It's my observation that in the realm of Christianity in the U.S., grace is discussed all over the place. It's on the radio, in those 'encouraging daily devotionals', and in sermons both heretical and doctrinally sound. It's not that grace is a bad thing. Indeed, without God's grace toward guilty sinners, we'd all be doomed without hope. Still, I frequently have the overwhelming impression that all the talk about grace is out of balance. Why? The idea of grace is meaningless without an understanding of sin and the law.
To expand on my previous point; if we accept the definition that grace is favor given to the undeserving, then our estimation of the value of grace is determined by the difference between what we get and what we think we deserve. What we get – what God gives us, is essentially a fixed quantity (forgiveness, adoption, heaven, etc.). The variable here is our opinion of what we deserve. If you think that your relation to God is positive or neutral, you will appreciate grace less than someone who understands that our relationship to God is very much in the negative (of course, I'm talking pre-salvation right now). There's a beautiful example of this in Luke 7:36-50. The pharisees gave little regard to Jesus' presence, but this sinner (quite possibly a whore or adulteress given their reactions) showed him love and reverence in the most humble way. The reason for the different attitudes is obvious – the Pharisees had fooled themselves into thinking that they were pretty much OK, but this woman knew that she was a terrible sinner.
This principle holds true for each of us. You won't even begin to appreciate God's grace toward you until you understand the depth of your sin. Of course, this is true of the sinner who needs to repent and be saved, but it is also true for Christians. You see, even though we have a wonderful relationship with God, we have to remember how we got here. It was God who saved us and brought us into this right relationship. While we should rejoice in our new life, we should also never forget the pit that God dragged us out of, because if it weren't for Him, that's where we'd still be. Also consider that your pit is even deeper than you thought, because Christ didn't just die for sins present and past, but also future (as a Christian). In other words, Christ died for you when you were a liar, disobedient, drunkard, cheater, adulterer, etc. But he also died for you when you failed to serve him, when you blasphemed His name by acting in a way inconsistent with your calling, when you failed to love Him with all of your heart, etc.
So how do you gain a better understanding of sin? Romans 3:20 declares, “by the law is the knowledge of sin”. Pretty straightforward, we go to the law. As a side note, we focus on the general moral application of the law, not the sacrificial and governmental aspects. Only the former applies to gentiles (non-Jews). In the law we find that God expects us to love Him with all our heart. We are to love others as we love ourselves. We must not lie, steal, disobey our parents, lust, or covet. A single violation of a single law is enough to condemn you as a sinner (James 2:10). Each and every offense is punishable by hell. Recall, it only took one sin from Adam for God to curse not only mankind, but also the beautiful universe he had just created. I'm guessing you've stored up more than one, or even just a few offenses. It's within reason to estimate the number of sins in an average person's life to be in the hundreds of thousands. Man's justice is so incomplete, but we can still see some parallels. Some of the worst criminals are given multiple life sentences. Can you imagine a criminal who has been convicted of a hundred thousand life sentences? You're a little bit closer to understanding your sin.
Again, I'm not saying we should stay in the past, nor should you re-live your past to the point that you're unnecessarily tempted by old sins. Christian life should be lived in victory, love, and service. However, it does some good to think on where we came from every once in a while. Reflect on God's law, think of every sin that you've committed, try to comprehend the magnitude of your sin, then reflect on the fact that Jesus wiped away every blot with His sacrifice. When you develop a better appreciation for the gospel you will find a greater love for the Lord, a desire to further know Him, and greater motivation to serve.
In conclusion, you must understand sin in order to understand grace. When grace is discussed without also explaining why we need it, the result can only be confusion. An understanding of sin can be found by studying God's law. Occasionally reflecting on our old life of sin can be healthy in order to have a greater appreciation for Christ.
Showing posts with label wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wisdom. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
The Suffering Christian part 1: Why?
It goes without saying that suffering is a part of life. A while back I wrote on this topic in my article "Why do bad things happen?", where I addressed the philosophical argument. Here, I want to focus specifically on suffering as it applies to Christians.
