For so many, “freedom in Christ” is synonymous with “freedom to do as I please”, yet this is wholly antithetical to the Truth. As we can quickly see in the verse cited above the Christian is dead to the Law (i.e. the Law of Moses), BUT he or she has been joined to Christ wherein there are new obligations. Namely, that “we might bear fruit for God.” Freedom in Christ does not grant us the right to do as we please; freedom in Christ grants us the opportunity to do what is right–to serve God with a clear conscience. Christians are joined to Christ for a purpose–“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (1 Thess. 4:7).

“I respectfully decline the invitation to join your hallucination,” Scott Adams once said. Not all invitations should be accepted, and Solomon certainly thought so. In this final section of his introduction to Proverbs, we’re treated to the last words of Lady Wisdom and Madame Folly–each offering us an invitation to come and dine with them. One invitation we must accept, the other we must refuse at all costs.

What stands in our way as we seek the Truth? I don't necessarily mean the Bible, but the Truth in general–the Truth about anything. What do we allow to stand in our way, what hurdles are before us? I'd like to discuss what the Bible offers as hindrances to seeking and adopting Truth, as well as how we can overcome these obstacles.

We gain access to God’s grace through faith in Christ, as Paul taught (Rom. 5:1-2), yet faith is not acceptable without obedience (Jas. 2:20ff), therefore grace cannot be had without obedience–grace demands it. Grace demands obedience not only to be accessed initially–“for by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8), but it demands obedience after one is reconciled to God, lest the Christian “fall short of the grace of God” and “receive it in vain” (Heb. 12:15; 2 Cor. 6:1).

It’s been said that “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”1 There can be no understanding without the desire to understand. Paul spoke of a category of people who would “always be learning but never able come to a knowledge of the Truth.”2 Why is that?

What does it mean to be close to God, or to "feel" close to God? Is this a biblical concept, if so how is it defined? We often hear folks speak in these terms, and perhaps we use the same terminology to describe our relationship with God. Let's go to the Bible and test, not only the language, but the very idea of "feeling close to God."

This is the critical thing the Holy Spirit would have us understand: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2). This text, so often isolated and abused, is clearly connected with the previous example of Abraham discussed in chapter four. To wit, through an Abrahamic type faith (implicit trust and obedience), we can be justified (declared righteous) before God. It is through faith in the blood of Jesus that we find favor with God and a perfect standing before Him.

Solomon was a concerned father, to be sure, but his voice is used by the Holy Spirit to express the concerns and admonitions of our Heavenly Father– the One who “disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.” What does our Father want us to know about sexual purity? What warnings does He have to share? What wisdom does He impart to help us see the danger and consequences of sexual immorality?

As Paul continues to reveal how one can be justified (declared righteous) before God, he draws our attention to Abraham, asking, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?” (Rom. 4:1). This “matter” being the matter of justification, so Paul hones in on Abraham to instruct us further upon soul-saving faith.

When ancient Israel was at its most prosperous economically, politically, and militarily, it was at its worst spiritually (see Amos and pretty much any other minor prophet). Living wisely (in a God-pleasing way) necessitates cultivating wisdom in the heart. Remembering that we have a limited time to do this will instill a sense of urgency. There was another wise man, Solomon, who had much to say about this in Proverbs chapter four, so our study continues.