Sunday morning, September 22, 1996
Walk in Wisdom, Part One
James 1:2-8
By P. G. Mathew, M.A., M.Div., Th.M.
Copyright © 1996 by P. G. Mathew
The wisdom of God is the chief family value. We have often
heard politicians speaking about family values, especially around
election times. But we notice these same politicians are not
practicing family values. One person may speak about family
values but walk out on his wife. Another person may engage in an
immoral life while living with the same wife and maintain he is
practicing family values. Thus, when politicians speak about
family values, we should not pay too much attention to them
because they are not speaking true wisdom. Wisdom is the sine
qua non of godly living, but we do not find this wisdom in
ourselves, in political or university life, or in the world
around us. This wisdom comes to us only from God.
If you want this wisdom, this essential ingredient for your
family and for all aspects of your life, you must first
acknowledge that you are just a breath and that your days are
nothing. You must always have a vision in your mind of an
hourglass in which the sands of time are flowing down
continually. You must recognize as you get older that all the
changes you feel in your body are part of this process of running
out of time. And when you are aware of these things, you must
think about wisdom--what it is, how to get it and how to walk in
it during your fleeting days.
What Is Wisdom?
What is wisdom? The Hebrew word used most frequently for
wisdom in the Bible is hochmah , and the Greek
equivalent is sophia . True wisdom is not found in
the ideas of Socrates or Plato. It does not consist of the
speculative philosophies of man or some abstract thinking. True
biblical wisdom is the art of being successful in life in a way
that pleases God.
True wisdom deals with practical, ethical living. It is the
ability to pursue godliness, which is profitable in this age and
in the age to come (1 Tim. 4:8). It is the ability to be
successful in temptation by saying no to sin and yes to the will
of God. By wisdom we choose the best goal in life, which, of
course, is to glorify God. And not only do we choose the best
goal in life through wisdom, but we also through wisdom choose
the best means to achieve our goal.
Biblical wisdom is not in any way proportional to intelligence
and intellectual knowledge. It is not something that can be
measured by SAT scores. In fact, the vast majority of
intellectuals in this world lack this wisdom. This wisdom is not
taught in our universities.
True wisdom in its perfection is an attribute of God. Unlike
eternity, infinity and so on, which are incommunicable attributes
of God, wisdom is a communicable attribute. God communicates
something of his wisdom to us so that we may live our lives on
earth in wisdom. Why does he do this? Because we have no wisdom
in ourselves. We have our own understanding but that is not
wisdom. In fact, the Bible tells us to not lean onto our own
understanding. Only God practices true wisdom, and by it he
chooses the best goal and accomplishes it by the best means. But
he wants us also to receive wisdom from him so that we can also
choose the best goal and accomplish it by the best means.
The Goal of Wisdom: The Church
When we study theology we find that one goal of God is to
create the kingdom of God for his own glory. He accomplishes this
goal by the manifestation of his wisdom in creation. Psalm 19
speaks about the manifestation of the wisdom of God in creation.
This wisdom is also seen in providence, which means that God
preserves his creation and governs it. We read about that in
Psalm 33:10-11.
Particularly, though, the wisdom of God is revealed in the
redemption of sinners and the creation of his church. God redeems
ungodly enemies from all tribes, nations and languages by the
foolishness of the gospel and makes them into a people who love
God and live in unity for his glory. We read about this in
Ephesians 3:10, "His intent was that now, through the
church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the
rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his
eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our
Lord."
The founding of the church reveals the wisdom of God, and this
wisdom is especially manifested in the redemptive work of Christ,
meaning in the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is a stumbling
block to the Jews, who wonder how a cursed man can be a savior of
people, and foolishness to the Greeks, who don't understand how a
crucified criminal can be worshiped and adored. Yet to us who
believe, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:24, the cross is the wisdom
and power of God unto eternal salvation.
Wisdom Comes from the Fear of the Lord
Wisdom from God, then, is the essential element of godly
living. What is this wisdom based on? The fear of the Lord. In
the book of Job, Job asked the question, "But where can
wisdom be found? . . . It cannot be bought with the gold of
Ophir" meaning the most precious gold that you could find,
"with precious onyx or sapphires." In other words, this
wisdom is absolutely priceless. Then Job says in the last verse
of chapter 28, "The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom--and to
shun evil, that is understanding" (Job 28:12-28).
