Sermon or Lesson:  Pursue Wisdom - Part 2:  Descriptions Of The 3 Kinds Of Wisdom  (NIV based)

[Lesson Question:  Discuss, contemplate, analyze, distinguish, and construct a general description for 'natural wisdom' and for 'human wisdom'.]

SECTION POINT:  Humans have the ability to produce 'natural wisdom', which pertains to the existence of nature in life, and 'human wisdom', which pertains to relational experiences that humans perceive or encounter in life.

DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL WISDOM:
- - For the purposes of this study, 'natural wisdom' can be described as situations and phenomena that relate to nature or natural life, through which or about which we humans acquire wisdom, as we grow up and proceed through life.
- - Natural wisdom is available to all conscious humans living on the earth, and we accumulate it the longer we live.
- - An example of natural wisdom is: "The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line."
- - Natural wisdom can be in error, for example: "The world is flat."

DESCRIPTION OF HUMAN WISDOM:
- - Throughout the history of mankind, humans prolifically produce statements of wisdom about a wide variety of human relational experiences that are encounter in life.
- - An example of 'human wisdom' is a saying that we learn at an early age: "Look both ways before you cross the street!".
- - Much of that wisdom becomes widely disseminated, especially now during current times of mass broadcasting capabilities worldwide.
- - The generating of human wisdom is framed from the perspective of the person who is generating the human wisdom - that person's observations, mindset, thinking processes, experiences, evaluations, analyses, training, indoctrination, theories, values, needs, desires, and etcetera.
- - For that generating person and other like-minded people, that wisdom appears true, acceptable, accurate, and worthy to be adopted and integrated into one's life.
- - Human wisdom can be either of a secular or a spiritual kind, but the Scriptures clearly distinguish that "human wisdom" does not establish nor prove the existence of an actual or authentic direct connection with God on a personal spiritual relationship basis, even though its religious adherents think that it does.  (1 Corinthians 1:17; v.15 in James 3:13-17; Ephesians 2:8-9)
- - Human wisdom can be in error, for a current example: "There is no harm or danger in smoking marijuana for recreational use."
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[Lesson Question:  Discuss, research, contemplate, analyze, and construct from the Scriptures a moderately concise biblically-based description for "spiritual wisdom" and its cited accompanying qualities.]

SECTION POINT:  Only God produces genuine "spiritual wisdom" "from heaven", which only true believers can readily understand, acquire, and utilize, having been made available to them by means of Christ Jesus.

DESCRIPTION OF SPIRITUAL WISDOM:
- - "Spiritual wisdom" can be described as wisdom about spiritual matters - wisdom that has its source from God Himself.  (Colossians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13)
- - Readily understanding and then receiving authentic spiritual wisdom is available to only persons who have a direct personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, that Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day, and that thereby He paid the punishment for their own sins so that they can have eternal life in heaven and be pardoned from eternal punishment in hell for their own sins.  (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; see Romans 3:23 and John 3:16)
- - When persons place their faith in Jesus Christ in this God-approved manner, they automatically "receive... the Spirit who is from God".  (1 Corinthians 2:13)
- - Subsequently, the Spirit then "expresses", "teaches", and reveals "spiritual truths in spiritual words", so "that we may understand what God has freely given us", as "written" in and "according to the Scriptures".  (vv.2:13,12; 1:19; 15:3,4)
- - So in a spiritual way, we true believers acquire a connection to "the mind of Christ", by whom and by which we acquire access to "the power of God and the wisdom of God".  (vv.2:16; 1:24)
- - Obviously therefore, this cognitive access to understanding spiritual wisdom does not happen by means of "words of human wisdom".  (v.1:17)
- - Nor does it happen to persons who are "without the Spirit" - persons who have not correctly place their faith in Jesus Christ in this God-approved manner.  (v.2:14)
- - Matter of fact, "the [person] without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned".  (v.2:14)
- - Herein and by God's deliberate design (vv.1:17-24), understanding and acquiring spiritual wisdom requires possessing and using spiritual discernment that comes directly from God, which God grants to only those persons who have 'the Spirit' - those who are true believers in Jesus Christ.
- - However, as an exception, God can and does grant limited understanding of His spiritual wisdom to non-believers, with the distinct purpose of eventually leading them to personally place their faith in Christ Jesus for eternal salvation.  (2 Corinthians 6:2)
- - Correspondingly, God grants non-believers access to His spiritual wisdom through its availability in the written form of the Scriptures in the Bible, but their understanding of it is intentionally limited by God to the extent that usually they need to have the spiritual wisdom and the Scriptures explained to them by one or more true believers.
- - As a note about an additional manner in which God grants spiritual wisdom, God exceptionally endows and empowers some true believers with the "spiritual gift" of "message of wisdom", which is a "manifestation of the Spirit" that is to be used "for the common good" of true believers.  (1 Corinthians 12:1,8,7; NOTE: For more information on this 'spiritual gift of message of wisdom', see the "Session 14" document, in the "Elder Training Series", on the web-page "Home Page - Ministry", on this web-site www.BelieverAssist.com .)

