The Book of Wisdom or The Wisdom of Solomon 1:1 Kommentaari

Christ died for the ungodly and sinners so that we might be called to believe, not by merit but by grace, and thus by believing we might also establish merit. This is why sinners are commanded to believe, because by believing one purges himself from sins. Sinners, in fact, have no idea what they will see by living rightly. This is why—since they cannot see unless they live rightly, and they cannot live rightly unless they believe—it is obvious that they must begin by believing. In this way the commandments, by which those who believe separate themselves from the things of this world, purify their hearts—for only with a pure heart can one see God. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Also, in the words of the prophecy it is sung, “Seek him in sincerity of heart.”

The one who approaches the Lord with an insincere heart is rejected, while the Lord receives the one who approaches with a sincere heart and a well-disposed mind, according to the thought of Scripture, “Seek the Lord with sincerity of heart.” Therefore the one who believed by faith was received by the Lord into the boat, that is, into the church, where the chorus of the apostles is found. The scribe was not worthy to be received by the Lord; rather, he was rejected, since he showed that he had no faith. Blessed is the disciple who deserved to be received by the Lord, though the scribe was rejected!

Those who do not believe in the equality of the Father and the Son completely reject the coming of the Son from God the Father. Coming to the one who loves them, the Father and the Son make a single dwelling with him. Now, there cannot be a single dwelling for them both, if they are loved in different ways. And if they are not equal, they will inevitably be loved in an unequal way. It is therefore not possible to prepare a single dwelling for them in a simple heart if they are not equal. Yet Scripture admonishes us to do so, saying, “Think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek him with simplicity of heart.” How can one seek God with simplicity of heart if he makes a distinction in his love for God the Father and God the Son? Or how can one have a simple love for God if he is convinced that there is a diversity in the Divinity? One loves with a simple heart that Divinity whose nature he believes to be simple. But if he adores the Divinity making distinctions, this is not simplicity but duplicity of heart. And this is not true faith but false.

“Think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek him with sincerity of heart.” Sincerity of heart is like a day not dimmed by fraud, not obscured by lies, not darkened by envy, not clouded by deception; it is a day illuminated by the light of truth, made resplendent by the dawning of the divine presence. As it is written, “He speaks with the sincere.” For God, to speak is to reveal to human minds, by the illumination of his presence, the mysteries of his will. This is why it is said that God speaks with the sincere, because, by the light of his inspiration, he enlightens with his heavenly mysteries the minds of those who are not darkened by even a shadow of duplicity.

“Love righteousness,” so as to show yourself just in your affairs. In fact, “the Lord is righteous, and he has loved righteousness,” and he always loves it; “his face has looked on uprightness.” In those days, he who said, “Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,” both loved righteousness greatly and counseled that it be loved. And another said, “If you speak of righteousness, judge uprightly.” In fact, it is written, “With the judgment that you judge, you will be judged.”