We see this idea in other places in the Bible. In Psalm 111:10
the psalmist says, "The fear of the Lord is beginning of
wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good
understanding." In Proverbs 9:10 we read, "The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy
One is understanding." In Proverbs 11:2, we read that wisdom
comes to those who have humility. In Proverbs 8:13 we read,
"To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and
arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."
There is a blessing in fearing the Lord. Some people, Christians
as well as non-Christians, are gripped by many fears. Have you
ever wondered why? In Proverbs 1:29 we read of such people:
"Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the
Lord, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my
rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with
the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple
will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
but whoever listens to me"--meaning those who fear the Lord
and listen to the Lord in humility--"will live in safety and
be at ease, without fear of harm." If we fear the Lord, we
will not fear. John Newton said the same thing in his hymn,
"Amazing Grace" when he wrote, "'Twas grace that
taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved."
Wisdom Is Essential for the Wise
Arrogant, self-sufficient people shall never receive wisdom.
Wisdom belongs to the Lord and he imparts it to those who
acknowledge him to be Lord. In other words, God's wisdom comes
only to those who confess Jesus is Lord and believe in their
hearts that God raised him from the dead. Daniel 2:21 says God
"gives wisdom to the wise." What does it mean to be
wise? It means that God has enables us to recognize that he is
Lord, to confess that he is Lord, and to confess that we are puny
sinners who need to be saved by grace.
God grants his wisdom to sinners who repent, forsake their
arrogance and trust in Jesus Christ alone, who is wisdom. And
this wisdom is essential for us to correctly interpret the events
of our lives. In James 1:5, James says, "If any of you lacks
wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him." To interpret
what is going on all around us, especially any trials we are
experiencing, we have to have wisdom. Without it we always
misinterpret what is happening to us. In this passage James says
that trials, for example, are necessary to develop perseverance,
constancy of one's walk with God, and spiritual maturity. But we
must have wisdom from God to to know these things. It takes
wisdom from God to understand why we may be laid off, why we do
not have money, why we cannot get along with other people, why
our marriage may not be working out, and so on. Without wisdom we
are in deep darkness.
Not only does James say that wisdom is the key for interpreting
what is happening to us and around us, but in Romans 5:3-5 Paul
writes, "Not only so, but we also rejoice"--not murmur,
not just endure, not just tolerate the situation-- "in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not
disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Here you
see that Paul, like James, has God's wisdom to interpret what is
happening in his life. Or read Romans 8:28. Here again Paul says,
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose." You see, that is wisdom.
When you read Psalm 73, you see the psalmist Asaph was in a
confused and troubled state, calling himself a senseless,
ignorant, brute beast. Why was he confused? Asaph was
experiencing suffering and troubles, but the wicked around him
were having a good time. He could not understand why they
prospered while he, a believer, was suffering. And so he wrote in
verses 16 and 17, "When I tried to understand all
this,"meaning the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering
of the believer, "it was oppressive to me. . . ." Asaph
lacked wisdom and thereby was oppressed by his circumstances. But
that was not the end of the matter. He continues, "till I
entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final
destiny." In other words, without wisdom Asaph was confused
and ignorant, like a beast who did not know what was going on.
But as he went into the house of God and asked God to help him,
God gave him great understanding. As he interpreted his
circumstances God's way, he then could rejoice.
Ask for Wisdom (James 1:5)
And so James asks us in the first chapter of James if we lack
wisdom, and the truth is, we do. We cannot even get along with
our wives or husbands. We cannot live within our means. We cannot
get along with our neighbor. When troubles come, we murmur and
complain. We become unhappy with God and with one another. All of
these indicate a lack of wisdom in our lives.
We need a lot of wisdom. Without wisdom we fail to understand
what is happening to us and around us. Without wisdom we cannot
choose the right way to glorify God in daily living. So how do we
obtain this wisdom? First, James says in James 1:5, we must ask
God for wisdom. He uses the present tense of the verb, meaning we
must keep on asking. As a child asks his father, we continually
ask God for wisdom.
