Wisdom - How To Obtain It

John Hoole April 18 & 25, 2004

WHAT IS THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT THAT CAN BE PAID TO A CHRISTIAN?
1 Timothy 4:8 (KJV)
8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

There is no higher compliment given to a Christian than to call him or her a godly person. They might be a conscientious parent, a zealous church worker, a dynamic spokesperson for Christ, or a talented Christian leader. But NONE of these things really matter if, at the same time, they are not a godly person. Paul admonished Timothy, his son in the Lord, to "exercise himself unto godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7) and to "follow after godliness" (1 Timothy 6:11) In speaking about the end-times and the nearness of Christ's return, Peter says:
2 Peter 3:11 (NAS)
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.

SO, WHAT IS GODLINESS? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF GODLINESS? OR WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE GODLY?
Whatever godliness is, I think you would have to agree that it cannot be confused with:
o how a person looks,as hard as it is for us to get beyond that. We often judge a person by what they look like.
o nor can godliness be confused with what a person owns or drives.

As tough as it is for us to be completely free of envy and critical thoughts, it is imperative that we remind ourselves that "God does not look on the outward appearance, but looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
Therefore, whatever we may say godliness is, it is not skin deep. It is something below the surface of life …deep down in the realm of our attitudes, specifically, one's attitude toward God Himself. He wants the righteousness of his followers to be in the heart.
For the next several moment I would like to employ a different example than usually would be used to describe the subject of godliness. Some of you who have been in our classes for several years will recollect my using this means to describe godliness before. The last time was in May of 1998.
LIST AS MANY OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD THAT YOU CAN THINK OF.
1. A Spirit
2. Creative
3. Compassionate
4. Love
5. Omnipresent
6. Omnipotent
7. Omniscient
8. Unchangeable
9. Sovereign - Self-sufficient, - Self-existent
10. Holy
11. Righteous
12. Just
13. Good (always)
14. Merciful
15. Eternal
16. Infinite - free from limits and space - immutable - consistent all in His actions

ARE THERE SOME OF THESE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS?
Some theologians would categorize these attributes of God into two major groups.
1. His MORAL attributes -- like: love, compassion, holy, merciful,etc.
2. His NON-MORAL attributes -- like: spirit, omnipotent, sovereign, infinite……

That is a very good and proper way to categorize them. But I would like to suggest a slightly different categorization of the attributes of God. Most all of us have heard of communicable and incommunicable diseases……Right?
IN THIS SENSE, WHAT IS MEANT BY THE WORD "COMMUNICABLE"?
It means that it can be passed from one person to another. In other words, it is "catching." I think God's attributes can be classified into groups, using these same two word.
- COMMUNICABLE AND INCOMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES. In other words, those personal attributes of Himself which he shares with us and those he does not.

INCOMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES
These are those qualities which are not shared - we could put qualities or character traits of God that show just how different - vastly different - He is from we, His creatures.

WHAT ATTRIBUTES OF GOD WOULD FIT THIS CATEGORY?
Into this list would be such attributes as:
1. His unchangeable character. (Immutability) This means He is entirely consistent in His actions. He never deviates. He doesn't change. Into this we might put His omnipotence, for there is nothing he cannot do.
2. He is infinite. He is not bound by time and space. In this you would find his omnipresence.
3. The fact that there are in Him no elements that can conflict. Unlike you and me, He cannot be torn different ways by divergent thoughts and desires. Under this category, we could put his omniscience.
4. Sovereignty. He answers to no one. He is above all. He is self-sufficient and self-existent.

These are the qualities which belong to God and Him alone. And because we are man or woman, and not God, our characters do not and cannot share in any of them. We do not have these qualities.
COMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES
Here you would find those qualities that can be transferred from God to mankind, and which God deemed to be so.

WHAT ATTRIBUTES OF GOD FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY?
Some of these qualities were given to us when He created us.
- For instance: We are spiritual beings like He is.
- We have been given the freedom of choice, like He has.
- We will live forever. We are eternal beings.

