God wants not our obedience but our hearts

Brian and Vicki Barrows

In our August article we explored some aspects of learning to think the way King Jesus does.

One important point dealt with His humility. The main passage we looked at was Chapter 2 of Philippians, which includes this exhortation: “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, … who humbled himself … .” We’ll briefly revisit the topic of humillity toward the end of this article.

Another aspect had to do with the way Jesus sometimes challenged the prevailing wisdom. Let’s also briefly review that topic. The religious culture of the time was focused on keeping a myriad of commandments and regulations. In the Sermon on the Mount, however, Jesus called His disciples to a higher standard.   

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Mere obedience to the law is not really what God is after. He is after our hearts, and He is the only one who can cleanse our hearts and transform us from the inside out through our relationship with Him.

Now let’s consider another characteristic of the mind of Christ, namely wisdom. According to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we have the mind of Christ. Therefore, we can expect His wisdom to come forth through our thoughts, words and actions. And our world desperately needs those who can and will apply His wisdom to the challenging issues confronting us every day. So what else does the Bible say about wisdom?

First, wisdom resides in the Lord and comes from Him. Job 12:13 says, “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His.” Second, He is willing to give it to us. King Solomon asked for wisdom, and God was pleased to give it to him (2 Chronicles 1:10-12). Similarly, in James 1:5-8, we are exhorted to ask for wisdom, and we are promised that the Lord will give it to us generously and without reproach, provided we ask in faith without doubting or being double-minded.

We often equate wisdom with intellect. If someone earns good grades in school, for example, we may assume he has wisdom, but that may or may not be the case. In 1 Kings 10:23-24, we are told that God put wisdom in Solomon’s heart, not in his brain. Wisdom manifested itself in the functioning of his brain, of course, and in his words and actions, but God put it in his heart.

Furthermore, Deuteronomy 34:9 tells us that “Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding because Moses had laid his hands on him.” There is a spirit of wisdom and it can be imparted by the laying on of hands. We see something similar in one of Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1:17, where he says, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Of all the ways in which we benefit from wisdom, perhaps the best is that it enables us to know the Lord better, and obviously His Holy Spirit helps to effect that change.

In addition, wisdom can show up through various skills or abilities. For instance, when God told Moses to establish the priesthood, He gave instructions for building the tabernacle and told Moses what sort of garments the priests should wear. God indicated that the men appointed to make the garments for Aaron had received their abilities from Him. “Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron …” (Exodus 28:3).

We might agree that wisdom is important but wonder how to cultivate more of it. We already mentioned it comes from the Lord and we can ask for it. It is also linked to our reverence for Him. Proverbs 9:10 says this: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Wisdom flows from right relationship with the Lord. As we come to know Him and give Him honor, respect and reverence, He imparts wisdom to us.

Wisdom is also connected to righteousness. “The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just” (Psalms 37:30). We rely not on our own righteousness but on that of Jesus. We seek to please Him because we love Him; wisdom is one of many blessings that result from our union with Him. Akin to this concept is an idea expressed in Psalm 51:6: “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” Obviously the kind of wisdom we need is not superficial. God wants to do a deep work within us. As the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, we bring forth wisdom and truth from the inmost places.

We mentioned above that Jesus walked in humility and that was one aspect of His wisdom. Whereas human reasoning and the ways of the world tell us to promote ourselves and climb the ladder of success, even if it means stepping on someone else’s toes (or head!), Jesus exhorts us with this instead: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Proverbs 11:2 reinforces this concept: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Furthermore, we know that humility is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Another fruit specifically linked to wisdom is patience. “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). As we grow in wisdom (as Jesus did; Luke 2:52) we can expect to become more patient and better able to overlook or forgive any offenses that might crop up in our relationships. These aspects of wisdom enable us to walk in unity, love and freedom.

Let’s close with some thoughts on wisdom and the soul (which encompasses our mind, will and emotions). Consider Proverbs 19:8: “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.” That reminds me of the prayer in 3 John 2, a good place to conclude: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Amen!

(Brian and Vicki Barrows are with Foursquare Church in Havre.)