written November 22, 2008
A couple weeks ago, I wrote of the wisdom that comes from Heaven and the characteristics that godly wisdom possesses according to James, the brother of Jesus. In my current study of Ephesians, Paul speaks at great length about godly wisdom. However, he speaks primarily from an application perspective rather than one of character. I have to praise God for how intricately His Word ties together from book to book and author to author. It is such a testament to His omniscience and goodness and I always rejoice in the discovery of new connections when I study His Word.
So what does it mean to be wise? How does one's Christian walk reflect the wisdom that comes from above. Let's look in Ephesians Chapters 4 and 5 to find out.
Starting in Chapter 4:17, Paul begins to tell the church of Ephesus about the new life in Christ or how to live as children of the light. Chapter 5:1-2 is the apex of what Paul desires for His brothers and sisters in Christ:
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Backtracking for one moment, Paul explains that there are three things necessary to live in the light. One must cast off the old self, die to it in fact. One must acknowledge the new creation he or she is in Jesus Christ, a humble servant of God Most High. And one must put on that new self with confidence that it is now Christ living and carrying out His purpose of righteousness and holiness through this miraculous new creation. What an incredible experience like no other! Can you believe that God designed this experience for us to enjoy?! Praise be to God!
In verses 8 and 10, Paul writes "Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord." In verse 9, Paul adds that the fruits of the light are found in all that is good, righteous, and true. This is what a wise man will do! If we are wise, we will live in truth and desire to know what pleases the Lord. What pleases the Lord? Scripture is full of examples of things pleasing to God, but Paul doesn't force us to look beyond his next paragraph for many acts that please our God.
Paul writes "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise" in verse 15. This is a warning. It is not to be taken lightly else we lose sight of our calling to live in the light. Paul gives seven examples of things a wise man will believe and do as a child of the light of God.
1. A wise man will make the most of every opportunity.
Which opportunities is Paul speaking of? I believe he is speaking of those opportunities to witness to the lost, encourage the body of Christ, and to edify ourselves and each other. Are my days filled with opportunities to study the Word, fellowship with believers, and testify to God's truth? Am I taking advantage of those chances as a wise man would? Some days I can rest easy knowing that I served God as best as I knew how and some days I humbly admit that I came up short and missed chances to honor God. As I grow in Christ, I see more of the first kind and less of the second, but only by the grace of God. Be wise. Make every opportunity count in light of eternity.
2. Understand what the Lord's will is.
Isn't God's will a mystery? How are we to understand? Of course, the Lord's will is a mystery, but Scripture has revealed enough of that mystery to trust in God's sovereignty. Ephesians 1:9-10 reads "And he made known to us the mystery of his will...to bring all things in heave and on earth together under one head, even Christ." The Lord's will is to unite us together into the body of Christ which "grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (4:16) In Chapter 2:10, Paul declares that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The Lord has plans to prosper us and keep us from harm according to Jeremiah 29. The more I understand how Scripture fits together, the clearer the picture is. God's will is for us to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and humble ourselves, submitting to His authority, to the glory of the one true God. Scripture gives us all we need to understand all aspects of God's will that He allows us to understand.
3. Be filled with the Spirit.
Jesus himself explains this mysterious idea. In John Chapter 14: 15-17, Jesus tells his disciples "if you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." Love Jesus and the Holy Spirit will fill you. It is God's promise to us who are in Christ. A wise man allows the Spirit to rule and submits to the Spirit's divine authority denying his flesh and living according to the wisdom from Heaven.
4. Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
I haven't read too many of the Psalms, but from what I do know, the Psalms serve as examples of man crying out to God. They are full of victory, fear, conviction, doubt, angst, sorrow, and just about every other human emotion. They serve as a reminder that however much trial is in our life, God is the great Comforter and Healer and He will see us through all things. A wise man speaks of God's goodness and encourages his brothers and sisters in Christ by sharing accounts of the victories of the saints.
5. Sing and make music in your heart for the Lord.
There are accounts all throughout Scripture of God's people singing praises to their King. What a blessed opportunity we share with those who have testified to God's goodness to sing songs of praise. One of my favorite things to do in a worship service is to sing loudly to God (at the expense of my friends' ears!). I think the part after sing is more important, however. I have to ask myself "am I singing because I love to sing, or because I love the Lord." What is the state of my heart when I sing to the Lord? A wise man sings to the Lord with a joyful heart that praises and gives glory to God.
6. Always give thanks to God for everything.
What I find interesting about this is the "always" and "everything" bookends. Really what it boils down to is that we should give God thanks and praise in all circumstances in every way we know how to. A wise man does this because he knows that God's goodness is supremely better than anything else we could ever know or experience.
7. Submit to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.
Honor Christ. Be mindful of each other's needs. Put others before yourself. Why? Because Jesus died on a cross to show just how much He loves us. Christ was a servant in the most perfect sense of the word. He lived a life devoted to lifting others up and humbling Himself in submission to the Father. It is out of honor and respect that a wise man humbles himself and serves others bringing glory to God.
