Godly Wisdom

Welcome to the intense podcast with Charles Stanley for Monday, March 14. Today we start a weeklong series titled walking wisely. We set the foundation by helping you build your life on godly wisdom that only two ways to walk in this life that is the walk wisely also walk on was if you choose the walk was in this life, you can expect contentment.

You can expect courage. You can expect confidence in your life, you can expect he's in progress and above all else. You can anticipate God's presence and power and is wonderful, marvelous approval of your life will turn if you will to Ephesians chapter 5 and I want us to look at this particular passage that has to do with God's challenge to us to walk wisely and in this fifth chapter of Ephesians beginning in verse 15.

Here's what he said on the basis of his admonitions to those before.

He says therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord and policy for saying who is this he says on the basis of the kind the world in which we live is is therefore be careful how you walk, be careful how you live is what he say that is be sensitive to what's going on around you. Be alert to what's happening. We have three enemies. The world system, the flesh and the devil. He says be careful how you walk out all that he says, making the most of your time. That is taking advantage of every opportunity that you and I have if we walk wisely. We will take advantage of opportunity.

If we walk wisely. We will not squander out time our resources our finances are relationships we will be sensitive will watch out what's going on around us, we will be alert. We will be on guard less somehow Satan trip us up. Then he says so do not be foolish, don't walk unwisely but he says understand what the will of the Lord is, what's the will of the Lord the will of the Lord is that you and I would walk wisely in order that we may become the person's God wants us to be do the things God wants us to do and you and I would enjoy all the benefits that God has for us now let me just say this wisdom is that capacity to be able to look at the circumstance and see it beyond what appears on the surface. Therefore, if you are not going to be wise persons, then we must be able and must be willing to look at things from God's perspective, we must look at him from his framework. The way he sees things often times we make decisions and don't know all the circumstances that are involved, but walking wisely says that you and I have a relationship of Almighty God who is all wise.

He sees the big picture. He sees things in relationship to somebody says be careful how you walk now. He says walk was not as unwise men but as wise men. So what he's talking about simply because the very foundation of all wisdom. It begins with a personal reverence for Almighty God, which means this if I'm going to be wise must understand who God is and on and on the basis of understanding who God is surrender my will and my way to the sovereign God who in all his wisdom has only chosen will only choose the best way always in every circumstance. So when somebody says you wise person.

Ask yourself the question, am I living in submission to God, do I know God do I know his son Jesus Christ gobbled his will in my searching for his will and you say this, you cannot be a wise person and abandoned God for your life, you may tell me all about her knowledge of you are inhabited degrees you have an all the accomplishments all the achievements all the recognition all the notoriety all the fame and fortune. And I want to tell you my friend without God you still playing the blues game because apart from God.

He says listen the beginning of wisdom is reverence for God, you may impress the world and you may seemingly get along for the season of time. But I will assure you that the world's way in the world's wisdom is not acceptable in God's eyes, is not sufficient is going to prove disappointing and ultimately if you ignore God abandon him in your life and try to live apart from him he can end up facing in one of these days and all eternity. Having played the fool. So spiritual wisdom is that gift that God gives to those who reverence him commit themselves to walking in obedience to him as the sovereign of the universe submitted to committed to yielded to and walking in his will as a way of life is what a wise person is now knowledge is something that comes from study. Knowledge is of God. For example, if God didn't pull back the curtain. June I can understand a lot of things that are happening in the world and we can understand things that we have to do and how to go about all knowledge is a gift of God, but knowledge and wisdom are not the same. Go back if you will to Proverbs for a moment and look if you will. In this fourth chapter and notice of what he says he clarifies it in and oftentimes you will see the difference. The distinction between knowledge and wisdom, and sometimes never close in the Proverbs he says in the fourth chapter he says acquire wisdom!

Acquire understanding or knowledge. And so they are not the same and so oftentimes a person has the idea that because they are very knowledgeable. Lots of experience that their wives there are many people who are extremely knowledgeable who not wise at all.

