A Faith That Works

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

A Faith That Works

James 2:14-26 EVS

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

¹⁶ and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

¹⁷So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

²⁰Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

²²You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

²³and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God.

²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

²⁵And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

II Corinthians 5:17

⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism Question 33

Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

The value and the truth of the Biblical doctrine of justification needs no apology or defense. The fact that must be recognized is that it is not the only truth about our salvation, and it does not stand alone. But having said the above I would certainly agree with George Sayles Bishop, “Better bad works on these grounds (true faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ) than good works on any other.”

A fair look at James 2:14-26 tells us the one who is justified has faith. This faith is a result of regeneration. The new creature who has faith has the bondage of sin broken and has a new character that loves God and His Law. This new character is always there in the believer and it is always active, objective, and visible.

There is no Biblical salvation in which forgiveness of sin exists in isolation. Justification is always and only by faith without the work of the Law. This faith is a result of the new creation, II Cor. 5:17. And in the same instant he believes and is justified he has a new disposition which is the law-keeper of James, I Peter and I John.

Justification must always be defined as without the works of the Law, and it is only the “new creation” who believes. The “new creation” of II Cor. 5:17 is James’ subject in 2:14-26. Just as justification is in this life invisible, the “new creation” is in this life without contradiction visible.

Abraham’s faith was in God’s promise. His sacrifice of Isaac was the certain consequence of his faith. It was a visible demonstration of supreme love for God. Rahab’s faith in God led her to rescue the Hebrew spies. Her act of sacrifice was the visible demonstration of her love for her neighbor.

In both instances their faith became visible by their obedience to the law of God. Abraham’s faith was no more or no different when he sacrificed the ram God provided. But to all history following it was more certain because of the trial he faced. Cf James 1:3, 12.

Something Unsaid

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Something Unsaid

Proverbs 25:7c-10 EVS

⁷…What your eyes have seen
⁸ do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
⁹ Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another’s secret,
¹⁰ lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end

The Law of God demands man’s attention and lends itself to his understanding when he desires to understand it. There are many teachers of the Law, some to the believer’s advantage and more to his disadvantage. In this corner there is no better, and few even approaching the excellence of, the Westminster Confession Larger Catechism’s exposition of the Law of God.

The Larger Catechism question 144 asks “What are the duties required in the Ninth Commandment.” ("You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”). Please give your utmost attention to how this answer begins.

A. “The duties required in the ninth command are, the preserving and promoting truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own”.

The responsibility for our neighbor in our conversation lies second only to truth itself. But how seldom is this remembered or is it even known.

The passage for today speaks directly to one’s responsibility to his neighbor with the truth. The issue is the “good name” of both the neighbor and the truth speaker.

1. There is truth that is not to be used to accuse a neighbor. Vs 7c-8A. Truth in and of itself does not demand disclosure. It does not always demand reporting and it may be improvable. Truth that is improvable is to be left unstated.

The Levitical legal system demands two witnesses. The truth is unproven when it is private and lacking the second witness. Then it becomes libel to the shame of the speaker.

2. Vs 9 There are private matters that are to remain private. The Scriptures furnish an expectation of privacy. The promotion of a neighbor’s “good name” overrides the right to tell all.

A good way to understand this responsibility is to think of what good order in society demands, you must report a murder, but some reporting gives a reward, such as income tax evasion. If it requires a reward it is most likely private.

3. Vs 10 In this verse the failure of promoting the good name of your neighbor is the subject. To fail to heed the privacy given to one’s neighbor and to publish the truth of a single witness has two results.

A. The intent is recognized as slander bringing shame on yourself Vs 10a.

B. Thus you bring upon yourself a well deserved judgment of an enduring reputation of tale bearing.

In Paul’s catalogue of sins in Romans 1:29-31 the kind of sin in Proverbs 25:8-10 is named seven times. A close look at the last five commandments will convince the student that most flagrantly disobeyed in the most malevolent way is the ninth commandment. And the failure to promote our neighbors’ reputation is of very little or no concern to a far too large majority.

