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The Two Types of Wisdom and Strength

What I am sharing in this post helped me a great deal, I hope it can help you as well.  If you are not a follower of Christ this may sound like foolishness.

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Are you a follower of Christ who seeks wisdom and strength? Wisdom and strength sounds good right?  We are taught to do this by our parents and our teachers from a very young age.  Most of us study and pray and listen to sermons just for this purpose, but…

There are two types of wisdom and strength, there is God’s wisdom and strength and there is fleshly wisdom and strength. How do we tell the difference?

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There is a big difference between the wisdom and strength of God and wisdom and strength “according to the flesh”.  We should not mix the one with the other because we don’t see the difference.  This difference should be thoroughly understood by every follower of Christ.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,…30 But by his doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,” -1 Cor 1:26-27, 30

According to this passage God chooses the foolish and weak and He shames the wise and strong. If we are becoming wise and strong and excellent “according to the flesh” (1 Cor1:26), we are setting ourselves up to be opposed by the Lord.

If you are anything like me the difference between Godly and fleshly wisdom is not always obvious, but there is a clear distinction. We know from the passage above that “Christ Jesus has become to us wisdom from God.”  But from the same passage we also know that God chooses the weak and foolish in order to shame the strong and wise.  There is Jesus-wisdom and there is fleshly-wisdom and these are diametrically opposed to one another.

The fastest and easiest way to tell the difference between fleshly and Godly wisdom (either in yourself or in the advise of others), is to ask the following questions:

  • Are they trying to dominate and compete with others?
  • Am I building or seeking hierarchies putting myself at (or near) the top?
  • Are you or others finding pleasure in out-doing, out-witting, or one-upping others?
  • Am I demanding or trying to see my way (or my vision) and will be done? (even Jesus prayed “not my will but your will be done..”)

Answering yes to these questions suggests a strength and wisdom “according to the flesh”.  I’ve been guilty of walking according to fleshly wisdom, I’ve also heard entire sermons of nothing but boasting in fleshly wisdom and in fleshly strength. God opposes this, we should not pretend to follow or serve God when he is actively opposing or shaming us.

Someone who always gets or is accustomed to getting their way is a menace to what God is doing in the earth.

Gods “wisdom and strength” looks like turning the other cheek when it is struck (Matthew 5:39), it looks like sitting down and letting others speak (Luke 4:20), it looks like giving the coat and the shirt to the guy demanding just the shirt (Matthew 5:40). Gods kingdom, (his ruling presence) is with the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).

We who seek to serve and follow the Lord should know beyond all confusion what God opposes and shames and what ‘he chooses’ and ‘gives the kingdom’ to. There is a big difference and it becomes easy to notice within yourself and others, once understood.

Jesus Christ is our wisdom and strength, no need to mingle and mix him with fleshly strength. He and his wisdom is all we need.

Remember that the world is passing away and its ruler, but at the same time, the kingdom and rule of Jesus Christ is ever increasing and it will never end.

What about you, do you live your life according to fleshly or godly wisdom and strength? Or a little of both?  Please comment below.

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Nine Paradoxes of The Christian Life

The Kingdom of Christ Began in the Midst Of The Satanic Kingdom

Jesus Christ is himself the kingdom of God, whether he is located in heaven or on earth. He began his kingdom here on earth dwelling in his people by and through his Spirit. He did this within and on an earth which was entirely enslaved by death and Satan. Within and among Satan’s domain and kingdom. This fact causes there to be paradoxes that can be confusing if we do not have understanding. An understanding which only comes with knowing Jesus Christ.

Jesus began his kingdom right in the midst of the old Satanic kingdom already in existence. What a brilliant takeover, now we who have Christ within are to trample Satan underfoot as planned in the beginning. The presence of God within Jesus Christ is the presence of the kingdom of God.

The future of everything and everyone…his future is present in his people from every time and age. We are now living in the age after the kingdom has begun but before Satan’s expulsion and death’s final defeat.

