James Sibree [1836-1929], the English missionary to Madagascar, writes of God’s never-ending order: “Remember this important truth, that Christians are called by the gospel to be saints; that you are Christians, not so much by your orthodoxy as by your holiness; that you are saints no further than as you are holy in all manner of conversation.
“The people of God furnish an evidence of being saints by their godly conduct. ‘By their fruits,’ not by their feelings; not by their lips, not by their general profession, but ‘by their fruits shall ye know them.’ The character of the saints is evidenced by divine consecration. The people of God are called holy inasmuch as they are dedicated to God.”
In Scripture, the quest to attain Biblical wisdom intertwines with skill and character. The Book of Proverbs proclaims that wisdom and excellence cannot be divorced from righteousness and ethical character. Dr. Bruce K. Waltke [born 1930] clarifies that Proverbs presupposes political activity.
Proverbs 22:29 declares: “Do you see a man skilled [Heb., mahir (מָהִיר) means ‘excels’, ‘adept’, ‘trained’] in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Mahir refers not merely to raw talent, but to a person who has developed skill through effort, discipline, and consistent practice.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 states that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” [NIV]
Those mentioned in Proverbs 8:9 “who have found knowledge” refers to those whom, with understanding, have sought wisdom, submitted themselves to her teachings, and attained the personal, spiritual, and moral knowledge communicated in this book. The result is that shrewdness will watch over you.
With Gideons and Rahabs now entering America’s public square, the prophetic words of Charles Bridges [1794-1869], the 19th-century leader in the Evangelical party in the Church of England, caution about the axis of anticipated attack: “Almost as soon as Satan became an apostate, he became a tempter. And most successfully does he train his servants in this work. If sinners entice thee – This is no uncertain contingency, ‘My son,’ said the wise son of Sirach, ‘if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy heart for temptation.’”
As the righteous and the wicked paths cross in the political arena, the ethical path is the only safe one. From a Biblical perspective, contemporary America’s main problem is Christendom’s intentional departure from the nation’s public square over the last hundred years or so, in direct disobedience to Christ’s ekklesia Kingdom assignment in Matthew 16:18. The nation’s problems are not political but spiritual. We pray for an Awakening.
On another topic, our friend Ed Martin, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, withdrew from consideration last week after facing opposition in the Senate. U.S. Republican Senator Thom Tillis was the ringleader; he cited Martin’s defense of the J6 rioters as the reason for his opposition.
Last Wednesday, Ed was spit on by one of the nation’s purported ‘tolerant liberals’ during an outside interview. In response to the crackbrained assault he quipped that incomprehensible situations like this were “among the many reasons that I wear that great coat!”
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D. Stuart Briscoe [1930-2022], Christian author, speaker, and senior pastor of Elmbrook Church, the largest church in Wisconsin, noted in his Genesis Commentary that “Faith is not lived in a vacuum. It operates in the tensions of life and often demonstrates itself more fully by its responses to the furnace of affliction than the warm, shallow waters of ease and prosperity. For faith to become visible, it has to perform.” Well done, Ed.
As for NC Senator Tillis, we must assume he’s not running for reelection in 2026. The North Carolina Republican Party formally censured Senator Thom Tillis in June 2023 for supporting policies contrary to the party’s platform. The censure highlighted 1) Tillis’ backing of the Respect for Marriage Act, which enshrined protections for same-sex marriages, 2) his support for gun control measures, and 3) his stance on illegal immigration. Party conservatives have begun to question his principles.
Thankfully, Gideons and Rahabs have entered the public square in North Carolina.
David Lane
American Renewal Project