Qualities Of Spiritual Wisdom:
- - God possesses immeasurable wisdom (Romans 11:33), which He extends cognitive access to us true believers, as declared in 1 Corinthians 1:30, "It is because of him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God --that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."
- - Even though "righteousness, holiness and redemption" are being used in a positional sense in this verse, a reasonable implication here is that these 3 virtues are prominent results that accompany and are produced by God's wisdom through Christ Jesus, and that because of this accompaniment, we true believers have been given access to understanding and using them in our daily living.
- - So, in the sense of assisting us in our daily living, God's wisdom through Christ Jesus produces "righteousness" in our life - being and living uprightly before God, and conforming to His moral standard.
- - To likewise assist us, God's wisdom through Christ Jesus also produces "holiness" in our life - daily maintaining a spiritually-healthy interactive relationship with God - pure, and not corrupted or hindered by our sin when we are no longer living sinfully.
- - Furthermore, God's wisdom through Christ Jesus produces "redemption" in our life - in the sense of Christ Jesus has not only paid the ransom for our release from the eternal punishment for sins, but it also provides the means by which we can be released from our captivity to sins - our enslavement and bondages to being and living as slaves to sins in our life.  (Zodhiates #0629, pp.232-233)

- - In James 3:17 is listed more qualities that accompany and comprise God's wisdom: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."
- - Notice that this is a package deal.  The direct declaration here is that when we true believers acquire this "wisdom from heaven", then we automatically get its accompanying comprising other qualities that are listed here, each of which will become evident when this wisdom is appropriately used in our life.
- - "first of all pure":  In describing the qualities of "the wisdom that comes from heaven", the "first" or "greatest in ascendancy, importance, influence, and authority" is the overarching quality of "pure" - being "truly", thoroughly, and completely "clean, innocent, and perfect", which indicates this wisdom being absolutely "free from any impurities, contamination, pollution, faults, dilution, defilement", corruption, tainted-ness, and etcetera.  (AHD - 'predominant'; Strong's #3303, omitted by NIV; #0053; AHD - 'pure')
- - Thereby, this wisdom from heaven has pure motives, pure agenda, and pure implementation as it comes forth from the believer whom God has empowered with it.
- - Furthermore, this wisdom has other distinguishable excellent accompanying comprising qualities that are listed in verse 17, which are equally significant and important as the quality of purity but do not play such a predominant and forefront role like purity does.
- - By implication therefore, these other accompanying comprising qualities (described herein below) excellently align with, coincide with, complement, and collaborate with the purity of this wisdom from heaven.
- - "then peace-loving":  Following the predominant quality of "pure" in this wisdom from heaven, "then" or next is listed other qualities, such as "peace-loving" - inclined to being, pursuing, promoting, facilitating, nurturing, encouraging, and bringing into effect peace, calmness, and tranquility, which includes working to diminish and preferably put to an end conflict, contentiousness, quarreling, and etcetera.  (from Strong's #1516 and AHD - 'peaceable', 'pacific', 'salutary')
- - This "peace-loving" wisdom not only strives and mediates to promote peace, unity, harmony, and submission to authority, but it also contains the quality of maintaining inner peace as well.
- - "considerate":  This "wisdom from heaven" contains and exudes the characteristics of being "gentle, mild", considerate, "thoughtful, and caring for the needs or feelings of others", "appropriate", "suitable, proper, fair, just, impartial, unassertive, lenient", and "tolerant or patient in the face of provocation".  (Strong's #1933; AHD - 'considerate', 'forbearing'; Zodhiates #1933, p.626)
- - "submissive":  This wisdom has a "submissive" quality to it, indicating that it readily aligns with, submits to, yields to, and is compliant to what God wants.  (Strong's #2138, Zodhiates #2138, p.680)
- - Therefore, this "submissive" wisdom does not manifest as being prone to argue, disagree, or resist what is right before God.
- - And furthermore, it manifests as subordinate to authority, helpful, cooperative, readily willing to go along with, and supportive to everything that God approves of.
- - An added benefit is that this God-aligned "submissive" wisdom may be very useful when praying to God because it has the potential of effectively and successfully petitioning Him to accomplish something or take some kind of action that the praying person is requesting of Him.
- - "full of mercy":  Within this wisdom exists a "fullness of mercy", meaning that this wisdom possesses a deep and thorough awareness of and regard for the distress, misery, and suffering of people, that is coupled with the caring desire and the extending of compassionate actions to relieve that suffering.  (Strong's #1656; AHD - 'compassion')
- - This is not a mere espousing of wise words, but additionally there is a readily getting personally actively involved by following those wise words with appropriate assisting wise actions.
- - This wisdom also manifests the quality of generously extending mercy without hesitation or reserve.
- - "full of... good fruit":  The nature, composition, and implementation of this wisdom produces bountiful good "fruit" or results, benefits, improvements, and advancements for the spiritual well-being of the persons using it and those subjected to its use, and for the spiritual building and advancing of the Kingdom of God.
- - "impartial":  The perspective and wielding of this wisdom is "impartial", being neutral towards and "undistinguishing" of differences among people, which results in consistently not having and not exerting favoritism, bias, prejudice, discrimination, and etcetera.  (Strong's #0087)
- - The use of this "impartial" wisdom always prioritizes and persists at being fair and equal in both words and good deeds.
- - "sincere":  This wisdom from heaven is cited as furthermore being "sincere", meaning it is "genuine, pure, unadulterated, forthright; being without hypocrisy or pretense; not disguised or concealed behind a false appearance".  (AHD - 'sincere')
- - An implication here is that this wisdom harbors no hidden personal agenda, plot, scheme, or ambition, and instead it contains and manifests a quality of being self-sacrificing and oriented towards the well-being of others over oneself.

