Sermon or Lesson:  Pursue Wisdom - Part 5:  Other Characteristics Of Spiritual Wisdom  (NIV based)

INTRODUCTION NOTE:  As should already be evident in the previous study sessions in this series on "Pursue Wisdom", the Scriptures contain descriptions of numerous characteristics for spiritual wisdom, of which more characteristics will be focused on in this study below.
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[Lesson Question:  For each verse quote in this section below, analyze, discuss, and describe characteristics of how spiritual wisdom reaches out and relates to people.]

SECTION POINT:  As an activity of the Lord, spiritual wisdom takes the initiative to connect with people, to offer to love them and supply remedy to their wisdom deficiencies.

- - Proverbs 8:4-6 {personification}, ""4. To you, O men, I [wisdom (vv.1-3)] call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.  5. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.  6. Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.""
- - By means of the Lord, spiritual wisdom in effect "calls out" or takes the initiative to contact and get the attention of every person everywhere, "to all mankind", with the purpose of speaking to each of them in order to convey the following message.  (v.4)
- - Spiritual wisdom then extends to them an offer of substantial benefits that apply directly to an area in their life in which they are deficient.  (v.5-6)
- - The offer is to give them remedy and cure to their mental or psychological state of being "simple" and "foolish" - specifically, their spiritual condition of being utterly destitute of the virtue of genuine spiritual wisdom, which will facilitate to lead them to an actual, right, and wholesome relationship with the Lord.  (v.5)
- - "Understanding" is being offered to simple-minded people and to foolish-minded people, which causatively hinders or obstructs them from readily distinguishing and achieving understanding.  (Strong's Hebrew #0995, listed twice in v.5)
- - Spiritual wisdom exhorts these people to "listen" or "hear intelligently", with the implication that they should seriously consider, take to heart, and respond appropriately to what spiritual wisdom wants "to say" to them.  (v.6; Strong's Hebrew #8085)
- - Spiritual wisdom makes a deliberate effort of "opening [its] lips to speak" to them, by implication "uttering" in "language" that they understand.  (v.6; Strong's Hebrew #4669; #8193)
- - And spiritual wisdom possesses and speaks "things" that are intrinsically "worthy", "noble", "right", "true", "just", and "faultless".  (v.6, Strong's Hebrew #5057; vv.7,8,9)
- - There is no deception, no trickery, no pretense, no diversion, no falseness, no erroneousness, no corruption, no "wickedness", no "crookedness", no "perversion", no naivety within the content of what spiritual wisdom wants to say to them.  (vv.7,8)
- - Spiritual wisdom is inviting people to engage with it, offering and making available to them that which will prove to be very good for them.
- - This is an earnest and love-motivated appeal, demonstrating that the Lord cares about each one of these people, concerned about their appropriate well-being, both short-term and long-term.

