April 29th
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NKJV
God’s wisdom is an essential tool we will need to reach freedom from our struggle with sin. If we have been living as a carnal Christian, we are handicapped from gaining God’s wisdom because our carnal self does not know how to receive or connect with God (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Carnal living sets our mind on the flesh, and is a spiritual dead-end. It saps our energy and we find it increasingly difficult to deny our lusts. It even obscures the knowledge we need to walk to freedom from the sin that plagues us. If we really want to break free, we will need God’s help in jettisoning our carnal habits and rediscovering his wisdom for the path to freedom.
We can start by inviting God to help us cast off the carnal self and “put on Jesus.” Putting on Jesus is a way of saying that we will strive to live like Jesus did. God will respond by sending the Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit acts as a counselor, a guide and a teacher. He is literally our own “personal Jesus” living inside of us. He will help us set our minds on God, bringing us life and peace (Romans 8:6). He will reveal God’s wisdom and power to us (1 Corinthians 2:6-10), provided that we seek and pursue it.
God is the true source of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. God actually stores wisdom up for those who live uprightly. Those who pursue it and ask for it will receive it. Those who do not pursue it forfeit untold riches of God’s wisdom. Solomon wrote, “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:1-6 NKJV). Summarizing Solomon’s advice, we can pursue wisdom by:
- Asking God for discernment
- Treasuring God’s commands
- Inclining our ears to wisdom
- Applying our heart to understanding
- Lifting up our voice for understanding
- Seeking wisdom as for silver or hidden treasure
If we sincerely apply ourselves in those ways, we will begin to understand the fear of the Lord, and receive his wisdom.
Wisdom bears wonderful fruit that protects us from the way of evil. We desperately need this protection and deliverance in order to walk in freedom. Solomon wrote, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil” (Proverbs 10:12 NKJV). The “way of evil” is personified in several times in Proverbs 2:13-19, to include:
- A man who speaks perverse things
- Those who leave the paths of righteousness to walk in the ways of darkness
- Those who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perversity of the wicked
- Those whose ways are crooked and devious
- The immoral woman; the seductress who flatters with words, forsakes her husband and marriage
Wisdom will help us avoid these evil paths and stay on the path of righteousness. Pornography is a form of evil that combines several of the above characteristics. It exalts perversity, adultery, fornication and seduction. Wisdom will help us steer clear of porn’s lure and all the thoughts that go with it.
Questions for further thought:
How does pornography corrupt and block God’s wisdom from entering our minds?
How will having a daily quiet time help us in casting off the old self and putting on Jesus?
What are some of our responsibilities concerning wisdom that will help us obtain it? (Proverbs 2:1-6)
Prayer:
Please take some time now in prayer to seek God’s wisdom. A prayer for this is:
“Father God, I confess that I have sinned in many ways and have not sought your wisdom. Please forgive me for my ignorance and callousness toward my sin. Father, I recognize that I need your wisdom to walk to freedom and then maintain that freedom. I commit myself to seeking you each day from this point forward. Help me set aside time to meet with you every day, to read your Word, to pray and to worship you. Lord, please impart to me the wisdom that you have stored for the upright. I receive it now. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”