Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Proverbs 3:13-15

PRIDE

“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).

Whoever becomes lifted up with pride, for whatever reason, count on it, they will be brought down. God hates pride more than anything, for “what do we have that we have not received?” All talent, beauty, knowledge and strength is “given from above.” That person who takes credit for what was given them will most assuredly be put to shame. The proud, beautiful woman will grow old and ugly. The proud, strong man will someday be without the strength to stand. That proud, wise man will soon forget his own name. “But with the lowly is wisdom.” The lowly man understands that, “by the grace of God” . . . he is what he is, has what he has, knows what he knows; he knows that he knows nothing, has nothing, is nothing in himself and so “humbles himself” and is “lowly” before God. With that “lowly” man “is wisdom.” And that man will never be put to shame, but will dwell with God forever. Pastor Paul Mahan

No Failure

‘Not as though the Word of God hath taken no effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall Thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed’ (Rom.9:6-8).

God’s Purpose Has Not Failed (Rom. 9:11) – The “purpose of God according to election” has not failed. It was not God’s purpose to save everyone . . . only those chosen in Christ by election. Do not be alarmed because we live in a day of spiritual barrenness. God’s purpose will not fail. God’s purpose in evangelism is to bring in the elect, and He shall!

God’s Promise Has Not Failed (v.8) - All the descendants of Abraham are not the children of God and of promise. God promised a ‘spiritual seed’ (Gal.3:29). God’s promise is being fulfilled.

The Preaching of The Gospel Has Not Failed . . . Will Not Fail! - The elect will be saved through the preaching of the Gospel. It is God’s will and God’s way the elect are called (Rom. 9:11).

Samuel William (Bill) Clark, Ireland, 1923-1998

WHAT EVERY BELIEVER SEES BY FAITH

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9).

"But we see Jesus." How do we see Him? Not by dreams and visions or by the visualization of movies or pictures. We see Him as He is declared throughout the pages of Holy Scripture, "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). True God-given faith believes the record of Holy Scripture (1Thes. 2:13). Someone said, "faith is the eye of the spirit, which views and enjoys what the Word of God presents to its vision."

As Job said, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42:5). This verse gives to us some key points as to how we see the Lord Jesus Christ.

1). We see Him as God our Saviour, incarnate, personified in human flesh, "Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." We see Him leaving glory and coming to this sin cursed earth "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10; Phil. 2:7-9). We see Him as the God-Man Mediator working our perfect righteousness by His obedience to the law of God (Isa. 42:21; Heb. 2:14-15; Phil. 2:7-9).

2). We see the Lord Jesus Christ as the only substitionary sacrifice for sin, "that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (everyone for whom He represents). The context of the following verses describes those for whom the Lord Jesus experienced death to put away their sin. The everyone is a description of His elect, known as His: "sons," "sanctified," "brethren," "the church," "children," "seed of Abraham," "the people." Christ died for their sin, not to make their salvation possible but rather to make it certain and eternally secure (Matt. 1:21; Heb. 9:12; 10:14).