Promises of God Session 5: The Promise of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation

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Description: In Session 5 of the “Promises of God” series, Tricia Gunn lays out why is was advantageous for us that Jesus would send the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. The Holy Spirit is the agent of salvation and transformation, and the means by which God works in our lives, speaks to us, and releases His power and promises.

Transcript of the teaching:

The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation is how the new creation relates to God and receives from Him.

Why it was to our advantage the Jesus left and sent the Holy Spirit 

John 16:7 – It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 

Why would it be to our advantage that Jesus would go away? So that the Holy Spirit would come to us. If Jesus did not go away, the Holy Spirit would not come. Why was it so important for the Holy Spirit to come? In a broad and obvious sense, so that Jesus, who was limited by the confines of the flesh at the time, could be inside of all of us.  There would be no limit to the number people that could be reached, and no limit to the relationship that we could experience in Him. Because  –

Acts 2:39 – This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

But there is another reason that Jesus would need to leave in order to send the Holy Spirit to us. In that same chapter of Acts, during Peter’s explanation of the phenomena that the people were witnessing at Pentecost, he said –

Acts 2:33 – Therefore [Jesus] being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, [Jesus received the promise for us – very important] He poured out this which you now see and hear… 

The right hand  is the place of exaltation. But’s it’s very important what came BEFORE that exaltation – Hebrews 1:3 – having purged our sins He sat down at the RIGHT HAND of the Majesty on high!; Hebrews 10:12 – After He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever – the sacrifice of Himself – He sat down at the RIGHT HAND of God.

Let’s go back to the time that Jesus ascended to the Father [not from the Mount of Olives but] right after the resurrection. to the moment when Mary Magdalene realized that Jesus wasn’t the gardener. It was when He called her name, “Mary.”

John 20:17 – Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, [literally “do no touch Me”] for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father …”

He was on His way to sprinkle His blood on the Mercy Seat in heaven, and He stopped because of her tears.  Why was it important for her not to touch Him (or receive Him)? It was because He was going to the Father to be the firstfruit for us.

1 Corinthians 15:20 – But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits…

Mary couldn’t be the first to receive Jesus. His Father had to be the first one to receive Him. And then God would be able to receive all of us!

Romans 11:16 – For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

In the resurrection God demonstrated  His acceptance and pleasure in what Jesus accomplished in removing our sins. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead and didn’t go ahead of us to sprinkle His blood on the Mercy Seat, we would have no assurance that He took away our sins. 

1 Corinthians 15:17 – And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 

But the opposite is also true: if Christ HAS risen, then we are no longer in our sins, and we are holy! 

When Jesus completed the work for our redemption, He received the Promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father for us. 

After His resurrection and ascension to sprinkle the blood, He reappeared to His disciples and then 500 others. After 40 days of giving indisputable proofs of His resurrection, He told them to wait for the Promise of the Father.

Acts 1:9-11, NIV – After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. [Perhaps the same two angels who stood – on at the head and one at the foot – of where Jesus had lain when Mary looked into the empty tomb?] 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

He will come again, but not to deal with our sins (Hebrews 9:28) because He did that the first time. He will come to bring the ultimate and last installment of our salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him – a new body that will match our redeemed spirit.  A body that will never grow old or tired. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away.

Back to Acts – 10 days later, Jesus poured out the Spirit at Pentecost! 

The Holy Spirit cannot live in an unholy place. First we must become holy. At the moment that we receive the Lord Jesus, all of our sins are washed away, and we become holy in Him. 

Acts 2:38 – “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Back to John 16:7 – 

John 16:7 – It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; [The Father must receive the firstfruit, and if the firstfruit is holy, we are holy!] but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 

The next word is the conjunction “and” which means the thought continues. Jesus said, “I will send the Holy Spirit to you AND…” Which means that He is then going to explain WHY He will send the Holy Spirit – and only one part of His explanation is referring to you and me.