For Adam and Eve, these qualities were given them when God created them. For us, these attributes become ours when we are born.
And then there is another set of communicable attributes and qualities which He passes to us either when we ask Him for them, or when He bestows them upon us as we seek to grow in Him.
Most of these communicable attributes are associated with God's moral character and nature. i.e., Love, compassion, goodness, holiness, righteousness, mercifulness, patience, etc.. As we grow in the Lord, these qualities become more and more a part of our own life and character. Or as Romans 8:29 says: "we are conformed to the image of God's Son."
I have used this example of the Attributes of God, because I believe that all of the communicable attributes of God (those He shares with us) can be summarized in one word. - GODLINESS -
Godliness is the sum of all those qualities which He bestows upon us. Those qualities of His life which He has chosen to share with us. And isn't that what "godliness" means? "God-likeness". And how better can we become like our God, than to have him share with us His own character traits. Godliness is a reflection of God's character within us! Our godly character is a reflection of the extent to which God's character has been reproduced in us. As we mentioned a minute ago, the Father desires that all His children reflect the image of His Son.
Unlike those attributes which God gives us at birth, the qualities that make up "godliness" are not given at birth. Neither are they automatically given to a person when they become a Christian. This is why we are admonished to "grow in grace" in our Christian walk. If we allow Him, God will actually duplicate in our human character some of the attributes of His own person. For example:
o He is known as the God of all mercy. Doesn't it therefore follow that in due time, mercy will become a hallmark of the man or woman in which He resides and is at work.
o We are told quite emphatically that the very love (or selflessness) of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us (Romans 5:5). Therefore, is it not proper and legitimate for us to look for that sort of selfless, self-giving love to spring up and become apparent in the life of those who follow Him.
God is the perfect example of all those qualities He has decided to share with us. God's love is not restrained in any way. He is able to love even those who curse Him and want nothing to do with Him. And He has shared a part of that with each of us. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

The same is true of the quality of righteousness. God is perfectly and completely holy, but we have absolutely no righteousness in ourselves. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our own righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags. But the Bible also tells us we have been given righteousness in Christ.
The same thing is true of the personal attribute we are currently studying in our series in Proverbs.
--- Wisdom!

Earlier, in the diagram I showed with the attributes of God, I didn't mentioned His omniscience. I did highlight His omnipresence. God doesn't share with us any of His omnipresence. We can only be in one place at a time. Like love and righteousness, where God shares a part of Himself with us, He also does the same when it comes to His omniscience and omnipotence. With regard to God's omnipotence, we know that God is all-powerful. There is nothing He cannot do if it is His desire to do it. And there is nothing or no person that can keep Him from doing what He wants. But He has deemed to share His power with us.
IN WHAT WAY HAS GOD SHARED HIS POWER WITH US?
By sending us the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 NKJV
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Here is another passage linking the Holy Spirit and the power of God which has been shared with us.
1 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

The same is true with respect to God's wisdom.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY GOD IS OMNISCIENT?
It means that there is nothing that God does not know. Psalms 147:5 (NKJV) tells us:
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
Part of God's omniscience is His wisdom. God not only knows all things, He uses that knowledge in complete and infinite wisdom to a desired end.

A moment ago, we read a verse which linked the Holy Spirit with the power God shares with us. In that verse, did you notice that human wisdom is mentioned there also? Let's read it again.
1 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

In our study of the Book of Proverbs, we have already discussed that one of the reasons for the Book is so we can acquire wisdom.
Proverbs 4:7 NKJV
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

In Proverbs, the wisdom that is spoken about is not the same as human wisdom. We are admonished to pursue godly wisdom. Wisdom is not a resident virtue by simply becoming a Christian. It must be acquired. Some people may be born with a greater capacity for intelligence than others, but no one is born wise.
As of now, we have examined the biblical charge to acquire wisdom. We have seen why obtaining wisdom is crucial to our walk with God. The most obvious question, then, is: Where do I find this wisdom?
WHERE DO WE FIND WISDOM? WHERE DO WE GET IT?
As we look at where to find wisdom, there are a couple of prerequisites necessary to begin our search.
1st Prerequisite - God is the source of wisdom
The 20th century produced an information explosion unparalleled in human history. This is especially true with the advent of the World Wide Web. Instant access to volumes of knowledge at the click of a mouse. And yet, with all we have learned and with all that's been written, man's wisdom is still impotent to answer life's most basic spiritual question like:
o How did we get here?
o Where do we go when we die?
o What is the meaning of life?