The Great Leveler - part 2

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Great Leveler – part 2

Proverbs 22:2 EVS

2 The rich and the poor meet together;
the LORD is the maker of them all.

The equality of mankind is based on the common origin of creation. There is the creator and there is a common parent. Our present status notwithstanding, we are linked to this parent and have God as our maker.

There are three places which are particularly applicable as meeting places of the rich and the poor and it serves us well to consider them.

1. There is the common meeting place of birth. We all have come into this world naked, Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:15. There is a certainty that goes with this naked birth whether in the most expensive surrounding or in a mud hut. There is no accomplishments at this point. All are the same. None has done anything. All are born defenseless, dependent, and without a guarantee of another hour of life. The rich and the poor meet together here.

As there is a certainty there is an uncertainty. There is no guarantee of what this new naked creature will do or become. All the advantages available to mankind cannot guarantee either mental or physical ability. The rich may be mentally incapacitated or unstable while the poor has a stable productive intellectual contribution.

The poor may show initiative and wisdom using every advantage to be productive and gain wealth while the rich at birth becomes progressively foolish and wastes every advantage they had at birth. The rich and the poor meet together in this uncertainty.

2. There is the common meeting place of death. Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:15. There may be advantages beyond description held by rich to this point, but in death there are no advantages to wealth and no more loss to the poor. It is an undeniable fact that as at birth man is naked, he is naked at death. He brought nothing with him and he takes nothing away.

The burial tombs of past rulers and wealthy people indicate the human failure to accept this judgment. They filled their tombs and burial crypts with their wealth and favorite toys, whether people, animals, or other possessions, hoping these material items would travel with them into the region of death.

The Scriptures speak with a clarity that demands acceptance, Hebrews 9:27. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

3. There is another common meeting place for the rich and poor, a place where there is no advantage to either. Let us call it, “the throne of grace.” God shows no favoritism. Five times the Scriptures state “God is no respecter of person.” Acts 10:34, Romans 2:21; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 5:25; I Peter 1:7.

Paul, in Galatians 3:28 ESV, uses this great truth as a proof that no human works can avail with God.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. “In Christ” is a very important fact of Paul’s writings. Here is a truth that considers no human contribution. This truth is God’s grace.

I once heard an Evangelist state that there are four things money cannot buy, “a baby’s smile, a good woman’s love, a good man’s friendship, and the grace of God.” Whatever you may think of his illustration, it is certain that the rich and the poor meet together at the “throne of Grace” and there is no advantage.

Application:

A. This is a truth that should humble all of us. We have nothing with which we can leverage God. He is our Maker.

B. It should be the basis of all Christian fellowship and the foundation of the Church, James 2:1-4 ESV. The door of the Church is our great objective equalizer. A failure to recognize and apply this brings James’ judgment, you have “become judges with evil thoughts”.

The Great Leveler - in two parts

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Great Leveler - in two parts

Proverbs 22:2 EVS

2 The rich and the poor meet together;
the LORD is the maker of them all.

Genesis 5:1-5

¹This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

²Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.

³When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

⁴ The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters.

⁵Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

Drivers on all roads see what is referred to as “road-kill”. This is an international phenomenon. While some may stop to look at or render assistance to dead animals, most don’t. Dead animals are passed by and forgotten.

Should the dead on the road be human, few if any would pass by without concern. Most would stop and render whatever aid possible. There would be instantaneous concern for the person found in need. What is the difference?

There is a difference between man and animal and the difference is so basic that when illustrated as it is above there is no need for an explanation. The animal is not a person. All people know that and on this there is a level of certain recognition.

The Bible gives the Believer a clear understanding of his origin. God is his creator or maker. This is a confession that creation is a cornerstone of our faith. But what is the Believer’s understanding of creation? It is based upon three certainties.

1. The Scriptures state concretely that God created man, both male and female. Never do the writers of Scripture vary from this truth. It is basic to all Biblical understanding of man and God. There are basically two systems of belief in God. One is that man made God. The other is that God made man. Honesty demands that anyone who does not believe God created man state their unbelief in God and Bible.

