of the celebrated artist who
was renowned because of his ability
to put on canvas colors of accurate
hue and great beauty. His secret
was that he kept a number of valu-
able gems of all colors. He would
turn frequently from his painting to
study the color of these gems.
We need to spend time with the
precious gems of the Word of God
that we may clearly understand
how he would have us live.
I. True wisdom Involves the Fear
Of Jehovah (Prov. 2:1-5).
In THE opening chapters Of Prov
erbs, Wisdom is personified.
Anyone who believes in Jesus
Christ cannot help understanding
something Of his relationship to wis
dom. In him ''are hid all the treas.
ures of wisdom and knowledge"
(Col. 2:3). To those of us who trust
him, he has been made unto us wis.,
dom Il Cor. 1-30).
In this passage in Proverbs the
point is that if we observe his COM
mandments, If we incline our ears
unto wisdom, If we apply our hearts
to understanding, II we long for dis
cernment, as earnestly as we would
seek for silver and hidden treasures,
we shall understand the fear of the
Lord and find the knowledge of God.
God will meet every individual
who really wants to know him.
Said our Lord, eff any man will
eth to do his will, he shall
know :" John 7:17).
III. True Wisdom Involves Holi-
ness Of Life (Prov. 2:10-17; 4:14-17;
SID.
% truly know God is, of course,
L to be spared the heartache
which results from being deceived
by sin and Satan. When wisdom
enters the heart, the result is dis
cretion and understanding prov.
2:1O, 1D. Thus God delivers us
from the way of evil and from
men that speak evil things ".
12).
Attention should be given ito the
description of these evil men in
verses 12-15: they speak perverse
things; they forsake the paths of
uprightness; they walk in the ways
Of darkness; they rejoice to do evil;
they delight in the perverseness of
evil; their paths are crooked and
wayward.
Deliverance from the strange
woman is likewise vouchsafed, as
we have true wisdom. The descrip-
tion Of these women is Informative
-fattering, forgetful of both friends
and God; their lips drop honey,
their mouths are smoother than OIL
Notice the conclusion of the
matter: In the end they are bitter
as wormwood, sharp as a two
edged sword, their feet 60 down to
death, and their steps take hold on
Sheol.
HOw much we need Gods wis
dem in this world. 1t is easy to be
deceived.
III. True Wisdom Means Peace
at the End (Prov. 4:18-2O.
TO walk with God, to walk in
L wisdom, is indeed as the dawn
ing light, shining more and more
unto the perfect day. If there
were no other reward for living for
God land there are many, many
others), the benediction at even
tide would be enough to cause us
to think seriously before we flout
the ways Of God.
Nv. A Representative of True Wis.
dom prov. 31:10-12).
THIS passage describes the wise
L woman. She Is indeed to be ex.
tolled. The worthy woman, the
woman who loves God, the woman
who is therefore wise, is in price far
above rubieS.
v. Sins History (James 1:13-15).
THE wise man, the man who will
l. be pure in heart and life, ought
to understand something of the his.
tory Of sin in his individual life
Temptation here refers undoubt.
edly to a solicitation to evil. Goo
does make trial of men (Gen. 22:D
but he does not dangle before them
that which is evil in itself
The history of personal evil is,
that because of our lust we are
enticed. Thus when lust has con-
ceived THAT is to say, we have
succumbed to the enticement),
sin is born, and sin, when it is fin
ished-but It Is never finished;
1t goes on and on; no power on
earth can arrest It - bringeth
forth death.