March 2025 – Wisdom From the Word

Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding

I would like you to join me in exploring Colossians 1:9.

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Colossians 1:9 (NKJV)

Here Paul’s prayer is that the believers in Colosse, and by extension us, would be ‘filled with the knowledge of His will.’ That is, that the priority in our lives would be knowing, and of course walking in, His will. Paul’s prayer comes with a qualifier.

The qualifier is in the latter part of the verse. The NKJV presents this latter part as ‘wisdom and spiritual understanding.’ In Greek it is literally written as ‘wisdom and understanding spiritual.’ Of our many modern translations some have it as wisdom and spiritual understanding and others as spiritual wisdom and understanding.

I believe wisdom and spiritual understanding is an accurate rendering of the Greek text because there is both natural and spiritual wisdom and natural and spiritual understanding, here Paul seems to be trying communicate the importance of both. This is similar to his language in 1 Corinthians where Paul connects the natural and the spiritual realms.

⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:46–49 (NKJV)

We have all likely heard the expression that someone is ‘so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.’ The converse being the danger of being ‘so earthly minded they are no heavenly good.’

Neither of the above positions is correct. We need both natural and spiritual wisdom and understanding. We need to learn to discern what to do by looking around and we need to draw on wisdom from heaven to walk wisely and uprightly before Him. In terms of practical wisdom Proverbs is dedicated to the practical understanding and use of wisdom. Proverbs highlights the importance of developing practical wisdom, understanding and knowledge anchored in the fear of Yahweh (Proverbs 1:7).

Spiritual understanding, the kind Paul referenced in Colossians 1:9, comes from a different place. It comes from cultivating a sensitivity to the Spirit and learning to follow His leading. We need both, we may for example learn from Proverbs how to behave wisely in business dealings with others. Yet a deal can look good and we have a sense in our spirit that something is simply not right so we choose not to enter into the deal. This is spiritual understanding. The same application could be made in terms of how to navigate relationships in or outside the body of Christ. In light of this let’s seek to marry practical wisdom and spiritual understanding in our walk with Jesus.

Spiritual Opposition

Here we take a look at how we walk through deep spiritual waters. I last wrote about how Yahweh hides things for us rather than from us. An aspect of that is how the spiritual realm affects the natural realm. There is more in the spirit realm than simply the Father, Son, Spirit and a few angels. The heavenlies are filled with various spiritual creatures and not all of them are good. When it comes to how spiritual opposition functions Paul lays some of it out for us in Ephesians 6.

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10–13 (NKJV)

While Paul tells us in some detail how living in and out of Ephesians 6 brings victory, in Thessalonians he also addresses the impact of this spiritual opposition.

¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you – even I, Paul, time and again – but Satan hindered us. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 (NKJV)

We know from these two passages that as believers we are in a spiritual battle and that this battle can derail what He has called us to do. Paul also warned the Corinthians about spiritual deception.

³ But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (NKJV)

We see here that Satan’s tactics can not only hinder our activity for the kingdom, they can also raise up opposition against us through people who seek to lead God’s people astray. Which means we need to learn how to walk in both natural and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9). wisdom

From a purely spiritual perspective, I don’t know if you have experienced this. Some decades ago, I was the interim pastor of a small country church. I lived about twenty minutes away in another county. I would be in the church office trying to prepare a sermon, nothing would come, the scriptures didn’t make a lot of sense. Yet more than once when driving home, around where I crossed the border into the county where I lived, I would receive a download of information for my sermon. At times I would pull over on the highway and write down notes as ideas came flooding in. The sermons themselves were generally easy to deliver but there was a spiritual battle in the area of preparation. Satan sought to hinder me.

In a similar vein when I worked in the social services field and would drive from our country acreage to the city for work, at times I would feel the weight of spiritual oppression as I reached the outskirts of the city. For me these issues highlight the need for spiritual awareness on our part as we seek to walk in obedience and extend the kingdom.

Another example from my life is at times feeling a generalized spiritual heaviness and a sense of malaise. To deal with these issues I learned to engage in worship and as I did so the heaviness would lift over time. Isaiah referred to this as the ‘garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’

³ To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

Now we look at what to do with these examples. The commonality in them is the need to first discern the problem, recognize that it is spiritual opposition, then engage in prayer/spiritual warfare/worship to achieve a breakthrough. Part of the battle is understanding what took place at our conversion. In Colossians 1 when Paul lets the believers in Colosse know he is praying for them to know and be filled with the Father’s will in all ‘wisdom and spiritual understanding’ he then talks about how they have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. To achieve victory, we need to know who He, who we are, and what took place at our conversion. Applying these truths helps you to walk in victory over spiritual opposition, so apply them!

