Proverbs 2:1-9 shows us just how valuable “Wisdom” (Christ Jesus) is to us, yet most believe power, wealth, and control of others is what is most valuable in this life, not understanding this life is only “the rehearsal” for the life yet to come, and we must carefully “plan” for that life.
God’s attributes are who He is and are as personal and holy as God is.
Proverbs 2:1-9 (NLT)—1 My child, listen to what I say, and treasure My commands. 2 Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. 3 Cry out for insight and ask for understanding. 4 Search for Them as you would for silver; seek Them like hidden treasures. 5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. 8 He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him. 9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.
Proverbs 2:10-22 is what happens when we allow “Christ Jesus, who is Wisdom, to be fully developed (formed) in us, so He lives His life through us, as Galatians 2:19-21 says, for Christ in us; us in Him, and Him living through us, is a necessity, and not an option.
Proverbs 2:10-22 (NLT)—10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 11 Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. 12 Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted. 13 These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths. 14 They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil. 15 Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong. 16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman. 17 She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. 18 Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave. 19 The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life. 20 Follow the steps of good men instead and stay on the paths of the righteous. 21 For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. 22 But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted.
Galatians 2:19-21 (NLT)—19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So, I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so I could live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
With the satanic hatred and destructive control in the world today, it is essential for Christians to fully understand we are crucified to this world, and this world crucified to us, as Galatians 6:14-16 says, and we must keep believing and claiming it, until it becomes as much of us as is our assured salvation as God’s child, the way Romans 8:12-17 promises, for “Abba, Father” means, ”Father, You truly are my Father”.
Galatians 6:14-16 (NLT)—14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It does not matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
Romans 8:12-17 (NLT)—12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Holy Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For His Holy Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm we are God’s children. 17 And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
What truly matters is whether we fully understand the Holy Spirit must “witness to us we are a Christian, God’s child, His legal heir, and Christ’s joint heir, a member of Christ’s body, the church, for when we have Holy Spirit assurance, we then can boldly and without fear, face any situation, for we know all our faith and trust is in God, through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:25-27 (NLT)—25 God has given me the responsibility of serving His church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted Christians to know the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing His glory.
Christ Jesus living in Christians, and Him living His life through us, is more valuable and more essential than all the world’s wealth, pleasure, and everything it can offer us, for our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20-21), which means we are only temporary visitors on earth, waiting for Christ to come to mid-air to call us to come up where He is, to be forever with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 says only two events stand between His coming, for the church, which are: 1) the falling away and 2) the revealing of the man of sin.
Jim Nabors
