Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleA Wise Man or a Fool?
Bible TextProverbs 1:5-7
Date06-Jun-2018
Article Type Article
 

A WISE MAN OR A FOOL?

 

Proverbs 1: 5: A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

     God says the person who heeds this simple instruction is a wise man, “A wise man will hear.”  Are you wise? Then you will read this and give yourself to diligently hear God’s gospel preached and study what you have heard. 

      God promises the wise—“will increase learning.”  God who made him wise to seek Christ in the first place, will not only reveal Christ to him, but will also make him increase more in learning of Christ. Listen to God’s promise, “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” (Pro 1: 23)

     God promises “a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”  One, it means he will ask those who God has already made wise by this word and they will give him the interpretation of a passage.  Most young people in our congregation have parents whom God has taught the gospel. You are surrounded by believers who are more than willing to help you understand the scriptures. Your pastor would be delighted to help you!  God says, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.” (Pro 1: 8-9) 

    Two, it means God will make him attain to all the counsels (all the teachings and truths) that make up the whole counsel of God (the gospel of Christ.) God shall teach the wise man every branch of doctrine which makes up the one true gospel of our Redeemer.  The wise man shall be taught that he is a depraved sinner entirely dependent upon God to save him in Christ. He will attain the doctrine of election which declares that God elected his people in Christ before the world was made. The Spirit of God will teach him that God predestinated his people to the adoption of children to be conformed to the image of his Son.  He will be taught particular redemption which declares that Christ laid down his life for his elect, accomplishing eternal redemption for us by his one offering on the cross. He will be taught Christ is his Holiness who has been formed within him so that Christ is his ever-present to keep him from the evil.  All the counsels of doctrine that make up the one counsel of the gospel shall be taught him.  If you are this wise man you will also be taught the counsel of irresistible grace so that you will look back on the day you first began to incline your ear and apply your heart and you will know it was the Spirit of God who made  you do so and you will give him all the glory.

     Yet, opposite the wise man, is the fool. He despises this wisdom and instruction.  Imagine a billionaire writes a book which contains the way to his hidden treasure. The treasure is for any who come the way the man instructs in his book. What else could you call the man who refuses to even pick up the book but a fool!  To the fool God gives a warning in Proverbs 1: 24-32. Every one of us should read it and tremble.

     May God make us wise and save us from being the fool!