As I began to write on this topic I realized there's much I'd like to say. Therefore, I'll be diving it into two parts. This part will provide an understanding of why we suffer as Christians. The next part, which will hopefully come in the next couple of weeks, will focus on how to deal with suffering on a very practical level, and how to make sure you grow through your suffering.
Why do we suffer?
Let me just start off by saying that if you thought Christians were exempt from suffering, and that Christ was going to give you prosperity and 'your best life now', then you've been sold a lie. We do bear the fruits of the spirit, including joy and peace, but these are often shown most clearly in the midst of terrible circumstances. To put it plainly, history is full of stories of Christians singing joyfully while being burned at the stake or suffering some other terrible end. In reality, we should expect to experience more suffering than others in this life. To follow Jesus is to “deny yourself and take up your cross” and to “lose your life” (Matt. 16:24-25). So, don't fret when you see faithful Christians suffering while the selfish and unrighteous are prospering (read Psalm 73).
OK, so suffering is expected, but why do we suffer in the first place? There are several reasons. I'd like to break them down into categories and deal with each individually.
Chastening – our own fault
This is the most straightforward reason for suffering. If you're a Christian, a true child of God, you should know that he will not let his children stray too far. Hebrews 12 makes it clear that every child of God will endure chastening at some point, because we all need correction. Either you're doing something you shouldn't do or you're neglecting something that you should be doing. Because of this, God is using a heavy hand to attempt to correct you, often through circumstances.
As a general recommendation, I think it's good practice to do some self-examination whenever a trial presents itself. Even if you don't think it's chastening, it's worth it to be sure. Those times when extraordinary circumstances come against you, or you're wondering “why am I sick?”, or things just seem to be going poorly – it might be God trying to get your attention. Whenever you have those feelings, take a few moments to examine your life. Are you flirting with sin? Have you shamed Christ with your testimony? Have you failed to take a stand by confronting error or preaching the gospel? Pray for God to help you see your failures.
If you examine yourself and find some kind of sin issue, that's likely (but not always) the issue. This is why I discussed chastening first – because our sin should be the first thing we deal with. Failure to respond to chastening and deal with sin can cause continued sickness and even death, as seen in 1 Cor. 11:27-34.
So you find yourself in the midst of suffering due to chastening, what do you do? It's pretty simple. The purpose of chastening is to get you to turn from unrighteousness to righteousness (Heb. 12:11). Repent of whatever sin has ensnared you. There may still be lasting consequences, but the quicker you come to your senses and repent, the better off you'll be.
Suffering for Christ's sake
Persecution is the easiest kind of suffering to endure. This is not to say that it is any less painful, but knowing that the Lord is greatly pleased with us allows us to walk through the fire with a smile. Scripture heaps blessing on those who suffer for Christ's sake (Matt. 5:10-12).
If I may go off on a brief tangent here, In Scripture we see that persecution is expected to be fairly common (Peter 4:12), but it's pretty rare here in America. Why? Isn't there a spiritual war going on? Aren't we salt and light in a dark world? For the most part, no. Churches and Christians have spent most of their energy being cool and looking like the world, instead standing in opposition to the world and preaching the gospel. Most of this is just fake Christianity, but I know there are genuine Christians that get caught up in it too. If you've never faced hardship for your faith, you should ask yourself why.
Serious persecution doesn't really happen in America. I've had a few people get upset and nearly punch me, but that's about it. If you're living a faithful Christian life, which includes sharing the gospel with the lost, you'll have people “say all manner of evil against you falsely”. You'll lose friends, not only friends who are lost, but also “Christians” who are convicted by someone who takes Scripture seriously. In fact, I can guarantee that most of your hardships will come from the “Christian” crowd. They want an easy, feel-good, rock n roll kind of religion. If you come along talking about sin, holiness, repentance, and genuine discipleship, they'll do anything they can to marginalize you. Don't be discouraged when this happens. Stay true to Scripture and recognize that the fake Christianity that you're fighting is Satan's greatest stronghold in America.
Suffering without a clear purpose
What about the times when you're not suffering because of chastening, nor from persecution? Maybe you've endured serious illness, or poverty, or the death of a loved one. These are the times when you want to know “why?”. I'm not going to lie, there's no magic answer to this. It comes down to trusting God and understanding that he is working out a “big picture” that we can't even begin to imagine.