You see, a wise person not only has understanding and knowledge, but a wise person knows how to use the knowledge that they have an understanding that they have been ahead of the a person can be very knowledgeable, but not know how to use the knowledge that they had in the process of not being wise. There is confusion and that confusion is going to lead to disappointment and despair in their life because they unwisely use the things that God has given them the opportunity is there wealth and the privileges God is afforded you have other headsets but what about my heart.

What's the condition of my heart what's my attitude about life. Do I have perception do I have understanding. Can I listen to someone and hear with in one message of more than two measures cannot listen to someone sit down before someone and hear the message that comes from their lips. Can I hear the message that comes from their eyes cannot hear the message that comes from the way they handle their body sitting there can I discern from them what they do not say do not hear what they're not saying as well as what they're saying do I see beyond what I see, do I hear beyond what my physical ears. Here is the knowledge is not enough. God grants wisdom to those who desire wisdom with certain absolute and revocable requirements in order to become wise and so you can have knowledge without wisdom, but a wise person utilizes their knowledge to the greatest advantage. I want you to go back to James for just a moment that third chapter gamblers were talking about the distinction between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom God's wisdom look at this.

We said we have three enemies primarily the world system in which we live, the flesh, that is our naturalist and the devil is an interesting what James says here he says now who among you is wise and understanding that in show buys good behaviors needs the jealous of his wisdom.

He says now if your life is characterized by bitterness. Jealousy is selfish ambition in your heart is still be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not from above. Listen treating people the wrong way is not that that's not wise. He says that income down from above its earthly it's natural. It's demonic now look at us from our he says man's human wisdom is earthy.

It is natural and it's demonic. What is a meme of that simply this, that man's wisdom is limited has a limited is limited to what earthly man can conceive and understand all the wisdom that man has within himself apart from God is what man in his fallen, sinful blinded nature can come up with that is man at his best, is not why why because he is a sinful nature's sinful nature governs his life and so he says the wisdom of the world is earthly limited, not heavenly. It's natural to do what comes naturally and that is not what's wise but what comes natural to watch because Alan naturalness seeks to satisfy, gratify, reach out do whatever is necessary to get our own happiness her own gratification on satisfaction.

That's the natural way live why not. The world says you don't have but one life. You get one life. It is you better get all you get what you can step over the again what was necessary is getting getting get it do do do because life skill of the Elms Novello or foolish way to look at life. He says now three characteristics of the world's wisdom is very limited surfing nothing heavenly about is not spiritual, it's on the basis of man's fallen nature that's overcapacity had now that he says it's demonic listener that the world's wisdom is demonic or is it me or go back to the Garden of Eden and what happened what is Satan Saturday. He said you want to be like God you won't have the knowledge God's got here is the best way you take a bite of this and you will surely coming annually. God said you will surely die. Just think about it this have a bite. You be like God, knowing good from evil.

What would you say that Eve made a wise decision. Absolutely not know what she did, she decided to believe a liar rather than God and the consequences of Eve's sin has been dumped on every single one of us because all of us came into this world, a sinful nature which God had to do with in our life until he could give us a new spirit and a new sense of victory in our life over sin. Now you think about your mom.

The world is going to live with wisdom that is characterized by limited to what man in his earthly limitations can do with his fallen nature, which is in opposition rebellion toward God and it's demonic in its source by its very nature.

So think about this when you not choose to live unwisely out of the will of God doing our own thing. Our own way is what we've said. I choose to live by the wisdom of the earthly by my naturalness and that which is demonic is on allowing say that you don't have to say that's what we do when we choose this because wisdom begins with reverence for God is the sovereign of this universe. I heal myself to him, I commit myself to him. I want to walk in his ways.

When ever choose and whenever you choose to have it your way in rebellion against God indifference to God doing it some other way than God's way. What was that is opera further earthly opera for the natural harbor further demonic way of living and my friend what do you get you get the same thing that all sins consequences bring something not joy and peace and happiness in confidence and courage and strength.

Some of the approval of God and peace. Certainly not progress and prosperity in your life you're getting those thing. But disappointment and dissolution and discontent.

