Proverbs 1:2
The Most Important Characteristic
We began talking about character last week. There are many godly
characteristics. I have found as many as 49 mentioned in the Bible;
however, I will not preach on all of them. Instead, I have selected
some of what I believe to be the most important attributes of godly
character.
By far the most important characteristic of the godly is wisdom. The
book of Proverbs mentions wisdom (in one form or another) 119 times.
The Bible mentions it 482 times so almost 1/4 of the times wisdom is
spoken of in the Bible, it is mentioned in the book of Proverbs.
The reason for that is that wisdom is spoken of so often in the Bible
is because it is a foundational characteristic. Without wisdom, you
will not be able to gain most of the others. In fact, without wisdom,
you cannot take hold of salvation. (At least, from the human
prospective, you cannot. God can save anyone He wants.) This is one
reason why before we can talk about what it means to be a good
Christian, we have to discuss character. Without character, one
cannot be a Christian.
Having almost 500 verses that discuss wisdom, we cannot look at them
all, but since many of the verses repeat the same basic truths (for
emphasis), we can learn a lot about wisdom in just one study
together.
I. Remember that wisdom is the ability to see things as God sees
things.
1. When we desire wisdom, we are desiring to God’s prospective on
life, sin, salvation, relationships, and everything else.
II. How do we get wisdom?
1. Wisdom wants to be found.
Pro 1:20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her
voice in the streets:
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse,
in the openings of the gates: in the city she
uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love
simplicity? and the scorners delight in their
scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour
out my spirit unto you, I will make known my
words unto you.
a. Here is the things about wisdom. Once you get a little
bit of it, you will realize it was always right in front
of you.
b. Wisdom was never hiding and wisdom is not complicated.
Instead, it is usually very logical, sensible and
simple.
c. Case in point - When Jesus was asked about paying taxes.
That was and is a very difficult issue. Should
Christians pay for the government’s evil? Jesus called
for a coin, asked whose image was on it, and reminded us
that money belongs to the government that printed it.
That doesn’t mean Christians should purposely pay for
wrong, but it also means that even when we don’t, they
will just print up more money to do what they want.
2. For the saved, it is easy.
a. Want it.
Pro 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto
wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
(1) This is an important first step and it has to do with
another characteristic, determination.
Lu 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was
come that he should be received up, he stedfastly
set his face to go to Jerusalem,
(2) Determination is seeking and attaining a godly goal
no matter what the cost, circumstances, or
discouragement.
(3) This speaks of Jesus’ determination to go to
Jerusalem no matter what the cost and
discouragement \\#John 11:8\\.
(4) The number reason why people are foolish is because
that is what they want to be.
(a) They would rather have pleasure, appreciation,
money, possessions, fame, and more.
(b) If those are the things you want, God will let
you have them but if you are want wisdom and
are willing to pay the price to have wisdom,
you will have it.
b. Ask for it.
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and
liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(1) Wisdom is a gift that if requested, God will grant.
(2) Solomon, the wisest man on the earth, was given his
wisdom because he asked for it.
c. Look for it. Where?
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searches
for her as for hid treasures;
(1) From God.
(2) In the Bible.
(3) In the lives of godly, wise people.
d. And you will find it.
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the
LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth
cometh knowledge and understanding.
e. You will find it because God is the One who gives it, and
He wants you to have it.
(1) You do not have to worry about IF God wants you to be
wise. He does!
(2) Neither do you have to worry about it being too late,
you being too old, made too many mistakes, etc.
f. You will never find wisdom alone.
(1) Wisdom rides with good company: understanding,
knowledge, and discernment—just to name a few.
Pro 2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart,
and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding
shall keep thee:
(a) Understand - To connect the dots, to see cause
and effect.
(b) Knowledge - Truth, facts.
(c) Discern - To know through the Spirit, to
perceive.
(2) And there are many more benefits!
(a) Happiness
Pr 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding.
(b) Favor from God.
Pr 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and
shall obtain favour of the LORD.
(c) Keeps you from having to eat your words.