Romans 8:18-28 says much on this topic. First off, we recognize that the whole creation groans in pain, waiting for redemption. This means that until God puts us in new bodies on the new Earth, it's just a fact of life that we're going to be experiencing pain and suffering as a result of living in a sin-cursed world. All we can do is wait and hope, allowing the pain to cause us to look forward to Christ's return. Yet, we are not left completely clueless. Rom. 8:28 says all things work together for our good. How so?
First, recognize that there may be a lot more going on than you realize. God may be using your condition to impact others in ways that you'll only know much later, if ever. Something kind of like this happens in John 9. At the beginning of the chapter, the disciples ask why a certain man was born blind, assuming it was a punishment for sin (v.2). Jesus corrected them, saying that it was not because of sin, but so that Jesus could perform the miracle of healing him (v.3). This man suffered his whole life from blindness, forcing him to beg. It must have seemed so pointless to him. Then, as a result of his healing, we see a demonstration of God's power, and this man becomes a bold witness, even standing up to the Pharisees (v. 30-34). None of this would have happened unless he was blind to begin with. There are other Biblical examples of this principle (such as the raising of Lazarus), but I think this is the most clear. So, again, even though we might not see any immediate purpose, you can trust God to work things out. What if, through your suffering, someone comes to salvation? Would that not be worth it?
Second, suffering is often used to develop your character and your faith. This idea is found throughout the Bible (Isa. 48:10, Prov. 17:3, Rom. 5:3, James 1:2-12) Think about it, even the captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings (Heb. 2:10). This is not just talking about the cross. Isaiah 53:3 says Jesus was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”. We see this played out in the gospels. Jesus was a wandering preacher with no place to call his home. He was constantly hated and misunderstood. The people that he deeply loved and wanted to save hated him and tried to kill him on several occasions. Eventually he was betrayed by one of his closest friends, and his other friends scattered. This was the life of God's Son. So, it should come as no shock that God would use trials to perfect us as well.
Conclusion
I hope this helps to bring a little more perspective to those who are suffering various trials. Always remember to first do a self-examination when a trial comes along to see if it is chastening. If it's not, comfort yourself in Scripture and remember that God is using this trial to accomplish something, even if you don't know what that is. I can't stress enough the importance of being in the Scriptures daily, especially during a trial. Next time, I'll go through some practical ways to stay patient through suffering and to make sure you're growing as much as you can through it.
Why do we suffer?
Let me just start off by saying that if you thought Christians were exempt from suffering, and that Christ was going to give you prosperity and 'your best life now', then you've been sold a lie. We do bear the fruits of the spirit, including joy and peace, but these are often shown most clearly in the midst of terrible circumstances. To put it plainly, history is full of stories of Christians singing joyfully while being burned at the stake or suffering some other terrible end. In reality, we should expect to experience more suffering than others in this life. To follow Jesus is to “deny yourself and take up your cross” and to “lose your life” (Matt. 16:24-25). So, don't fret when you see faithful Christians suffering while the selfish and unrighteous are prospering (read Psalm 73).
OK, so suffering is expected, but why do we suffer in the first place? There are several reasons. I'd like to break them down into categories and deal with each individually.
Chastening – our own fault
This is the most straightforward reason for suffering. If you're a Christian, a true child of God, you should know that he will not let his children stray too far. Hebrews 12 makes it clear that every child of God will endure chastening at some point, because we all need correction. Either you're doing something you shouldn't do or you're neglecting something that you should be doing. Because of this, God is using a heavy hand to attempt to correct you, often through circumstances.
As a general recommendation, I think it's good practice to do some self-examination whenever a trial presents itself. Even if you don't think it's chastening, it's worth it to be sure. Those times when extraordinary circumstances come against you, or you're wondering “why am I sick?”, or things just seem to be going poorly – it might be God trying to get your attention. Whenever you have those feelings, take a few moments to examine your life. Are you flirting with sin? Have you shamed Christ with your testimony? Have you failed to take a stand by confronting error or preaching the gospel? Pray for God to help you see your failures.