James encourages us to ask God for wisdom, saying that God will
give it generously. Then he informs us that God gives wisdom to
all who ask him. There is no discrimination: every child of God
is encouraged to pray, and James promises that God will give
generously to everyone who asks.
James then says that God will not find fault with you when you
come to him for wisdom. Now, human parents may do that. Suppose
you get into trouble, and then do it again and again. A human
father may say, "I am so sick and tired of you doing this
type of thing. I know you. You are incorrigible. You will never
improve. In fact, you have never amounted to anything. You are
just nothing." Does God do this when we ask for wisdom? Oh,
no. Here we are promised that our heavenly Father will never
upbraid us for the sins we committed in the past. They are all
forgotten and forgiven. God delights in our coming to him and
asking for wisdom.
Finally, James says, when you come to God, be sure that you come
trusting in him. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Those who come to God
must believe that he exists and he is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek him." We must have confidence in our God,
that he truly will respond to our need for wisdom. We must tell
him, "O God, I believe; help thou my unbelief." The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and those who fear
God are the ones who come in true submission to pray to God,
confessing, "O God, you are wisdom. I have nothing; give me
wisdom." God will respond to that kind of prayer.
Find Wisdom in God's Word
Not only should those who fear the Lord pray, but they should
also listen to and receive the word of God, which is wisdom for
us. In Deuteronomy 4 we see this connection between the word of
God and wisdom. In verse 1 we read, "Hear now, O Israel, the
decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you
may live. . . ." and in verses 5-6, "See, I have taught
you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me so that you
may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession
of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and
understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these
decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and
understanding people.'" The fear of the Lord means that we
pray to the Lord of the covenant and then listen to him who
reveals wisdom for us in his word.
Wisdom is found in the word of God, as we read in Proverbs 2:
"My son, if you accept my words. . ." First, we must
accept God's words. God gives wisdom to the wise, and the wise
are those who trust in God, who have entered into a relationship
with God. "My son, if you accept my words. . . ." We
must fear the Lord and come to him to receive his word, just as
the noble heart received the seed that was sown, causing it to
sprout, grow and produce fruit. In Luke 10 we read about Mary
sitting in humility at the feet of Jesus, listening to him. That
is what the fear of the Lord is. In our need, we must sit at the
feet of God and receive from him the word of God, which is life,
direction, light, and wisdom.
The writer of Proverbs continues, "and store up my commands
within you." There will be times when you need specific
wisdom. If you store up the word of God in your heart and your
mind, then at the time of your need you can access it and live in
the light of it. The word of God should dwell richly in our
hearts. And then the writer says, "turning your ear to
wisdom," meaning to turn away from everything that pretends
to be a source of wisdom, because there is no wisdom in the world
like God's. We must turn away from all other sources and turn our
ears eagerly to wisdom, which, in this context is the word of
God. And "applying your heart to understanding." Not
only should we hear and receive God's wisdom, but we must apply
it. What does that mean? Do what it says.
The writer goes on, "If you call out for insight and cry
aloud for understanding. . ." That is prayer: "O God, I
need wisdom. I am confused, O Lord. I need wisdom." You are
crying aloud. But did you know that wisdom itself is calling out
for you? In chapter 8 of Proverbs we read, "Does not wisdom
call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights
along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside
the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries
aloud: 'To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all
mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish,
gain understanding." Wisdom is crying out for you, and so
let me assure you, when you cry out to wisdom and say, "I
need wisdom," you shall be given wisdom.
In Proverbs 2:4 we read, "and if you look for it as for
silver," meaning treasure. The writer is not speaking about
the worldly treasures of money, position, power, or political
influence. All that is meaningless. That is why unbelievers have
to speak about the politics of meaning, because people who have
achieved all that the world can give to them find themselves
absolutely empty. They speak about the politics of meaning, but
they will not go to the Bible for wisdom. But here it is:
"and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as
for hidden treasure. . ." This is single-minded devotion to
wisdom: searching for it, crying out for it, praying for it,
seeking for it, as Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness."
