God is Wonderfully Wise

There should be no debate that God’s wonderful wisdom transcends all other wisdom. He is God, He created the world, so His wisdom about the world and how it works should supersede all other knowledge. God’s wisdom is holy, infinite, just and righteous. It is a wisdom that is real and unchanging yesterday, today and tomorrow so it is eternal. God’s wisdom is pure, loving, and good. We often view it as highly moral but that doesn’t do it justice. God’s wisdom is entirely perfect, with no fault, infallible. 

All of God’s acts are accomplished in perfect wisdom. When He acts, He is always promoting His glory and He is always doing the best thing for those who love Him. It would go against His nature to do otherwise. God uses perfect means to achieve the perfect ending. God can do anything in perfect wisdom because He sees the whole picture. God’s wisdom is flawless and precise. He knows the proper order so everything will fall into place. And He knows it all from an all-encompassing viewpoint.

How do we receive Godly wisdom? James 1:5-6a, “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. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.” Rick Warren said, “What matters is not the size of your faith but the size of the God you put your faith in...a little faith in a big God gets big results.” Ask God for wisdom and believe He will give without a doubt.

[Is 28:29] All this comes from the Lord Almighty, WONDERFUL in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. [Rom 11:33] “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” [Dan 2:20-21] “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His…He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Proverbs is an entire book on valuing wisdom. “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom though it cost all you have. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

[James 3:13] “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” This verse simply sums up what wisdom is. It is not just a knowledge of scripture or of right and wrong. But a wise person though uses it, acts upon it, applies it in every day life, and makes decisions based on it. 

There is divine wisdom and human wisdom in our created world and they are constantly at war with one another. God allows both to exist even though human wisdom is woefully inferior and inadequate to God’s boundless wisdom and truth. God knows His wisdom is superior so He is not threatened by human wisdom thinking it is equal to God’s wisdom. He knows in the end that His wisdom will prevail. Worldly wisdom is limited, constantly changing, and often times completely inaccurate. Basing your life decisions upon a particular person or group is not wise. The world’s collective intelligence can’t remotely compare to the wisdom of our God. [I Cor 3:18-20] “Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. 

God’s perfect wisdom is almost always the opposite of the world’s wisdom and this was especially demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not have to worry when it seems like human wisdom is gaining ground in this fallen world because we know the end of the story and God’s wonderful wisdom wins. We know Jesus Christ our Savior will return. That is where we fully place all of our hope while we wait for all of God’s acts of wisdom to play out. Everyone will bow their knee to the only wise God. Our world will be freed, our tears will be wiped away, and we will see our reward for putting our faith in God’s wisdom.  

Transcript

Intro to Attribute

There should be no debate that God’s wonderful wisdom transcends all other wisdom. He is God, He created the world, so His wisdom about the world and how it works should supersede all other knowledge and understanding. When you get this truth right in your heart and can confidently say that God is the final authority of true wisdom, then it should solidify the foundation of your belief in all of His other attributes. God’s wisdom is holy, infinite, just and righteous. It is a wisdom that is real and unchanging yesterday, today and tomorrow so it is eternal. God’s wisdom is pure, loving, and good. We often view it as highly moral but that doesn’t do it justice. God’s wisdom is entirely perfect, with no fault, infallible. Just like we take the word mighty and add all to it, saying Almighty when we speak of God, I think we should have a new word, “Alwise,” in regards to this attribute of God. God’s wonderful wisdom deserves reverence and praise.

All of God’s acts are accomplished in perfect wisdom. When He acts, He is always promoting His glory and He is always doing the best thing for those who love Him. It would go against His nature to do otherwise. God uses perfect means to achieve the perfect ending. 

In the dictionary, wisdom is defined as having knowledge and the capacity to make due use of that knowledge. Knowledge is the fact or condition of being aware of something or can be just merely having clarity of facts and truths. Yet wisdom is the quality of making good judgements based on that knowledge. Simply acquiring knowledge is not wisdom. I think people believe overall that wise people have the practical ability to know and discern what is true or right and then to make consistently good decisions in life. They are the people you would go to for sound advice. But think about it, God is profoundly wiser than any person. He is the first one you should go to in any given time in order to make the wisest decisions for the best possible outcome. 

