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WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 21
18 October 2009
A Wise Heart
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, Oct 18, 09)
Text: 1 Cor 1:30
Wise people in this world are usually
respected and admired. You and I do not want to hear others criticize
us, “You’re foolish! You’re stupid!” Almost everyone thinks that they
are wise when they make their own decision or choose their own ways. It
is dangerous to deceive ourselves by thinking that we are wise and are
doing the wise things while it is foolish before God. Many do not thank
God, worship God or trust in God, but only trust in themselves, and
before God it is foolish (Rom 1:21-25). Many believe and follow human
religions and philosophies of this world and they think that they are
wise, but human or worldly teachings are not the Truth and unable to
save them or bring them to Heaven! Many desire to be wise but not
according to God’s way, but Satan’s way, and they are like Eve, who fell
into Satan’s trap, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired
to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Gen 3:6).
It is vital for you and me to have
true and divine wisdom from God, so that we may know Him and His Truth
and apply His Truth in our lives. “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the
wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his
might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that
glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am
the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in
the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jer
9:23-24). Our heavenly Father will rejoice when we have a wise heart,
“My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine”
(Prov 23:15). Then how can we have a wise heart?
Only God and His Word Are Wise and
the Source of Wisdom
First, we must acknowledge that only
God is wise and His Word is wise and are our true Source of Wisdom
“The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he
established the heavens” (Prov 3:19; cf. Jer 51:15), and “Blessed
be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his”
(Dan 2:20; Rom 11:33), and “And that from a child thou hast known
the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15).
Our Lord Jesus Christ is “the
power of God, and the wisdom of God. …But of him are ye in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor 1:24, 30). Acknowledging the
Divine Source of Wisdom, we shall seek God and His Word first and then
to praise Him, “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for
ever. Amen” (Rom 16:27; Jude 1:25; 1 Tim 1:17).
Human Wisdom, Worldly Wisdom,
Devilish Wisdom, and Divine Wisdom
Wisdom
in Greek sophia has 51 occurrences and KJV translates as “wisdom”
51 times. From sophia, we have its adjective sophos with
22 occurrences, and KJV translates as “wise” 22 times; and its synonym
is phronimos with 14 occurrences, and KJV translates as “wise”
14 times. According to Dr Zohdiates, sophia (wisdom) is
skill in the affairs of life, practical wisdom, wise management as shown
in forming the best plans and selecting the best means, including the
idea of sound judgment and good sense (Acts 6:3; Acts 7:10; Col
1:28; Col 3:16; Col 4:5). In a higher sense, wisdom, deep knowledge,
natural and moral insight, learning, science, implying cultivation of
mind and enlightened understanding (Matt 12:42; Luke 11:31; Acts
7:22).
Human and worldly wisdom:
Specifically of the learning and philosophy current among the Greeks
and Romans in the apostolic age intended to draw away the minds of men
from divine truth, and which stood in contrast with the simplicity of
the gospel: “not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of
God” (2 Cor 1:12); “For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God” (1Cor 3:19; cf 1 Cor 1:21 ); “That your
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of
God” (1 Cor 2:5); “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise”
(1 Cor 1:19); “my speech and my preaching was not with enticing
words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of
power… Which things also we speak, not in the words which
man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor 2:4, 1 Cor 2:13; cf. 1 Cor
1:17; 1 Cor 2:1).
Devilish wisdom:
“But if ye have bitter envying
and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish” (James
3:14-15).
Divine wisdom:
“But the wisdom that is from above
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And
the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace”
(James 3:17-18).
Wisdom in Hebrew chokmah has
149 occurrences and KJV translates as “wisdom” 145 times, “wisely”
twice, “skilful man” once (1 Chron 28:21), and “wits” once (Ps 107:27).
Then, you and I do need God’s wisdom
to know Him and His Truth and to know how to apply His Truth in our
lives (Col 1:9-10).
How to Have a Wise Heart
Be Born Again:
Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, human
“heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?” (Jer 17:9), so they are easily deceived by thinking that
they are wise in their own ways, “Seest thou a man wise in his own
conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him” (Prov 26:12).
“The rich man is wise in his own conceit” (Prov 28:11). “Woe unto
them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”
(Isa 5:21), and “none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise
shall understand” (Dan 12:10). You and I need to be born again to
have a wise heart and child-like faith and to see God’s Truth,
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), and “I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matt 11:25).