You look around you look hundred people who living unwisely at the discontent they get disillusioned. There's no peace there's no joy does not happen as they made live it up on the weekend all or some party somewhere when they get by themselves and they get absolute deadly honest about their life is no real joy is no real contentment. There's no real peace they're looking for something. You see, this world is so frantically frantically frantically looking for something to satisfy. That's why, in the movies they have to become more and more and more and more explosive than using all kinds of new technology to got to get worse and worse and worse and worse than the next one because it's man's futile foolish endless search for something to satisfy the human heart and nothing can satisfy the human heart, but Almighty God himself cannot. So the two kinds of wisdom, no doubt about it is the wisdom of the world, earthly, natural and demonic is the wisdom of God.

It says you not have the capacity to see beyond what is seen here.

What is not spoken, the capacity to make decisions that fit into God's plan and and will and purpose for our lives.

We have the wisdom to make right choices in life. The power to make right choices in life.

The confidence to make right choices in life. Those choices may be very, very, very unacceptable to others but if it's in God's choice. It will be a wise choice. I think about this. Why should we look at the world and look for a pattern of living and this is one of the reasons the weakness of the church is that the church is look to the world safe. Yes yes yes yes when God wants the world to look at us and see such a difference. The best thing. Wait a minute, what is this think about this.

We look heavenly but what about us is our citizenship is in heaven.

The whole idea of being born again that he can't remember that cameraman came from God. He says that which is born from above.

The Scripture says we think in terms as believers aware treasures and treasures not on earth. He says he's his lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, but in heaven I think about when he says this evil world. Think about where we look where is our eternal home is in him was a hope is in heaven. Why should we who are citizens of heaven indwelt by the God of heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Why should we look to the unwise world for a way and a pattern to live. It is absolutely foolish. It doesn't fit who we are God's purpose in our life stresses of this question. Could somebody who knows you rather well say you're a very wise lady. You're a very wise young person. You're a very wise man when they say that about you. What is it about your life, it would cause someone to say you are so wise. That was a very wise decision. Can they say that about you will be the basis of saying, let me just leave it with one last phrase I want to remember this and forget everything else. Remember this, you want to live and walk wisely if you will remember this simple short brief concise question and when you come to a decision in your life ask this question. It's so simple you cannot forget it. Is this a wise decision. So that's my short until you'd be short. Is this a wise decision. As a believer, you have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you know what is going to do. He's going to trigger yes or no. That's his business.

That's his responsibility when you say is this a wise decision. You see, those of us who believe as we have a connection with God.

We have a communication that is continuous and eternal and uninterrupted. When we come to a decision we can say father is this wise, and the spirit of God will give you wise direction, wise counsel, he believed you debate the right decision. I think about this. We all gonna walk 12 directions all know what one of two ways. One of them is the right way it is God's way is the best way is the most profitable way. It is eternally profitable. It is profitable today and will be profitable for all eternity.

The other way is the wrong way. That's Satan's way.

That is the world's way that's man's way without God there is no possibility of walking that way and enjoying these benefits because you see wisdom. In essence, is acknowledging who God is reverencing him as a sovereign of this universe yielding your life to him and saying father, not my will but your will be done in the simple question in every decision is father is this wise, and he will show you exactly what the day will know what is all that again.

First wise decision in your life is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If there were any other way to get to heaven.

I'd be more than happy to tell you but there is not. Jesus said, no man comes to the father but by me.

There is no assurance of life after this one with God. Apart from relationship Christ. I want to invite you to make the wisest decision you'll ever make in life second to none. To accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior by confessing your sins to him and acknowledging and confessing that when he died on the cross of Calvary, he paid you send that in full, God arranged it to be so he took your place in the moment you set him, Lord Jesus. I confess that I must center I'm asking you to forgive me of my sins and I'm trusting you as my personal savior. You will of me, the most important wisest decision you will never make in your life and it will be the beginning of a lifetime of walking was with your heavenly father and enjoying the benefits of an unconditionally loving God, thank you for listening to godly wisdom.

If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley for enhanced ministries not my intent started writing his podcast is a presentation of InTouch ministries Atlanta, Georgia