Hidden for Us

An idea that has become popular in recent years is that God doesn’t hide things from us, He hides things for us. It comes from Proverbs.

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2 (NKJV)

In light of this idea, I am going to talk about something hidden in plain sight. Some of us likely grew up singing the song ‘We are Climbing Jacob’s ladder.’ Though I am sure Calvinists would have avoided it as it promotes a works-based salvation! That aside, let’s look at the various ways we encounter and understand Jacob’s Ladder in scripture. Our first and only explicit reference is in Genesis 28. After Jacob deceived Esau, he was sent away by Isaac to seek a wife from among the extended family in Haran. Verses 10-19 of Genesis 28 describe Jacob’s dream encounter with Yahweh. Jacob lays down to sleep and has a dream of a ladder from earth to heaven and sees angels ascending and descending on it. Yahweh is standing above it and speaks to Jacob and reaffirms the covenant He made with Abraham and Isaac. In the dream Jacob sees the following.

¹² Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Genesis 28:12-13

In the morning Jacob realizes that He had slept in a place where Yahweh could be encountered, a place of access to, and encounter with, heaven. Following this realization Jacob names the place Bethel (House of God). As we move forward to the Gospels, we find this place of access and encounter described again by none other than Jesus! This takes place as Jesus calls his first few disciples.

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” John 1:49–51 (NKJV)

Jesus is saying to Nathaniel, I am the living Bethel, the living house of God, the place of access and encounter. I doubt that Nathaniel received the full import of what Jesus said at the time, though he was the first of the disciples to recognize Jesus as the Son of God and promised Messiah king.

Now, other than being an interesting insight into scripture, how does this apply to you and me? We need to recognize that not only is Jesus our way of access to bridge the gap between heaven and earth, we need to look at how we do this. Scripture does tell us. We begin in Romans then move to Hebrews.

¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1–2 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14–16 (NKJV)

The point of these two passages is that as the true ladder to heaven, Jesus is our point of entry and we access the throne of grace through placing our faith in what He has done and continue to trust in the efficacy of what He accomplished through the cross and His resurrection.

The writer of Hebrews makes another important point about our access to the throne of grace.

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, Hebrews 10:19–20 (NKJV)

The contrast here is between the old way of animal sacrifices and rituals and the new way, the once for all efficacy of Jesus sacrifice.

Now, I am confident that most of you reading this know how to use Jacob’s ladder, how to come to the throne of grace through confidence in Jesus’ sacrifice. However, the issue isn’t whether we know how, it is whether through Jesus we are daily coming boldly to the throne of grace in agreement with His heart to see things change here – “Your king come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”

The Spirit of Prophecy

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the idea of prophecy as a spiritual gift. I will provide a brief overview for you as to how it is used and taught in the New Testament. It is something we see practiced in Acts and taught on in 1 Corinthians. In Acts 13 where the Spirit speaks through one or more the those ministering to the Lord and fasting Paul and Barnabas are commissioned into their apostolic ministries (Acts 13:1-3). In Acts 21:9 we are told that Phillip had four daughters who prophesied. Paul lists prophecy as gift of the Spirit, (1 Corinthians 12:10) and in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 he highlights the importance of the gift then in 14:31 says we can ‘all prophesy.’ In Acts 11:27-30 Agabus via the spirit of prophecy predicts a famine which leads the church to practical action. In Acts 21:10-11 Agabus prophetically warns of what will happen to Paul if he continues his journey to Jerusalem.

The above examples show you how prophecy is used to release and commission as well as warn and prepare. In these examples prophecy is used to build up the body of Christ. Prophecy has been described as ‘God’s mind for the moment.’ It is a good definition of how He speaks to prepare or direct us as needed in differing circumstances (He also uses dreams and visions). In general, prophetic words from the Spirit are given for the following purposes.

³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 1 Corinthians 14:3 (NKJV)

Prophecy is given to strengthen, guide and encourage the body.