But notice verses 5-7: "Then you will understand the fear of
the Lord and find knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds
victory in store for the upright. . . ." In verse 1 we read,
"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commandments
within you. . ." But here God is storing up victory for the
upright. "He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. .
." Wisdom issues in a godly life. The writer continues,
"for he guards the course of the just and protects the way
of his faithful ones." Verse 9: "Then you will
understand what is right and just and fair--every good
path." That is the purpose of wisdom--to know what is right
and what is evil, so that we can choose right.
Verse 10: "For wisdom will enter your heart. . . " That
is what we need. Wisdom does not mean knowledge of microbiology.
That is just having an intellectual understanding of things, but
it has nothing to do with wisdom. You can never get wisdom by
studying microbiology, algebra or philosophy. Wisdom is a gift
that comes from God through his word. It enters into your heart
and drives away foolishness, ignorance, meaninglessness, and
frustration. "For wisdom will enter your heart, and
knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect
you and understanding will guard you." When wisdom comes, it
protects us from falling into the pits that are all around us.
And verse 12: "Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked
men. . . " and verse 16: "It will save you also from
the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive
words."
Do you understand this passage? Wisdom comes from fearing the
Lord, praying to the Lord, looking into his word, accepting his
word, and seeking it like hidden treasure. When you do these
things, all of a sudden wisdom enters you, and it protects you,
saves you, guides you and preserves you from going from ditch to
ditch.
Wisdom Leads to Godliness
When this wisdom is granted, what is it for? Is it given to
make money, or to accomplish great things in the world? Oh, no.
The purpose of wisdom is to help us live righteous, godly lives.
Have you ever listened to the speech of most people on television
and radio? When you listen to these people, you notice they have
no depth. They are one-dimensional in their speech and
meaningless in their very words. They cannot even get along with
their own families. We see people in high positions of power
living such wretched lives, and yet the culture is not upset with
them because the whole society is degenerate. Our culture is
crumbling and imploding but no one is upset with it. In fact,
polls say that those who practice immorality are growing more
popular every day.
But look at James 3:13: "Who is wise and understanding among
you? Let him show it by his good life. . . ." This wisdom
that came from God is demonstrated first of all by a good life.
Now, please do not misinterpret that phrase. A good life has
nothing to do with having a big house and many cars and
international vacations and belonging to the rich, famous,
jet-set society. That is not what I mean. A good life is the kind
of life Jesus Christ lived--a life that is pleasing in the sight
of God. And how else is this wisdom demonstrated? "By deeds
done in the humility that comes from wisdom." Show me a man
who is wise, and I will show you a man who is humble, who lives
his life to please God at every turn.
Paul speaks about this in Colossians 1:9-10: "For this
reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped
praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of
his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we
pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord
and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good
work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with
all power according to his glorious might so that you may have
great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the
Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the kingdom of light." What is Paul saying here?
He is praying that we may have wisdom to live lives that are
productive and pleasing in the sight of God.
We Need Wisdom
We need wisdom to discern God's purposes and will. In
Ephesians 1:17-18 Paul wrote, "I keep asking that the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in
order that you may know the hope to which he has called you. .
." Without wisdom we cannot understand the purposes and
plans of God.
We need wisdom to live lives that are worthy of God. Why do you
think you have trouble at work? It is because you need wisdom to
behave properly before unbelievers. In Colossians 4:5 we read,
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders." We need
wisdom to live in a world which does not care for Jesus Christ or
Christianity or the word of God, and God will give us the wisdom
necessary to live our lives for him.
We need wisdom to teach others. Are you a preacher, a parent, a
father, a leader? If so, you need wisdom to teach. In fact, James
speaks about teachers in James 3, and it is in that context that
he instructs us about wisdom so that we may have it in our
teaching. Paul talks about this also in Colossians 1:28, "We
proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all
wisdom."
Let me ask you, parents: You are instructors for your children,
and the school is your home. Are you filled with wisdom? Have you
come to God in great humility, crying out, "O God, may your
wisdom enter my heart, that I may instruct my children in the
wisdom that will bring about godly living in them"?