There is no other better way to do something than to do it God’s way. We might think we know what is better for us or someone else; but God knows us better than we know ourselves. We need to trust in His infinite wisdom for all circumstances. He can do anything in perfect wisdom because He sees the whole picture. I remember one time recommending to God a way to handle a situation. And I believe God smiled at me and said, yes, Robin that is a good idea. But if we do it your way, only this will be accomplished. I can see into the future with perfect clarity and know what ramifications will result from certain decisions and actions. If we do it my way, them many other things will fall into place and impact future outcomes. God’s wisdom is flawless and precise. He knows the proper order so everything will fall into place. And He knows it all from an all-encompassing viewpoint. He knows how it will affect events, emotions, mental thoughts, and spiritual implications.

How do we receive Godly wisdom? Read and heed. Read the bible and heed the words of the only wise God. In James 1:5-6a, “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. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.” Recently read a statement by Rick Warren that said, “What matters is not the size of your faith but the size of the God you put your faith in.” He goes on to say that, “a little faith in a big God gets big results.” I believe that is why Jesus said you only need faith as big as a mustard seed to do great things for God. So, ask God for wisdom as He suggests and believe He will give without a doubt.

As we do in all of our podcasts, let’s reveal God as Wise through the word, through creation, through Jesus and in our hearts:

I.        How does God reveal Himself as Wise through the Word

[Is 28:29] All this comes from the Lord Almighty, WONDERFUL in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. 

[Rom 11:33] “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.”

[Dan 2:20-21] “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His…He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”

[Ps 51:6] “You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”

[II Tim 3:15] “You have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Proverbs is an entire book on valuing wisdom and how to practically live wisely. [Prov 2:6] “For the Lord gives wisdom.” [Prov 3:13] “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom.” [Prov 4:7] “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom though it cost all you have.” [Prov 9:9-10] “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Other verses say, He who wins souls is wise and those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens. Be careful then (Eph 5:15-17) how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. The whole bible is filled with verses offering knowledge and instruction in wisdom. 

[James 3:13] “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” 

This verse simply sums up what wisdom is. It is not just a knowledge of scripture or of right and wrong. Yes, it is important to study scripture and know it well and hide it in your heart. But a wise person though uses it, acts upon it, applies it in every day life, and makes decisions based on it. For example, it is one thing to know the principals and benefits of tithing yet then not giving a dime or not giving with a cheerful heart. Not just memorizing scripture but doing scripture. From believing and trusting in God’s word, wise works should flow out of our mouths and become a part of our actions.

II.      How does God reveal Himself as Wise through Creation

[Jer 10:12] “God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.” God’s wisdom is displayed in creation. He made everything and said it was good. It was by His divine wisdom that He decided to create the world and to create us. Since all of His decisions are wise then it was wise to create the world too. 

The bible states there is divine wisdom and human wisdom in our created world and they are constantly at war with one another. God allows both to exist even though human wisdom is woefully inferior and inadequate to God’s boundless wisdom and truth. God knows His wisdom is superior so He is not threatened by human wisdom thinking it is equal to God’s wisdom. He knows in the end that His wisdom will prevail. In this conflict between the two, there is a craftiness. Satan in the Garden told Eve that God was holding back wisdom from her and that if she disobeyed God by eating the fruit that she would be like God and know good and evil. There is a human wisdom like this that is truly evil, shrewd, and treacherous. If knowledge is power, then evil men have used that power for selfish means and horrific purposes in history. Consider people who have knowledge of the human physic and then use propaganda to manipulate people to achieve their evil goals. It is so important to know God’s truth so well that you can properly discern true wisdom from false wisdom.

The world bases their knowledge of wisdom within a very limited earthly context.  They may base their knowledge on their own perceived common sense or opinion, or maybe they base their knowledge on observation of normal human behavior or on a collection of one’s experiences. Some base their knowledge only on science which is insufficient in dealing with things like ethics and abstract concepts like love and hate. Worldly wisdom is limited, constantly changing, and often times completely inaccurate. Basing your life decisions upon a particular person or group is not wise and very dangerous. The world’s collective intelligence can’t remotely compare to the wisdom of our God. Building your life on worldly wisdom is not wise.

[I Cor 3:18-20] “Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he 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.’” You need to be learning from divine wisdom and not from the world’s wisdom. You need to have right knowledge and Godly principals to make good and wise decisions.

Let’s think about parenting in our created world. There is no perfect parent. Most of our understanding on how to parent comes from how our own imperfect parents taught us. That is why child abuse is passed down through generations. If your parents beat you, then that might be the only way you’ve observed how to disciple children. Parents should be like Solomon and ask God for wisdom in training up their children. The book of Proverbs has a collection of wise sayings of Solomon and it was mostly written for training and instruction of his children. Solomon says in Prov 5:1, “My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.”