2. The Bible believer states that his understanding of creation is a part of his belief system. Hebrews 11:3. Quite the opposite the evolutionist very deceptively, attempts to make his system a result of fact based on proof which has been discovered. This is a lie. Evolution is a belief system based on a theory - no more, no less. This system has invited so much deception that it does not deserve the belief of an honest person. Until it shows itself true in its statements and supposed facts it must be understood for what it is, a deceptive, dishonest evasion of responsibility for humility before the Creator.

3. The believer’s understanding of creation is a part of his belief system, but this belief system has an unshakeable support. That support is the resurrection of Jesus. The fact of the crucifixion and the resurrection are as much facts of history as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There are witnesses, whose integrity and honesty there is no reason to doubt, who were compions of the risen Savior. These witnesses have not been impeached though there has been a continuing effort for twenty centuries. The Scriptures tell us of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus tells of God’s blessing our original parents. “Yo credo” I believe.

The Vanity of Philosophy

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Vanity of Philosophy

Proverbs 21:30 EVS

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the LORD.

There are two great truths that have been with man since the sin of Adam in Genesis 3. The first is the depravity of human nature. As the Scriptures say, “Man is as prone to do evil as the sparks fly upward.” The second is the brilliance of human intelligence. From inner space to outer space, human brilliance seems to know no bounds. Whatever can be imagined, can be done.

The writer of Proverbs brings these twin features before us in verse 30. This deserves a closer look.

Proverbs 21:30A

1. There is an anti-God intellectual system. Genesis 11:1-5 introduces an early manifestation of this system. There are elements here to remember.

¹Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

²And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

³And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

⁴Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."

⁵And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.

A. Genesis 11:3-4 There is cooperation.

B. Genesis 11:4 It is motivated by vanity.

C. Genesis 11:4 It is intended to protect and strengthen human accomplishments.

2. This system has all the necessities of a moral philosophy wisdom, understanding and counsel. Will Diurant in The History of Philosophy quotes a recognized philosopher as saying, “The end purpose of all philosophy is morality.” This is a loose quote but I’m sure it is accurate.

There is now and there has always been two systems of conduct. The code of the world which is self satisfaction and the one of God’s word which is obedience to God’s law performed by the people of God, the Church.

3. This system is always anti-God. The best moral system this world could produce was that of the Pharisees of BC 200 to Christ’s day. Some of the remnants of that remain in modern day Judaism. But a close inspection into that system found what the Lord Jesus described as “white grave markers”, and “dead men’s bones.”

The brilliant and heroic potential of mankind often blinds the believer’s eye to the systematic disobedience and hatred of God which prevails in the world around us. The Providence of God has used these human remains of the image of God to give us a more pleasant and enjoyable world. For this we must thank God.

4. This human system will fail. It cannot “avail against the Lord.” It will not defeat God. God will continue his sovereign rule. These puny passing efforts are but a continuation of the failed philosophies that have come on the scene and then are no more.

God’s word will not be disproved. Truth stands, error fails. There is nothing new in the exaltation of pleasure. Mankind desires to see beautiful things, taste delicious dishes, and have self-exaltation. The Scriptures called this “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.” Those stand opposed to God’s law, always have, always will.

The opposition to God is always going to be leveled against His Church. But it will not avail. The church has in the past prevailed in times of bloodshed. The church in Africa and China, and Egypt, and Iran will win. Uganda was once a slaughtering ground for the Church. It is now by majority a Christian nation.

The Church will prevail against the subtle influence of Hedonistic culture. The Church will return to the truth that is its responsibility to condemn culture not to change it. It will get back to its job of calling the elect out of a condemned culture that Scriptures describe as the “domain of darkness” and restraining evil with the judgment of God pronounced on all the works of darkness.

Whatever Nebuchadnezzar final end might be, he has left us a rich heritage in Daniel 4:34-35. Nothing “can avail against God.”

The Harvest of Laziness

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Harvest of Laziness

Proverbs 20:4 NEV

4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
he will seek at harvest and have nothing.

The word sluggard is used six times in Proverbs and it always has the same meaning. It is from a root word meaning “to lean” or one who is idle to the point of indolence. The word used in verse 4 from this root word is more particularly to be slothful, a sluggard, or for us lazy.