If you examine yourself and find some kind of sin issue, that's likely (but not always) the issue. This is why I discussed chastening first – because our sin should be the first thing we deal with. Failure to respond to chastening and deal with sin can cause continued sickness and even death, as seen in 1 Cor. 11:27-34.
So you find yourself in the midst of suffering due to chastening, what do you do? It's pretty simple. The purpose of chastening is to get you to turn from unrighteousness to righteousness (Heb. 12:11). Repent of whatever sin has ensnared you. There may still be lasting consequences, but the quicker you come to your senses and repent, the better off you'll be.
Suffering for Christ's sake
Persecution is the easiest kind of suffering to endure. This is not to say that it is any less painful, but knowing that the Lord is greatly pleased with us allows us to walk through the fire with a smile. Scripture heaps blessing on those who suffer for Christ's sake (Matt. 5:10-12).
If I may go off on a brief tangent here, In Scripture we see that persecution is expected to be fairly common (Peter 4:12), but it's pretty rare here in America. Why? Isn't there a spiritual war going on? Aren't we salt and light in a dark world? For the most part, no. Churches and Christians have spent most of their energy being cool and looking like the world, instead standing in opposition to the world and preaching the gospel. Most of this is just fake Christianity, but I know there are genuine Christians that get caught up in it too. If you've never faced hardship for your faith, you should ask yourself why.
Serious persecution doesn't really happen in America. I've had a few people get upset and nearly punch me, but that's about it. If you're living a faithful Christian life, which includes sharing the gospel with the lost, you'll have people “say all manner of evil against you falsely”. You'll lose friends, not only friends who are lost, but also “Christians” who are convicted by someone who takes Scripture seriously. In fact, I can guarantee that most of your hardships will come from the “Christian” crowd. They want an easy, feel-good, rock n roll kind of religion. If you come along talking about sin, holiness, repentance, and genuine discipleship, they'll do anything they can to marginalize you. Don't be discouraged when this happens. Stay true to Scripture and recognize that the fake Christianity that you're fighting is Satan's greatest stronghold in America.
Suffering without a clear purpose
What about the times when you're not suffering because of chastening, nor from persecution? Maybe you've endured serious illness, or poverty, or the death of a loved one. These are the times when you want to know “why?”. I'm not going to lie, there's no magic answer to this. It comes down to trusting God and understanding that he is working out a “big picture” that we can't even begin to imagine.
Romans 8:18-28 says much on this topic. First off, we recognize that the whole creation groans in pain, waiting for redemption. This means that until God puts us in new bodies on the new Earth, it's just a fact of life that we're going to be experiencing pain and suffering as a result of living in a sin-cursed world. All we can do is wait and hope, allowing the pain to cause us to look forward to Christ's return. Yet, we are not left completely clueless. Rom. 8:28 says all things work together for our good. How so?
First, recognize that there may be a lot more going on than you realize. God may be using your condition to impact others in ways that you'll only know much later, if ever. Something kind of like this happens in John 9. At the beginning of the chapter, the disciples ask why a certain man was born blind, assuming it was a punishment for sin (v.2). Jesus corrected them, saying that it was not because of sin, but so that Jesus could perform the miracle of healing him (v.3). This man suffered his whole life from blindness, forcing him to beg. It must have seemed so pointless to him. Then, as a result of his healing, we see a demonstration of God's power, and this man becomes a bold witness, even standing up to the Pharisees (v. 30-34). None of this would have happened unless he was blind to begin with. There are other Biblical examples of this principle (such as the raising of Lazarus), but I think this is the most clear. So, again, even though we might not see any immediate purpose, you can trust God to work things out. What if, through your suffering, someone comes to salvation? Would that not be worth it?
Second, suffering is often used to develop your character and your faith. This idea is found throughout the Bible (Isa. 48:10, Prov. 17:3, Rom. 5:3, James 1:2-12) Think about it, even the captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings (Heb. 2:10). This is not just talking about the cross. Isaiah 53:3 says Jesus was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”. We see this played out in the gospels. Jesus was a wandering preacher with no place to call his home. He was constantly hated and misunderstood. The people that he deeply loved and wanted to save hated him and tried to kill him on several occasions. Eventually he was betrayed by one of his closest friends, and his other friends scattered. This was the life of God's Son. So, it should come as no shock that God would use trials to perfect us as well.
