Spiritual Wisdom

and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:8 ESV

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 cor 2:

Spiritual wisdom is unavailable to unbelievers

John 3:3 ESV

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Spiritual and Mature

1 Corinthians 2:5 ESV

so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:6–7 ESV

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

So then, we must be Trinitarian:

Seeing God as authoritative

Seeing Christ as the lens through which to read scripture

Trusting The Spirit to impart to us our need, and impress on us the law and the gospel as we need

Law -

God isn't tame or safe. True, he is merciful, but his mercy has sharp edges. God judges sin and transforms sinners in a way that often feels as if it is ripping apart our deepest selves.

Simul justus et peccator

Isaiah 58:1 ESV

“Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.

1 John 1:8 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

The duty of teachers

to be the loud trumpet

James 3:1 ESV

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

“I’m not a role model. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” - Charles Barkley 1993

Titus 2:1–5 ESV

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

tit 2:

The sins of God’s people

Isaiah 58:2 ESV

Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.

Isaiah 58:10 ESV

if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

is 58:10

God’s people then, and God’s people now are first required to be true to God, but also supposed to be leading lives of holiness, of purity, seeking justice, serving and protecting our neighbors.

We are failing at these things and must repent. If we say we are not failing, we are blinded by our own pride and idolatry of self and tradition or lineage; no different than Old Testament Israel

Psalm 51:3 ESV

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Romans 7:15 ESV

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:24–25 ESV

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Gospel - Matthew 5

We ARE salt and light; not just becoming

Even though we are in constant need of repentance; yet we can boldly live in the light of God’s forgiveness

v13: You ARE the salt of the earth

v14: You ARE the light of the world

We are free to shine

God is not unaware of our imperfections, but rather has chosen from eternity past to work through and with and in spite of our imperfections to accomplish His purposes.

Exodus 4:1 ESV

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ”

It is true; you are no Moses, but then the capabilities of Moses were NOT the reason for the success of the Exodus.

You are no Moses, but guess what? God is God, and He is the SAME God, so shine!

Do your best, but work for God imperfectly.

Worship imperfectly

Teach imperfectly

Witness imperfectly

Reach out to people imperfectly

Fail for God, but do NOT fail to go for God, because for all in Christ, there is no condemnation!

Reach out to people imperfectly

Your service and ministry rely not on your performance, but on the performance of Christ Jesus who has never failed!

Shining leads to the Glory of God and and the saving of sinners

Matthew 5:16 ESV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Your light; that light that to you seems so dim, is amplified by the lens of Christ through which it shines!

“Well I can’t live up to His standards, so why try?”

because NOBODY can

because your commanded to

because HE is the one who will accomplish great things through you

“I don’t know enough about the Bible to even start, and could never understand it.”

Admitting ignorance is often the first step to great wisdom

That is why you have a pastor and a church family to help you learn and grow as they are doing the same

It is the Holy Spirit who enables understanding, and He is good at what He does

God’s imperfect people letting their lights shine is visible and has an effect… glory is given to God; weak brothers and sisters are strengthened and encouraged; lost sinners see they don’t have what you do and are led to faith for the first time.

May God lead us into maturity and understanding and wisdom together by the ongoing application of His Eternal Law and the Gospel of Jesus.

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