THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance 6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:1-7 NLT
“The fear of the Lord is not terror…
it’s awe and that awe is where wisdom begins.”
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! Psalm 111:10 NLT
HOLY AWE, A HOLY REVERENCE
- The word “holy” means set apart, sacred, pure, and utterly unique. God is not just holy—He is perfectly holy.
- In Isaiah 6:3, the angels cry out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
- “Holy” is declared three times. No other attribute of God is repeated in this way.
- Similarly, Revelation 4:8 says: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
- God’s holiness is eternal and unchanging.
A RIGHT PERSPECTIVE LEADS TO RIGHT DECISIONS
5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Isaiah 6:5 NLT
- God’s holiness reveals our sinfulness.
- When we truly see God’s holiness, we also see ourselves more clearly.
- A genuine encounter with God’s holiness produces humility, conviction, and repentance.
RIGHT DECISIONS LEAD TO RIGHT LIVING
14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14 NLT
- Creation shows us the greatness of God…but Jesus shows us the heart of God.
- Jesus Christ makes holiness possible.
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE CLEANSED AND MADE RIGHTEOUS
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NLT
Because of Christ:
- We are empowered to live holy lives.
