Sermon September 20, 1998 Wise Up! based on Proverbs 9:8-12

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction

I ran into a web page recently called the "Church of Rage." This site was developed by an atheist group to mock and ridicule Christianity. They were apparently very angry at the start, and hence, named the site "Church of Rage." Unfortunately, they are quite uninformed on the truths of our faith. Much of their criticisms are based on many popular errors people have in understanding the basics of God's truth. What we need instead is wisdom that teaches us the truth. We need real wisdom which can only come from God's Word. Let us then again turn to God's Word which can make us wise to salvation.

Proverbs and You

Our text comes from Proverbs, which is a book of practical wisdom. At least that appears to be the case on the surface. Yet, remembering that it is a book written by the Holy Spirit through a human author, we must strive to see it as dealing with matters of faith. We need to look carefully at what is written to see how it provides wisdom for eternal life.

Today's selection from the book suggests some practical advice for dealing with people. It tells us who is receptive to constructive criticism and who isn't receptive. If you reprove or correct someone who is a mocker you may find that he turns around to hate you. The truly wise person, on the other hand, will love you for correcting him.

Rebuked by the Law

Now, how does this advice from Proverbs apply to our lives? It does so by speaking about our relationship to God. God rebukes, corrects and reproves us when He speaks to us with Law. He tells us in His Law what He has commanded and where we fall short of His commandments. Law corrects us by pointing out our wrongdoing. One of our Lutheran Confessions, the Formula of Concord, defines Law as that which: "teaches what is right and God-pleasing and which condemns everything that is sinful and contrary to God's will."

God's Law comes to us through His Word. In His Word He tells us what is pleasing to Him. He tells us how we ought to live. This Law then demands a response.

Responses to the Law will vary. Some will deny God's Law exists. They may deny that God exists. They may deny that the Bible is the Word from God with His authority. They may deny that God's Word really says what it does.

Others may dodge the Law. They say it doesn't apply to them. They say the are complying with the law. They say they are not violating what God requires.

Still others will respond to the law by being convicted. They will acknowledge their sins. They will admit they fall short of what is God-pleasing.

The text describes a particular response to the Law when it says, "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you." The one who mocks or boasts or scorns God will hate to be rebuked by the Law. This response is one of hatred toward the Law and God. They will even hate the messenger, whether it be God's Word brought by the Scriptures or another person speaking to them.

You have heard of people who have this response. They claim to be atheists or they redefine who God is to fit their wishes. They deny what God reveals about Himself in His Word. They ridicule God. They may also claim their own worthiness in boasting that they fulfill the Law. Behind all of these is a hatred at being rebuked or corrected by the Law.

Perhaps we all have trouble with this at times. Perhaps our response to hearing or reading God's Word which proclaims the Law to us leads us to respond with hate. This is a basic element in our sinful nature, which does not want to admit that we are sinful. We hate to hear that we are sinful and so we hate to hear God's Law. We may respond by denying God, His Word, or our own lack of obedience.

I invite you to evaluate yourself right now. How do you respond to the rebuke of the Law? What is your reaction to statements such as the following from our other readings? First, from Luke, "...Anyone who does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." The Philemon Epistle said, "Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask." These statements of Law demand a response. What is your response?

Becoming Wiser

The Holy Spirit works on us mockers. He makes us "wise unto salvation," by creating faith in our hearts. With faith comes a contrite, sorry heart which admits sinfulness. Faith brings us to the point of repentance too. Finally, and foremost, faith teaches us of our Savior. It teaches us that Jesus satisfies the Law on our behalf and that through Him we are forgiven of our sins. We learn of the one who died for us so that we might live. We hear the Gospel. Through the Gospel, the Holy Spirit works on us mockers to cause a change of heart.

Faith teaches wisdom. Rather than responding to rebuke with hatred, we respond with love. "Rebuke a wise man and he will love you," says the text. Through the wisdom the Holy Spirit gives, we respond in the opposite way to the rebuke of the Law. We love it rather than hate it.

Maybe it seems a little extreme to suggest we, as Christians, love to be rebuked. Love? Why would we ever love to be told we are sinners? Why would we love to see where we disobeyed God? If we read further in our text, it explains this idea for us. It says, "Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning." Christians love to be rebuked because it makes us wiser still. The wise man doesn't mind hearing the Law, because it makes him wiser.