Lord,
Thank you so much for James' and Paul's words about wisdom. May they inspire your children to grow in the wisdom that you offer us. Bless us with a heart that seeks to do your will and the discernment to wisely handle all situations. May our lips praise you and our hearts desire to understand your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote of the wisdom that comes from Heaven and the characteristics that godly wisdom possesses according to James, the brother of Jesus. In my current study of Ephesians, Paul speaks at great length about godly wisdom. However, he speaks primarily from an application perspective rather than one of character. I have to praise God for how intricately His Word ties together from book to book and author to author. It is such a testament to His omniscience and goodness and I always rejoice in the discovery of new connections when I study His Word.
So what does it mean to be wise? How does one's Christian walk reflect the wisdom that comes from above. Let's look in Ephesians Chapters 4 and 5 to find out.
Starting in Chapter 4:17, Paul begins to tell the church of Ephesus about the new life in Christ or how to live as children of the light. Chapter 5:1-2 is the apex of what Paul desires for His brothers and sisters in Christ:
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Backtracking for one moment, Paul explains that there are three things necessary to live in the light. One must cast off the old self, die to it in fact. One must acknowledge the new creation he or she is in Jesus Christ, a humble servant of God Most High. And one must put on that new self with confidence that it is now Christ living and carrying out His purpose of righteousness and holiness through this miraculous new creation. What an incredible experience like no other! Can you believe that God designed this experience for us to enjoy?! Praise be to God!
In verses 8 and 10, Paul writes "Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord." In verse 9, Paul adds that the fruits of the light are found in all that is good, righteous, and true. This is what a wise man will do! If we are wise, we will live in truth and desire to know what pleases the Lord. What pleases the Lord? Scripture is full of examples of things pleasing to God, but Paul doesn't force us to look beyond his next paragraph for many acts that please our God.
Paul writes "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise" in verse 15. This is a warning. It is not to be taken lightly else we lose sight of our calling to live in the light. Paul gives seven examples of things a wise man will believe and do as a child of the light of God.
1. A wise man will make the most of every opportunity.
Which opportunities is Paul speaking of? I believe he is speaking of those opportunities to witness to the lost, encourage the body of Christ, and to edify ourselves and each other. Are my days filled with opportunities to study the Word, fellowship with believers, and testify to God's truth? Am I taking advantage of those chances as a wise man would? Some days I can rest easy knowing that I served God as best as I knew how and some days I humbly admit that I came up short and missed chances to honor God. As I grow in Christ, I see more of the first kind and less of the second, but only by the grace of God. Be wise. Make every opportunity count in light of eternity.
2. Understand what the Lord's will is.
Isn't God's will a mystery? How are we to understand? Of course, the Lord's will is a mystery, but Scripture has revealed enough of that mystery to trust in God's sovereignty. Ephesians 1:9-10 reads "And he made known to us the mystery of his will...to bring all things in heave and on earth together under one head, even Christ." The Lord's will is to unite us together into the body of Christ which "grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (4:16) In Chapter 2:10, Paul declares that "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The Lord has plans to prosper us and keep us from harm according to Jeremiah 29. The more I understand how Scripture fits together, the clearer the picture is. God's will is for us to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and humble ourselves, submitting to His authority, to the glory of the one true God. Scripture gives us all we need to understand all aspects of God's will that He allows us to understand.
3. Be filled with the Spirit.
Jesus himself explains this mysterious idea. In John Chapter 14: 15-17, Jesus tells his disciples "if you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." Love Jesus and the Holy Spirit will fill you. It is God's promise to us who are in Christ. A wise man allows the Spirit to rule and submits to the Spirit's divine authority denying his flesh and living according to the wisdom from Heaven.
4. Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
I haven't read too many of the Psalms, but from what I do know, the Psalms serve as examples of man crying out to God. They are full of victory, fear, conviction, doubt, angst, sorrow, and just about every other human emotion. They serve as a reminder that however much trial is in our life, God is the great Comforter and Healer and He will see us through all things. A wise man speaks of God's goodness and encourages his brothers and sisters in Christ by sharing accounts of the victories of the saints.
5. Sing and make music in your heart for the Lord.
There are accounts all throughout Scripture of God's people singing praises to their King. What a blessed opportunity we share with those who have testified to God's goodness to sing songs of praise. One of my favorite things to do in a worship service is to sing loudly to God (at the expense of my friends' ears!). I think the part after sing is more important, however. I have to ask myself "am I singing because I love to sing, or because I love the Lord." What is the state of my heart when I sing to the Lord? A wise man sings to the Lord with a joyful heart that praises and gives glory to God.
6. Always give thanks to God for everything.
What I find interesting about this is the "always" and "everything" bookends. Really what it boils down to is that we should give God thanks and praise in all circumstances in every way we know how to. A wise man does this because he knows that God's goodness is supremely better than anything else we could ever know or experience.
7. Submit to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.
Honor Christ. Be mindful of each other's needs. Put others before yourself. Why? Because Jesus died on a cross to show just how much He loves us. Christ was a servant in the most perfect sense of the word. He lived a life devoted to lifting others up and humbling Himself in submission to the Father. It is out of honor and respect that a wise man humbles himself and serves others bringing glory to God.
Lord,
Thank you so much for James' and Paul's words about wisdom. May they inspire your children to grow in the wisdom that you offer us. Bless us with a heart that seeks to do your will and the discernment to wisely handle all situations. May our lips praise you and our hearts desire to understand your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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