Category: Theology

The Bible often tells us to seek wisdom. It tells us that wisdom is the most important thing. It tells us to “get wisdom,” to pursue it (Prov. 4:8). But what is wisdom?

This is indeed a difficult question to answer. There is no one set answer to this question. In fact, there is a whole area of philosophy and psychology trying to seek an answer to this question.

I’ve spent my life pursuing wisdom. I’ve studied a lot of the literature on the subject. So I can tell you from my own study and experience what I believe wisdom is. But this is just my opinion.

“Wisdom is seeing the whole or a part of reality from God’s perspective, thus giving one self-knowledge and insight into the true nature reality and how to flourish in it.”

I hold in my hand right now. A book that says all you have to do to be saved is “simply to believe and receive.” And then it gives the following prayer that you’re supposed to pray.

Jesus, I confess that You are my Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead. By faith in Your Word, I receive salvation now. Thank You for saving me.

The reader is supposed to believe that saying this prayer will save them. This is nonsense. Saying a prayer makes no difference at all. The Bible actually teaches you must repent and believe (Matt 3:2; Mark 1:15: 6:12; Luke 3:13; Act 3:19: 2 Cor 7:20). But then, who reads the Bible. I mean really.

No Salvation requires a change of heart. That means that a person must change from being self-centered to being god-centered. That doesn’t happen by saying words out of your mouth. That takes a move of God in the heart of the person.

Unfortunately, this idea of saying the sinner’s prayer, and then you’re saved, is so widespread that there are many who call themselves Christians that are not. Being a Christian means to become totally committed to God through Jesus Christ.

And faith is not accepting certain statements about Christ as true. Real faith is the “[absolute] reliance on and adherence to and trust in Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16 AMP). It is trusting a person, not accepting a doctrine. Mouthing words is not enough.

Even the word conversion means to turn around. It’s like you’re walking in One direction, and then you turn around and walk a completely different direction. That’s conversion, that salvation, that’s what people really need. A change from a self-centered life to a God-centered life. You won’t get that just saying a prayer.

The Roman Catholic Church proclaimed itself the ultimate authority on Earth. The cry of the Reformation was sola scriptura, which is a Latin phrase meaning “scripture alone.” That was used to mean that the Bible alone was the ultimate authority for the Protestant.

But Gnostic Christians proclaim sola Deo, which is a Latin phrase meaning “God alone.” By that, we mean that God alone is the ultimate authority. The scriptures are a secondary authority. To put the Bible in the place of God is bibliolatry (from the Latin biblio, “book” and the suffix -latry, “worship”).

Gnostic Christians hold general revelation and special revelation as complementary ways of understanding God and his relationship with us. When nature and scripture contradict one another, One of those interpretations must be wrong.

One of the major difficulties that most Christians have is that they take the Bible. Literally. The Bible is not historical facts or literally true. It is a religious book filled with myths, metaphors, and parables that are to be interpreted allegorically.

The Bible is not an answer book, it is a guidebook. It records people’s relationship and dealings. With God, we can help us in developing our own personal relationship with God. The Bible is not supposed to be a substitute for a personal relationship with God, but a guidebook to lead us to that relationship.

Eschatology deals with the last things. This includes such things as the second coming, the millennial reign of Christ, and the end of the heaven and Earth.

Individualized eschatology says that the second coming is not an event in the future, but the end of each individual person’s life. Jesus Christ comes for that person on their deathbed. That is the second coming of Christ.

Many will argue against this viewpoint, saying that that’s not the natural reading of the scriptures. I will agree, but that is an allegorical reading of those same scriptures.

Think of it this way, when I die is when I will be with the Lord. As Paul. The apostle said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That means that the second coming of Christ for me takes place at my death.

Individualized eschatology solves a lot of the problems and difficulties that the church has had over the years. Everybody is always trying to predict when the second coming will take place. I predict it will take place when you die.

Of course, that will be true. At your death there are only three options. You’ll either die and go to be with the Lord, or you will be reincarnated, or you will cease to exist. All three are legitimate possibilities, depending upon your relationship with God.

Wisdom has two eyes, in order to see reality truly as it really is. One eye is humility, the second eye is benevolence. By benevolence I mean volitional love. This is, willing the highest good of another without selfish intent.

Wisdom must see with humility in order for self not to blind it. Wisdom must see with benevolence in order that ill-will may not blind it

Humility and benevolence, these are the secret ways that wisdom sees through the illusions of self and conflict and gazes upon the true nature of things.

If you are to see with wisdom, you must seek to see with humility and love with unselfishness. These are the ways of wisdom, the path to the true.