Wise Righteousness

For Monday, July 18, 2005
Proverbs 11:9

With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

Jesus is the best example of proving this proverb. He was followed by men bent on destroying his reputation and even seeking his life by either laying before him verbal traps or outright slandering him. And yet, because of his wisdom born out of righteousness, he always had a ready answer that rebutted slander and even exposed their foolishness.

Again the theme is repeated in the proverbs. Righteousness and wisdom go hand in hand. We always sin out of foolishness; wisdom never leads us to sin; sin never guides us to be wise (it is repentance, not sin, that makes us wise after a fall). Sin makes us dangerous to our neighbor - either we hate our neighbor and seek his harm, or in our sinful foolishness, we become safety hazards, so to speak.

Seek wisdom that you might grow in righteousness; seek righteousness that you might grow in wisdom. Seek to be like Christ and follow his commands that you might obtain both.