Solomon tells us the source of true wisdom.
Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Although the book of Proverbs relentlessly calls us to pursue wisdom, we must remember that godly wisdom remains a divine gift.
Romans 16:27 NKJV
27 To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
True wisdom - godly wisdom - is not found in the world, rather, God is the only source for that wisdom.

I think all of us would have to confess that at times we look first at man's wisdom. That is not completely bad, for God certainly wants us to use the minds He gave us. But, much too often we ignore the sufficiency of God's wisdom. We must not choose the elementary understanding of this world, but, rather, embrace the riches of divine wisdom.
God has given man the ability to study, analyze, categorize, and develop the physical resources of this earth to the benefit of our physical life. But that's where man's wisdom ends. Because of sin, our mind is totally unable to discern the spiritual dimension.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

We have no power to change our own heart. We have no understanding to solve our spiritual dilemma, and no resources to satisfy our soul. We are, after all, spiritually dead without God.
2nd Prerequisite - obtaining wisdom begins with fearing God
Proverbs 1:7 NKJV
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Reverence and awe of God is a requirement for obtaining wisdom. Without this fear of God, we will not get far in our quest for wisdom.

While the fear of the Lord is the essence of wisdom, God dispenses His wisdom through a variety of channels. To fear God, we must first acknowledge God's existence, and His claim on us as our Creator and Lord.
HOW TO OBTAIN GODLY WISDOM
1. We are to ask God for wisdom.
The first channel for obtaining wisdom is through prayer. James 1:5 tells us that we are to ask for it. In other words we are to pray for it. To obtain true wisdom, one needs to seek it from the right source - the only source. Wisdom doesn't come from wealth.. It cannot be gained in ways contrary to God's will (Genesis 3:6-7). As we have already mentioned, wisdom is from God. If we are to seek anything from God, it must begin and end with prayer.
Few things stifle prayer more than the fact that, too often, we don't know what to pray for. Have you ever hesitated to ask God for something because you were not sure if it was something He would want you should have? Many are afraid to make certain petitions with any degree of confidence, for fear they may be asking out of God's order.
Now, let's analyze this. First, God's will is that we pray - always. "Ask and keep on asking," is what Jesus commanded. The hearing heart of our Father is not just a component in some heavenly computer that might blow a fuse if we ask too often, or for the wrong thing. The storehouse of heaven never periodically runs short on supplies. Neither is God rationing answers to prayer as though there was a shortage on His ability to beget, provide, heal or produce. He is the creator. And when you are dealing with the source of all things nothing is a problem that is too big for him to handle.
"But", you ask, "what if my request isn't appropriate to God's plan and will for me?" "What if I am asking for something that I shouldn't?" The discovery of God's perfect will - either by you or me - will not happen based on how we think God does or ought to do things. The fact of the matter is, and we need to learn this well: The Bible tells us how to discover His will through praying not how to find His will and then pray.
Romans 12:1-2 says (paraphrased):
I implore you, brothers and sisters: present yourselves before God in posture of worship; the kind that God accepts. It's the only truly intelligent thing to do. Therein you will find a transforming of your mentality from the world-way of thinking to God's new way for you; and therein you will discover the whole counsel of His perfect will.
When we do not know what we should be asking from God, we should come with worship and ask EVERYTHING our hearts are longing to ask. Everything!! Then maintain a heartfelt stance of worship before the omniscience of His counsel and purposes. And you can be sure of one thing. He won't ever mock or criticize you for asking.

James 1:5 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom [i.e.,, in this case, if you don't know what you ought to or can ask for], he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
So, the first way to obtain wisdom from God is to ask for it. And we have the promise of God that we will receive it.

We are already aware that Solomon prayed asking for wisdom from God.
>Daniel also sought the Lord for wisdom.
Daniel 2:23 NKJV
23 "I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You,…."

