There is one feature which marks the children of Wisdom, and that is, they always justify her. So our blessed Lord tells us in the seventh chapter of Luke, verse 35:
“But Wisdom is justified of all her children.” In the same chapter we are told (Verses 29, 30):
“All the people that heard Jesus, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.”
From all this we learn a very simple, but a most precious truth, namely, that all the children of wisdom justify God, and condemn themselves. This is the true ground for any sinner.
Abel stood on this ground, when he “offered unto God the more excellent sacrifice.”
Noah occupied it, when he “prepared an ark to the saving of his house.”
It was there Job was standing, when he exclaimed, “Behold, I am vile.” “Now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
That was Isaiah’s ground when he cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.”
It was Peter’s position when he said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me” to enumerate all the children of wisdom—all the members of that highly favored generation who have freely and fully accepted the counsel of God against themselves, and confessed themselves to be poor, guilty, hell-deserving sinners—who have been led to say, with David: “I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.” (Psa. 51:4, 54Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:4‑5); Rom 3:44God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Romans 3:4)).
This is the invariable language of Wisdom’s children. They always condemn themselves, and justify God. They do not make excuses for themselves, they do not seek to disguise, or to cover themselves. No; “I will confess,” is the first grand utterance of every true child of Wisdom; and until this language comes forth from the heart, there can be nothing right. Until the soul is really on this ground, there is an insuperable barrier between it and God. So David found it in his day, for he tells us, “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.” Psalms 32:3, 43When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (Psalm 32:3‑4).
Thus it must ever be. There can be no comfort, no relief, no blessing, no sense of pardon, no peace, no holy communion with God, until the flood-gates of the heart are opened, and free vent given to the spirit of true repentance. And what then? How does God deal with those who justify Him, and condemn themselves? All praise to His name! He justifies them, and condemns their sin. Marvelous grace! The very moment I take my place as a self-condemned sinner, God leads me into the place of a justified saint. Self-condemnation is the sure precursor of divine justification. I have only to declare myself guilty and leave all the rest to God.
Wisdom’s children justify God, and He justifies them—they condemn themselves, and He pardons them. How can this be? The cross is the answer. There God condemned sin; there His righteous wrath against sin was poured out upon the Sin Bearer, in order that His righteousness might be, imputed to the sinner who simply believes in Jesus.
Here it is that Wisdom’s children take their stand. This is their blessed resting place—the solid and eternal groundwork of their peace.
Dear young reader, are you one of Wisdom’s children? Have you been led to see your guilt, and own it before God? Have you accepted the counsel of God against yourself? Have you justified God and condemned yourself? If so, you may, this very moment, find repose in the finished work of Christ, and in the righteousness of God founded thereon. Such is the blessed portion of all the children of Wisdom.