A Wise Young Man
In Acts 7 we are told about Joseph, who was a wise teenager.
Acts 7:9-10 tells us something about his wisdom: "But God
was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave
Joseph wisdom. . . ." This verse teaches us how to interpret
the account of Joseph given in Genesis 39. Here we see a man who
was loving God and obeying his parents. Here is a man who was
sent on a mission to look after the welfare of his brothers. Here
is a man the brothers treated cruelly and put into a pit. Here is
a man who was taken out of the pit , sold as a slave to some
people who took him to Egypt and then sold again as a slave. Here
is a man for whom everything went wrong. Here is a man who found
himself as a junior slave in the house of Potiphar.
But in Acts 7 we are told by divine revelation that God gave him
wisdom. So let us examine Genesis 39 to see how this teenager
lived in wisdom. In verse 1 we read, "Now Joseph had been
taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of
Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from
the Ishmaelites who had taken him there." And then we read,
"The Lord was with Joseph." God had given Joseph great
wisdom and he was always living in the fear and the presence of
the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and
you cannot have wisdom and not see God. "The Lord was with
Joseph and he prospered." This was a successful life!
"And he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his
master saw that the Lord was with him," because whatever
Joseph touched became successful, "and that the Lord gave
him success in everything he did. . . ." How did Potiphar
know God was the one blessing Joseph's efforts? I am sure Joseph
told Potiphar, "You know, Potiphar, you are probably
wondering why things are working out so well. Let me tell you: it
is not me--not my prudence, not my insight, not my genius. It is
the Lord whose I am and before whom I live."
Verse 4: "Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his
attendant." He was no longer a junior slave. He was promoted
several times. "Potiphar put him in charge of his household,
and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time
he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned,
the Lord blessed the household." The blessing of the Lord
was on everything.
Then Joseph's wisdom was tested and proven. Wisdom is the ability
to say no to sin and yes to God. Look at verses 6-12: "Now
Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after awhile his master's
wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me!' But
he refused. 'With me in charge,' he told her, 'my master does not
concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he
has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in the house than I
am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because
you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin
against God?'" That's wisdom.
To have wisdom means to hate evil and to do what is right. Verse
10: "And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he
refused to go to bed with her or even be with her." And one
day she said, "'Come to bed with me!' But he left his cloak
in her hand and ran out of the house." That demonstrates
wisdom. That demonstrates the fear of the Lord. Joseph was in
Egypt, without father, without mother, without church, but he
walked in the fear of the Lord.
Seek Wisdom
We must think seriously about these things. Now, we know that
those who refuse to believe in Christ can be intellectually
sophisticated. They can be those who sip the white wine and talk
in a certain way that exudes a certain wisdom. But according to
the Bible, if individuals are intellectually sophisticated,
politically powerful, scientifically accomplished, and
economically filthy rich, if they refuse to believe in Christ
they are spiritually foolish, devoid of meaning and finally
perishing.
Let me encourage you to seek after wisdom. In Psalm 39 we read
that man is just a breath. His days are numbered and the
hourglass is ever flowing down. And yet what are we seeking
after? What are we storing up? I offer you the wisdom of God,
which is not found in us or around us. Only God can impart this
wisdom to us. But if he does, then we will know how to live clean
lives when we are alone. Then we will know how to live within our
families. James 3:17 tells us the wisdom from God is first pure
and then peace-loving. There is relationship, you see. A man who
walks out on his wife, and or a woman who walks out on the
husband is not wise. No, such a person is a fool, because wisdom
is necessary and essential in human relationships.
Wisdom is characterized by humility and receptivity. Wisdom is
characterized by one's choosing every time the will of God.
Wisdom is characterized by a good life demonstrated by good
deeds. And this wisdom does not cost a lot in the world's sense.
In one sense, it is priceless, but in another sense, it is free.
It is not like the riches of the world, which we run after with
great passion.
I urge you to ask God to give you wisdom, because life consists
of decisions. You can decide rightly or wrongly, and every
decision has consequences. May God give you his wisdom even this
day, that you may walk in a way pleasing to him.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
"NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office by International Bible Society.
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