Pr 10:31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth
wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
(d) Keeps you from being ashamed.
Pr 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame:
but with the lowly is wisdom.
(e) Help from deadly errors.
Pr 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of
life, to depart from the snares of death.
(f) Help you make good decisions.
Pr 16:21 The wise in heart shall be called
prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth
learning.
3. For the unsaved, it is very difficult to get wisdom.
a. I mentioned that last week.
(1) It takes having a spiritual connection to receive
spiritual gifts.
(2) Character is "Christ in you." Christ cannot live
inside a lost person.
(3) This gives the cycle of doom. Lost people who need
wisdom to be saved but need a spiritual connection
with God to get wisdom.
b. God gave us two sources to help the natural attain both
wisdom and salvation.
(1) For children, God gave parents.
(2) For others, God gave the church.
4. God gave the children parents.
a. Even so, this is difficult.
b. Both parents and Christians are attempting to plant a
spiritual seed in hard, natural soil.
c. Some special tools are needed. God has given us three.
d. Let’s start with the most difficult for a parent to use
first.
5. God gave us spanking.
a. At some point we had to mention the jack hammer God
God has given us to break the rock, spanking.
(1) Spanking is considered to be child abuse in today’s
world. It is not. Letting your child grow up
without wisdom is child abuse.
(2) The Bible, and especially Proverbs, mentions
spanking.
Pro 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his
son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him
betimes.
Pro 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope,
and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
Pro 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of
a child; but the rod of correction shall drive
it far from him.
Pro 23:13 Withhold not correction from the
child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he
shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt
deliver his soul from hell.
(a) The word "beat" does not have to mean abuse. It
is a wide-ranging word that means anything from
"to strike" all the way to "to kill."
(b) The "rod" does not have to mean "club." It can
mean anything from a switch (which is what
reasonable parents have understood it to mean
for centuries) up to a beam.
(c) I do not think God wants us to "beat" our
children as the English word most often means
today.
b. Because spanking is often mentioned in the Bible, at one
time, I assumed it was God’s preferred means of
discipline.
(1) That was my assumption and I now believe it to be
wrong.
(2) Spanking is not God’s preferred or first line of
discipline. In fact, I believe that it is mentioned
in the Bible because it is extreme. I now believe
it is God’s last line of discipline.
(3) If talking will work, talk. If grounding will work,
ground. If time outs will work, time them out. But
if they will not work, spank your child.
c. The mildest form of spanking is popping. If parents
would speak and pop a child on the bottom when they are
small, they might not have to spank them when they are
older.
6. Spanking is a part of the bigger tool of discipline.
a. Discipline is to influence both positively and negatively.
(1) Most parents start disciplining when they should be
finishing. Your child’s discipline should be about
completed by five or six. If you are waiting until
they are two or three to discipline them, you have
waited too late.
(2) When should discipline start? It is not a matter of
when as much as it is a matter of what the child is
doing.
(a) A child should not be allowed to control the
parent. Parents have to create the boundaries
and train the child to live within them, not
the other way around. Let a child cry. Pop if
necessary. But if you let a child start
controlling you, they will do it the remainder
of your life.
(b) A child should not pitch a fit. There is a
difference in having a need and having a
temper.
(c) Don’t let grandparents, friends, aunts and
uncles or anyone else, spoil your children.
You and God are the authority and you must
enforce the boundaries that God leads you to
have.
(d) As soon as they can communicate, teach them to
speak respectfully.
(e) As they begin to move and do, teach them to
obey and take responsibility for their actions.
b. Before a child goes to school, he/she should be able to:
(1) Submit and obey
(2) Sit still and be quiet
(3) Show respect
(4) Care and help
c. Of course not every child, parent, or grandparent
with fit a mode, but the goal should be the same.
Parents control the children, not children control
the parents.
d. Of course you hold them and you love them and you
play with them and everything else. You just don’t
become a slave to the infant. If you do, you will
be one the rest of your life.
e. What you create now, you will have to live with the
rest of your life.
f. So spanking is an important part of teaching a child
wisdom.
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