Righteousness and Wisdom
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Key Verse: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Selected Scripture: |
NO SCRIPTURE TELLS US that we can be independent of our Lord. The perfect work of our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus should be the basis of our understanding. A faith that we will be saved in our sins no matter what type of daily life we lead, is a misplaced faith. In order to “trust in the Lord,” we must have a knowledge of God’s Word and plan of salvation, and not in our “own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5) We are reminded of what our Father has done for us in verses 4 and 5, from Titus 3, “After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”
It is the Father’s desire that we may obtain the prize of salvation through his mercy and grace. “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us.” (Eph. 2:4) His mercy makes possible a transformation from the human nature to the divine nature if one proves faithful unto death. Our salvation is of grace, and it required a ransom price, which then provided a salvation from death to life, and a salvation from sin to righteousness. The Apostle Paul refers to it as, “so great salvation.” (Heb. 2:3) God’s love also makes it possible to forgive our past sins, cleanse us from our past condemnation, and cover our unintentional blemishes. He also encourages us to do the best that we can each day through all of the blessings that he so richly provides for us. He also gives us words of encouragement from his Holy Word, “I can do all things through Christ which stengtheneth me.”—Phil. 4:13
The Lord is always faithful to those who put their trust in him and look for his leading. Our attitude of heart and mind should be that of looking to God to receive instruction from him that we might profit by it spiritually. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17) For us to appreciate what God provides for us, we must be able to have an understanding of his plans and purposes. He assures us that he will do this for us in this scripture, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” (Eph. 1:18) This verse is actually referring to our heart condition, and walking by the eyes of faith. If our eyes are opened to appreciate the light, then we will be leaning more and more on our Father, and less on self.
God has placed us in the school of Christ until “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (chap. 4:13) We are told in Isaiah 54:13, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” The message of God received by faith is accepted to be the Truth, and leads to understanding and full confidence in his Word. “The Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”—Prov. 2:6