Wisdom

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Wisdom

November 18th, 2014 Ben

1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 NIV

It is the heart of a good father to want so see their child learn wisdom. It is the heart of our Father that we do as well.

The great questions I had growing as a Christian were, how exactly were supposed to live, and why do Christian men do evil when 2 Corinthians 5:17 says it is no longer the nature of a true believer to want to.

As I’ve considered this, I have come to understand that this is indeed what Jesus intended to bring.

Of course, no one can see the Kingdom unless they are born again, but what then? We see the basic pattern laid down in scripture, but no where is there concensus, nor even clear instructions on how to assmemble the pieces of the Gospel once they are recieved. Truly, one can run to and fro and increase in knowledge, but know little in the way of love.

The Jews remarked at Jesus’ superb wisdom. Yet, Proverbs 2 says to seek for Wisdom as buried treasure. Well, if you are ever going to make progress at finding buried treasure, you need two things–a shovel and a map.

Surely, man can stumble upon anything, but, like the Kingdom, there are few who find it. Better to follow the instructions. And, even if you get to the treasure, there is work to do on arriving. Hands for digging are an option, but tools make the job go by fast.

So, if the Gospels are the form of both our shovel and our map, and the Spirit with in will be our light, we can venture in, Beyond the veils, into the thing for which God has hidden and prepared. It is the Glory of God to hid the ark within the tabernacle. It was the glory of the priest to enter in, and seek Him out.

But, if the treasure we seek is the wisdom in which Christ walked, we must expect that the life we live will resemble His. His life, His service, His death. We must be like Him.

Yet, if the Gospels do not contain the teaching that can equip a believer to live as He did, and to be just like Him, then we are at a great loss.

But truly, the Gospels are exactly that. In the military medical school, there was a motto, learn one, do one, teach one. Those who are disciples, make disciples.

But the nature of our find is rare. Jesus said it was the smallest of all seeds, that when fully grown, became the largest of all garden plants. You see, the smallest little thing, the most insignificant little truth, when fully grown and mature, is greater than all others.

That is, the teaching of the Kingdom itself is rather small, when one examines it, but when fully developed, eclipses all others. Looked at another way, the Kingdom is God’s, and learning the Kingdom is merely learning who He is. And, as this is impossible for carnal man, God gave us His Spirit. But, God’s Spirit is not like what we were, and we must learn to walk as He walked. This is the process of sanctification. And, it is the process of losing our own earthly life, and gaining heaven. And, this is to learn to live by the Spirit within.

We are now, then, on the way to our quarry, believe it or not. We have identified this treasure we seek, the Kingdom. It will seem very small, but will actually out-pace them all. But, we know this seed will grow beyond all others.

And, this seed is faith, and it is by the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer (Luke 13:18, 20).So, what is it?

Hebrews 11:1 calls it a substance, and proof. It is having the thing spiritually, even though the natural is not yet seen. Faith is not tomorrow; faith is now.

But, where might we choose to dig?

First, the shovel.

When Peter began to sink, Jesus asked him a question afterwards. He asked, Peter, why did you doubt? Jesus was after something. Jesus knew what was there, but Peter did not. Perhaps it was not until after the rooster that Peter knew what he was made of in himself. But, 50 days later at Pentecost, it was Peter who stood up first and said, “This is that…”, and told the crowd they were seeing the fulfilment of Joel 2:28.

But, Jesus’ question ran directly at Peter’s heart long before. Only Jesus knew what lay ahead, and no answer came from Perer according to the account. Yet, at the root, was fear.

God knows its there, even when we don’t. When we want to do everything we can to cover it up. He knows the condition of His flock.

But, the question probed Peters heart, even if Peter lacked the sight to see.

This is the verdict, that men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. Those who do evil do not come into the light, lest their deeds be exposed. Those who do truth come into the light that it might be plainly seen that what they have done has been done through God.

John 3:19-21

And, so we have the shovel in hand, and we are on our way. What is the shovel? Coming into the light. When God asks a question, He’s after something. When the Pharisees asked a question, they were attempting to ensnare.

And, so, it is simple honesty that brings us to where we need to go. And, we are almost through.

You see, I want to live like Jesus did. Just like Him. Thats the point, really. Why go through all the mess and struggle? Because He’s worthy.

And, so, as we live out our walk, we see se fail at times to live out the sermon on the mount. It is now our map. When we violate it, we must ask that question, Peter, why did you doubt?

It truly is a matter of faith versus fear.

As we probe, we do what Jesus commands. We dig deep to the rock, Luke 6:48. And, when we hit bedrock, Him within, were at the place life is.

And, were at the place of truth. We dont sin, because it isn’t in our nature to sin. We are washed and blameless. We have no reason to fear.

And, as Hebrews 6:1-2 shows, we begin to progress through the foundations of the faith.

As we repent from the works which are dead, our heart is alive to know the faith of God. As faith, that treasure, comes alive and illuminated, it begins to take over our lives. As this comes, God baptizes us with His Holy Spirit.
And, it is at this point we must reflect.

We set out in search of treasure, but, for the believer, the spirit of wisdom and revelation is ours to possess, if we ask. As we as, God takes us through the process of knowing Him within, and being like Him again.

It is through this, that the greatest “by-product” is then produced.