My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. (Prov. 1:10)

The first specific teaching in proverbs in how to begin living a life of wisdom is in the negative (Prov. 1:10-19). It has been aptly said that we don’t have to teach children how to do wrong, but we have to teach them to do what is right. And we certainly need to help them identify the dangers of foolish living. Wisdom for life begins with choosing our company carefully, avoiding relationships that will encourage our sinful nature.

Our fallen nature becomes evident early in life. We have to learn how to do right. But it begins, according to proverbs, with learning how to avoid the sin that comes naturally to us. This requires acknowledging and embracing the biblical teaching that we are all born sinners. That, of course, is out of step with current cultural thinking, but unless we hold to the biblical truth on this, we will undermine our efforts to learn wisdom. As we quoted earlier:

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. (Prov. 22:15)

Scripture teaches that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). David wrote of himself: “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps 51:5). The apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). So from our birth, everyone one of us is bent toward sin, and therefore godly wisdom must replace the natural tendency toward foolishness and sin.

In Solomon’s time, the sinful nature was seen clearly in physical violence and theft. We can see in our own time the lust for power and possessions, which leads people to use power structures to gain advantages over others and to accumulate wealth through illicit means. These are at the root of foolish decisions that will destroy a person’s life. “So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors” (Prov. 1:19)

One of the goals of biblical wisdom is to be able to discern between the true wisdom of God and mere worldly thinking that tries to pass as wisdom (Prov. 1:2). The prevailing modern idea that people are basically good leads today’s parents to rely only on positive reinforcement to bring out the good behavior through rewards. While there is some value to rewards, they are not enough to warn children away from the dangers that will encourage their sinful bent, lead them into a life of folly, and result in the unpleasant consequences of living against God’s desires. For adults, by analogy, if we preach a gospel that limits the good news to the benefits we gain if we turn to the Lord, we are coming up short of the true good news. We need to deal with sin, repentance, and reconciliation, which helps people understand God’s grace and mercy so they will respond in humble submission and gratitude toward God.

That is why we read earlier in Proverbs that “[t]he fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7). We must recognize that we stand in His presence as sinners who have no claim to approaching God as an equal or based on any goodness we think we might possess. We come as sinners before a righteous and holy God; we can only gain wisdom with the recognition that wisdom comes only by God’s grace.

One last thing: This teaching doesn’t mean we should isolate ourselves from nonbelievers or those living in sinful lifestyles. We still have to carry on with life in a secular world. Rather, this teaching means that our primary friendships in life should come from godly associations. If a particular friendship or community encourages sinful behaviors, we should remove ourselves from that relationship. For children, it is especially important that parents closely control who they make friends with. But the principle is also true for adults; we must be careful not to think we are morally strong enough to resist prolonged negative influences of those with whom we associate. As much as it is in our power, we need a base of godly, wise friends and associations who will support us in our walk of faith and wisdom.

Lord, help me have the fortitude to “not walk in the way with them” and to “keep [my] feet from their path” (Prov. 1:15).