The Cry of Wisdom

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” James 3:17. “First pure”—this must ring in our ears, from the beginning right to the end of our days. Wisdom cannot be mixed with anything of our own self-interest or our own humanness—it will always come at the expense of self. “First pure”! We must also remain pure with respect to our fleshly relatives. Many people think it is wisdom to make a “peace treaty” with them. Usually the reason a person takes it that way is because he is seriously contaminated by self-seeking. People excuse them­selves by saying we should be peaceable and compliant. But what about this part: “First pure”? For example, a person may be looking for earthly advantages in their employment, but such wisdom does not come from above. It is earthly, sensual and demonic.

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fel­lowship has righteousness with lawlessness, and what com­munion has light with darkness, and what accord has Christ with Belial, or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” 2 Cor. 6:14-15. Also in this area we must be “first pure.” It is pure folly to ask God to bless a mixture like this and believe that because you pray God will make an exception for you. God will never make exceptions for the sake of our selfish interests. That is why the exhortation is so clear in God’s Word: “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be sepa­rate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’” “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 6:17 and 7:1. You cannot grow in wisdom un­less you are faithful to these laws of the Spirit of life!

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowl­edge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it shall be repaid to him?’ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory for­ever. Amen.” Rom. 11:33-36. It is amazing how hidden these ways are for people. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith, but He too, had to walk in faith so that He could attain to all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, even the whole fullness of God. Jesus was humble regarding the will of the Father. That is the only way this work of salvation could take place.

Jesus was the only-begotten Son of God. But He willingly relinquished being like God. What He relinquished was being the sole heir—possessing this glory all by Himself. Jesus wanted brothers—people He could lead to God. So we should ask ourselves: What have I relinquished of my own human rights and possibilities in this world in order to lead people to God? Most of us are wretched according to the flesh. We are among those who are nothing. We definitely did not have many possibilities in this world. But through the church we have been abundantly blessed. We have received good things. We have received good spouses, good children and good friends, for whom we should be thankful and happy. Just on a social level we live a very good life compared to most people here on earth. Yet, my question remains: What have you actu­ally given up for Jesus’ sake? It is a good idea to read 1 Corinthians 9 very frequently. That will help you come to greater self-acknowledgment and understanding. What do you have a right to, and what are you willing to let go of to help people get a life in God? Paul was free from all men, but again and again he says: “I have become . . . .” Why does he repeat this: “Have I not become . . .”? He relinquished these things so he could win as many as possible! He gave up all his rights and interests. Most people hold onto their rights, and they see that as wisdom. But that is the wisdom from below. The wisdom from above can gladly suffer injustice. It does so joyfully. It is easily entreated so that everything has a better outcome.

“For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.” Prov. 1:32. If you are wise in your own eyes, conceited, arrogant and full of your own opinions, you will be destroyed. “Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes . . . .” Prov. 1:24-26.

Wisdom continually cries out its warnings to those who are listening and are willing to be warned. “Turn at my rebuke: surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” Prov. 1:23. To seek your own in any way at all or to be arrogant or wise in your own eyes is pure, unadulter­ated folly. Wisdom is more flexible than all flexibility. It re­ceives advice gladly and doesn’t make demands about who it will receive help from according to high-minded, human thoughts of rank or position.

Wisdom is also reasonable. James 3:17. You can see how unreasonable people can be toward one another. They lay heavy burdens on others that they themselves refuse to touch with even one of their fingers. You must repent from all of this—a really thorough conversion in the depths of your heart. Then spirit and power will come over you, and the eter­nal light will be kindled in your heart. We come into the house of wisdom and are able to serve there for the edification and blessing of mankind. The Spirit of revelation comes to us, and we are filled with high and glorious thoughts from God. Ev­erything here on earth becomes extremely trivial compared to partaking of this wisdom that will stand for all eternity.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowl­edge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Rom. 11:33. By humbling ourselves, we gain an understanding of these ways of wisdom. Jesus lived by the Word He received in His heart from the Father. As He was faithful to the Word, He realized that it was the best thing He could do, and He was anointed with the oil of glad­ness. Therefore He also says in His high-priestly prayer, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:17.

Satan corrupted his wisdom because of his splendor. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.” Ezek. 28:17. The prophet Ezekiel compared Judah with a newborn baby girl whom God saw and took pity on. He de­scribes God’s endless mercy and goodness toward this infant who had no chance of living. “As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling clothes. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’” Ezek. 16:4-6. Later, the prophet describes how God had mercy on her, adorned her and made her famous. He clothed her and made her worthy to be a queen. You would think that a person who had experienced God’s goodness like that would never be able to even conceive of exalting herself, but unfortunately, that was exactly what happened. “Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,’ says the Lord God. ‘But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be.’” Ezek. 16:14-16.

There is something so satanic and ugly about exalting yourself because of the glory or beauty God has given you. Jesus Christ, our Forerunner, went exactly the opposite way. We see this clearly in everything that was written about Him, especially in Philippians 2:5-11: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in ap­pearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedi­ent to the point of death, even the death of the cross. There­fore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on the earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The only way to keep wisdom is through the fear of God. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but also much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Phil. 2:12.

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked . . . .” Rev. 3:17. Even if a person does not say that with his mouth, he can say it in his heart and exalt himself over other people in his spirit. Therefore we need to take words like this seriously to heart.

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” Rev. 2:9. This man was poor in himself, but Jesus said about him that he was rich. It is wisdom to be poor in yourself. That is why Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:3. Jesus can speak to such people. He can guide them and reveal Himself to them. There­fore, those who are poor in spirit—those who can acknowl­edge their own lack—will always have access to the heavenly storehouse. They are wise in truth, and if they remain faithful, the crown of life will be waiting for them.

“I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice . . . .” Prov. 8:20. “Turn at my reproof; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you dis­dained all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your de­struction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not an­swer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the compla­cency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.” Prov. 1:23-33.

This will stand for all eternity: It is impossible to seek your own or seek anything in this world and at the same time re­ceive God’s wisdom! Everyone should take this seriously to heart! We have several examples of this, one being the great prophet Balaam. Because he loved the wages of sorcery, he perished along with God’s enemies. He was not liberated from his own selfish interests, and he did not partake of God’s wisdom.