The lazy man has a handy excuse, its snowing out or there is a lion in the street. He is a person who loves his rest, “a little sleep, a little folding of the hands.” Or maybe he is one who plays too hard and stays up too late. The writer of Proverbs terms it as too much wine and burning oil.

Proverbs 20:4 is interesting in the certain results of laziness, but goes further and gives insight into the folly of the lazy person.

This is a picture from an agricultural economy but it is suited to any type of production. It doesn’t matter whether the production desired is a result of physical labor, intellectual labor, or spiritual labor there is an application here.

1. The identity of the subject is in the definition of the word “sluggard”. He is idle, indolent, and disinterested in his necessary task. Whether he leans on a post at a convenient corner talking, lies in his bed asleep in working hours, or lives a profligate life he is not at his place of labor doing what is required.

2. His failure is twofold.

A. He does not do the required task, he “does not plow”. The farmer knows there is preparation required. Plowing is preparatory to sowing, and sowing is required for reaping. That it is two steps or more removed from the harvest might make it less attractive but plowing is no less necessary.

B. He ignores the timeliness of the requirement. For this farmer it is seasonal. But for any task there is a time to do it. In the instance of the farmer this was critical.

It is well to note that there is always a time to do the work. And work not done on time usually fails to accomplish all it is intended to do.

3. There is the certain results, “nothing”. What else could be expected? The writer of Proverbs gives us a glimpse of the sluggard’s nothing. Proverbs 24:30-31. This “nothing” does not say there is nothing growing but that which grows is worse than worthless. It is ugly and destructive.

4. The question above is answered by the foolish lazy farmer. “He will seek at harvest.” His folly identifies him. He has failed in the basics and yet expects a profitable return. The writer of Proverbs has informed us that only in labor is there to be an expectation of profit. Proverbs 14:23.

The simple message of Proverbs 20:4 is evident. There is nothing for the lazy one at harvest time.

Look at this as a spiritual requirement and consider the folly of professing Christians.

• That spiritual growth can come without effort.
• That teaching can be done without preparation.
• That churches will grow without labor.

There is a more personal application that can be made to the effect necessary for Christian growth.

• There are those who claim Christianity who have never read ten Psalms.
• There are professing Christians who have never read one Old Testament book.
• There are those who claim salvation who have never read one Gospel.
• There are those whom no one would ever know they are Christians other than those who see them on Sunday morning.

It is with deep heart-felt sorrow that it must be stated “O sluggard you will come and look but will have nothing at harvest time.”

An Ear That Hears

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

An Ear That Hears

Proverbs 19:20, 27 NKJV

20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.

27 Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

The Church is plagued with the delusion that gifted instructors are unnecessary. This is disproved both in the Old Testament and the New Testament by example and precept. It particularly behooves the New Testament reader to consider the importance the New Testament writers put on the ministry and the gifts of the Spirit which undergird it.

The verses to be studied, Vss 20, 27 are plain in the requirement stated and the certain failure when that requirement is not met.

A study of these verses reveal:

1. Vs 20 There are those who are qualified to instruct. It would be easier to say these wise counselors are always recognized Believers. But this is not so. The Scriptures give examples of wise men whom we have no reason to think are converted. One of these is Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, cf Exodus 18:13-27

2. There is the responsibility to recognize those who have the ability to instruct in righteous conduct and witness. This is to “listen” and “accept”.

A. There are some who are worth hearing.

B. There is a clear necessity of listening.

C. Accepting is nothing less than this becoming a part of the character of the hearer. The hearer knows this and does it.

3. Wisdom is gained only by listening to those who can teach.

It is very interesting that in his book, The Outliers, Gladwell proves that all accomplishments come as a result of instruction. That does not exempt the accomplishments of genius.

4. Wisdom is not instantaneous. It is a process. It begins with “advice” and “instruction”, with wisdom being a prospect realized in the future.

What tragedies the Church would have escaped and can escape in the future by listening to the wisdom of Paul in I Timothy 3:6, 10. A failure to require the maturation of instruction into wisdom is certain to bring destructive consequences.

5. The negative of what is found in Vs 20 is stated in Vs 27. At any time one becomes so complete they no longer will hear or heed instructions their path or their walk is affected.

