Wisdom's Practicalities

Dearly beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, wisdom tell us who our God is and how He wants us to behave. In this, of course, it is like the word of God, which teaches what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. Our text this morning issues a small blizzard of directives, showing that God wants a lot more of us than just going to church and reading our Bibles. The Christian lifestyle requires some very specific practices, and we’re going to look at the ones listed here in some detail. We will then see that all of these practices are rooted in the character of God. Why should we avoid lawsuits? Why should we flee from envy? Because of who our God is, and because of how He blesses us when we seek to obey Him and walk in His wisdom. Though this particular section does not address us as sons, clearly it presupposes that we are walking with God. Its message is for every child of God — not the message that God will save you if you’re good enough, but rather the message that the God who has taken you into His confidence wants you to imitate Him. Wisdom is a set of down-to-earth practices that please the LORD. Do the things that are described here, and you will be like your Heavenly Father and His beloved Son.