Wisdom's Target

When God speaks, to whom does He speak? When God provides wisdom, to whom does He provide it?

It seems intuitive that God intends to bless the naïve and youths with wisdom, because those are the two groups that especially need it. God blesses them by giving them His word which contains wise principles and instructions. We should all be mindful to bless those younger and less mature than us with the wisdom which God has given us.

At the same time, we must be careful to define our opening questions according to God’s Word. Sometimes God does surprising things; He does things that seem counterintuitive to us as fallen human beings. This is a case like that.

The book of Proverbs is arguably the greatest single body of direct wisdom writing in the Scriptures (though all of the words of God demonstrate His wisdom, without a doubt). Proverbs is targeted wisdom, directing us how to live before God in a wise and righteous manner. To whom is the book of Proverbs addressed?

We see, just as we expected, that in Proverbs 1:4 the author says his words are directed to the naïve and to the youth. What we may not have expected is that he also wrote Proverbs for the “wise man” and the “man of understanding,” that is, for those people who had advanced far in the wisdom enterprise (cf. 1:5). Think about the implications of this for a moment.

What this means is that God’s Word (in this case the book of Proverbs) is something that we can never outgrow. We will always need the wisdom of God to help us understand the world in which we live. We will always need God’s wise instructions to help us live a life that pleases Him (cf. 2 Cor. 5:9, Eph. 5:10). Whatever our stage in life or maturity, we must rely on the Lord.

Whether we are wise or naïve, old or young, let us humble ourselves underneath the mighty hand of God. Let us submit to His Word in joy, trusting that our God knows best, and ever growing in reliance on Him. Truly, He is good to help us (Prov. 3:5-6).

--Dean of Admissions

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

               --Solomon the Son of David, King of Israel

               Proverbs 1:7

Strength in God

Living in a fallen world oftentimes results in fatigue. Our bodies are finite and are often forced to operate in less than ideal conditions. On top of that, we can lose sight of our great God and experience fatigue in our motivation.  What can Christians do in response to this sad reality?

Believe! Our God has given us good promises and commands so that we will trust Him to provide for our needs. This deals with things such as our simplest daily provisions (Matt. 6:11, 6:25-34) but also includes spiritual provisions. We must actively put our faith in these promises and seek to fulfill these commands, not out of a mercenary desire, but out of a heart that rests in the gospel of grace.

When our joy grows dim and our hope begins to feel threadbare, we must remember that God has provided for our needs. In Romans 15:13, Paul prayed for his friends that ‘the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace in believing, so that they would abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ This is submissive, sweet joy that comes from the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit. He sovereignly grants it to us. We need not live without joy, but we can ask God for it for others and ourselves.

When we become fatigued in the spiritual fights in which we engage, we must walk in the strength of the tools which the Lord provides. Paul’s ‘weapons’ were not fleshly, but ‘divinely powerful’ (2 Cor. 10:4). The Lord gives us many helpful pieces of equipment to protect us in our battles in this life (cf. Eph. 6:10-18). Additionally, the Lord gives us the Spirit of power, love, and discipline (2 Tim. 1:7) to serve Him without timidity and fatigue.

We should not think of hardship and difficulty as a curse from God, either. Remember that Paul’s weakness was uniquely used by God to demonstrate His own power (2 Cor. 12:9). This caused Paul to boast in his weakness, so that the power of Christ would dwell in him. Paul’s weakness became a blessing!

Finally, we must remember that we will not always dwell in weakness. Christians have the good hope of a renewed body when Christ comes to gather His own. Paul tells us that such a renewal means we will have bodies that are “raised in power” so that we may serve the Lord without the weakness of our current flesh (1 Cor. 15:43). We can anticipate this blessed hope to bolster our faith today and until then, we have the Lord’s gracious provision in the Spirit.

The truth is: we have strength for the present, hope for the future, and love for God always.

--Dean of Admissions

Render to Caesar

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

—Jesus of Nazareth, Mark 12:17

As tax season is upon us again, it behooves us think about the nature of the world in which we live. Every human being lives under dual governments. Immediately, we live under the governing hand of God, which guides and provides for all creatures at every time and in every place (Acts 17:24-28, Col. 1:16-18, Prov. 16:4). This is invisible, eternal, omnipresent, perfect governance. Secondarily, there is human government. All humans live under some form of human authority, even those who are autonomous (since autonomous simply means ‘a law to themselves’).

There are two key points for us to remember at tax season. First, we must remember that the Lord has established all human governments (Rom. 13:1-2), and therefore expects us to gladly heed them. This includes giving custom, honor, and even fear to whom they are due, and paying taxes (Rom. 13:6-7). Those who disregard human government are essentially disregarding God—which is no slight thing (cf. Rom. 13:2)! In many ways, we should live simply and righteously before our human governors (cf. also 1 Pet. 2:13-17). This is relatively straightforward and easy to accomplish.