Appreciate God’s Truth and Wisdom and
Buy Them: Next, we
have to see the value of God’s wisdom and to pay any price for it,
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth
understanding” (Prov 3:13), “Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Prov
4:7) and “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold!” (Prov
16:16), and “He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul” (Prov
19:8) “The wise shall inherit glory” (Prov 3:35) and “Wisdom
is better than weapons of war” (Eccl 9:18) “A wise man is strong”
(Prov 24:5), and “The wise man’s eyes are in his head” (Eccl
2:14), and “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish
king, who will no more be admonished” (Eccl 4:13), and “Wisdom
strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city”
(Eccl 7:19), and “Wisdom is good with an inheritance… For wisdom
is a defence” (Eccl 7:11-12), and “a wise man’s heart discerneth
both time and judgment” (Eccl 8:5). Then are you and I willing to
pay any price, even our time, our energy, our life to “Buy the truth,
and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (Prov
23:23)?
Read, Keep and Do God’s Word:
“Behold, I have taught
you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me,….
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your
understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all
these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and
understanding people”
(Deut 4:5-6). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom;” (Col 3:16; Prov 8:33 ), and “The law of the LORD is
perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple” (Ps 19:7), and “And that from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15).
Our Lord Jesus confirms, “Therefore whosoever heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,
which built his house upon a rock” (Matt 7:24). Then, the more we
read, keep and do God’s Word, the wiser we shall be and the firmer
foundation we shall have. We shall be foolish if we doubt, criticize or
disobey God’s Word as we are building our spiritual life upon the sand
and it will surely collapse some day.
Fear God and Depart from Sin and Evil:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10;
Prov 9:10) and “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and
depart from evil” (Prov 3:7) and “A wise man feareth, and
departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident” (Prov
14:16), and “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure”
(James 3:17). If you and I fail to fear God and apply Biblical
Separation in our lives and worship in order to keep ourselves pure, we
are foolish before God!
Diligently Make Use of Time:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom” (Ps 90:12), and “Walk in wisdom toward them that are
without, redeeming the time” (Col 4:5), and “Go to the ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Prov 6:6) and “Who
then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over
his household, to give them meat in due season?” (Matt 24:45). The
five wise virgins brought the oil with them while waiting for the
Bridegroom, “But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps”
(Matt 25:4). If you and I are lazy, careless and wasting our time, we
are just foolish before God!
Humbly Pray to God:
Solomon acknowledged that he lacked wisdom and wisely asked God for
wisdom, “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come
in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so
great?” (2 Chron 1:10) and God gave him “a wise and an
understanding heart” (1 Kings
3:12). How about you and me? “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it
shall be given him” (James 1:5). “Let no man deceive himself. If
any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a
fool, that he may be wise” (1 Cor 3:18, Rom 12:16). Then, you and I
must humbly pray to God for wisdom and understanding, “For this cause
we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to
desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding”
(Col 1:9).
Submit to the Holy Spirit:
We do need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us God’s Truth (1 Cor 2:14),“And
the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isa 11:2), and “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 of him”
(Eph 1:17), and “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit” (1Cor
12:8; Acts 6:10). The Holy Spirit, who controls our hearts, is able to
control our tongues, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not
sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise” (Prov 10:19). Stephen
was filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom that “they were not able
to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake” (Acts 6:10).
We need the Holy Spirit and His wisdom! Shall not we wisely submit to
Him?
Keep a Constant Fellowship with the
Lord: In our Lord
Jesus “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
(Col 2:3) and “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption” (1 Cor 1:30). Jesus Christ Himself is our Wisdom. Having
Him, we have God’s Wisdom; and without Him, we have no Wisdom at all.
Jesus says, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment
with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the
uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold,
a greater than Solomon is here” (Matt 12:42). Sadly, many
fail to appreciate the Lord Jesus Christ, the Source of true and divine
Wisdom. How about you and me? “He that walketh with wise men shall be
wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Prov 13:20).
Shall not we wisely walk with the Lord Jesus Christ and keep a constant
fellowship with Him? “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and
blessing” (Rev 5:12).
Conclusion
Dear friends, we do need divine Wisdom
so that we may know God and His Truth and know how to apply His Truth in
our lives. Only God and His Word are wise and our Source of true Wisdom.
May God help you and me diligently seek Him and His Word first with a
humble, prayerful, obedient and submissive heart so that the Holy Spirit
may fill us with His wisdom and understanding to live wisely for His
glory. Amen.
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