GospelNotes.life

Category: Wisdom

  • Wisdom vs Knowledge

    What’s the difference between wisdom and knowledge? There’s the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why” and “how” in every aspect of life. Knowledge is simply knowing “what” something is. Wisdom is knowing what to do with it, why we do the things we do, how to do it and when to do it.

    You can memorize the 10 commandments and know “what” they are. That makes you knowledgeable in them. But you’re not very wise in them if you don’t understand why we follow those commands and how and when to apply them.

    Another simple example I learned is having the knowledge of what a red stoplight is – simply, a red light on a street. But the wisdom in it is to simply know that we apply the brakes and stop at the red light, and why we stop (so other cars from another direction can fairly get through).

    The way the Holy Spirit teaches wisdom is that God has given us all of His wisdom in His bible. If we pray for wisdom (as we are instructed to), we must read that bible of wisdom and load the information into our minds – even if we don’t understand it at first. Then, now that we have that knowledge loaded into our minds, the Holy Spirit will help us understand why those things are the way they are as we meditate on them and work through them logically, and bring it to remembrance in times of need to help us act on that knowledge, giving us wisdom. And as you’re reading the bible over and over again, He will bring to remembrance other scripture that connects with the scripture you’re currently reading, to give you a more complete picture of the concept God is trying to explain. If you pray for wisdom but don’t read the bible full of all His wisdom, don’t expect Him to just download all that wisdom into your mind. He’s freely given us all of it in His bible, and expects us to diligently search Him and His ways out via the word.

  • The Ways of God: The Truth, The Will of God, Fully Pleasing Him, Walking Worthy of Him

    Three different ways of saying the same thing: walking worthy of God, doing His will for you, fully pleasing Him. What are these things?:

    Of God, the:

    1. Knowledge
    2. Wisdom
    3. Ways
    4. Truth
    5. Will

    In:

    1. Faith
      1. Believing the gospel alone for salvation: that Christ died to pay for all your sins, was buried and rose again the third day – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
    2. Character
      1. Exercising godliness (the conduct and character of God) by walking in the Spirit (producing the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7):
        1. Love (patience, kindness, not envying, not boasting, not prideful – humble, not rude, forgives, selfless, not provoked to anger, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in evil, but rather rejoices in what’s good, bears with others, believes others, has hope in all things, endures all things).
        2. Peace.
        3. Joy.
        4. Kindness.
        5. Gentleness.
        6. Patience.
        7. Forbearance.
        8. Longsuffering.
        9. Self control.
        10. Faithfulness.
        11. Goodness.
        12. Forgiveness.
        13. Thankfulness.
      2. Exercising godliness by not doing the following evil spiritual things:
        1. Pride.
        2. Haughtiness.
        3. Headstrong.
        4. Boasting.
        5. Selfishness.
        6. Coveting.
        7. Envying.
        8. Complaining.
        9. Arguing.
        10. Even thinking of doing something evil or wishing it upon others.
        11. Deceitfulness.
        12. Gossiping.
        13. Slandering.
        14. Talking evil of anyone, to their face or behind their back.
        15. Disobedience.
        16. Being untrustworthy.
        17. Traitorous.
        18. Unforgiving.
        19. Unmerciful.
        20. Lewdness.
        21. Anger.
        22. Malice.
        23. Filthy language.
        24. Foolishness.
        25. Joking around.
        26. Sarcasm.
        27. Cynicism.
        28. Heretical.
        29. Blaspheming the name of God.
        30. Unthankful.
        31. Hatred.
    3. Conduct
      1. Exercising godliness by abstaining from sin:
        1. Adultery.
        2. Lust.
        3. Fornication.
        4. Loving money.
        5. Idolatry.
        6. Violence.
        7. Murder.
        8. Stealing.
        9. Lying.
        10. Drunkenness.
        11. Revelries.
    4. Doing good works
      1. Being useful and profitable to others, easing their burdens – bringing them peace and joy.
    5. Using your ministry gifts (whichever you have have been given by the Holy Spirit) to edify others:
      1. Evangelism: saving souls by spreading the gospel.
      2. Shepherding the flock (leading the church) with your wisdom in the things of God.
      3. Encouraging the brethren.
      4. Correcting, teaching and warning the brethren with all gentleness, humility, kindness and patience.
      5. Helping the needy.
      6. Church administrations.
      7. Prayers, supplications and intercessions for all people.
      8. Prophesying: bringing new knowledge and revelation to the body of Christ.
    6. Learning
      1. Reading scripture, giving yourself entirely to it, meditating on it day and night.
      2. Growing in discernment between right and wrong morally, and in the ways of God vs the ways of the world.
    7. Life
      1. Leading a quiet, peaceable life.
      2. Being content with what we have and thankful for all we receive from our Heavenly Father.
      3. Minding our own business.
      4. Working quietly with our own hands so that we may support ourselves and family, and have money to give to those in need.
      5. Waiting patiently on the rapture, or, the end of the Tribulation.

    To do these things, you must commit them to memory over time and exercise yourself daily in them. It’s a lifelong process of growth. The goal, as Paul states in Philippians 3, is to become a perfect man in the ways of Christ (the above things). Run the race as to win the prize (work hard at these things!). Start by memorizing the character of God in point number 2 (Character). The way to view this note is: point number 1 (Faith) is first and foremost – the only requirement for salvation – and all the rest of the points are equal and in no particular order, and are not salvation issues. 

    Further reading:

    For an exhaustive list of the knowledge of God, see the note: The Knowledge and Wisdom of God.