A Great Advantage

Wisdom has some simple qualities, though it contains many difficult things. These simple qualities exist in all human beings to give them understanding. Whether every one grasps and appreciates them is another matter, but if they do, these qualities serve a great advantage. Simplistically speaking, they help us discern between the right and the wrong, the people of truth and of false. They may not require tremendous godliness, but a certain discipline to accept them as a down payment. Hence, even those who are not believers of the true God, some times, escape falsity. This is the purpose of the simple qualities of wisdom. Since they are a part of the image with which God created man, they strive to work in all people that they may eventually lead them to the deeper things. Because they function as a foundation to understand the deeper things, many are able to believe in Him, some thoroughly. It is the function of these qualities of wisdom that we predict a storm or a sunny day, danger or a positive outcome and be judicious of good and bad. Wisdom is present everywhere, because of the God who placed it accordingly in everything He created. Even in the inside of fools there is wisdom and it is why their folly is revealed.

It is the simple qualities of wisdom that reveal the good or bad present inside of a man. Yet, simple wisdom alone cannot grasp all qualities in a man. People perform acute unrighteousness, because they are able to work it in their hearts. People profoundly speak false, since they are equipped to devise it in their hearts. Behold, not all can grasp the nature of a dark cloud. At the first sight, it appears to be bringing rain, but only they who have the deeper knowledge of it can judiciously conclude its worth. Even so, are the boastful and the unrighteous known when they speak of the things they do not possess; they are recognizable. The wisdom of the nature is fixed by the One who created it, and in the case of the boastful and the unrighteous, possessing life, their nature evolves by the one who is the prince of sin. Hence, deeper wisdom is greatly needed.

It is critical that Christians escape those who boast falsely. For this, they themselves need to overcome boasting. Where is the deeper wisdom? It rests with God and can only be obtained from Him. Deeper wisdom concerning the nature comes through maneuvers of life. Deeper wisdom or godly wisdom regarding the boastful is obtained when we maneuver our life toward God. There is a great need for Christians to escape those who falsely boast in God, if they are to receive eternal life, because “like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely” (Prov. 25:14). Many are impressed by men when they boast in their gifts as if from God and Christ, since the things they do, the way they speak and the manner in which they prosper all contribute to their boasting. By what Satan is giving a leader, preacher or a teacher, by it many are being deceived. If a mighty wind rushes and yet, does not bring with it the rain, it does not bring a blessing, and is worthless. So also is a man who falsely boasts in the gifts of God and yet, does not bring with him the blessing of God.

When some say their teaching of Christ is the only true way (gift) to obtain eternal life, their boasting should avail such blessing that provides people with holiness. When some say that their gift of God’s knowledge is indisputable, their boasting should reward such blessing that provides people with wisdom to escape sin. When some claim to be powerfully gifted by God’s Spirit, their boasting should bring God’s blessings upon believers. The blessings that come from God are not for boasting, but for inward change. Cleverly orchestrated speech, good works done claiming to be of the Spirit and prosperity that comes by deceit is not blessings of God! These do not appear by inward change, but by an outward life and does not merit in proclaiming Christ. What is the outcome of such people? Deeper wisdom says, “A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out; He has gone out from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins without inhabitant” (Jer. 4:7). When men boast as having God’s gifts and then speak of Him, their end and the end of those who follow them will be as a land without inhabitants i.e. cursed.

Does the simple wisdom inside you teach you the meaning of a lion coming out of his thicket? Does it remind you the purpose of its coming out? If so, you do have the wisdom of how God values His gifts. A city cannot protect itself from a destroyer of nations. Know that God is your destroyer when you do not rightly prove the things you have claimed to be from God. O, how Christian families and churches are being ruined! For the lack of people with deeper wisdom they are living to be caught by the God who comes out of His thicket. They are unable to discern between the right and the wrong; the faithful, less faithful and the unfaithful. They qualify wisdom according to the flesh. They have become enemies of God than friends. “A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies” (Nah. 1:2).

We become God’s enemies when we falsely believe in Him. We become His enemies when we speak of Him, His attributes and His works falsely. We are His enemies when we condemn those who rightly belong to Him. We incur His wrath when we turn evil to good and good to evil. The fact that God is jealous must not be taken lightly. He is jealous as He does not desire His creation to revere anyone else than Him. He considers His jealous nature not only when asking His people to worship Him, but in demanding them to purge evil. When a Christian sins, he is both offending God and worshipping Satan. Sin plays a huge role in keeping a Christian away from God, because it has many entities. How difficult it is to purge each entity! Yet, God is not without justice. For each entity of sin that ruins life, He provided an alternative. If the entity of sin is falsity, the alternative of God is truth. If sin’s entity is wickedness, God’s alternative is righteousness by repentance, and so on. If a Christian, preacher or a pastor has the wisdom and strength to desire the death causing entities of sin, he certainly can desire life causing alternatives of God. For in the former there is the deception and wicked power of Satan, in the latter is the righteous and victorious power of God. Hence, the alternatives of God are much more achievable by the power that lingers in them. While Satan needs to use his power to deceive you, you have every liberty to acquire God’s victorious power to overthrow him. For this reason, Christ says “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).