- - Proverbs 8:17a {personification} ""I [wisdom] love those who love me,...""
- - In this Scripture verse is declared that spiritual wisdom has "love" and "joy" for those persons who have "love" or "affection" for spiritual wisdom.  (Strong's Hebrew #0026, #0157)
- - In essence, the presence, acceptance of, and appropriate usage of spiritual wisdom produces the effect of building a reciprocal relationship of love and appreciation with its host person.
- - Because spiritual wisdom comes from the Lord, it intrinsically has love as an element of its nature, which it naturally exerts and extends to its host.
- - Gradually over time, as spiritual wisdom is acquired and activated in the thinking, beliefs, values, speaking, and conduct of the host person, blessings and good benefits are noticed and experienced by that person, which develops into love and appreciation for spiritual wisdom.
- - Yes, in order to implement spiritual wisdom in his/her life, the host person has to relinquish or terminate various aspects of foolishness and sinfulness in his/her life, some of which are pleasurable or self-gratifying for the host person.  (Ephesians 4:22)
- - But the host person gradually comes to realize and experience that the benefits of living in spiritual wisdom are far better than the pleasures and self-gratification of living in foolishness and sinfulness.
- - Proverbs 8:17b {personification} ""...and those who seek me [wisdom] find me.""
- - Spiritual wisdom from heaven is no longer hidden or elusive, having been revealed by means of Christ.  (1 Corinthians 2:7; Colossians 2:2-3)
- - However, there is necessity to look for spiritual wisdom because it is not located everywhere there is apparent wisdom, nor anywhere a person looks.
- - Spiritual wisdom, which has to come from God, is located mainly within the contents of the Scriptures, or by extension, within contents that relate directly, or correspondingly, and appropriately to the Scriptures, proper interpretation of the Old Testament and the New Testament together.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- - Spiritual wisdom can also be intuitionally encountered from God in response to prayer of a true believer (James 1:5), and within the authentic intuitional influence or leading of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10 with vv.7,13).
- - The emphasis here in this verse is that spiritual wisdom is findable.
- - If a true believer "earnestly" or "diligently" "seeks" or "searches for" authentic spiritual wisdom from God, he/she will "find" or encounter it.  (Proverbs 8:17, Strong's Hebrew #7836)
- - Of course, caution needs to be practiced, because false, or erroneous, or counterfeit spiritual wisdom from the Kingdom Of Darkness, its human agents, and gullible or naive or unwitting recruited true believers is readily and plentifully available and visible, even within virtually any church.
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[Lesson Question:  For each verse quote in this section below, analyze, discuss, and describe characteristics of spiritual wisdom in relation to its associated virtues that are listed in that verse.]

SECTION POINT:  Spiritual wisdom mutually functions with righteousness and justice, and it makes its residence in the hearts of discerning believers.

- - Proverbs 8:20 {personification} ""I [wisdom] walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,...""
- - "Righteousness" can be generally defined as "moral uprightness" that is in conformity to God's standards and Law.  (Strong's Hebrew #6666 with AHD - 'rectitude')
- - "Justice" can be generally defined as "the quality of, or in conformity to, or the upholding of being just, fair, true, and right, without the presence of bias or partiality".  (AHD - 'justice')
- - Spiritual wisdom from God "walks... along" or stays on the "path" that is occupied and governed by "righteousness" and by "justice", always operating within their parameters, and never veering off into anything that is contrary to God, such as sinfulness or unfairness, for examples.
- - This spiritual wisdom is active; it moves forward along that path, proceeding into various situations that its host believer encounters in his/her life.
- - This spiritual wisdom is consistently pure; it approaches and always addresses each of those situations in a manner that God approves of, in conformity to the righteousness of God and in conformity to the justice of God.
- - This spiritual wisdom is unified; it adheres to each of these virtues of righteousness and justice, mutually functioning in accordance with each of them, and harmoniously collaborating in conjunction with each other, as a unified whole.
- - By logical conclusion therefore, both righteousness and justice are essential components of spiritual wisdom, which means that God does not intend for them to be separated from spiritual wisdom.
- - Separating righteousness and/or justice from spiritual wisdom can occur by ignoring them or perverting them, which would result in hindering, diminishing, violating, corrupting, and perhaps even destroying the spiritual wisdom - its integrity and its producing of God-approved results and benefits in the life of the host believer.
- - Therefore, if true believers want to have undefiled and uncorrupted spiritual wisdom from God in their life, they must actively oppose, extinguish, and get rid of all unrighteousness and injustice that they are doing in their life, such as for examples: sinfulness, favoritism, unfairness, bias, and etcetera.  (v.22 in Ephesians 4:22-24)
- - And then they can successfully accept, embrace, and conform to the righteousness of God and the justice of God, which serve to contribute to, fortify, and empower the presence, usage, and effectiveness of spiritual wisdom in the life of those true believers.  (vv.23-24 in Ephesians 4:22-24)