- - Notice that these various accompanying comprising qualities of this wisdom from heaven make it easily observable, identifiable, obvious, distinct, of a significantly different nature, and in stark contrast to human-generated wisdom because this wisdom from heaven carries the imprint of God's hand being on it.
- - However, if God's wisdom is made adulterated by our sinfulness or our humanistic thinking, then it and its various accompanying comprising qualities will no longer manifest in their pure form that comes from God, and thereby adulterated wisdom from God cannot accomplish in fullness the righteous purposes God intends because it has been corrupted.
- - Any believer who has this wisdom may be tempted to perversely wield it to gain personal power and status in a ministry, which likewise would corrupt and hinder its accomplishing in fullness the righteous purposes that God intends.
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BIG IDEA:  In stark contrast to 'natural wisdom' and 'human wisdom', genuine 'wisdom from heaven' is comprised of numerous accompanying qualities, all of which are comprehensively pure and actively work together.

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APPLICATIONS:

- - Now that you have heard descriptions about wisdom, do you understand the difference between the 'human wisdom' and this 'spiritual wisdom' that is "from heaven"?
- - Do you think that henceforth you will be able to readily distinguish between the 'human wisdom' and this 'spiritual wisdom' that is "from heaven"?
- - Even though you may already value 'wisdom' in general, have you now developed an even higher regard for and value of this 'wisdom' that is 'spiritual'?  If not, why not?  What is hindering or obstructing you from so highly regarding and valuing this 'wisdom' that is 'spiritual'?
- - For those of you who do indeed now have a high regard for and value of this 'spiritual wisdom', what are you going to do with this high regard for and value of this 'spiritual wisdom?
- - In response, are you going to choose to hereupon take some kind of self-initiative action towards 'spiritual wisdom'?  Or instead, are you going to choose to essentially ignore what you just learned about 'spiritual wisdom' and proceed living life in the same manner as you have been?
- - Perhaps it would be helpful for you to keep in mind and extensively consider that this 'spiritual wisdom' "from heaven" and its accompanying comprising qualities can be yours and can be manifesting in your life, if you are a true believer.
- - Also perhaps it would be helpful for you to recall situations that you have experienced, in which you failed to use 'spiritual wisdom' "from heaven" and consequently you incurred and suffered significant negative repercussions as a result.
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Works Cited:
The American Heritage Dictionary (AHD). 3rd ed., ver. 3.6a (CD-ROM). Cambridge, MA: SoftKey International Inc., 1994.

Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992.
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