Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

1. every time the gospel is preached, it is done so with the hope that one precious soul willunderstand the urgency an sheer necessity of accepting the message and obeying the Lord2. but like Solomon, that hearer must listen with an understanding heart3. consider Lydia’s response to Paul’s preaching (Acts 16:11-15)a. like Cornelius before her, Lydia was a person dedicated already to seeking truth and toserve Godb. and when the gospel touches her ears for the first time, it sinks deep in her heart andconvicts her of her sin and needc. the Lord opened her heart to understand and obey by that precious, urgent message, andshe submitted herself to it in faithfulness to the God she worshiped4. she is the type of soul who hungers and thirsts after righteousness and listens to every spiritualthing with an honest and open heart, discerning right from wrong, truth from error5. we should all have this trait, even if we are already Christians, that we might constantly makecertain we remain in the faithB. The Marks of Faithful Wisdom1. our wisdom should grow as God told Solomon if we remain faithful2. and the wisdom that is truly of God is easily discerned from the so-called wisdom of the worldthat is actually compromise and pragmatism (James. 3:13-18)a. wisdom is knowledge applied and is exhibited in good worksb. the pragmatic, selfish wisdom of the world is displayed in bitter envy, self-seeking,boasting and lying and leads to confusion and the proliferation of all evilc. the wisdom that Solomon prayed for and that is still available to us today is marked bypurity, peace, gentleness, consideration of others, mercy, good fruits and is impartial3. modernists say that to make it in the world, you must have worldly wiles and get them beforethey get youa. that is not true, of course, but the important thing is that to make it in heaven, you mustexercise nobler wisdom and give to them before they give to youb. the wisdom Solomon received was apparently miraculous and immediate but the samequality of wisdom can still be attained now by study and patienceC. Resultant Riches1. Solomon was also blessed with immeasurable riches with his wisdom2. the Christian is promised also great wealth that accompanies wisdom, but of a kind that palesSolomon’s by comparison (Matthew 6:19-34)a. one day, all of Solomon’s treasures were worthless to him (the day he diedb. later, all of Solomon’s wealth was stolen away by the Babylonians and the temple he spentmore than seven years conceiving and constructing was utterly wiped off the earthc. but the treasure that God invites his children to lay up in heaven are supremely secure fromany corruptiond. there is an account which can neither be robbed nor burnede. what’s more God promises to watch over us and ensure that our needs are met, so that webe clothed as the lilies of the field, more wondrously than Solomon in all his splendorf. we are freed from excessive worry by seeking what God issued to the king as a condition ofhis presence (the kingdom of God and his righteousnessConclusion40! Jeff S. Smith