God only wise…

What a great vanity for a glow-worm to boast that is as full of light as the sun — leaving its proper place only to fall into confusion and thicken its own darkness. This is God's lesson again,  another instruction in the folly of thinking I can run my own life in even the least dimension without needing the wisdom of God. Such epitome of pride.

Charnock jolts me by saying how humans, by pushing the wisdom of God aside in Eden, got a crack in the head which has continued more than five thousand years. And we can feel so secure with our heads, not realizing they do not work as our Creator intended.

You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” (Isaiah 47:10)

To be guided by my wisdom is to be led by a blind leader, even to follow a traitor and enemy to God and ourselves. My prudence often proves hurtful to me as it fails even when I thought I was okay and had no idea that my glowing was that of a mere bug in the scheme of things.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5–8)

To fear the Lord and depart from evil is inconsistent with my conceit of my own wisdom, and totally inconsistent with trusting in the Lord with all my heart. It is God-playing to trust my own wit as if it were equal with or superior to the wisdom of God. The only solution God gives:

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (1 Corinthians 3:18)

The true way to wisdom is to be sensible of my own weakness, and it is not merely dropping the comparison but realizing there is no comparison. Since the fall, human wisdom is the wisdom of the serpent without the innocence of the dove. It flows from self-love, runs into self-interest. It is the wisdom of the flesh, and a choice — when I cannot bother with God, but do my own thing. But my ‘best’ wisdom is imperfect, a mere nothing and vanity. How even dare I compare myself in any way with God? If a holy and innocent wisdom is to be had, I must fill my empty well from His pure fountain.

The OT speaks that even if “many years teach wisdom, it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes us understand. It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right.” (Job 32:7–9) Even a child can be a vessel for the wisdom of God.

The NT affirms: “We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)

PRAY: Such shame to think that I can do anything apart from seeking Your face and mind. It is through Your precepts I get understanding and how I learn to hate every false way. Whatsoever comes from You is always wise. All that You do in this world is wise, good, righteous; because You are essentially wise, good and righteous. And the gospel is evidence of our folly — for if You told me Your Son should be crucified, I would think it cruel and unjust. How can goodness and the only One who kept the law die for those who violate it? Yet as Your wisdom unravelled Your plan, You show the marvel of how You put together justice and mercy, love and wisdom, no matter how absurd it appeared to the ‘whacked in the head’ reasoning of humans, me included. Put my foolish pride where it belongs. Replace it with greater reliance on You, including the things I think I can handle without You. And to the only wise God be glory, through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

Integrity is vital

At times I’ve tried to speak kindly to people that I don’t feel kindly toward. If another person always talks and never listens, I might act as if I care about all their stories but really don’t. If another person lies to me, I might be polite, but inside I’m not trusting them. If another person goes through the motions of paying attention but is not really listening, I often stop talking just to see what they will do.

I know that Jesus did not have this dual thing going on. He never sinned in pretense — to care when He didn’t because He always cared. He also knows what is in every heart and does not trust Himself to those who fake it. He deals in truth. As the NT says:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

Reading this shows the connection of inner character and outer behavior. If they do not match, then it is called hypocrisy or lack of integrity. Connecting that to ‘pretending to be nice’ means that I am not true to myself or to my inner feelings. The solution has two aspects.

One is to be true to how I really feel. Sometimes that is hurtful, but it can also be helpful — only if negative feelings are true about the other person and they are spoken in love like Jesus speaks. His words that expose my sinfulness are loving because He knows the destruction power of sin. He does not want me to go merrily about my bad attitudes so He speaks to me about them.

However, there are times when speaking to another person about their sin is not appropriate and it is better to talk to God about it and let Him deal with them. This means listening to the Holy Spirit to make sure I’m not being silent for the wrong reasons, such as fear of losing a friend.

When John wrote, “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father” (2 John 4) he was likely referring to gospel truth and the ‘children’ mentioned had faith in Christ, confessed their sins, and were growing more like Jesus. What stands out to me is that he rejoiced in this. If my attitude of “walking in truth” makes people joyful, that is a good thing. Some will not respond this way though because the truth is: unbelievers will hate those who have faith even to persecuting Christians in various ways.

All of this applies to how I think of Jesus. I can say that I know Him and trust Him, but what do I really think? Several verses tell me that His name says much about Him besides that He is truth. He is also Immanuel (which means, God with us (Matthew 1:23) and Light, and the only Way to the Father. Do my thoughts and actions match? Can I hide anything in my head or heart from Him? Not only that, if I say He is “Master” or “Lord” but am not obeying what He commands, do I really think that my Christian words can hide my thoughts from Him? My actions will eventually reveal them because if I really think He is my Lord, I will do what He says. And one of the things He says is:

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

This phrase “the abundance of the heart” is not about the fleeting things that fly in to tempt me, but about what my mind dwells on. If it is not on Christ and on doing the will of God, it is apt to be my will and my way — which translates to selfishness and sinful disobedience. Trying to look good on the outside does not cut it if my heart is unkind or even nasty. This is just one way I can call Jesus Lord but not do as He says.

