Wisdom: On Life and Conduct

As a Christian we are charged to be “Christ like” hence the name “Christian” - Not only are we to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so in what we think, we are to be conformed into the likeness of Christ. -

Romans 12:2 NASB95

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Not only are we to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so in what we think, we are to be conformed into the likeness of Christ. -

Romans 8:29 NASB95

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

There are many traits that the Bible list that we are not to have such as some listed in Eph4

(slide) Sensuality, impurity, greediness (v.19)

(Slide) lusts of deceit (v.22)

(Slide) Falsehood, anger , stealing (vv. 25, 26, 28)

(Slide) Conduct (n): 1. The manner in which a person behaves, especially on a particular occasion or in a particular context. 2. The action or manner of managing an activity or organization.

Our conduct as a Christian will display our character as a Christian. Our character will be something that attracts or detours someone from even investigating being a Christian so it is vitally important.

I. Life and Conduct: Integrity

Proverbs 19:1 NASB95

1 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

(Slide) Integrity (n) 1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, moral uprightness. 2. The state of being whole and undivided.

The conduct of integrity is honesty, conviction, uprightness and devoted. (Slide)

What are you willing to do for $10,000,000? Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:

Would abandon their entire family (25%) Would abandon their church (25%) Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%) Would give up their American citizenships (16%) Would leave their spouses (16%) Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%) Would kill a stranger (7%) Would put their children up for adoption (3%)

James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, 1991.

Illustration of Integrity: Stuart Briscoe tells of being hired by a bank. He was young, new, and just learning the business. One day his boss told him, "If Mr. _______ calls for me, tell him I'm out." Briscoe replied, "Oh, are you planning to go somewhere?" "No, I just don't want to speak to him, so tell him I'm out." "Let me make sure I understand--Do you want me to lie for you?" The boss blew up at him. He was outraged, angered. Stuart prayed and God gave him a flash of insight. "You should be happy, because if I won't lie for you, isn't it safe to assume that I won't lie to you?" —Moody Bible Institute Founder's week, 1986

Moody Bible Institute Founder's week, 1986

A man or woman of integrity walks in security -

Proverbs 10:9 NASB95

9 He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

Secure knowing is telling, living, walking in the truth and has nothing to hide or cover up

Integrity shows not just to you but to those who come after you -

Proverbs 20:7 NASB95

7 A righteous man who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him.

We need to lead by example by our integrity. Our walk, our talk all should be in line with the transformation and confirmation of who we love and who we serve.

(Transition) Integrity and obedience as a Christian go hand in hand with each other, look at the charge and the promise from God to Solomon.

1 Kings 9:4–5 NASB95

4 “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

II. Life and Conduct: Obedience

(Slide) Obedience (n) -compliance with an order, request, or law of submission to another’s authority

Proverbs 19:16 NASB95

16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die.

Your soul, your being, your essence. When you are obedient to the Word of God you protect your soul. if not, your conduct can lead you to eternal death

We see words like diligence, to standfast, to be sober and alert, pressing on all words that take effort, words that take obedience to have the benefits!

So how do we know what kind of obedience we need? -

Proverbs 19:23 NASB95

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

Obedience is the fear of the Lord, the reverence because of Gods character and nature that will lead to life. Eternal life that is available to those who walk in integrity and in obedience. Knowing, having that assurance that you are satisfied and untouched by evil.

Untouched does not mean not hurt by the evil in this world but unharmed for your salvation is secure because of your obedience, you are secure in eternal life.

Now the question arises, what are you obedient too?

Romans 6:16 NASB95

16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

(Slide) Your choice, your decision, your presentation and your results - it’s personal and it’s eternal.

(Transition) A person of integrity who is walking in obedience has good moral conduct and not just that but godly conduct leading to the transformation to Christlikeness as mentioned before. We need to know, to have knowledge, and to do something with that knowledge.

III. Life and Conduct: Knowledge

(Slide) Knowledge (n) facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject

Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace. -Thomas a Kampis.

Thomas a Kampis.

So let’s look at life and conduct about knowledge -

Proverbs 19:2 NASB95

2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.

(Illustration/personal) - I like to get to the heart of a matter and move on. (Expand on this. Physically/Spiritually)

Wisdom and knowledge working together make it is own illustration -

Proverbs 19:8 NASB95

8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.

Jesus is the lover of my soul, and if I love Jesus I should love my soul that is being transformed into His likeness by my life and conduct.

Seeking knowledge takes some effort, you need to seek it, look for it, listen for it. -

Proverbs 19:27 NASB95

27 Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Knowledge takes application, part of the application is to listening for knowledge so you do not stray from it.

We need our mind and our ear to aquire and seek knowledge -

Proverbs 18:15 NASB95

15 The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Jesus came to give us knowledge -

Luke 1:77 NASB95

77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,

Knowledge of salvation by forgiveness of sins.

Paul prayed for people to have knowledge too -

Ephesians 1:17 NASB95

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Give you knowledge

Give you wisdom to know that to do with the knowledge

Good prayer for people, when it comes to life and conduct may it be one of applied knowledge.

Knowledge to mature the man -

Ephesians 4:13 NASB95

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

To a mature man, to the fullness of Christ, sounds like the transformation process and the confirmation of what and who you believe and walk in.

So the results of applied knowledge -

Colossians 1:9–10 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

(Slide) Walking in a manner worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him, bearing fruit in every good work.

(Transition) just a little more, about knowledge, knowledge in and of itself avails nothing for you eternally, application is a must of the truth.

IV. Life and Conduct: Knowledge of the Truth!

We can make lots of plans in this life, that impact our life, that influence our conduct - but we need to know - The Lord’s counsel will stand -

Proverbs 19:21 NASB95

21 Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand.

God gave us a mind, gave us ears, gave us eyes, and gives us knowledge so gain wisdom and understanding

Proverbs 20:12 NASB95

12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The Lord has made both of them.

Proverbs 10:12 NASB95

12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.

With with eyes, with heart, with knowledge, with understanding comes wisdom, wisdom for today’s world. He has always made Himself known -

Romans 1:18–20 NASB95

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

If He makes his attributes known, His power, His divine nature we have no excuses we need to know, believe and continue in the -

John 8:31–32 NASB95

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Those who know the Truth and walk in the Truth will not face death (spiritual) -

John 8:51 NASB95

51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”

WHY?

God’s grand plan is Jesus -

Acts 2:23–24 NASB95

23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

And all things are summed up in Christ -

Ephesians 1:9–11 NASB95

9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

We were dead in sin according to Eph2:1 but God made us alive -

Ephesians 2:5 NASB95

5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

So be alive! Be a person of integrity. Live in obedience and knowledge of the truth. Walk in it -

Romans 6:4 NASB95

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.