In Colossians, Paul prayed that the churches might be given spiritual wisdom.
Colossians 1:9 NKJV
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Yes, we are to ask God for wisdom. That is one channel for obtaining wisdom.
2. We receive wisdom from God through the Word of God.
God's truth in the Bible IS wisdom. And since the Word of God is revealed Truth, it is the most important wisdom a Christian can obtain. That is why it is so important for believers to study the Scriptures on a regular basis.
Deuteronomy 4:5-6

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments (i.e., His Word). Keep therefore and do them; for this is your WISDOM and your understanding in the sight of the nations.

There is no way to become wise and stay wise apart from the Word of God. It doesn't matter how smart someone is, if he or she does not know the Bible, they are wisdom deficient. 2 Timothy 3:15 speaks of the Scriptures as being able to make us….. "wise unto salvation." God speaks to us through His Word. The Christian life works a whole lot better when you have read the owner's manual. Our owner's manual is the Bible. It contains written instructions from the Manufacturer.
All of us face hundreds of decisions every day, where we will go, who we will talk to, what we will say, how we will act, etc.. As Christians, the goal of each of these decisions is to know God's will and render a response pleasing to Him. However, the majority of these decisions are not directly covered in the Bible. So what do we do? How do we know how we should act? This calls for wisdom.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NKJV
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Timothy became wise through His study of the Word of God. Many today who profess to be Christians have never learned wisdom, through failure to study the Word of God. How long has it been since you read your Bible? When was the last time you really spent some quality time in studying the Scriptures? Do you spend as much time in the Word of God as you do reading the newspaper?
Colossians 3:16 (NKJV) tells us:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another.
When the Word of God dwells richly in us, we allow every decision to sift through the grid of the Scriptures.

Psalms 119:97-98 NKJV
97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.

I find it interesting that the longest chapter in the Bible has, as its central theme, the Word of God. Only three of the 176 verses do not mention God's Word. We become wise by studying and applying God's Word. God's Word makes us wiser than our enemies, and wiser than any teacher who ignores God's Word. Apart from a solid grounding in the Bible, we will not have wisdom. The 2nd channel for obtaining wisdom is the Word of God.
3. The third way to receive wisdom from God is through other mature Christians.
The 3rd channel for obtaining wisdom is Wise Company. There is no doubt that we are influenced by the company we keep. Companions often have a positive or negative effect on our lives.
Proverbs 13:20 NASB
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Solomon's point here is that if you want to grow in wisdom, associate with those who are wise. No Christian can grow and mature in isolation from other Christians. We need each other.
Let me ask each of you to assess your relationships. Is there anyone in your life that is a living example of wise, godly behavior? Is there someone close to you whose life you could emulate? Is there one or more persons who give you a physical picture of what it means to follow Christ?
In Philippians 4:9, Paul said:
The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.
Is there anyone in your life that indirectly says this to you?