Throughout the chapters of Proverb the difference between a foolish and a wise person is discussed. A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult; a wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down; the wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception; a wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless; a wise man’s heart guides his mouth; and even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age, a child can be wiser than an adult. Out of the mouth of babes can come wisdom. Be warned, if you do not take the advice of a wise person, then you may grow up to be a fool. 

III.    How does God reveal Himself as Wise through Jesus

[Rev 5:12] “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

[Is 11:2] “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him (Jesus)—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding.”

[Luke 2:52] “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

[I Cor 1:30] “It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

[Col 2:2-3] “That they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” 

Jesus had perfect wisdom while on earth. He knew just what to say in any given situation to confound the so-called intellectual wisdom of the day. He left the religious leaders speechless who wanted to trap Him with His words. My favorite was when they wanted to trap Him about paying taxes to Roman and He asked for a coin. “Whose face is on the coin?” He asked. The crowd said, “Caesar.” Then He said, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is to God.” Unbelievable wisdom displayed and people marveled.

God’s perfect wisdom is almost always the opposite of the world’s wisdom and this was especially demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

[I Cor 1:18-29] “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise man…of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him…Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom…But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”

My NIV said that Aristides said that on every street in Corinth one met a so-called wise man, who had his own solutions to the world’s problems. All humanly devised philosophical systems end in meaninglessness because they have a wrong concept of God and His revelation. It is God’s intention that worldly wisdom should not be the means of knowing Him.  Many expected a triumphant, political Messiah not a crucified one. Greeks and Romans were sure that no reputable person would be crucified, so it was unthinkable that a crucified criminal could be the Savior. The crucified Christ is the power that saves and the wisdom that transforms seeming folly into ultimate and highest discernment. 

The wisdom God had in sending His Son to be the final sacrifice for our sins, once for all, was for our eternal benefit. It was the flawless execution of salvation for mankind. Tozer says, “we know that Christ’s expiatory work perfectly reconciled God and men and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Our concern is not to explain but to proclaim…The operation of the gospel, the new birth, the coming of the divine Spirit into human nature, the ultimate overthrow of evil, and the final establishment of Christ’s righteous kingdom - all these have flowed and do flow out of God’s infinite fullness of wisdom.”

We do not have to worry when it seems like human wisdom is gaining ground in this fallen world because we know the end of the story and God’s wonderful wisdom wins. We know Jesus Christ our Savior will return. That is where we fully place all of our hope while we wait for all of God’s acts of wisdom to play out. Everyone will bow their knee to the only wise God. Our world will be freed, our tears will be wiped away, and we will see our reward for putting our faith in God’s wisdom. 

IV.   How does God reveal Himself as Wise in our Heart

Take some time to think about three paths to making wise decision. 

1.      First, don’t rely on worldly wisdom:  [Col 2:20-23] “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules…These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom…but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” Wisdom is to depart from the meaninglessness of the world’s wisdom which will pass away and to follow God’s wisdom. Now that you are saved and delivered from the grip of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit, yield to the Holy Spirit to direct and empower you to avoid sin, or any kind of evil in your life. 

2.      Second, don’t rely on your own understanding: [Prov 3:5-7] “Lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” The experience you have in applying the wisdom of God is helpful; because once you see that God’s wisdom works, then your trust in God increases to use His wisdom again and again instead of your own. Applying God’s wisdom will lead you in the right direction every time and will help you avoid any adverse consequences.

3.      Third, rely on the Holy Spirit who only gives wisdom that comes from God. [I Cor 2:4-5] Paul says, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” NIV commentary states, Paul’s did not rest on his intellectual or oratorical ability. He knew that unless the Holy Spirit was at work then all his own ability would be ineffective. We must yield and rely on the Holy Spirit’s power and wisdom. It is not what we do; but what we desire to do for God that matters. Not about being moral but giving our heart to God first and then His wisdom will naturally follow.

God’s ways are always to follow Him by faith. We learn to set our own wisdom down and rely on God’s infinite wisdom. It is wise to say, I don’t know the future, but I know I serve a wise God who will not lead me down crooked paths. I have learned His ways are good and wise; so, I put my full trust in Him. I am ready to hold His hand and walk down any path He determines because I will be surrounded by His love and perfect wisdom. God is leading us and waiting for every one of us to get to this place in our hearts. It is a place where Tozer says, “God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him.” We have an unchanging, sovereign, and wonderfully wise God who cares for our greatest good. He is all we need.

[Eph 1:17] “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.” And that is my prayer for all of you who are listening today.

Living a Radical Life for Jesus means believing that God is Wise.