The wisdom of this world

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. 

Primary Text

“Yet when we are among the full-grown (spiritually mature Christians who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a [higher] wisdom (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden); but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world, who are being brought to nought and are doomed to pass away.” 1 Corinthians 2v6 (AMP)

The apostle Paul speaks here of the higher wisdom he has to speak to those who are more spiritually mature as he continues his letter to the church in Corinth. But, he says this higher wisdom is different from the wisdom of this world, or of this age. The wisdom of this world is such that it is fleeting and comes to nothing. James 3v13-17 (NLT) distinguishes between God’s kind of wisdom and that from below. It says “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” Beloved, are you being guided by the wisdom from above or that from below? 

Supplementary Text

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12v1-2 (MSG)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your goodness and Your Word. We present our all to You today as a living sacrifice. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness and pray for wisdom from above. Purge us from every earthly kind of wisdom and please guide us in all we do in Jesus name, amen.