John 16:8-11 – And when He has come, He will convict the world [The word in the Greek for “convict” means “to convince as in a court of law.”] of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The Holy Spirit came to convict – connivance as in a court of law – of sin, righteousness, and judgment. So there would be no confusion, Jesus explained:

1. “of sin, because they do not believe in Me,” This is not speaking of you – you are not an unbeliever. This is talking about the unbeliever, and unbelief in Jesus is the sin. The Holy Spirit convinces them that they are SINNERS in need of a Savior.
2. “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more.” He’s speaking to His disciples, so who “sees Me no more”? The believer. That includes you! (John 17:20) What does the Holy Spirit convict the believer of? Righteousness! The Holy Spirit is dwelling inside of us testifying of the completely complete perfectly perfect finished work of Jesus and who we have become in Him. We are the righteousness of God in Him
3. “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” This is talking about the devil. We are not the ones being convicted of judgement. The Holy Spirit is helping us to see that the accuser, the devil, has been condemned and triumphed over at the cross.

To recap: the Holy Spirit was sent 1) to bring the unbeliever to Jesus by convincing them that they are sinners in need of a Savior, 2) to remind the believer of the righteousness imparted to them when they believed, and 3) to remind the devil that he is a defeated foe.

Born of the Spirit

Last time I read several passages about who the Holy Spirit is and how He comes. In this message I want to talk about what He does in us and how to be in a receiving posture for His promises.

Ephesians 2:18, NLT – Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

The Holy Spirit is the agent of salvation and transformation, and the means by which God works in our lives, speaks to us, and releases His power and promises.

Jesus says –

John 4:24 – God is Spirit.

Therefore, everyone born of God is a living spirit.

John 1:12-13 – But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Every believer is born OF God! So we are born of the Spirit]

John 3:6 – That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

When we were born again, we were born of the Spirit. And when that happened, His Spirit came inside of us and our spirit was joined to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:17 – He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Back to John 3 – verse 7:

John 3:7-8 – Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

“Wind” is the Greek word “pneuma” – the same word for “Spirit”; “blows” is the word “pneō” which also means “breathe.” So the “Spirit breathes where He wishes” and you hear the sound of it… The word “sound” is the Greek word “phōnē” which means a tone; a VOICE; the sound of uttered words; speech. So you could say – “the Spirit breathes where He wishes, and you hear the sound of His voice.”

We use the expression, “You just know that you know that you know.” That is how it is with the Spirit. You hear Him say something in your spirit, and there is a deep knowing that it is Him.

There is a peace and assurance that comes with the sound. You can’t see Him, but you can hear Him and feel Him, just like the wind. This is how it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

The New Creation

So what is the new birth? What does it mean to be born again? At one time we were spiritually dead. We were alive in the flesh, but not in the Spirit.

Colossians 2:13 – And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

The new birth is an impartation of a new spiritual nature that comes when we receive the forgiveness of sins. We become partakers of the divine nature of Christ it says in 2 Peter 1:4 –

2 Peter 1:4 – For by these [speaking of His own glory and goodness (vs 3)] He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

When I was born the first time, I received the biological nature of my parents – their physical DNA in a body of flesh. And I received the spiritual nature of Adam:

Romans 5:12 – …through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men…

Spiritual death came first, then physical death. Man was never intended to die. When spiritual death entered, the process of physical death began.

But when I was born again, I received the nature of my Heavenly Father – His spiritual DNA – in my spirit that was made alive by His Spirit. Flesh begets flesh, Spirit begets spirit. Like produces like. This has been the law of natures since the beginning.

2 Corinthians 5:16- Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Jesus came in the flesh AS US to become our sin at the cross. But we don’t regard Him in the flesh anymore. He was raised from the dead, glorified, and seated at the right hand of God. And as He is SO ARE WE in this world.

Next verse – 

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

That word “new” is the Greek word “kainos” which means fresh, unused, unworn, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of. The new creation is unstained with the guilt of anything and has no history of sin or future of sin. The new creation isn’t new until it is old. It is forever new. The new birth is a new creation of a whole new man. The old man with his sin nature went into the grave, and the new man with a whole new nature was born again when Christ rose from the dead.

And we are forever identified as God’s own by His Spirit; we are marked in Jesus with a seal – the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is a Deposit guaranteeing our inheritance:

Ephesians 1:13-14, NIV – And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [NLT – he identified you as his own] 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.…

“When you heard the message of truth” – that word “heard” is the same Greek work we had last week – akouō – when the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius’s household when the “heard” the word that everyone who believes in Jesus receive the forgiveness of sins.