Conclusion
I hope this helps to bring a little more perspective to those who are suffering various trials. Always remember to first do a self-examination when a trial comes along to see if it is chastening. If it's not, comfort yourself in Scripture and remember that God is using this trial to accomplish something, even if you don't know what that is. I can't stress enough the importance of being in the Scriptures daily, especially during a trial. Next time, I'll go through some practical ways to stay patient through suffering and to make sure you're growing as much as you can through it.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Christians need wisdom!
In this post I plan to tackle a subtle, but important point relevant to Christian living. Specifically, what role does wisdom have in our lives? How do we make decisions? Should we be worried about the “wisdom of the world”? As with many of my posts, my motivation for writing here comes from personal experience. I have run into too many Christians who act and speak foolishly and who refuse to learn, who are so afraid of “the wisdom of man” that they dive into folly. Even worse, I've observed “shepherds” who seem to encourage this fear of wisdom to keep the sheep in line. It's hard to describe in detail all the ways in which this thinking has weakened Christians. Let me start by using a fictional (but all too familiar) story to illustrate my point.
Hank is a bright high school senior. With graduation coming up, he's trying to decide what to do with his life. Hank was saved about a year ago and genuinely wants to please the Lord in everything. Hank has always loved working on cars, and there aren't any good mechanics in his town, so he's looking to become a mechanic. One day Hank discusses his future with his pastor, who warns him that although according to the wisdom of the world, becoming a mechanic would make sense, he should pray a lot about it, “lean not on your own understanding...and who knows, you might even be called to preach”. Hank agrees to do some serious prayer, but doesn't initially think that he'd ever be a pastor. Sure, he has grown spiritually by leaps and bounds since his salvation, but he has never considered being a pastor himself.
Over the next few weeks, Hanks prays much about his career choice. With consistent nudging and whispering from people around him, Hank starts to believe that these things are an answer to his prayer, that God is telling him to go into ministry. Hank has heard that you need a 'calling' to be a pastor, so this must be it. He doesn't know why, he just feels it emotionally (it's not hard to get those feelings when several men you respect are nudging you along with your ego). Hank goes on to seminary (which is, ironically, modeled after the world's education system.) and graduates with no job in ministry, despite a lot of looking. Hank is sure this must be a trial from the Lord. He struggles financially for years, working whatever job he can to make ends meet. Finally, he finds a job as an assistant pastor, then graduates to a full pastorate where he teaches other young men to make decisions in the same way that he did so many years ago.
Making decisions with wisdom
I've written already on the problems with the seminary system and modern church polity, so in this story I'd like to focus on the way decisions are made, and again, this question of wisdom. This story illustrates how, in most churches, the decision-making process has been hyper-spiritualized and feelings/nudges/promptings are held as the authority above common reasoning. I'm not saying that the Lord doesn't direct us, but that he directs us unequivocally. Most of the time this direction takes the form of wisdom. As James says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). This doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit will immediately make you smart, but in my experience, this typically occurs by the Holy Spirit bringing passages to mind.
And how are we to make decisions? Not looking for nudges, promptings and feelings, but with wisdom that is informed by Scripture! “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit” (Prov. 14:8) and again, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105) We are supposed to understand our path and scripture is intended to be a guide for us. If your path is darkened, it may be because you have neglected your lamp. “But what about decisions related to your job, relationships, etc. You know, stuff the Bible doesn't talk about?” Are you kidding? The Bible addresses every area of life! Of course, it doesn't cover everything in complete detail, but provides enough direction that you can use a little wisdom and apply the instructions to any situation. Herein lies the problem: many Christians lack the wisdom to apply Biblical admonitions to real-world situations.