4. The fourth way God gives us wisdom is through experiences.
Someone once said that "A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew." Though humorous, this statement in itself contains wisdom. I look back on my own life and have to conclude that some of my greatest periods of learning have come through experiences of difficulty. It is at times like these that God really gets our attention. And sometimes our greatest lessons in wisdom come through failure. Difficulty and trying situations can be great opportunities to learn - especially when God is it them.
Let me provide you with one word of caution and then the conclusion. If after all this, you feel you are already a wise person, beware. Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom." This verse warns against ever thinking you or I have arrived with respect to wisdom.
Illustration
In closing, I want you to imagine yourself on the platform at a busy railway station. The activity of many people and the constant clattering of the trains are going on all around you. But what interests you the most is the movement of trains on the dozen or more tracks leading in all directions. It is intriguing, as well as fascinating, how some trains move about, while others must sit still…..at least for a while. Some move onto sidings while others hardly slow down as they pass through. Some are uncoupled, left to sit for some time.
But, in all your observations, you will be able to only have a very rough idea of the overall plan which determines all these movements. If, however, you are privileged to know a high official of the railroad, he may take you to a signal room off on one of the platforms. There you will see a very long wall displaying a diagram of the entire track layout for five miles in any direction from the station. On this diagram are little glow-worm lights. They are moving or stationary on the many tracks, thus depicting the movements of any trains. At a glance, it shows the signalman exactly where every engine and train is and their movements. At once you will be able to look at the whole situation through the eyes of the men who control it. You will see from the diagram why it was that this train had to be signaled to a halt, and that one diverted from its normal running line and why that one parked itself temporarily on the siding. The why and the wherefore of all these movements becomes plain once you can see the overall positions.
I have given this illustration, not to show what happens when God's wisdom is bestowed upon us. Rather, this illustration show us what wisdom is NOT. We Christians often view the wisdom of God as being some sort of insight into the meaning and purpose for the circumstance in which we find ourselves. When we are in these circumstance, we ask the question: "What is God trying to teach me through this situation?" In other words, what's the overall picture? What is God's purpose in it all?
And we think that if only God would drop a nugget of his wisdom into us, where He takes us into His control room, so to speak, then we could see the overriding purpose of it all. Then, we would know very clearly how that "All things are working together for our good." But if we end up without this insight, and instead, remain baffled as to why situations have occurred, then we so often just chalk it up to our lack of spirituality.
I am not saying that it is wrong to ask such questions. God does use different surroundings and activities to teach us very valuable lessons. And we do need to have a teachable spirit about us. BUT, knowing the big picture - the end from the beginning - IS NOT WISDOM. But rather, knowing how to act properly in each and every situation within the big picture, as they come along -- That is wisdom. It is not the understanding of the whys and wherefores, but rather, it is our proper actions in each situation, small or great, that shows the wisdom each of us have received from God.
Wisdom is more like learning to drive a car. The learner doesn't ask: "Why does the road happen to make a sharp turn at this place?" Neither do they ask, "why does it become 2 or 4 lanes of traffic at that particular spot," or "Why that van happens to be parked where it is on the shoulder," or "why the person in front of you hugs the centerline." In learning to drive, what really matters is not these at all. What shows the person's wisdom is the soundness of their judgment in each situation. You simply try to make sure you do the right thing in whatever actual situation presents itself.
And that is exactly the effect divine wisdom has on each of us. God's wisdom enable us to act or react properly in any actual situation in everyday life. You and I do not need to know the end from the beginning as long as we put our trust in one who does know it. All we need is for Him to impart His wisdom into us so that we will know how we ought to act as each situation comes our way.
Conclusion
Now, let's see what we have learned about wisdom over the past several weeks.
1. We have defined wisdom as"
o Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action based on knowledge and understanding.

2. There are 3 different kinds of wisdom.
o Human wisdom
o The wisdom of the fallen world's supernatural wisdom (Satan & his demons)
o Godly Wisdom

3. Earthly or natural wisdom has its limitations.
o It cannot save us (1 Corinthians 1:19-21)
o It can lead to self-glory (Jeremiah 9:23)
o It can pervert (Isaiah 47:10)
o Human wisdom without God is really nothing (Jeremiah 8:9)

4. You can have wisdom and not use it.
How many times in your life have you known what to do, but didn't do it? We are often inclined to do what we want to do, not what we should do. Solomon received wisdom, but He had to apply it to everyday life, and we know there were times when he didn't.
In Proverbs 8:12, we read: "I wisdom dwell with prudence."
Prudence means to have "good sense." A person can have wisdom without good sense. It is also possible for a person to be wise in one area while not wise in other areas.

5. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge.
o Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and data.
o Wisdom is the proper application of the knowledge one has.

6. Wisdom is often portrayed as a woman in Proverbs.
7. The personification of wisdom is none other than Jesus Christ.
o Both wisdom and Jesus:
o are Life
o were in the beginning
o are the companion of God
o were co-creator
o are the bread of life
o are the way
o are the great "I Am"
o claim deity

8. We should strive to obtain wisdom.
o Prerequisites are:
o God is the source
o The fear of the Lord is where gaining wisdom starts.

9. There are 4 ways to gain wisdom.
o Ask God for it (James 1:5)
o The Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15)
o Through other mature Christians (Philippians 4:9)
o Through experiences

Questions, comments & suggestions to John Hoole