A. They will cease to give their attention, to the degree they should, to God’s word.

B. Their character and conduct will demonstrate their failure and deviancy.

Read Luke 11:27-28 for application of Vs 20, 27.

27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

The Hiding Place

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Hiding Place

Proverbs 18:10-11 NKJV

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own esteem.

Safety from the danger of internal lawlessness and foreign invasion is a first concern of any people. Our Federal Union was formed as a first cause to protect the national borders. This concern for safety has again become an issue as there are more home invasions, senseless injuries in minor robberies, and physical threats on city streets.

The writer of Proverbs looked at the need for a safe haven and by contrast gives what is and what is not a safe retreat in dangerous times.

Proverbs 18:10 “A strong tower” is a desirable place of safety. Read Genesis 11:4 and Judges 9:46-53 as a picture of what a tower meant to that culture. It was a place built by a collective society to provide for them an impregnable defense against attack. It was a guaranteed place of safety.

The writer informs the reader where this safety is, “The name of the Lord,” who alone has access to this retreat, “the righteous”, and how this access is gained, he “runs into it”.

1. “The name of the Lord”, is God in the fullness of His self revelation. There are facts to be noticed:

A. It is “the name.” This is someone who is known. For the Old Testament writer to know someone’s name was to know them. This requires that God reveal Himself. There is no way to know God unless He is revealed. John 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-2

This is the pivotal point of salvation. God is known to His people. They know His name. He has revealed Himself to them, John 17:8. For all claims of all religions and to every form of salvation this must be the test. How does their claim to know God square with His self revelation in Holy Scripture?

B. It is “the Lord.” The Covenant God who has revealed Himself as the Savior of His people is the single object of safety. All salvation lies in covenant faithfulness. This can be no more clearly illustrated than Jonah in the depth of his despair when he prayed and concluded, “Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah 2:9c

2. Access to safety is limited to the righteous. The contrast in Vs 11 is a way of this being abundantly clear. In Vs 11 the rich man has a false hope. His safety is in his wealth. But this exists only in his imagination. There is no real safety for him. The evident fact is his loss. If the rich man who has every advantage and every reason to expect safety in his wealth is lost, what hope can anyone with less advantage have? He has no hope.

The one who has God as deliverer may be ever so poor or ever so wealthy but his wealth does not determine his identity.

There are several ways Abraham is remembered. He is the “friend of God”. He is a just man. He is “the father of the “faithful”. Though he had immense wealth it never identifies him. When a Bible student thinks of Abraham he does not think of his wealth but his faith in the Lord who called him.

3. There is a single place of safety, “the name of the Lord”, and the only one who gets there is “the righteous”. There is a single way to the place of safety, he “runs into it.” It will help to understand this if we look back at Judges 9:42-53. In each instance of the people fleeing into the available towers, it is evident they trusted their safety to what the tower provided. In one instance it failed and in one instance it succeeded. The lesson in Judges 9 is that the tower represented safety and those who fled there trusted or had faith they would be safe there.

Proverbs 18:10 assures us of complete safety in the object of our faith. The one who “runs into it is safe”. Please read Romans 5:8-11.

From ev'ry stormy wind that blows,

From ev'ry swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat:

'Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

There, there, on eagles' wings we soar,

And time and sense seem all no more;

And heaven comes down, our souls to greet,

And glory crowns the mercy seat.                                      Hugh Stowell, 1799–1865

How To Stop Quarrels

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

How To Stop Quarrels

Proverbs 17:14 NKJV

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

The continually sensibleness of the writer is striking. As the Proverbs are read it becomes evident how seldom the problems of daily life are considered in their light. They more often than not have a sensible answer. The simple answer for quarrels in this verse is to stop them before they start.

There is an analysis of quarrels here that will help to understand the simple answer.

1. Strife has a beginning. It does not jump out of the space around us. Strife can be pointed out in its beginning.

2. Contention or confrontational disagreements are the beginning, or the way strife makes its entry.

3. Water is much more easily kept in the bottle than caught and put back once it is released. Fact is, it is most often impossible to pick it up from where it lies. The impossibility of putting it back makes it all the more necessary to see it is never poured out.

