Stop the foolishness! (The Wisdom of God)

Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means.  It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture.  Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is thus able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision.  (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy)

Reading this definition, it is clear to me that only God has all wisdom!  Only God can see the end from the beginning, seeing everything in perfect focus.  Only God is able to work with flawless precision!  Only God never needs to guess!

Isaiah 28:29 – This also comes from the LORD of hosts, who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

Romans 16:27 – To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever.  Amen.

What is wisdom in “laymen’s terms”?

Knowledge is the amount of information one possesses.

Wisdom is the use of that information.

We have learned previously that God possesses all knowledge.  There is nothing that can be known that God does not know!  Now we are learning that not only does He know everything, but He knows perfectly how to use the information He has!

Daniel 2:20-22 – Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.  It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.  It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.

Why is it important to know that God is all wise?  How does that practically affect our Christian life?

1 Corinthians 13:9 – For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

Deuteronomy 29:29 – The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Isaiah 55:8-9 – For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

The fact is, we have finite minds, and are not even capable of understanding all of God’s ways.  There are secret things the Lord keeps for Himself, revealing only what He wants us to know.  The Lord’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours – beyond what we can imagine!  When we accept by faith that God is truly wise, we can trust Him.  No matter what the circumstance is, we can believe that God is working in His infinite wisdom, to carry out His plans and purposes.

As believers, we desire to live in obedience to the Lord, fully surrendered to Him.  Our perspective has a tremendous impact on our day to day life.  We must realize that we are only part of the great plan of God.  God is working out His sovereign will for all of mankind, for all of history.  We are so precious and important to Him as individuals that He sent Jesus to earth to accomplish our salvation.  And yet, we must remember that it’s not all about us!  Our all-wise, all-knowing God has an over-arching plan for humanity, and we are simply part of it.  That is why we must surrender to and faithfully believe in the wisdom of His ways!

What is God’s personal agenda for us?

Romans 8:28-29 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

God’s intent is that we will be conformed to the image of His Son.  He is working Christ-likeness in us. 

In His perfect wisdom, God brings circumstances, people, events, trials, tribulations, joy, sadness, grief, excitement, challenges, assignments into our life to accomplish His perfect purpose – conforming us to His image.  The “good” that God works all things together for is our spiritual transformation!

So, we know that God is wise, and by faith, we accept His work in us as wise, but how do we apply the wisdom of God in our day to day decisions?  Does God want us to be wise too?

Look at Paul’s prayer for the church in Colossae:

Colossians 2:2-3 - …that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

By giving us the Spirit of Christ to indwell us, God gives us “access” to His wisdom.  Learning and growing in that wisdom is a life-long journey! 

Did you know that you can make wise decisions?

Do you realize that you do not have to make foolish choices and mistakes that lead to pain and suffering?

Granted, God seems to allow pain and suffering into our lives at times no matter how wisely we apply His word or how closely we follow Him.  But we do have a choice not to choose pain and suffering by making foolish decisions!

1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ!

God desires for us to rely on His wisdom.  We know that the first source of God’s wisdom is His word.  Whenever we have a question or doubt or decision to make, God’s word is where we need to begin!  But He also has given us His Spirit, to cause us to think and reason with the mind of Christ.  His Spirit will enlighten our minds and speak to our hearts.

Why is it important to rely on the wisdom of God, rather than our own human thinking?

First of all, scripture clearly says that a person who rejects the knowledge and wisdom of God is a fool.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Secondly, our human thinking, when not guided by the wisdom of God, only degenerates into depravity.

Romans 1:18-32 is a very clear teaching on what happens when we reject the wisdom of God and turn to our own knowledge.  I urge you to read the entire passage (it’s too long to quote here).  This passage explains what we are experiencing in our own nation today, as we reject wisdom and turn to ourselves.

Verse 21-23 – For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools.

Two primary evidences of “foolishness” are worshipping the creation rather than the Creator (elevating nature, animals, the earth over God) and unnatural and degrading passions (homosexuality and other behaviors).

Verse 28 – And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper…

This is followed by a long list of unrighteous and wicked behavior – all of which we see in our culture today.

The wisdom of God is a precious thing.  God has allowed just a small bit of insight into His infinite nature, by giving us His word to study and His Spirit to guide us.  What fools we are to ignore Him!

My prayer for you is that you rely on and trust the wisdom of God.  Seek His truth and His direction by reading, studying and obeying His word, and listening to the Spirit who speaks to you.  And my prayer for our nation is that we see the error of our ways, and recognize the folly of rejecting God’s wisdom and replacing it with our own limited human reasoning.  

There is hope, because God is certainly powerful enough to change the way we think – He did it for me, praise God!

Has He done it for you?