Every man is responsible for his own actions. Whatever he does or says, it’s his choice and no one else’s.”
                    –John Deacon  (Yonder)

       “The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.”
                    –Proverbs 1:7 (Amplified)
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Chapter 8 of Proverbs starts out with the cry from wisdom.  This is the cry of reality, the cry of reason.  No, not man’s reason, nor man’s relative reality.  The wisdom of God is pure in its nature, and as I have written many times the words of Francis Schaeffer, “True spirituality comes all of reality.”  Then listen, listen to the cry of reality–the cry of wisdom.  Bob Beasley says that, “Godly wisdom is truth.  That which is not wise is crooked and perverse.”  As you read, note also the Messianic tone.

          1 — Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding life up her voice?
          2 — She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.
          3 — She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:
          4 — To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
          5 — O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart.
          6 — Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come the right things;
          7 — For my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
          8 — All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
          9 — They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
        10 — Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
        11 — For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.  (NKJV)

     If you wonder why there is so much chaos, so much perversion and immorality, it is because man does not heed the cry of wisdom.  We see that reason is making herself heard.  But who is listening?  Then too often, the voice of wisdom is silenced (i.e., Charlie Kirk).  “People create circumstances that are good and bad, and you and I have to deal with people and circumstances as we go through life.” (Wiersbe)  As we read through Proverbs, note the people that are seen–you’ll meet them throughout your life.
     It has become the purpose of higher education to silence wisdom.  They show a type of pseudo-wisdom–fake, false, man’s wisdom.  It has become the purpose of politicians to push a wisdom that does not line up with the Scriptures.  One reason for that, is that the Word of God is not taught, preached, or lived out.  With that, many pulpits, that sacred desk which should be crying out with the wisdom of God is silent and has become complacent or compromised.
     Let me add, no matter what we see–wisdom is calling; always placing man at places of decision.  Verse 3, says that she cries out where the paths meet.  The path divides, which do you take?  THE CHOICE IS YOURS.  I would advise listening to the voice of wisdom, not the progressive teaching of culture.  The wisdom of God is patient while modern culture “elevates quick fixes, instant gratification and self-centered pursuits.” (Mike Leake)  J. Verson McGee writes, “The problem is in the mind and heart of men.”  Look at the way, the paths come together, which will you take.  Wisdom has only one path–choose wisely.
     Quickly I want to give some thoughts.  There is so much to say on these verses.  Verse 4, the appeal is to all people, just as salvation is to all.  Who will listen?  Verse 5, if you are immature you should learn to be mature.  If you are foolish, you should learn to have sense.  What voice are you listening to?  Verse 6, Listen/Hear!!  We should follow the example given here and let “our words reflect the presence of God in our hearts.”  When you speak, what comes from your mouth?  The words of the wise, the godly or the atrocious speech of the wicked?  Verse 10-11, show the value of godly training and instruction.  It is far better than worldly wealth and gain.  I will add in closely, these verses present a path, a choice–who are you serving?  If serving God, how much energy and effort is put into that service?   Pursue God listening to the words of wisdom.

The greatest men are those who have fallen deepest into the mire, sinned most, suffered most, and then have fought their evil natures and conquered.”
                    –Zane Grey  (The Light of the Western Stars)

       “He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.”
                    –Psalm 40:2 (Amplified)
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               “He paid a debt He did not owe
               I owed a debt I could not pay…”
                     –Ellis J. Crum

Upon reading this psalm/song of Paul’s the words to the song by Crum came immediately to mind.  William Barclay says that “In many ways this is the greatest and most moving passage Paul ever wrote about Jesus.”  

          4 — Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
          5 — Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
          6 — who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
          7 — but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
          8 — And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  (NKJV)