This wisdom does not come by osmosis or a half-hearted search. “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” In other words, don't expect to be wise if you're just doing your 'daily bread' devotionals. If you want wisdom, you must separate yourself from distractions and intentionally seek it as a pattern of life. The first step is to really desire wisdom, to value it above any money or treasure. This is easy once you realize how important it is. A foolish servant is of no use to his master, but can actually be a burden. How can a man without understanding please the Lord? Also notice that the call to wisdom in Proverbs is intended for all men, not just some special class (Prov. 1:20-24). In other words, if you're a Christian, you should be doing this, not relying on your 'clergy' to carry you. There are 2 books of the Bible specifically devoted to the topic and it is discussed in many other books as well, so I can guarantee it's important!
How do I avoid 'the wisdom of man'?
What about this matter of man's wisdom? We see in the first three chapters of 1 Corinth. That we are not to rest in the wisdom of the world. So, what exactly is 'good' wisdom and what is 'bad'? There are only a handful of passages that make a distinction about wisdom – either God's or man's, but from what I can tell, it seems that when the distinction is made, the Bible is talking about wisdom informed by a particular worldview. For example, in Prov. 23:4 laboring to get rich is identified as man's wisdom. Well, if you had a naturalist/materialist worldview...then laboring to get rich would make sense for maximizing your enjoyment in this life, it'd be wise. With a Christian worldview, we realize that trying to get rich is a bad goal, that we should lay up treasure in heaven and use our wealth to further the gospel, not to spend on our lusts. Not only does Scripture tell us this, but it just makes sense once you have the Christian worldview. Taking this perspective, the first few chapters of 1 Corinth. are easy to reconcile with the rest of Scripture. The “wisdom of man” is not a boogeyman that will bite the Christian who studies too hard, but it is the result of trying to obtain wisdom by starting from a worldview that rejects God.
Let's drive the point home by looking at some other passages. In 1 Corinth. 1:17-31 Paul blasts the wisdom of the world and says that God has chosen to work through foolishness, but is careful to point out that these things aren't actually foolish, but only seem so to the world (ie a person with a worldview that rejects God). We see this in v.34-35.
What about Proverbs 3:5-7? This verse is often used to support the idea that we should not use our own wisdom when making a decision. However, that idea contradicts the rest of the book. Instead, this passage is better understood as an admonition for the student of wisdom to have a Bibilical worldview. Of course I'm paraphrasing here, but read the passage both ways and you'll see what I mean.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have shown that wisdom is critically important for Christians. A lack or misunderstanding of wisdom is most dangerously shown in the hyper-spiritualization of otherwise obvious decisions. This corruption of the decision making process leaves Christians vulnerable to poor life choices and false doctrines that are emotionally satisfying. I've also explained the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God, showing that a Christian grounded in a Biblical worldview can give themselves to a search for understanding and wisdom without fear of somehow mysteriously being infected with the 'wisdom of man'. Therefore, I strongly encourage everyone to diligently pursue wisdom. “Get wisdom, get understanding...wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:5-7)
Hank is a bright high school senior. With graduation coming up, he's trying to decide what to do with his life. Hank was saved about a year ago and genuinely wants to please the Lord in everything. Hank has always loved working on cars, and there aren't any good mechanics in his town, so he's looking to become a mechanic. One day Hank discusses his future with his pastor, who warns him that although according to the wisdom of the world, becoming a mechanic would make sense, he should pray a lot about it, “lean not on your own understanding...and who knows, you might even be called to preach”. Hank agrees to do some serious prayer, but doesn't initially think that he'd ever be a pastor. Sure, he has grown spiritually by leaps and bounds since his salvation, but he has never considered being a pastor himself.
Over the next few weeks, Hanks prays much about his career choice. With consistent nudging and whispering from people around him, Hank starts to believe that these things are an answer to his prayer, that God is telling him to go into ministry. Hank has heard that you need a 'calling' to be a pastor, so this must be it. He doesn't know why, he just feels it emotionally (it's not hard to get those feelings when several men you respect are nudging you along with your ego). Hank goes on to seminary (which is, ironically, modeled after the world's education system.) and graduates with no job in ministry, despite a lot of looking. Hank is sure this must be a trial from the Lord. He struggles financially for years, working whatever job he can to make ends meet. Finally, he finds a job as an assistant pastor, then graduates to a full pastorate where he teaches other young men to make decisions in the same way that he did so many years ago.