- - A main principle here for us true believers to realize is that the unrighteousness and sinfulness that we engage in directly contributes to our lack of spiritual wisdom from the Lord.
- - But to the contrarily, if we replace sinfulness in our life with righteousness, then we are nurturing conditions that enable us to find, acquire, and implement spiritual wisdom in our life.
- - The same principle applies in regard to justice: if we replace our perpetrating of injustice with instead doing and upholding of justice and what is just, then we are likewise nurturing the ability to add spiritual wisdom in our life.
- - Growth in this personal 'sanctification' nurtures growth in spiritual wisdom.  [Note:  For more information on sanctification, see the document 'Sanctification' on the 'Doctrines' web-page of this web-site, www.BelieverAssist.com .]
- - Our engaging in unrighteousness and our engaging in injustice both block the development of spiritual wisdom in our life, leaving us destined to remain in the state of having foolishness predominate our life as a true believer.

- - When true believers successfully accomplish increasing growth in this personal sanctification, while they are acquiring more and more spiritual knowledge, then conducive conditions are created in the life of those true believers in which spiritual wisdom can sprout, take root, and grow.
- - Proverbs 14:33 "Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning" - The growth and development of spiritual wisdom incite a natural tendency for it to progress so that it "reposes" or "rests, settles down into, makes its residence in, and dwells" "in the heart" of those believers, because of and even contributing to their abilities to more readily and accurately "discern", "understand, and distinguish", presumably between right and wrong, good and evil, godliness and sinfulness, truth and falsehoods, and etcetera; "and even among fools she lets herself be known." - this resident presence of spiritual wisdom in the life of those believers manifests and becomes outwardly evident, obvious, and "made known" to surrounding people - even when those believers are "among fools".  (Strong's Hebrew #0995, #5117, #3045)
- - Therein, true believers do not need to be concerned that their spiritual wisdom is not being identified as such by surrounding people and other believers, because this Scripture phrase is saying their spiritual wisdom is readily detected by surrounding people, even though those surrounding people and other believers may not want to face it, admit it, or acknowledge it.
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BIG IDEA:  Spiritual wisdom takes actions in believers, such as connecting with them, loving them, remedying their deficiencies, exerting godly influence, and making itself resident.

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APPLICATIONS:

- - For those of you who are true believers, have you heard the call of spiritual wisdom?  To you personally?
- - Do you hold as true, valid, and beneficial the various claims and offers that spiritual wisdom is making, as cited in these verses of study?
- - Are you willing to listen to what spiritual wisdom wants to say to you?
- - Are you willing to seriously consider, take to heart, and respond appropriately to spiritual wisdom?
- - Are you willing to develop love for spiritual wisdom?
- - Are you willing to now commit yourself to make ongoing deliberate efforts to seek spiritual wisdom?
- - Are you willing to walk in the path of righteousness and justice, like spiritual wisdom does?
- - Are you willing to clean up your life, getting rid of unrighteousness, and injustice, and sinfulness, and foolishness, so that spiritual wisdom can flourish in your life?
- - Do you truly want spiritual wisdom to reside in your heart?
- - Do you understand that this whole call of spiritual wisdom is actually a call from the Lord?  Now, what are you going to do with this call?

- - For those of you who are not true believers, does this spiritual wisdom seem to be nonsense to you?  Perhaps even stupid and ridiculous to you?
- - Does this spiritual wisdom seem to be too restrictive to you and for you?
- - Does this spiritual wisdom seem to be too demanding to you and for you?
- - Does this spiritual wisdom seem to be essentially useless to you and for you?
- - Well, considering the horrific eternal future that awaits you as a non-believer (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9), perhaps it would be wise for you to at least continue coming to these next study sessions on spiritual wisdom.  You may acquire some enlightenment from the Lord that could not only change your opinion of spiritual wisdom that comes from heaven, but that also could result in the drastic beneficial change of the eternal future destination that awaits you.
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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 Hebrew Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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