Yes, Jesus understands the difficulty in entering through the narrow door. He is aware of our frailty. Hence, He indicates to strive. If by faith in Christ you begin to strive, He will help you fulfill it. For every entity of sin to be replaced by the alternative of God we must strive. If you have been a Christian for God’s sake and not for world’s sake, you are striving. By striving you have reached the truth regarding eternity. By it you have begotten the righteousness of God. By striving you have understood that salvation is a gift and hence, are preserving it. By striving you have cast away the things hindering your intimacy with Christ and have begun procuring God’s eternal and physical blessings. By striving you are being a blessing to the weak and the poor. You have endured mockery, since you sought to strive for Christ. Your endurance has brought upon you the Spirit of God and His works. Now, you have overcome boasting and those who boast falsely. The life of Christians is through a narrow door, but is mightily protected by God’s immeasurable power. Though there may always be a day they are weak, their Lord makes them powerful!

Narrow door always draws thorns, thistles, fears, turmoil, loss and persecution. The simple reason for the door being narrow is that heaven cannot accept unrighteousness. The idea behind the narrow door is that few can consider it. Many do not desire it, because they have to mend themselves to fit into it. The reason many will seek to enter, but will not be able is because their conscience being filled with all the entities of sin became too big for the perfectly measured door. When the day comes, and you cannot enter it, you have been measured and found unfit! Did you see the effect of boasting falsely? There is a way out. It is the deeper wisdom. Deeper wisdom does not boast it simply produces results. The results themselves speak of the might of God’s immeasurable power. The narrow way now became the victorious way! With such results present in their midst no Christian, preacher or pastor can falsely boast, except praise God. Who would want to exchange this victorious way for false boasting? Acquiring deeper wisdom of God produces victory that cannot be denied. “All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons” (Acts 27:37).

When Paul, standing before Festus, appealed to Caesar it was said he would be freed had he not appealed. Did Paul miss a great opportunity for freedom? Yet, God’s will for Paul was very different. He had to appeal! Not for his sake, but for God’s sake. It was not the occasion for God’s word, but the deeper wisdom of God in him mightily guided him through the narrow way. In other words, it was endurance before his people and the authorities that brought upon him the Spirit of God and he seized God’s will i.e. he knew he must appeal. Deeper wisdom of God flows through the Holy Spirit. While on journey to Rome, Paul along with the 276 people onboard the ship faced great danger. It was only to Paul did God send the word through His angel expressing His intent on saving all the people, since Paul by God’s will had to reach Rome. God had great intentions for Paul at Rome. Earlier at Ephesus God gave Paul the Spirit to purpose in his heart to go to Rome, and later in Jerusalem has confirmed the same through the word. Deeper wisdom did not boast falsely; it produced results. Hence, not one life was lost. Behold how the narrow way has become the victorious way! In the end, it was not just Paul, but God won the victory for the gospel. When by faith Paul strived for Christ, He helped him fulfill it. Through striving Paul was filled with the gifts of God. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

Have you seen the effect of the alternatives of God? They are worthy and without false boasting. This is how we ought to attain to the deeper wisdom in order to keep away from the entities of sin. Paul lived on the alternatives of God by what he wrote to the Philippians. Whatever is true of the gospel should be true of us. Whatever is true of the Spirit must be true in us. If we arrive to the alternatives of God, we have overcome the wicked and deceptive entities of sin. We are no longer guided by the spirit of sin, but by the word and the Spirit of God. When both work together, God is working in us mightily. Hence, Paul was victorious though he walked through the narrow door. His victory was remarkable. Beginning from his Roman citizenship claim, standing before the high priest in Jerusalem, wisely escaping the Pharisees and the Sadducees by the matter of resurrection, escaping death from the hands of his countrymen through his sister’s son, being escorted safely to stand before Felix, speaking honestly the truth about his God which he believed according the Law and the prophets, finding the favor of Felix to be ministered by his friends, standing before Festus, boldly appealing to Caesar and thwarting the plot by Jews for killing him, patiently making his defense before king Agrippa by sincerely admitting his sin against the church of God, explaining his conversion and its purpose, almost persuading the king into becoming a believer, having been found guiltless by the governors and the king, boarding the ship, being rescued from a violent storm, receiving God’s promise, encouraging and guiding all onboard to safety, providing wise counsel to the captain, proving his time at Malta and finally reaching Rome.

In all of this nothing was easy for Paul, but Christ in him accomplished all things. All these events did not happen in a few days or weeks, but few years. From the day of his conversion to the day he died he continued to strive for Christ and was imparted blessings in the alternatives of God. He was victorious; he was committed to God. He had no need to boast of his gifts falsely. He was not a cloud or a wind without rain. He was filled! Hence, he claimed “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Are you willing to be supplied, O Christian? Seek the alternatives of God and you too can do all things through Him.

Posted in 2010, Archives.