There are two ways we get wiser when rebuked by the Law. First, by being rebuked, we are accused of our sins. We are led to see our own worthlessness before God. We are led to see the need for a Savior. We are led to turn to God, who is our Savior in Jesus Christ. The Law drives us to Jesus, our only relief from our sinful lives. As Christians, we love to be driven to Jesus, because we love Him. We love to be given a reason to call upon Him, trust ever more in Him, and see our absolute and desperate need for what He gives us. We love to be rebuked by the Law, because it leads us to our Lord. When we are led to the Lord, we become wiser.

We also become wiser when rebuked by the Law, secondly, because the rebuke teaches us how the Lord wants us to live. Knowing Jesus means we know our forgiveness through Him. We know we are righteous because Christ's merit is applied to us. We are righteous because all the marks against us are erased. Then, as the text says, a righteous man will add to his learning when rebuked by the Law. We learn from the Law how our Lord wants us to live. We learn what is God-pleasing. With this increase in learning, the Holy Spirit working in our lives, making us more and more holy. Sanctification is the technical name for the process of moving ever closer to what God would have us be in our lives. This all occurs under the umbrella of God's grace, which has completely forgiven us. God has even forgiven us the sins we are yet to commit. We respond to this grace with love. We respond by loving to live our lives the way the Lord would like. We love to keep God's commands. We love to be rebuked by the Law, because that helps us live more and more in the way God wishes.

Wisdom in Relation to God

True wisdom is identified for us in our text. It says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Fearing the Lord, that is, respecting Him, being in awe of Him, confessing Him to be the God Almighty, the creator and ruler of the universe is the beginning of wisdom. That is the starting point. Fearing God means fearing His wrath, and admitting that we deserve His wrath. The beginning of wisdom is to understand the Law as God's holy requirements. This is only the start, however.

Full understanding comes from knowledge of the Holy One, who is none other than Jesus Christ. He is the Holy One, sent to save us from the wrath of God. He is the chosen one, the messiah, who is apart and Holy, not like ordinary human beings. He is true man but He is also true God. Isaiah the prophet speaks of this Holy One. In Isaiah 17:7 it says, "In that day a man will look to his Maker, And his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel." "I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel," says Isaiah 41:14.

Knowing the Holy One, means knowing what He has done for us. We should know that Jesus lived the perfect life, died on the cross as our substitute, and then rose again. We should know He paid the full penalty for our sins and we are freed by Him and given eternal life as a gift. This knowledge of the Holy One is true understanding.

This eternal life, which comes with the knowledge of the Holy One, is mentioned in our text also. "For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life." Many days are promised, as well as years added to our lives. This is really a preliminary glimpse at an incredible promise. It is not as limited as those who would have you make healthy choices in your life. You know those promises, you can add so many years to your life if you quit smoking, so many if you get regular exercise, and so forth. Those promises are weak compared to what we have in our text. Yet the text just gives the initial glimpse. Yes, many days and years will be added, but just how many? Scripture often does this sort of two step revelation, where a promise is given in the Old Testament, and that promise finds even greater fulfillment in the New Testament. We now see even more of the promise, where we are not just given more days and years, but an infinite, unending number of days and years. Eternal, everlasting life is a life which will not come to an end. The promise of God is even greater than we previously thought. In fact, it is even greater than we can imagine. This sort of unfolding of the gift shows us that the gift is better than we can imagine.

Conclusion

The text concludes with the summary, saying that, "If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer." We are exhorted here to be a wise person. Don't mock God. Don't make fun of what He freely offers to you. A mocker will suffer alone, in eternal punishment. A wise person receives what God offers. A wise person will wait with a certain expectation of a reward. They will be rewarded for what Jesus did on our behalf. His perfect obedience is rewarded, and since He is our substitute, we too will be rewarded.

We are called to be wise. Hear the Law rebuke you, show you your sins, and direct you back to your Savior. In the wisdom of the knowledge of the Holy One, allow the rebuke of the Law to make you even wiser. Love rebuke, for it will make you wiser still. Then through the Holy One, your days will be many indeed. May you be blessed in your knowledge of the Holy One, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.