If you are wise,
you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff,
you alone will bear it.
ESV: Proverbs 9 vs12
This message ends my time with you sharing the inspired words of Proverbs. I pray that these weeks have been a blessing to you according to the wisdom of God and the knowledge of the Holy One in understanding. Now, “if you’re wise, you’re wise for yourself; and if you scoff, you alone will bear it.”
And here we see two sides: the one who takes God at His Word versus the one who mocks Him and rejects His wisdom–each receiving his reward. And that brings up the matter of faith.
Your faith in Jesus is the most precious thing you own. You were privileged to have God the Holy Spirit give it to you. Now, think of everything faith brings you or let me develop such a list.
Faith brings you the forgiveness of God through Christ crucified and risen. Faith brings you into close relationship with God, one in which God is constantly loving you, caring for you, and watching out for you. By faith you became God’s own as St. Paul wrote: “You are all sons (and daughters) of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Faith also brings you a life that is going to last forever, perfected by Christ for perfection in heaven. In the words of Jesus Himself: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
If you have nothing else in the whole world, except your faith in Jesus, you have everything. Your faith is priceless. And it’s only smart to treat faith that way, as the priceless treasure that it is.
Would you not take care of your family? Of course you would, because your family is very precious to you. So it is with your faith… because it’s even more precious.
This means you’ll spend time feeding and nourishing your faith. Scripture reminds you that: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). That means you’ll exercise your faith in reading, learning, digesting God’s Word in and out of church, during the day, any day, every day, using it to do what is right and Godpleasing. In this way you’ll give God the glory as you “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
I pray that you will be wise in the Lord; that your faith in God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may guide you in all things; that your Godly wisdom in Christ Jesus will reward you. For He indeed is your reward in exchanging His innocent life for your sinful life; in dying in your stead and rising to give you new life; in granting you His righteousness to appease God’s just wrath, and finally grant you life that has no end. I mean, that’s God’s wisdom in Christ that is your reward through faith. And Scripture tells you and me “the goal of our faith:” that is: “the salvation of our soul.”
And God grants it to you for Jesus’ sake.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Reverend Dean Rudloff, Life In Christ Lutheran Church in Grand Marais.
Leave a Reply