For more on this gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ click here or here:

Taking Over

We are living during the expansion of the kingdom of God on earth. Through the ages of time and expansion of the human race. This expansion is hostile and unwelcome and results in spiritual and sometimes physical violence (Matthew 11:12).

There are at least nine paradoxes of the Christian life. Actually there are probably many more than nine but for the sake of a short post I highlight nine. Living within paradox is confusing and so it helps to have understanding.

paradox – (noun) a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Perhaps our confusing existence is one reason Jesus made our top daily priority be ‘seeking the kingdom of God.]

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be added to you” – Jesus

Nine paradoxes of the Christian life:

  1. We are to live by the Life of Christ and we are to die to our own lives. For a Christian, death to the self-life yields the life of Christ on the earth.  (1 Corinthians 15:31)
  2. As we are weakened we are made strong in Christ. (1 Cor 1:27, 2 Cor 12:10)
  3. As we are made poor we are enriched, and we enrich many. (2 Cor 6:10)
  4. We are in the world yet, not of the world. (John 17:16)
  5. Some of us suffer and are persecuted yet we are more than conquerors. (Rom 8:18 and Rom 8:37)
  6. All things, even bad things, in our lives work together for the good of those called to God’s purposes. (Rom 8:28)
  7. Defeat, losing and humility lead to our victory and success.
  8. God and Jesus’ greatest moment of defeat and man’s cruelest moment of sin was at the same moment. The well-planned and greatest victory for them both. (Matt 27:46-64)
  9. Self abasement and servanthood brings greatness not promotion and authority we so often pursue. (Matthew 20:25)

Bonus Paradox: ‘God so loved the world’ vs ‘love not the world’, click here for more on this one.

These paradoxes are mind-blowing to me, what a brilliant and amazing takeover of humanity by Jesus Christ. What seemed like the biggest defeat for Jesus, his killing, was the plan all along. It resulted in the greatest defeat of Satan. What a Lord who saves in the midst of so many paradoxes, what a priceless gift we have in Jesus Christ.

Which paradox is the most amazing to you?

What other paradoxes have you found in scripture?

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Casting Pearls In All the Wrong Places

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I have a bit of a problem, my problem is that I am a bit addicted to casting every pearl of wisdom out to whomever will listen on social media. This however is not what God is doing, this is just me. The Lord teaches me …and I promptly broadcast, I struggle with this almost daily. only about 10% of the things I want to post do I actually post.  I am a recovering pearl caster.

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.  – Jesus Christ in Matt 7:6

In context, if you read a few verses above this the “dogs” and the “swine” are also referred to as “your brother”.  This analogy of dogs and swine seems really harsh to me but it is from the Lord so I accept it. To be fair I think we all do this at different times of life.

According to this verse throwing pearls of wisdom to swine will cause them to do two things, 1) trample the pearls themselves… which is an insulting waste 2) turn at you and tear you to pieces.

Jesus was amazing at living out this concept in his ministry, he taught openly to all while at the same time also concealing his wisdom to some in parables.  He also had circles of closeness, people had to make an effort to get to him, they had to seek him, they had to drop everything and follow him.  He then rewarded their pursuit of him.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

There is an intensity required to press into the things of God. If you want to grow, if you want to know the Lord more deeply, even if you want to understand what the Lord is doing now.

Perhaps this is also true in how we minister, ministry is not just displaying to everyone whatever the Lord is showing you because you have to come up with something to please the people.  Ministry is not just sharing whatever the Lord shows us.  Ministry is doing what the Lord is doing, helping him do through us, acting not autonomously for him but allowing him to act through us.  The Lord is not displaying all of his wisdom and knowledge to anyone and everyone, especially to those hostile to wisdom, in fact he conceals to the hostile and avoids “throwing his pearls to swine”.

My major concern is to never be one of those swine who trample wisdom and tear people apart.

How do you react when you hear people throwing pearls of wisdom?

 

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