4. Quarrels begin just like the water is released. Something has to happen. As long as the water is in the bottle the difficulty is manageable.

The answer lies in how serious each person is about the content of their speech. There must be a meeting place between having to watch every word spoken, and a habit of such careless speech that everyone within hearing has to be constantly excusing the boorishness of the speaker.

There is a speaking rule and a hearing rule.

1. Do not say anything that is destructive of the character, reputation, or the personal feelings of those to whom you are speaking.

2. Do no take offense at what you hear others say. Be slow to take offense and quick to forgive.

There is a third rule.

3. Those who offend so easily there are like a red wasp and those who are so callous and indifferent that they wound the Saints, stay away from them. Either of them is best left to be their own company.

The Fountain of Life

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

The Fountain of Life

Proverbs 13:14 ESV

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.

11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and whoever captures souls is wise.

There are some areas of Texas where springs are plentiful. The Hill Country is one such area. There is an artesian well in the city of Humble that has flowed freely for all that city’s existence.

The fountain of life is just such a free-flowing source as a spring or the artesian well mentioned. It is there for the use of all who will come to it and no matter how much is taken from it, it is never diminished.

Proverbs 13:14 tells us two facts about wisdom. It is by definition an instructor. Secondly the teaching results in life. The life resulting from wisdom is founded on trust in God as Savior and uprightness of conduct as a result.

The escape wisdom provides is also two-fold. It gives a direction that is from “snares” that result in “death”. The path of the just is “light” for them, while the path of the wicked is “darkness”. Proverbs 4:18-19. Snares and darkness continue in the way of those who have life. It is only by wise instruction that escape comes.

It is assumed the reader understands that a wise person is intended as the teacher. This person in Proverbs 11:30 is a righteous person who bears life-giving fruit. As in Proverbs 11:30 the responsibility extends to whoever wins souls, or captures, or takes. The active responsibility is emphasized, so the teacher in Proverbs 13:14 is equally responsible and productive.

While one verse indicates the snatching away of the captive which results in life, the other pictures traps laid out for the traveler which the wise teacher when listened to with attention, assures the traveler’s escape.

The response for any who read these passages is stated clearly in James 1:21. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” No person is ever saved separate from the gospel which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

The Lord Jesus could say to the woman who touched Him “go on your way. Your faith (in me) has made you whole Luke 8:48.

Where’s the Shame?

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Where’s the Shame?

Proverbs 14:34 ESV

Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people

There are three questions which require answering.

A. What is righteousness?

B. What is it for a nation to be exalted?

C. What is it for people - that is a nation made up of people - to be a reproach.

A. In the light of the writer of Proverbs continued statements, righteousness is when the Law of God is the standard of conduct for all laws made. And when the citizens of the nation are encouraged to not only keep but love the Law of God. The writers of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation know of no other standard of righteousness than this law.

B. Exalt is to be raised up, lifted up, or set up above. It is to be placed in a position of safety or authority. Therefore it is to be exalted or promoted.

The exalting in this verse is both internal and external. Internally it is to have peace and prosperity. It is in Hebrew to have “shalom” or health and prosperity in the fullest sense. It is a land that has escaped plagues, drought, and wars. It is land in which the people experience prosperity and tranquility. Externally it is a nation whose borders are respected by other nations. And whose people are safe when they travel. It is to be above and not under the heel of anyone.

C. The Hebrew word translated “reproach” in its ordinary and most usual sense would be “piety”, “beauty”,”kindness”, and only rarely, determined entirely by contextual usage, does it mean “pity” “reproach” or a “wicked thing”. In the root word, again rarely, it is “reprove” or “be put to shame”.

In Proverbs 14:34b “reproach” is a direct result of sin and none of the positive and pleasant translations can apply. The rare translation must prevail.

For a nation to be a reproach it is one who suffers reproval. It is to be pitied and to be shameful.

What then is to be expected by such a people in a nation that is a reproach? God is not going to bless it with peace, prosperity, and respect. Other nations are going to attack it with no concern for its borders. There will be constant danger to its citizens within and especially as they travel. They will have become targets for no other reason than being citizens of the pitiful shameful nation.

I wonder who this describes. Do you know?