PRAY: Jesus, more and more I’m seeing how thoughts connect to actions and how they need to match. This is not just about negative junk that needs to be confessed, but about truth concerning You that needs to be shared. I need wisdom and discernment from You to match how I think with how I behave and how I respond to others.


 

Know God Deeply

 

Most of us have met people and felt as if we didn’t really know or understand them. Either they were silent when it came to revealing themselves and how they think about life, or they put on a layer that covered up their actual thoughts so we saw only what they wanted us to see.

I read a book on encouragement that introduced me to the idea of layers and began to see it, not only in myself but in others. Some behaved in certain ways when we were alone together but changed if more people were around. Some seemed to have a persona that differed depending on the topic of discussion.

Then I noticed how much I was drawn to people that are transparent, easy to get to know, without layers and consistent in their personality and way of life no matter what was happening. I also noticed that these transparent people made me comfortable to share my true self as well. On the other hand, people with layers had me unsure of how to behave around them.

Taking these thoughts and applying them to knowing God brings out a truth that is vital. That is, the better I understand who God is and how He thinks, the easier it is to be who I am. Everything about me seems related to knowing what God is really like. If I understand that He created me, put me in my present environment, and I am absolutely in His power, and that He is good and kind, I feel free to be who I am. I know that I am cared for and happy.

If I met a person who was obviously lying to me, telling me untrue things about themselves, or I suspected they were evil, I would not want to be around them. My knowledge of that person, right or wrong, would affect the relationship, even end it.
It is the same concerning God. If my thoughts of Him are based on the idea that He is cruel or unkind or anything negative and He didn’t want the best for me, this would also affect any relationship I might have with Him. Like Eve in the garden, I would be thinking He didn’t care and lose my trust, even go hide from Him.

Everything I know about God also affects everything I understand about life. How vital to have the right knowledge. If for no other reason, this motivates me to read the Bible and find out who God is, what He is like. I cannot let the serpent lie to me, or let circumstances form my opinions. I need the truth about God and knowing that truth is better than anything else I might possess.

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

This is the reason for morning devotions, prayer, Bible study, going to church, studying life — to know God. Not only does it bring delight to Him, but it also greatly affects me.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

PRAY: Jesus, thank You that You came to bring me the knowledge of God. Your Word is clear that  grace and peace are multiplied to me in that knowledge (2 Peter 1:2) and that knowing You means I have eternal life (John 17:3) Just as getting to know another person takes time and involves increasing depth, knowing You involves layers of knowledge, but none of them are put-on cover-ups. Instead, You are the true God who gladly reveals Himself to those who seek You.

Jesus is not an angel

 

Today’s cults and other religions identify Jesus as only a man, a good teacher, or a prophet. Some say He was an angel. For me and all others who have experienced that change of life that Jesus brings, the knowledge of His identity is far more important than guessing, or than deciding He is just like us, or that He is an angel. If He was any of those things, then there are many more like Him. Further, those who identify Him as such have not read the entire Bible or dismiss the parts that say something contrary to their definition.

One of those contrary passages backs up other passages that say He was the Word of God made flesh and that He created and rules all things — including angels:

Of the angels he (God) says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:7–8) 

Note that this says angels are His; they belong to Him and do what He tells them to do. 

The word angel means a messenger and the Bible would agree that Jesus is also a messenger from the Father, but that is about function, not nature. Angels are said to be: “angels of God” and “angels of the Lord” and “My angels” and some disobeyed God and are called “destroying angels” with Satan being one of them. Jesus is not described in the same way. He is described like this:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3; 14) 

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3) 

The greatest difference in the biblical descriptions of the nature of angels and of Christ is that He is the eternal God. The Father says to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” — a powerful statement about the deity of Christ. Yet this is also a revealed truth. John wrote:

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20) 

Jesus demonstrated and claimed equality with God. He did what His Father told Him to do and was sinless. No other can claim that perfect obedience and also die for the sin of mankind without first needing to settle His own sin-debt with God. Not one angel claims to be our Lord and Savior, only Jesus, who is God who became a man to give His life so we could have eternal life. Yet without this being revealed, we just don’t get it!

PRAY: Jesus, the prayer suggested for today is to ask God for a greater understanding of the reality that You are God. I would not be here if You had not already done that. I know this: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) My prayer is that You would reveal who You are to those who need to know it so they can experience what You have done to save them from sin and grant them new life, something an angel cannot do, only You do this by the power of Your Spirit and because of Your amazing grace.

PONDER: Read John 1:1–18 again, and rejoice in knowing who Jesus is and what He has done.