Spiritual Wisdom

Wisdom - we humans long for wisdom, many of us look for Wisdom quotes early in the morning so that it fills our day with a positive energy, But Bible teaches wisdom comes from God. it starts when we fear God, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of the Knowledge” Proverbs 1:7, before we deep dive into Spiritual Wisdom.

World view of Wisdom

Let’s first understand what does Wisdom mean ? Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement. It's the quality of being wise.

So wisdom has three qualities.

• Experience - Indeed experience comes over a period of time. You try , fail, learn life lessons , with that comes experience

• Knowledge - You can gain that by educating yourself thru schools / colleges, reading more books, interacting with people and building the social skills, that too comes over a period of time. In our Early school days our knowledge would be limited, but as time goes we acquire knowledge thru experience as well.

• Judgment - Judgment is made based on ones self intuition, it comes with ones knowledge of subject. Some judgments make one go high or low as well.

Once you have all these three mastered you are called a wise person or a person with deep wisdom.

Old Testament view of Wisdom

'I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.' Ecclesiastes 1:14,18

• It says its “Meaningless”

• With human wisdom comes “Sorrow”, the more knowledgable you are “the more grief”

• The writer of Ecclesiastes is King Solomon, who ruled Jerusalem, he is writing from his experience

New Testament view of Wisdom

Paul gives a view of human wisdom when he was in City of Corinth

• Corinth was a cosmopolitan city, lot of Greeks and Jews were there.

• Greeks value Wisdom with the way you speak with eloquence vs. Jews who were very particular on the Laws. Two different contrasting people that Paul was dealing with. Remember Paul himself was a Jewish scholar and he knew the Jewish laws very well.

Paul’s definition of human wisdom

'Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” ; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” ' 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

• Paul compared the wisdom of world as “fools” in eyes of God. That’s a pretty harsh word to call someone a fool.

Old Testament tells , human wisdom bring “Sorrow” and “knowledge is more grief” , In new testament Paul says , God looks at the wise people of the world as “fools”. Once we understand the wisdom of God, then we can know why he calls as fools.

Wisdom of God / Spiritual Wisdom

Paul defines God’s wisdom also called as Spiritual wisdom in Corinthians

'No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ' 1 Corinthians 2:7

• God’s wisdom is a - mystery thats hidden

• God’s wisdom began before time began “God destined for our glory before time began.“

• Human wisdom is time bound, See the difference, God’s wisdom starts before even time began.

• Human wisdom can be gained once you have the three qualities “experience”, “knowledge” and “judgment”, vs. God’s wisdom is mystery thats hidden. Its revealed only to those who love him

• Paul describes that in next few verse 'None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— '1 Corinthians 2:8-9

How do we get Gods wisdom that’s a Mystery

1. Love for God - “God has prepared for those who love him” - this wisdom is first given to one who loves God with his heart, not from feeling love, we love God on Sunday’s and after church its back to the same old way, the love talked here is not like that. The love Paul talks here is loving God more than one loves himself. It can be called a mad for God.

2. Dependence on God - Paul was a great scholar, in his argument with the Greeks & Jews, look how he described about himself 'For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ' 1 Corinthians 2:2-5

   • He says he did not know anything, look a scholar of Jewish law saying “For I determined not to know any thing among you”

   • He came to them speaking with a attitude of “ was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.”

   • His human preaching was not wise and was not with persuasive words “my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom”

   • But his dependence was on the spirits power that’s Holy Spirit “but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”, he goes on to say his faith is not dependent on the wisdom of men but in God “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

   • He trusted and depended on God inspite being wise. I am sure if I were like Paul I would have done the opposite of what Paul did, I am sure many of us would do the same.

   • His dependence was on the Holy Spirit

3. Holy Spirit 'But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ' 1 Corinthians 2:10

• God uses holy spirit as a tool to unravel his mysteries to us and provide the wisdom to his chosen - “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:”

• Many who are Christian’s don’t have the holy spirit and without this they will not get the wisdom of God

• Qualities of the spirit - “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” it also searches deep things from God’s wisdom, only the Holy Spirit has the authority to know what is there in God’s mind, no one knows that except the holy spirit.

• It’s given freely to those who love God and are dependent on him - 'Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ' 1 Corinthians 2:12

• If a person is walking with the dependence of God, Any words that’s taught by the person, or the actions done by this person, it’s done by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 'Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ' 1 Corinthians 2:13

• Now this explains why it’s a mystery in God’s view. Now this explains why human’s wisdom is “fools” view from God.

Effects of Gods wisdom

'But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ' 1 Corinthians 2:14-15

• People who don’t have this spirit view them as foolish, any view given by the person is termed as “foolish” as it needs justification and backing to show proof. this is what Paul explains “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him”

• Spiritual things seem foolishness to the natural man. Why waste time on “spiritual” things when you could be making money or having fun?

• The natural man doesn’t want the things of God because he regards them as foolishness. What is more, he can’t understand the things of God (even if he wanted to) because they are spiritually discerned. It would be wrong to expect the natural man to see and value spiritual things

• The natural man is unsaved. Many Christians think like natural men, refusing to spiritually discern things. Most of them are concern on how it works in the world with some proof and backing.

'For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.' 1 Corinthians 2:16

• One who has this wisdom from God is able to make judgement, not by his expertise or knowledge. It’s by the mind of Christ. That’s exactly what Paul did, even though he was a scholar, he did not use his wisdom, he relied on God to give him guidance.

• We receive the mind of Christ -”But we have the mind of Christ.'”

• There will be no pride, you will be humble and you will inherit all the qualities of God inspite of your weak human attitude as we get the mind of Christ.

Reflect on your wisdom, does it come from God or human ? Many times we rely on human wisdom than trusting on God’s wisdom as satan uses this lie to tell - God’s wisdom is foolish as it has no logic / nothing that’s happened in past experience of us etc.. But God’s wisdom started before time and lives till eternally for ever. So stop trusting your own wisdom and knowledge and trust in God’s wisdom to earn the spiritual wisdom - it can come only if you surrender to his unconditional love and ask him to give his Holy spirit, remember he is waiting to give this for free, with only precondition of loving him from your heart, depend on him in all he will give you the Spiritual wisdom thru thru the holy spirit