Second, we must remember that the Lord is the ultimate Governor of this universe. As our King, Lord, and Governor, He has rights and dues that are owed Him no less than human governments do. While we dutifully pay our taxes each year on April 15 (or thereabouts), how often do we consider the ‘taxes’ that we owe God? Jesus statement in Mark demonstrates that just as Caesar has his dues, likewise God has His dues. We can pay our dues to ‘Caesar’ in the coin of the land, but God deserves and demands much more. In fact, He is worthy of nothing less than our entire selves (Mark 12:30)!

So this year as you render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, make sure that you are also rendering to God what is God’s. He is worthy! In reality, though we fall short of giving God what He deserves, He has perfectly provided for our shortfall by giving His Son in our place. The audit was conducted and we were clearly seen to be lawbreakers, yet God graciously gave His Son for His elect to save them. Praise Him! This gracious provision should only compel us out of love to give Him more and more what is due Him (John 15:13-16).

--Dean of Admissions

The Beginning of Wisdom

One of the greatest difficulties facing every generation of God’s people is to discern true wisdom in the face of unique, generational challenges. Though we can learn much from our spiritual ancestors, we sometimes confront trials that did not exist a decade ago. Thankfully, since there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9), this drives us back to Scripture (1 Pet. 1:24-25).

‘Wisdom’ holds a special place in Scripture. It belongs to God to possess wisdom, yet it is also a blessing that He gives to those who fear Him. Wisdom does not discriminate against male or female, young or old, rich or poor, yet everyone has need of greater wisdom. Likewise, wisdom is always able to enhance ones position, whether one is already wise or is naïve (cf. Prov. 1:4-6). The question, then, is this: how does one acquire wisdom?

Mercifully, God gives us the answer in His word. The answer is relatively simple. How does one acquire wisdom?

“The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom!

And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”

--Prov. 4:7

How does one acquire wisdom? One must merely love it (4:6), seek after it (4:7), and prize it (4:8). That is to say, the wisdom endeavor is self-fulfilling—as soon as a person earnestly begins the endeavor of acquiring true wisdom, that person actually has wisdom. Why? Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10). If a person is earnestly seeking true wisdom, then they have been humbled, for they know that wisdom is sought outside of ourselves. Wisdom is found in God’s Word.

Once a person starts on the path of seeking God’s wisdom, they have been changed. They no longer seek after the trite, artificial, impotent ‘wisdom’ of the world (Prov. 14:12), but they desire God’s wisdom. This wisdom comes from His word (cf. Prov. 1:1-7).

So, if you desire to grow in wisdom, you know where to begin. Happy hunting!

--Dean of Admissions

The Poor Widow

And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

                                          —Mark 12:41-44

The passage above contains some striking truths for us. It is striking first of all that this was a poor widow. As such, she would have been dismissed as insignificant in the eyes of her culture. Having lost her husband and all other possessions, some may even have said of her that she was under the judging hand of God. That was not Jesus’ analysis, however.

Second, it is striking that Jesus said that she gave more than all the other contributors. He did not say that she was simply more giving, but that she actually gave more. The difference is significant. The disciples and all the bystanders would have known that monetarily the poor widow gave less since the canisters into which money was placed were made of metal. When coins were placed into the canisters it was obvious if many, large coins had been deposited or if few, small coins had been given. The widow gave few, small coins—but Jesus said she gave more.

Third, it is striking that the widow gave all she had. Literally, she had no other earthly possessions on which to rely. How did she eat that day? Where did she spend that night? We are not told. We are told that she gave ‘all she had to live on.’

These three facts should inform us of God’s character in judging our lives. God does not look at the human race as we often look at ourselves, but He sees us as we truly are. Poor widows are no less significant in His all-seeing eyes than emperors and mighty generals. Similarly, God does not discriminate against persons on any racial, economic, or demographic basis.

God does not value our giving based on the amount of our giving, but based on the proportion. The result is that a person with limited financial means is just as able to serve God as a person with great means. A person with limited abilities or time is just as able to serve God as person with great gifts or much ‘free’ time.

Ultimately, we also learn from the widow that God is worthy of our all. We see just one snapshot of her life, so it is fair to assume that she used some of her means to get food at some point. Obviously, she had to eat sometime. At this one point, however, she was wholly committing herself to the cause of God in the world. She fully dedicated the means at her disposal to God’s Kingdom. What a lesson she is for us of sacrificial self-giving! She saw that God was worthy of her all, and she gave it.

Have you?

--Dean of Admissions

Christian Mourning

We live in an era where all mourning and sadness are regarded as fundamentally bad. To a certain degree this is in line with a biblical worldview for we know that in the heavenly state there will be no more tears, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4). Even though mourning and crying are regarded as aspects of a fallen world, there is still a place for them in the Christian life.

In fact, mourning is sometimes the right, godly, and necessary response to situations. Though we would never choose to mourn as if it were enjoyable in itself, unquestionably the path to true joy in God sometimes travels through deep valleys of sorrow. This was true of the life of our Lord, the ‘man of sorrows’ (Is. 53:3) who for the joy set before Him endured the cross (Heb. 12:2), and it is true for us as well. How did the authors of Scripture present godly sorrow in their writings? There are at least three categories in which they present righteous mourning.