Following are thoughts from my journal on March 20, 2022 when the manna for the day was “The Seal of the Holy Spirit” – 

No one can snatch us from the hand of God. The Holy Spirit is His Downpayment. The first installment of the Spirit. He gives Eternal life. Eternal Living water. The new man that never dies. We have resurrection power. Nothing on the outside can change what God has done on the inside. If we have received the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we became a new creation in Him. In our spirit we are forever joined to the Lord Jesus because His righteousness is an eternal righteousness. His covenant with the Father cannot be broken because Jesus will never sin, and Jesus will never die. Nothing can separate us from His love. Our behavior today cannot separate us because the bond cannot be broken. The new creation has no sin. No history of sin and no future of sin. The New Creation is forever righteous, holy, faultless, and blameless. The Lord will never walk away from us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is eternally committed. What is temporal cannot override what is eternal. We have tension with us all the time – the tension between the Spirit and the flesh. The eternal and the temporal. Grace vs. law. On the one hand, we have the world bombarding us and the voice of the stranger pressing on the flesh. On the other hand, we have access to a never-ending flow of the Spirit of grace from heaven.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18, 4:6 – Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil [of condemnation, of flesh, and human limitation] is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. [transformed – metamorphoō – like from a caterpillar to a butterfly – by the Spirit who is the agent of transformation]… 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light [illumination into heavenly truth and reality] to shine out of darkness, [by lifting the veil condemnation, of bankrupt human flesh, and human limitation – the veil that the ruler of this world put there – but it is God] who has shone in our hearts [where the Spirit of God resides] to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [the goodness of God in the widest sense] in the face of Jesus Christ.

What is “the means” by which this light comes to us so that we can know God through Jesus Christ and be transformed into His image? It’s the Spirit of wisdom and revelation – referenced in Ephesians 1:17, which we will look at in a minute.

Sonship

With the veil lifted, we as God’s own sons and daughters have – 

Romans 8:15-16 – you received [lambanō – actively seized upon, taken for your own] the spirit of sonship by which we cry out Abba Father. [The phrase “Spirit of sonship” (also called “Spirit of adoption”) is the Greek word “huiothesia” – it’s from the word “HUIOS” which means a full son with the nature of the father. We are BORN of God! We are a NEW CREATION with His very spiritual DNA. This is our position in Christ as sons and heirs.] 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…

“Abba” is Aramaic for “Daddy.” It’s how Jesus Himself referred to His Father. God doesn’t want a cold, sterile relationship with us based on fear. He wants an intimate relationship based on love. Sonship is a matter of spirit where we are free to call God “Daddy” and be comfortable in His presence. The Spirit of sonship –  the Spirit of Jesus – speaks to our hearts and says, “You’re not a slave. You’re a son. You are RIGHT with the Father. You’re one of His own.”  It’s all a matter of the Spirit – the Spirit of sonship.

The Spirit through which Paul wrote to the Corinthians who were not living like sons of God, but as the unrighteous. He listed the sins of the unrighteous that the Corinthians were engaging in, and then spoke to them, not according to the flesh, but according to their identity in Jesus:

1 Corinthians 6:11-12, 19-20 – And such were some of you. But you were washed, [cleansed from sin] but you were sanctified, [made holy] but you were justified [made righteous] in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. [all three of those verbs – washed, sanctified, and justified – are in the aorist verb tense – a one time action, never to be repeated. When you were washed, sanctified, and justified, you were washed, sanctified, and justified for good – in the NAME of Jesus – whose blood is the only blood that could wash, sanctify, and justify us – and BY THE SPIRIT – who raised us from the dead and gave us life] 12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. [Why? Romans 6:14 – For sin shall not have dominion over me, for I am not under law but under grace. I’m not identified by what I do. I am identified by what Jesus has done in me.] … 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [incidentally – Paul started a question with “Do you now know” 15 times in his letters – 11 of those to the Corinthians! He’s trying to get them to THINK! And REPENT! Change their thinking! And then their ways. If you BELIEVE right, you will LIVE right! Back to the verse – Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit] who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price. [A high price! The precious blood of Jesus!]

Notice the statement, “the Holy Spirit is in you, whom you have from God,” – “is”  and “have”! Present tense!  Think of the Corinthians in the context of this statement.cEven when they defiled their bodies and slept with the temple prostitutes, the Holy Spirit was still in them – in their spirit.”cSonship does not change because of behavior because it’s not a matter of the flesh. It’s a matter of spirit. The Spirit of sonship will never leave you nor forsake you. He will abide with you forever. (John 14:16)

And that truth ought to make us fall on our knees in utter humility and gratefulness every time we sin. That truth ought to remind us of Jesus seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, having purged our sins. That truth ought to make us say, “Thank You, Lord, for loving me no matter what.”

Ephesians 3 – Wisdom is manifested through the church

As sons and daughters of God, we are citizens of heaven who bring heaven to bear in the earth through the church. God’s plan of redemption and the mystery of His incomprehensible grace IS the Wisdom of God. Jesus IS His Wisdom. Jesus IS the answer for the fall of mankind that was hidden until the New Covenant era. Paul said in Ephesians 3 – 

Ephesians 3:8-12, NASB – To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery [in other words, I was chosen to explain and bring out this mystery of the Gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ – this great salvation – and make it plain – Colossians 1:27 – this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ dwelling in man by His Spirit.] which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known [manifold – polypoikilos – much variegated, marked with a great variety of colors – the rainbow! = the manifold wisdom of God] through the church to [whom? To – ] the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

“Manifold” is the Greek word “polypoikilos” – much variegated, marked with a great variety of colors – the rainbow! = the manifold wisdom of God made known through the church!

In 1 Peter 1, Peter wrote that the prophets of the Old Testament who had spoken of the grace that was to be brought to us through Jesus, said in verse 12 – 

1 Peter 1:12, NIV – Even angels long to look into these things.

We are teaching the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm about the grace of God and the plan of God through our lives. Angels weren’t created in the image of God. They are ministering servants, not sons. They are marveling at what they are seeing – Jesus and His bride – the Spirit and the Bride. A union that was hidden – but made known through us. Through us – the church, “this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!” (The Message)

Back to Ephesians 3 –

Ephesians 3:11-12 – This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness [parrēsia] and confident access through faith in Him. [TPT – free access as kings  before the Father because of our complete confidence in Christ’s faithfulness.]

We have boldness – “parresia” – freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, openly, frankly, without concealment, free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance

We have confident access to what? To Him – to God – to the throne of grace – to the riches of His glory. How? Through the Gospel – Jesus became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The Gospel – Romans 1:16-17

Paul said, 

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel [the good news] of Christ, for it is the power of God [dynamis – dynamite power of God] to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

“Salvation” is the Greek word “soteria” from the verb “sozo” the power of God in this life and forever for your healing, for your wholeness, for your mental soundness, for your provision, and for your deliverance from every demonic force. 

Romans 1:17 – For in it [the salvation that comes from believing the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed [revealed: “apokalyptō” – to unveil – What is unveiled? The righteousness of God – not our own righteousness, the free gift of Christ’s righteousness] from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just [the righteous] shall live by faith.”

“Righteous” means right standing with God. To believe you are in right standing with God all day every minute of every day takes faith! Why must it be by faith? Because everyday you will look into the mirror see evidence to the contrary.  That’s why you must believe you’re righteous from faith to faith.

Grace doesn’t make sense to the natural mind. All we understand is deductive reasoning which says, “Do good, get good. Do bad, get bad.” It takes the Holy Spirit to understand grace because grace tells us that we get the good we could never earn, and we never have to get the bad that we deserve. Our part is to believe and receive! 

Colossians 2:6 – As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

How did you receive Christ? By grace through faith. So that’s how you walk it out every day until you go to heaven.

James 5 – Wisdom from God vs worldly wisdom

And every good gift and every grace comes down from heaven. Every natural blessing has it beginning in a spiritual seed. The clothes on your back are a gift from God that began in His mind in heaven. He speaks the word, and it materializes in your life. 

That’s the way it is with everything of the Spirit. That’s why our minds must be set on things above, not on the things of the earth, for our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:2-3) – this is manifold wisdom of God – Christ in you and you with Christ who is in God.

We were not born of the Spirit to operate in worldly wisdom. The new creation operates in heavenly wisdom – through the Spirit of Wisdom. Always heaven down. Always the Spirit first, then the natural. It begins with wisdom. Wisdom is the very first thing.

Proverbs 4:7, YLT – The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

Why is Wisdom first? Because even salvation comes supernaturally by Wisdom:

2 Timothy 3:15 – You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. [Who has become Wisdom for us – as we’ll see in the next passage]

1 Corinthians 1:20 – Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God,…

In other words – NLT – “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom.” You can’t know God through deductive, rational reasoning. Those who are purely rational in their perspective and are determined to have an explanation for everything and even go so far to claim to have an explanation for life itself. They are living in the height arrogance and pride, like the devil himself. They are nihilists who are trying to figure out a way to live forever without God. It is the full blown fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But God has reserved the knowledge of how and why there is life and who is the Originator of life for those who have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in their hearts. This transhumanist movement that is attempting to gain traction is nothing more than a new tower of Babel – trying to be God – trying to rationalize the miraculous power of God. 

Back to 1 Corinthians 1 – 

1 Corinthians 3:21 – it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save [sozo] those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; [the wisdom of this world – philosophy and rationalization] 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world [of no family, low born] and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are [to cause a person to have no further efficiency; to deprive of force, influence, and power], 29 [why?] that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God [the first thing is Wisdom]—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

That’s why – 

1 Corinthians 2:2, NASB – I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, [the Person] and Him crucified. [His finished work]

Jesus is our life – our everything – but 1st He is our Wisdom. Even if we are struggling in troubles of our own making, get wisdom. Get Jesus. For God so loves us that He gave His Son. If He didn’t spare His own Son, but delivered Him up on a cross for us all, how will He not with Jesus also freely give us all things without condemnation or accusation? (Romans 8:32)

James 1:5-6, NIV – If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, [what should we believe? We need to believe that God is not finding fault] because the one who doubts [diakrinō – by means of condemnation] is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

The one who doubts that God is not holding back any good thing from him is the one who will be like the wave of the sea – some days Jesus loves me, some days He loves me not. When we are immersed in “He loves me, He loves me, He loves me” always – it is then that we are in a receiving posture for Wisdom.

There are two kinds of wisdom: demonic wisdom from the world and heavenly wisdom from the Spirit of Jesus: 

James 3:14-16, NIV – But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Why is this? It’s because worldly wisdom tells you to look after #1. “If I don’t do something, who will?” Worldly wisdom tells you “Don’t just sit there, do something! No one else is going to come through for you.” Worldly wisdom is always focused on self.

Heavenly wisdom is always focused on Jesus – the Person and His finished work. Heavenly wisdom gives us permission to relax the hold on our lives to Him. Heavenly wisdom helps us get our eyes off of ourselves and onto others. 

Natural eyes are often lying eyes. Don’t believe your lying eyes. Heavenly wisdom gives us the peace to know that we can trust what we see in our hearts with our spiritual eyes.

James 3:17-18, NIV – But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

To live in new creation reality, our entire perspective must change. Heaven first, then earth – because “it is finished” in heaven.  We must begin with God’s mind, thoughts, and will – which often contradicts what we see.    We pray – 

Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

If we are in need of the manifestation of a promise of God, it begins in heaven because it’s from God, not man:

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

Ephesians 1:17

Now to Ephesians 1:17 – and more about the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation – Paul prayed that –

Ephesians 1:17 – …[God] may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him [Jesus], [and how does the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation work in us?] 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…

The word “enlightened” is “phōtizō” from the same root word from which we derive our word “photo.”  The eyes of your understanding are being enlightened like a photo – a picture. When the Spirit of wisdom comes, our spiritual eyes open to see into spiritual things! It’s like the shutter of a lens opening and light comes in!

