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Note: I don’t write and publish these studies as one who has arrived at the pinnacle of spiritual transcendence. Rather, I write what I am seeing and understanding, knowing that the more I look at, dwell on that which is of Christ which is being revealed within me, the more I become like Christ. I, like you, am on a spiritual journey.
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But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
I Corinthians 1:23,24
First of all, Christ was and is a stumblingblock to the nation of Israel. Because the Jews were (and are) so ingrained (by culture, history and upbringing) with the need to work for their standing before God, as a nation they rejected the freely-given gift of the righteousness of God which is the gift of Christ. For the most part, the organized church today (what I call “churchianity”) stumbles at that same gift of Christ, ignoring God’s righteousness and putting all their efforts into establishing their own righteousness.
For they being ignorant of (ignoring) God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Romans 10:3
The word “wisdom” is the Greek word sophia. It comes from the Greek word sophes, meaning “clear.” Wisdom means to see the end from the beginning, to see clearly what is, and/or what will happen (or what could happen) based on a specific action/reaction/response to what is. Obviously, without seeing clearly what is, it’s impossible to know what will be.
When a lot of Christians think of wisdom, and where to go to in order to obtain it, they think of Proverbs, for that book certainly contains a lot of wisdom. I recently read a copy of a monthly magazine which is put out by an international ministry which was entitled “Wisdom” and it was full of verses from the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Yet it not once mentioned Christ as being the wisdom of God. The problem with the wisdom found in the Old Testament is that there is a lot of wisdom which seems to contradict other wisdom.
We are urged to be tough, we are urged to be tender. We are urged to hold our tongue, we are urged to speak out. We are urged to take a stand for what is right, we are urged to be forbearing and forgiving. We are urged to guard our hearts, we are urged to pour out our hearts. We are urged to save money, we are urged to give abundantly of our money. We are urged to be firm, we are urged to give way. We are urged to work hard, we are urged to rest. What is right and when it is right, that the Old Testament can not tell us, for these things are spiritually discerned, and man was not and could not be a spiritual being in the Old Testament.
I and my wife raised 5 children. Without the spirit of God, I don’t know how anyone can raise children. Who was in the right? Who was in the wrong? Who lied? Who told the truth? Who was slacking in their responsibilities? Who was honest and truthful? Who was slip-sliding on the truth in order to gain ground?
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction will drive it far from him. Proverbs 22:15
But what is foolishness? Is what the child did foolishness in this situation? Or not? Each of my children is on a journey; a journey which began at birth. When should I speak, when should I shut up and pray? When should I interfere? Where should I interfere? How should I interfere? How intense should my interfering in their lives be? This goes not only for my children, from birth to present time (they are all now fully grown and living independent lives), but also for my wife, for my friends and extended family. This also and especially goes for me!
When should I be patient with my growth when I fall to that same sin for the umpteenth time? When should I get insistently tough and unrelenting with myself? When should I forgive and forget? When should I remember and remind? When should I make up in another’s life that which is lacking? When should I hold them accountable and offer nothing but patience? When should I help? When should I not? When should I reach forth? When should I be content with what is?
It is one thing to know principles, quite another to know when and whether and how to apply them. Most people simply allow their emotions and feelings to make these kinds of decisions for them. They believe “be true to your feelings” is the way to live an honest, wise life. But what about when those feelings are angry, harsh, vengeful, implacable, argumentative, depressed, fearful, unsure, giving up? Should we then be true to those emotions, what the Bible calls “emotions of sin?”
For when we were in the flesh, the emotions (pathos – passions, emotions) of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Romans 7:5
The Bible seems to indicate that one can be angry, yet not sin.
Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4:26,27
But what is the dividing line between a being angry which is not sin, and where it becomes sin? The answer seems to be found in the second verse: “neither give place to the devil.”
The mind of the flesh (the mind of Proverbs) can not see, discern or recognize the devil, so that mind can not tell where the line is between sin and righteousness. That dividing line between sin and righteousness is a spiritual line, and only discernible by the mind of the spirit, which is the mind of Christ.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. I Corinthians 2:26
Christ is the wisdom of God, because anything and everything which is of God which can be, is meant for and is intended to be for our benefit can only be found in Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies (spiritual realm) in Christ; Ephesians 1:3
Christ adds, the devil subtracts. Let’s make this as simple as possible. Christ is the wisdom of God. If it’s not Christ, it’s not God’s wisdom. The spirit of Christ is our access to God; to His life, His love, His point of view, His power and the fulfillment of His intentions toward, for and in us.
And (God) has put all things under his (Christ’s) feet, and gave him to be the head over all things for the church, Which is his (Christ’s) body, the fullness of him (Christ) who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22,23
There is a knowing in the mind. This is a knowing about something. It is the Greek word oida, and is used 3X more often than the knowing which is a relational knowing by experience, which is the Greek word gnosko.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know (gnosko) the ultimate-in-knowing (hyper– gnosko‘ing) love of Christ, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19
In order to see clearly (have wisdom) regarding what God has created within us and for us, Christ has to be revealed within us.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (epi-ginosko’ing) of him (Christ). Ephesians 1:17
The Greek prefix epi indicates a thorough and intimate extent of knowing. As Christ is revealed within us, we begin to see the world from his spiritual point of view. What is of God and what is of the devil becomes more readily discernible, and the outcomes of our decisions more dependable and certain.
But the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know (gnosko) them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned (as being spiritual) by no man. I Corinthians 2:14,15
… even so the things of God has no man known (gnosko’d), but (only) the spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world (the devil’s spirit), but the spirit which is from out of God; that we might know (oida, in order to gnosko) the things that are freely given to us from God.
I Corinthians 2:11b,12
And there is the wisdom of God perfectly described. The spirit of God is the wisdom of God, because His presence, His perfect ways, His perfect understanding and foreknowledge are ours only by means of His spirit, and that spirit is Christ; bought, paid for and sent by our Lord who dwells in the spiritual realms (heaven) … Jesus Christ.
If you seek wisdom (and Proverbs urges us to do so, saying it is worth more than worldly wealth), then seek Christ, and thus grow in your awareness of being seated at God’s own right hand in both wisdom and power.
… the mystery of God … Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (epignosko’ing).
Colossians 2:2b,3
Christ, the wisdom of God and the power of God.
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Other related studies:
Feelings
The Obedience of Faith
In Christ – Ephesians 1-14 (part 2)
Jobs of the Holy Spirit
In Christ – Ephesians 1:1-14 (part 1)
Aspects of the Mystery of Christ
The Mystery of Christ