Making decisions with wisdom
I've written already on the problems with the seminary system and modern church polity, so in this story I'd like to focus on the way decisions are made, and again, this question of wisdom. This story illustrates how, in most churches, the decision-making process has been hyper-spiritualized and feelings/nudges/promptings are held as the authority above common reasoning. I'm not saying that the Lord doesn't direct us, but that he directs us unequivocally. Most of the time this direction takes the form of wisdom. As James says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). This doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit will immediately make you smart, but in my experience, this typically occurs by the Holy Spirit bringing passages to mind.
And how are we to make decisions? Not looking for nudges, promptings and feelings, but with wisdom that is informed by Scripture! “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit” (Prov. 14:8) and again, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105) We are supposed to understand our path and scripture is intended to be a guide for us. If your path is darkened, it may be because you have neglected your lamp. “But what about decisions related to your job, relationships, etc. You know, stuff the Bible doesn't talk about?” Are you kidding? The Bible addresses every area of life! Of course, it doesn't cover everything in complete detail, but provides enough direction that you can use a little wisdom and apply the instructions to any situation. Herein lies the problem: many Christians lack the wisdom to apply Biblical admonitions to real-world situations.
This wisdom does not come by osmosis or a half-hearted search. “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” In other words, don't expect to be wise if you're just doing your 'daily bread' devotionals. If you want wisdom, you must separate yourself from distractions and intentionally seek it as a pattern of life. The first step is to really desire wisdom, to value it above any money or treasure. This is easy once you realize how important it is. A foolish servant is of no use to his master, but can actually be a burden. How can a man without understanding please the Lord? Also notice that the call to wisdom in Proverbs is intended for all men, not just some special class (Prov. 1:20-24). In other words, if you're a Christian, you should be doing this, not relying on your 'clergy' to carry you. There are 2 books of the Bible specifically devoted to the topic and it is discussed in many other books as well, so I can guarantee it's important!
How do I avoid 'the wisdom of man'?
What about this matter of man's wisdom? We see in the first three chapters of 1 Corinth. That we are not to rest in the wisdom of the world. So, what exactly is 'good' wisdom and what is 'bad'? There are only a handful of passages that make a distinction about wisdom – either God's or man's, but from what I can tell, it seems that when the distinction is made, the Bible is talking about wisdom informed by a particular worldview. For example, in Prov. 23:4 laboring to get rich is identified as man's wisdom. Well, if you had a naturalist/materialist worldview...then laboring to get rich would make sense for maximizing your enjoyment in this life, it'd be wise. With a Christian worldview, we realize that trying to get rich is a bad goal, that we should lay up treasure in heaven and use our wealth to further the gospel, not to spend on our lusts. Not only does Scripture tell us this, but it just makes sense once you have the Christian worldview. Taking this perspective, the first few chapters of 1 Corinth. are easy to reconcile with the rest of Scripture. The “wisdom of man” is not a boogeyman that will bite the Christian who studies too hard, but it is the result of trying to obtain wisdom by starting from a worldview that rejects God.
Let's drive the point home by looking at some other passages. In 1 Corinth. 1:17-31 Paul blasts the wisdom of the world and says that God has chosen to work through foolishness, but is careful to point out that these things aren't actually foolish, but only seem so to the world (ie a person with a worldview that rejects God). We see this in v.34-35.
What about Proverbs 3:5-7? This verse is often used to support the idea that we should not use our own wisdom when making a decision. However, that idea contradicts the rest of the book. Instead, this passage is better understood as an admonition for the student of wisdom to have a Bibilical worldview. Of course I'm paraphrasing here, but read the passage both ways and you'll see what I mean.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have shown that wisdom is critically important for Christians. A lack or misunderstanding of wisdom is most dangerously shown in the hyper-spiritualization of otherwise obvious decisions. This corruption of the decision making process leaves Christians vulnerable to poor life choices and false doctrines that are emotionally satisfying. I've also explained the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God, showing that a Christian grounded in a Biblical worldview can give themselves to a search for understanding and wisdom without fear of somehow mysteriously being infected with the 'wisdom of man'. Therefore, I strongly encourage everyone to diligently pursue wisdom. “Get wisdom, get understanding...wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:5-7)
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