Let’s open today’s thoughts with a look at Galatians the 5th chapter and 1 Corinthians, chapters 12 and 13, Apostle Paul is speaking about the importance of love… “Charity” from the Greek word “agape” … meaning divine love. In previous thoughts, we have stated and wrote about the Fruit of the Spirit as characteristics of the Holy Spirit. It is very important to note that the Fruit MUST accompany the gifts, as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. As an added note; just as there are the nine Fruit of the Spirit and nine Gifts of the Spirit, there are nine ingredients in divine love. Paul, having emphasized the importance of the gifts, makes plain that they have value only if divine love accompanies them.
Nine Ingredients in Divine Love:
1. PATIENCE – “love suffereth long”.
2. KINDNESS – love is kind. Great men tend to be kind!
3. GENEROSITY – charity envieth not…as stated in Psalm 75:7 It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.
4. HUMILITY – Charity vaunteth, not itself, is not puffed up…the cure for unholy ambition is divine love.
5. COURTESY – is not easily provoked…will keep Christians from discussing the faults of others in a malicious spirit.
6. UNSELFISHNESS – Seeking not her own (Phil. 2:21)
7. GOOD TEMPER – is not easily provoked.
8. THINKETH no evil…in the long run, people who have faith in others will come out the best…when you show confidence in them, they will usually strive to keep faith with that confidence.
9. REJOICETH NOT IN INIQUITY but rejoice in the truth…yes, there must be an emphasis on holiness and the fruit of the Spirit with the return of the gifts to the Church.
IN today’s thoughts, we will discuss the first gift, the Word of Wisdom, within the first classification – The Gifts of Revelation. THE WORD OF WISDOM is supernatural revelation, or insight into the divine acts as to how God Himself does things. It is the application of divine knowledge according to the will of God. The word of wisdom conveys divine instructions to men, and it may be manifested by dreams, visions, audible voices, angels, or by divine utterance in prophecy and tongues and interpretation.
The word of wisdom is revelation concerning things present and future. When any special problem arises that is not covered by God’s written revelation or there are no specific rules to go by, the gift of wisdom should be used in solving the problem. There are numerous problems that come up in church and civil governments that could be easily solved by this gift if men would reverence God enough to seek for it and depend upon the Spirit for the word of wisdom. To better understand the purpose and working of the Spiritual Gift, let us look into the Bible at the moral distinction in defining WISDOM.
Let’s look at three kinds of wisdom, in which all three have this in common: they are dedicated to the use of the best possible means to secure a desired result.
1. Divine (Godly) wisdom – is the best means possible to advance the Kingdom of God for present and future. The wisdom of the spiritual man is opposed to the wisdom of the natural man as stated in:
1 Corinthians 2:6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten (NLT). Wisdom of man places supreme value on the things of this life… On the other hand, Spiritual Wisdom thinks beyond this life. It enables man to make true judgment.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me-the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return (NLT).
2. Human Earthly) natural wisdom – is limited to the interest of the present life. This is the Wisdom of Man that comes from the experience the individual has gathered over the years.
3. Wisdom of Satan, of devils, or wisdom that is employed for distinctly evil purpose. Satan’s wisdom is “earthly, sensual, devilish as stated in: James 3:14-16 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil (NLT).
Wisdom comes from the Greek term (Sophia), which emphasizes ability, skill, and insight…a word of wisdom… a word from God that gives insight and direction. Wisdom comes from the Greek term (Sophia), which emphasizes ability, skill, and insight…a word of wisdom… a word from God that gives insight and direction.
To sum it up…the word of wisdom is the active, supernatural agent through which either spiritual or natural wisdom may be imparted, depending on just what may be the need at the time. When God makes you know that a certain thing is true, that is knowledge, but when he tells you when and how to apply this knowledge, THAT IS WISDOM. The purpose of the Word of Wisdom was to give:
GOD’S WISDOM in creation (Proverbs 8:27)
- WISDOM for craftsmanship, leadership, and everyday problems – Exodus 31:1-5, Deut. 34:9, Matt. 12:4
- WISDOM to guide the Church – 1 Corinthians 12:28 Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages (NLT).
When a man speaks and walks in Godly Wisdom…man cannot resist those things given by the Spirit as stated here in Acts 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke (KJV).
- WISDOM when called before magistrates (kings or government officials in regards to your faith) Matthew 10:18 -19 Matthew 10:18 -19 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time (NLT).
- WISDOM in time of war – 2 Samuel 5:18
- WISDOM to counsel in government affairs – Daniel 2:30
- WISDOM for divine guidance. Psalm 119:105 Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (KJV).
Examples of the use of the Word of Wisdom may be seen in: Wisdom in answering Satan in Luke 4:12 Jesus responded, The Scriptures also say, ‘Do not test the Lord your God (NLT).
Christ’s reply to John the Baptist…Luke 7:21-22 At that very time, he cured many people of their various diseases, and he cast out evil spirits and restored sight to the blind. Then he told John’s disciples, go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard-the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor (NLT).
Christ answers His enemies in John 8:26. I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful (NLT).In
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (NLT).
John 2:22-24 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them because he knew human nature (NLT).
John 4:16-19 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet (NKJV).
Acts 26:16 Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you (NLT).
Acts 27:21-25 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens. You would have avoided all this injury and loss. But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So, take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said (NLT).
James 1:5, If you need wisdom-if you want to know what God wants you to do-ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent you’re asking (NLT).
Proverbs 4:7, Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. (NLT). WISDOM should be one of the gifts fervently sought after… and a MUST in the Christian walk!
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