As it relates to popular modern practices you may be familiar with the numerous internet prophets and those who provide a ‘word from the Lord’ at the beginning on each new year. On the surface a good thing. Yet upon examination, the majority of those who release these prophecies, are mostly wrong and much of what they release can be discerned by following the news. This is not what the scriptures focus on in terms of the gift of prophecy. The gifts are to be exercised in the context of the body of Christ and subject to examination by other members of the body, not used as a platform to draw people and resources to the ‘prophet.’

I am not saying this to discount prophecy, I deeply value and appreciate the gift and think we need it in every season of the church. However, I think when exercising the gift you need guidelines. Not surprisingly scripture does provide sound guidelines for the exercise of spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul presents love as the motivation for the exercise of any spiritual gift, then in 1 Corinthians 14 he moves from highlighting motivation to looking at the actual exercise of the gifts in general and prophesy in particular.

²⁶ How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. ³⁰ But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:26–33 (NKJV)

In the passage above Paul shows how the exercise of prophesy is for the edification of the body, is to be exercised with restraint, and subject to discernment by the rest of the body. You may be wondering why I am writing about this. First because I believe He placed it on my heart. Secondly the Spirit gives these gifts because we need them. I am aware that sadly many in the church today reject these gifts and focus on scripture alone. I am all for scripture as anyone who knows me can attest. Yet the scriptures don’t tell me what vehicle to buy, where to live, what job to accept or numerous other things. The scriptures don’t say whether a given congregation should go to two services or plant a daughter church.

In my experience many fellow believers allow circumstances to dictate their choices, yet scripture says we are to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). Which means we need to hear His voice. The scriptures provide guidelines for discernment and counsel but those things are meant as aids not replacements for hearing His voice, whether by ourselves or through something He speaks to someone else for you or I.

Importantly, the ultimate purpose of prophecy is to make us like Jesus. After all the closing words of Revelation 19:10 (NKJV) tell us, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” One way you and I exemplify this is walking like Jesus, listening to and obeying the Spirit, whether individually or corporately.

The Glory of His Inheritance Part 3

I previously wrote about what Abraham long anticipated and noted that it was tied to what Yahweh wanted, a dwelling place. The time and place where Abraham will see his dream realized is recorded for us in scripture. We find it in Revelation, and more importantly, we find that it is also what Jesus has been longing for and anticipating.

² Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2 (NKJV)

Aside from it being a theme in scripture, the most significant thing about what Abraham was seeking is that it was and is what Jesus is seeking. The consummation of Jesus desire will be found in this city, ‘whose builder and maker is God’ (Hebrews 11:10b). My friend Evelyn stepped from time into eternity many years ago but she often referred to ‘the church which Jesus is building.’ This church is His city, the new Jerusalem, which is also His bride.

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹ having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Revelation 21:9–11 (NKJV)

While the church is often referred to as the ‘bride of Christ,’ in scripture the bride is also the city, the new Jerusalem. Whether or not it is a literal city is not the point of John’s vision. The primary message is that it is His dwelling place. That has always been the cry of His heart since He created the earth with Eden, an open dwelling place in and with His people. When Yahweh began His redemption plan for humanity He expressed His desire to Moses in Exodus. The Law, as we know it, was a marriage covenant between Yahweh and Israel. After the giving of the Law the next step was the construction of the Tabernacle. We are told why it needed to be constructed.

⁸ And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:8 (NKJV)

His heart has always been to dwell with and among His people. Creation started this way in the garden, was broken through Adam and Eve partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the release of sin throughout creation. Yahweh immediately began the restoration process He had planned (the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world 1Peter 1:19-20, Revelation 13:8). When this plan reaches completion, we hear a cry of triumph ringing forth in Revelation in relation to Jesus’ bride.

⁶ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:6–8 (NKJV)

From the birth of the church Jesus has been actively working to conform His church to His image, a helpmate and suitable bride.

In the coming forth of the bride Jesus has always been faithful to do His part, yet we also have a part. It says, ‘His wife has made herself ready.’ This is why in his ministry Paul was so focused on seeing the church come to maturity, being conformed to the image of Jesus. This is the bride making herself ready. We enter into the proper preparations when we embrace His call to spiritual maturity, the laying down of our agendas and the taking up or His cross. Let’s all do our part to see Jesus receive the glory of His inheritance!