Wisdom is the use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. – Charles Spurgeon

We have heard the popular question: What would Jesus do? But wisdom is more than knowing what Jesus would do. It is doing it. Without a real and personal fear of God, there is no wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10) For even the demons are familiar with Jesus Christ.

Our need for wisdom is great. Wisdom is not only needed for the tough decisions of life (like who I should marry or what career I should pursue). It is needed in the seemingly insignificant decisions of life (such as how I should allocate my time to study and pray, to build others up, to enjoy leisure and how I might weed out sin and avoid temptations).

Wisdom should impact all of our lives. A few examples will show how pervasive wisdom should be. Wisdom would have us:
1. See the big picture of God’s redemption and not get caught up in the temporary. (Phil 1:6, Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:31-32)
2. Endure trials and tribulations, looking forward to heaven. (1 Peter 1:6,9, James 1)
3. Be doers of the word, not just hearers. (James 1:22, Psalm 111:10, Luke 11:28)
4. Forsake our idolatry and enjoy God’s grace. (Jonah 2:8)
5. Pursue holiness (1 Peter 1:13ff), love God and others (Matthew 22:37-40) and do good.

My need for wisdom is great. For example, I need wisdom to run the race of the Christian life with perseverance, to endure law school, to study diligently, and to walk by faith. I need to remember God’s awesome provision on the cross and His promise to meet all my needs through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19) Will I waste my life and pursue earthly pleasures or will I answer wisdom’s call and pursue God’s glory?

Wisdom calls me to see God’s bigger plan and to partake in it. It also calls me to enjoy and relax in God’s providence.

Here is our comfort: if we earnestly seek to know Christ, we will become wise. When we see God, we become like him. (1 John 3:2) Who is this God that we become like? He is the God of all wisdom. In Christ is “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2:2b-3)

In essense, when we ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), we are asking God to reveal himself to us and make us more like him, since he alone is all wise.

Seek the Lord while he may be found — and among the gifts of pardon and forgiveness, you will find wisdom freely given. What a great motivation to study the Gospels — to encounter the wisdom and person of Jesus Christ!

In the past, God spoke through prophets, but in the last days, the Son has been revealed to us in the flesh. The Lord, in his mercy towards us, has provided the Scriptures for our salvation and as a guide to proper living. These are things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12) Let us seek the Lord– immortal, invisible, God only wise.

SDG.

If you are hung up on money you may not even be a Christian, because people in Christ’s Kingdom are laying up treasure in heaven — investing in eternity. – John MacArthur

The preachers I have heard are right. It will take a massive outpouring of God’s grace to free us from the grasp of capitalism.

While reading my case book for Income Tax, I have run into many disputes involving significant amounts of capital. At first, I am tempted towards greed and am astonished at the figures involved. That much money in 1941 would mean millions today! But after pondering it a little longer, I can’t help but notice the larger picture… if the case was decided in 1941, these rich men are most likely already dead. I hope these men did not put their trust in their wealth.

How foolish I am to place my treasure in this world. “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 1:17.)

So what is the alternative?

I propose that we treasure what is worthy of being treasured! Scripture describes Christ’s preeminence this way:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Col 1:15-20

I must remember that I am to live my life to serve Christ, not myself. He is the Creator, worthy of all praise. My worth is found in being in Christ. I forget this. I believe that I see a need to attach $$ signs to the hours I put in…. thinking that my worth is found in how much I make each hour. But no, I must delight in and do what God calls me to do.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

Let us remember the following truths:
- Placing our trust in this world is foolishness. – Luke 12:13-21
- Everything we have comes from God. – 1 Corinthians 4:7
- God will provide for all my needs in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:19
- He will never leave me nor forsake me. – Hebrews 13:5
- The Lord loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7
- I can encourage others in the faith by showing them where my treasure is. – Phil 1:21-25
- Christ is the supreme treasure. – Col 1:15-20
- We are rich! or rather, we who are in Christ Jesus are rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9
- I can take part in the joy and privilege of serving the Lord by what I do with my time and what I have. – Col 3:23
(The world is watching us and they can tell where our priorities are placed.)

Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

As Christians, there may be times when we doubt our salvation. But Christians can take comfort that God is faithful to us, despite our ability to waiver. While this is not a licence to abuse grace, it as a truth we must grasp and hold on to for comfort and strength to persevere. I’ll stop talking now and let scripture speak for itself.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified…. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation (including ourselves), will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:28-29, 38-39

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. – John 10:27-28

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. – Hebrews 10:14

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. – Hebrews 5:13

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. – 2 Timothy 1:12

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (rhetorical question) – Galatians 4:9-10

Most of man’s boasting is worldly boasting. Look at my car! I got a 1580 on my SATs… That year I received a 5% raise… Look at my beautiful family…

How often I forget that boasting in what I do and what I possess without giving the glory to God is improper! Paul, the servant of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:1), asks: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

As image bearers of God, we should be pointing people to God’s glory, not our own. Anything short of this is foolishness, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”– yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. – James 4:13-17

This passage in James often describes me. For me, I may not outrightly boast about my past. My tendency towards selfish boasting and self-glorification is more subtle than that. I resist boasting because I reason that I haven’t achieved a boast worthy status yet. I reason that after I add a few more things to my resume, one day, I can let others know that I am capable and worthy of praise.

Do I not realize, it is God who works in me to will and to do according to his good pleasure?

The solution for my desires for praise is not abandoning all my work and stopping my progress in achievement. The solution is to repent of my sin and do all that I do for the glory of God. The truth is, our lives will soon be past and only what is done for Christ will last. Therefore, I should work as to the Lord, and not unto men. My boast should be this: I am the chief of sinners… but Christ, he is completing his work in me. (Phil 1:6)

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – Gal 6:14

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

And what great motivation for tithing this verse is! At the same time, I believe this principle applies to so much more. Someone once said that we Christians act selfishly and sinfully when we forget our status in Christ. We act like paupers when in reality we have direct access to God’s throne of grace.

How silly we are to horde God’s resources to ourselves and not do good unto others… Will we really run out of God’s love and grace to share to others? We are not poor… We are rich because of Christ!

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. – 2 Corinthianis 9:8-11

Let us overflow in good deeds towards others and praise God.

Hab 3:17-19 states:

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

John Piper had this passage read during his wedding. At first I thought verse 17 was very sad. But now I see that it’s a very comforting passage, reminding us to trust in God during the tough times in marriage. Tough times will come… but God hates divorce and he will be our strength in marriage.

1 John 3:1-3 tells us the benefits of beholding God:

v1. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
v2. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
v3. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

The first benefit is joyful adoration. With God’s help, knowledge of Him helps us to worship and praise this incomprehensible God. Why do we study theology? We don’t study theology just for knowledge’s sake. We study so that we can glorify God: so that we can “see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.” For example, studying soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, should inspire us to worship in awe.

The next benefit and effect of beholding is transformation. We are God’s children now. We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. It is important to distinguish between justification and sanctification. While justified, we are not yet fully sanctified. With God’s help, we are being sanctified: transformed into his image. Transformation should be a natural result of being in God’s presence…. “we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” This transformation is cause and effect. When we see him as he is, we will be like him. Remember Moses’s radiant face after his encounter with God?

With God’s help, we can enjoy freedom from sin. Our hope is this: God is at work in us and will complete our sanctification. Phil 1:6. Still, we have personal responsibility to obey God’s commands. This purity is hedonistic. God wants us to walk in freedom from sin and we should be content in righteousness and freedom from sin.

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Have you ever pitied yourself, telling yourself that you deserve better? I deserve a vacation, obedient children, respect, a good wife, a new toy, or a promotion at work.

Self-pity is often caused by discontent and pride… “I deserve better than this.” In reality, I don’t deserve anything good from God. I have forgotten that sinners deserve God’s wrath. In my arrogance, I think that God should do things differently! “God should do this for me…”

But check out God’s grace to his flock:

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:19

John Newton had it right when he said: “Everything is needful that He sends; nothing can be needful that He withholds.”

The reason we can trust God is that he is not only sovereign, but he is all good. See also Romans 8:28. How foolish we are to revel in self-pity.