He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Cultivate Godly Attitudes: Warn not Excuse:
Proverbs 24:23-26
23) These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of
persons in judgment.
24) He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor
him:
25) But to them that rebuke [him]
shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26) [Every man] shall kiss [his] lips that giveth a right answer.
Solomon
now shares with us teachings on the need to cultivate Godly attitudes…
EXPOSITION:
Here,
we will see the need to kindly warn others of their sin not excuse it…
23) These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of
persons in judgment.
The
following four principles are possessed by those who know, understand and apply
the Word to their lives, thus making them wise…
1.
It is not beneficial, nor pleasing, to
gaze differently upon persons when making judgments concerning them.
We
are to render our decisions about others by looking at them in the light of God’s
Word. Our decision making is to be done
fairly and justly. Fairly, in that each
person is to be treated alike with others.
Justly in that all of our decisions are to be made based upon God’s law,
not the differences that exist between the persons.
“My brethren, have not the
faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto
your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also
a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him
that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place;
and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in
yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs
of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the
poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that
worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of
the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.” (James 2:1-10)
24) He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor
him:
2. He that tells the lawless that their actions
are in alignment with the Law of God will find that individuals will wish
judgment to fall upon him and communities will be disgusted with him.
Those
who show favoritism in their decision making will find that they will lose the
respect of others.
“Woe unto them that call
evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their
own sight! … Which justify the wicked for reward, and
take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Isaiah 5:20-23)
25) But to them that rebuke [him]
shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
3. To those who reveal and convict a man of
their sinful deeds. A beneficial acts of
God’s grace will be bestowed upon them.
Those
who make honest judgments will receive the blessings of the Lord.
“Them that sin rebuke before all, that others
also may fear.” (1 Timothy 5:20)
26) [Every man] shall kiss [his] lips that giveth a right answer.
4. Also to those who give the sinner a lawful, honest,
and just answer will receive the appreciation and well wishes of others.
Those
who make honest judgments will receive the favor and appreciation of others.
“Teach me, and I will hold
my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. How forcible are right words!
but what doth your arguing reprove? Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is
desperate, [which are] as wind?” (Job 6:24-26)
SUMMARY:
The
importance of making honest, correct judgments cannot be ignored. When we make judgments that are just in God’s
sight, we will receive His blessings and the approval of others. When we show favoritism towards others by
making unjust judgments we will displease the Lord and be rejected by others.
May
we all possess Godly wisdom and live our lives for Him.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH
Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH
Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH
Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment