Spiritual Wisdom

Spiritual Wisdom

(Ephesians 1:15-23)

Yearly Theme:  “Kindness is… Appreciative”

Series Title:  “Thankful Kindness”

November 12^th, 2023

Something to think about:

Omar Bradley, one of the Generals in World War II went to World War I and he remembered it as a young man.  He served in the U.S. Army and became a General.  He led one of the largest armies in history during World War II.  He spoke at Armistice Day in Boston, Massachusetts in 1948.  He said,

“With the monstrous weapons man already has, humanity is in danger of being trapped in this world by its moral adolescents.  Our knowledge of science has clearly outstripped our capacity to control it.  We have many men of science; too few men of God.  We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.  Man is stumbling blindly through a spiritual darkness while toying with the secrets of life and death.  The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, and power without conscience.  Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.  We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living.”

Wisdom is our topic for discussion today.  However, not just wisdom, but spiritual wisdom.  There is “wisdom,” and there is “spiritual wisdom.”  The difference between the two isn’t clear on the surface, but the significance of that difference carries with it the weight of eternity.  Wisdom is clarity of understanding and knowledge of that which is true and right, and it is also the ability to make proper judgments based on that knowledge.  Spiritual Wisdom goes further in that, the Source of understanding and knowledge is GOD and His Word.

It is spiritual wisdom that Paul desires for the Church at Ephesus to have, and it's to that letter we turn this morning:

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NLT)

¹⁵ Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,  ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you.  I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷ asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.  ¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.  This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.  ²¹ Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.  ²² God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.  ²³ And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

The spiritual wisdom that Paul mentions in this passage is pneuma sophia in Greek and is something akin to divine wisdom given from GOD’s Spirit to the human spirit as a direct result of the pursuit of GOD through faith in Christ.

Here’s the point…

Key Point:  “Strong faith comes through wisdom and understanding of the greatness of GOD.”

What is it that Paul desires for the Ephesians to learn from spiritual wisdom?  Let’s take a look:

•  in the  of GOD.

Ephesians 1:16-17 (NLT),  ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you.  I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷ asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

•  flooded in  .

Ephesians 1:18 (NLT),  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

•  the greatness of GOD’s  for us who believe in Him.

Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT),  ¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.  This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 

Something to take home:

Now more than ever in our lifetime, we must seek spiritual wisdom from GOD.  All other knowledge and wisdom pales in comparison to this.  We need eternal insight beyond our own intellect to help us understand what is most important in this life.  We need GOD’s divine touch and insight to see that there is hope beyond our current circumstances.  We need steady men and women of faith whose Source of strength is found in the stability of Christ who because of the joy awaiting Him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  There is no wisdom as important as the wisdom that comes from GOD, and we fool ourselves to think otherwise.  Seek GOD while He may be found; seek Him with everything you have and all that you are!

Key Point:  “Strong faith comes through wisdom and understanding of the greatness of GOD.”