There is so much doctrine and theology in these verses from Philippians 2, but there is also the aspect of practical theology as well.  Much could be said, and has been, but let’s just look at a few things in our short time this morning.  Someone has said, “Right thinking produces right actions.”  Therefore, our actions are the fruit of our deepest thoughts.  I would ask, how close are you to Christ?  How often do you think about Him and then, what are those thoughts?  Notice, that the “mind” is mentioned; we are to have the mind of Christ, that is why Paul wrote to the Romans that we must have the “renewing of our mind.”  No longer are we to act and think worldly thoughts, thoughts that do not belong to Christ.
     Much of these verses then deal with the Incarnation–that great mystery of God.  Right from the start we see Paul telling us that “Jesus was essentially and unalterably God.” (Barclay)  Jesus was equal, which means He was fully God.  The term used here means an essential for which never alters.  Jesus did not think it robbery to be equal with God.  J.B. Phillips translates it this way, “For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God’s equal.”  He placed that aside in His humility to come to earth to take on our great debt.
     Barclay explains what the term “robbery” relates to.  “It can mean that Jesus did not need to snatch at equality with God, because He had it as a right, and/or that He did not clutch at equality with God, as if to hug it jealously to Himself, but laid it willingly down for the sake of men.”  The next verse hits me, He emptied Himself; He took the position of a slave.  The meaning of this phrase means “removing things from a container, until the container is empty; of pouring something out, until there is nothing left.” (Barclay)  Think of that, He emptied Himself of His royal deity.  No, He did not cease to be God, never think that, but He came to earth as man.
     Think about Jesus and His life on earth.  One of the clearest aspects of His character was his humility.  Barclay writes, “The great characteristics of Jesus’ life were humility, obedience, and self-renunciation.  He did not desire to dominate men but only to serve them; He did not desire His own way but only God’s way; He did not desire to exalt Himself but only to renounce all His glory for the sake of men.”  So anything that is selfish, or self-seeking, or putting ourselves out for self-display destroys our likeness to Christ.  Remember!  We are to have the mind of Christ!  Think of His humility.  William Hendircksen calls our attention to it when he says, “So poor was He that He was constantly borrowing:  a place for His birth, a boat to preach from, a room for the Lord’s supper, a tomb to be buried in.  Moreover, He took upon Himself a debt–the guilt and sins of us all.”
     Listen then carefully to the sermons you hear.  How do they portray your thinking in regard to that of Jesus?  What do the self-help books say about you?  Are you a somebody, or are you in the image of Christ?  Can you make it by yourself, or do you need a savior to take care of your sins?  

               “You who were God beyond all praising,
               Because You loved me became a man
               Stooping so low, but sinners raising
               Heavenwards by Your eternal plan.”
                     –Frank Houghton

As long as you let your conscience needle you, you wouldn’t slide into that dark abyss.”
                     –James D. Best  (Leadville)          

       “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”
                    –Acts 24:16 (ESV)
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Many years ago I learned the lesson that the Holy Spirit either enrages or He convicts.  With that, when He convicts it often turns into rage when it is rejected.  The fact is that man in his fallen state loves darkness.  John tells us, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19, NASB)  Man doesn’t want to be told he is evil, that he is a sinner.  And those, well, those who totally reject the Light are enraged when they are exposed to the truth that comes through the Light.  If you don’t think so, just take a glimpse at the news.  From the streets of Portland and other cities, to those cities in the halls of government there is rage.  Besides their actions and words their faces show the evil that is inside them.
     Most people recognize that there is a right way to go.  Few have their hearts so calloused that they cannot see the truth, or feel inside them the working of conviction.  Paul writes, “…They show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.” (Romans 2:15, NASB)  I will say again, that most people still have a conscience, or at least a remnant of one.  Andrew Murray said that, “Conscience is the guardian or monitor God has given you, to give warning when anything goes wrong.”  Conscience–listen to it.  Not only was it placed inside you by God, but it is what the Holy Spirit works upon.  Add to that the Word of God and there is not escaping the Light–the truth of God’s Word.
     Instead of rejecting the Light we should run towards it.  Jesus–the Light of the world, our hope, our salvation, our sustainer, and our soon coming Lord.  The writer of Hebrews implores us to draw near to God, “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (10:22, NASB)  I like the way the NLT puts this, “Let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him.  For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
     We are to live in the knowledge of God’s Word.  The Holy Spirit uses that to help us along the journey of life.  Murray states, “Up to the light you have, give heed to conscience.”  See, as Christians, we have the Light; we have the Holy Spirit, so when we feel a tug of conscience heed what it is saying.  The unbeliever does not have this benefit of God’s Spirit living within them, but they still have some knowledge of right and wrong placed within them.  I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew, that it is the pure in heart that will see God.  Therefore, we, as Murray says, should “ask God, by the teaching of His will, to give us more Light.”  Keep your heart pure, your mind focused on proper things and then, “Conscience will become your encouragement and helper, and give you the confidence, both that your obedience is accepted, and that your prayer for ever-increasing knowledge of the will is heard” (Murray).