The word “revelation” is the Greek word, “apokalypsis” which means – unveiling; the lifting of a veil; laying bare, making naked; a disclosure of truth, instruction; concerning things before unknown; used of events by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from view are made visible to all; manifestation, appearance

When the Spirit of wisdom and revelation comes, and you see into the unseen! You get understanding, wisdom from God, a word, a picture, a vision…an understanding of scripture that you never understood before. You can see a bright future. You can see your body healed. You can see the provision. You can see that lost loved one coming home to Jesus.

The word “understanding” is the Greek word “dianoia.” There is dianoia and dialogismos. We’ll talk about dialogismos in a minute. Dianoia is where imagination, pictures, dreams, visions, and creativity are. In the spiritual sense, it’s what I think of as the window to the spirit. It’s where faith begins.

On the other hand, dialogismos is logic, human reasoning, rational thought, and intellect. It’s deductive and analytical reasoning, thinking in words,  linear thinking, math, facts. It’s how we relate to the natural world around us. For ex – don’t touch a hot stove, it’ll burn you. However, we don’t relate to God through natural reasoning or natural wisdom.

Dialogismos is a compound word: dia (by means of) and logismos (reasoning, computation). The word “logismos” is used in Romans 2:15 – 

Romans 2:15-16, Amplified – [speaking of those who don’t know God] They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts; and their conscience, [their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices], bearing witness and their thoughts [logismos – reasoning, computation] alternately accusing or perhaps defending them. 

The conscience is the sense of right and wrong. Every human being lost or saved has a conscience and has had it since Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  The conscience only responds to what you DO – thoughts (logismos) that accuse or defend you based on the natural – but the Spirit of God reveals who you ARE. The Spirit is higher than the conscience. 

1 John 3:21, Amplified – And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God. [parresia!]

You cannot have confidence in your relationship with God if you have a condemned conscience.  What gives a person a condemned conscience? Thoughts (“logismos”) that accuse.

The Bible says that the Spirit of Wisdom operates through dianoia, not dialogismos. – not through human reasoning that accuses or defends based on the law. John said,

1 John 5:20 – And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding [dianoia – imagination – faith. Why?], that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.

All this to say – we are spiritual people who can live our life on earth by the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. We don’t want to live out the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – googling everything, reading every article and book, watching every video, buying every product, going to every doctor, trying everything under the sun and wearing ourselves out. We don’t have to run around like a chicken with its head cut off. God will lead you on the path of peace = which is His Supernatural Wisdom.

Proverbs 3:15-18 – She [Wisdom] is more precious than rubies, [wisdom is the most valuable things we can have – Jesus is our Wisdom!] And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. [there’s your health and wealth!] 17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.

The Tree of Life – Jesus Christ – is where wisdom resides. There we will find the path of peace. We can relax and allow the Spirit of Jesus to guide us with His Supernatural Wisdom. We don’t have to worry, fret, or be anxious. He has our best interests at heart. 

We don’t want to live in the realm of deduction and analysis saying, ‘What shall we wear? What shall we eat? Where is the money going to come from?” The dialogismos is the part of the brain that worries. “What about tomorrow?! Look at the stock market! What are we going to do about the younger generation? What about these elections?” 

Shut it down and look to Jesus. Pray for Wisdom and revelation in your dianonia – your understanding, and you will begin to see what God wants you to see. 

Matthew 6:32-34 – For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Did you know that tomorrow worries? When we live outside of time, with our minds set on things above, our eyes set on Jesus the Author of faith, we have no worries because there is no tomorrow worrying for us. There is only now. There is only a finished work. 

Ephesians 3:20, Tricia’s composite – God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He will accomplish infinitely more. He is able to carry out His purpose and do exceedingly, superabundantly, immeasurably far over and above, all we ask or imagine or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].

Conclusion:

I found the following quote from a document Claire sent me on Apr 17, 2021 from a book called “The Authority of the Believer” by John McMillan- 

“We are to positively will the will of God; to seek it out as He has revealed it; and to maintain our place of quiet assurance before Him until it has been fully accomplished.”

We do not budge on what has been revealed. We do not compromise on the goodness, glory, and grace of God. We cannot unsee what we have seen.
Hebrews 10:35-36, NASB – Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, [parrēsia] which has a great reward. [Your parresia has great reward!!] 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God [believe], you may receive what was promised.

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