First, Christians ought to mourn over their own sins. James, as he rebuked the Christians to whom he wrote, instructed them regarding repentance in light of their adulterous love for the world (Jas. 4:4). He wrote: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:7-10). This act of mourning is not redemptive or propitiatory—we do not save ourselves—rather, it is line with the gracious salvation described elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Luke 18:9-14). The Christian, when struck by the reality of his own defiant corruption against the good and gracious God, cannot help but mourn. Such perversity in our persons is appalling. This is Christian mourning.

Second, Christians are called to mourn over the sins of others. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said that they had become arrogant instead of mourning over the sin of a man in the church (1 Cor. 5:2). We must understand that every persons sin affects others as well—a little leaven leavens the whole loaf (1 Cor. 5:6, Gal. 5:9), which is to say that sin spreads when it is not addressed. Even Christ Himself wept over the sad state of Jerusalem, which did not know ‘the things that make for peace’ (Luke 19:41-44). Seeing the continued rebellion of our fellow man against our loving God is saddening because the insurrection is against the worthy King, who ought to be worshipped. The replacement of sin for God’s deserved praise is truly tragic—things ought not be this way.

Third, there is a godly manner in which Christians can and ought to mourn over losses and pain. This is probably the least familiar and least favorable type of mourning in our lives today. Nevertheless, Scripture says that “it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart” (Eccles. 7:2). The losses that we experience in this life prevent us from getting too comfortable here, so that we may continually long for the heavenly state where God’s presence forever drives away sadness, pain, and death. The difficulty of this life keeps our perspective rightly on the ‘things above’ (Col. 3:1-2).

--Dean of Admissions

The Future of the Reformation

The reformation of the church has been in a state of constant progression since its earliest days. This statement might surprise some Christians because we tend to think of reformation as occurring periodically, as in ‘the’ Reformation (i.e. the Protestant Reformation). Though it is not wrong to use the definite article when referring to that particular, drastic movement, it is also not wrong to say that the reformation began at Pentecost (or before) and continues to progress to this very day. So, for example, Paul said that Jesus Christ gave Himself up for the church, to sanctify her so that the church would be holy and blameless (Eph. 5:25-27). This is not merely the church in one age or under the influence of one particular doctrine, it is the church in every age and in every area of life and truth (John 17:17-20).

Because of this, we must be aware that the reformation is ongoing today in our midst—in our selves, our families, and our churches. That alone should cause us to consider soberly how we ought to pursue growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). I believe that there is another truth that we must ponder if we are to be faithful stewards of the God-given, apostolic doctrines that we believe. We must consider the fact that the generation after us, and the generations after that, will be subject to God’s reforming grace as well. In light of that, how can we prepare younger Christians for the good fight of faith?

This question should weigh heavily on the consciences of church leaders, of course, but it should also influence the minds of parents, spouses, friends, and mentors. We must all come to terms with the reality that though we are just one link in a long chain, we do play a vital role in preserving the fidelity of the overall chain. Our actions will, in large measure, determine how the reformation progresses in the generations to come. Obviously, God is sovereign, so He can grant reformation even ex nihilo if He wills, but most often He has willed to work through the faithful stewardship of His servants from one generation to the next. That’s us.

We bear the responsibility to train up younger men and women in the faith so that when we are dead and gone, which we will soon be, there is still a strong and glowing testimony in God’s church. We bear the responsibility not just to look back at our predecessors, analyzing their great works of reformational thinking, but also to look forward, synthesizing documents in light of Scripture to address the pressing issues of our own day. We bear the responsibility to write the songs, hymns, poems, and books that will influence the children of our day so that, by God’s sovereign grace and according to His will, there will be a testimony in the days to come.

I do not say that we bear this responsibility alone, however. Who could possibly be adequate for such a great task? We, like Paul as he surveyed the monumental responsibility of ministry in his day (2 Cor. 2:16), must say, “not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:5-6). We have spiritual authority and power to do this constructive work through the gifts that the Lord has provided (1 Tim. 3:14-15, Eph. 4:11-13, 1 Cor. 3:10-11, 2 Tim. 1:7).

We are not responsible to provide the power or wisdom to perform these tasks, then, since those things must come from God. We are responsible for the results of our labors, however (1 Cor. 3:8-15). Unfaithfulness in stewardship is a very serious sin and is dealt with rigidly by God (Luke 12:41-48). Consider the elders of Israel in the days after Joshua who failed to teach their children about the mighty works of the Lord (Joshua 2:6-12). When one generation is unfaithful to the Lord it is very likely that they have corrupted not just themselves but also their descendants. The future of the reformation depends essentially on God’s sovereign, sustaining power. In many ways, however, the working of that power will be demonstrated in our day through our faithfulness or faithlessness to reform according to God’s Word. May God grant that we pursue His course with zeal, diligence, and ever-deepening love for His Name.

Remember the generation that must inherit the works of our hands!

--Dean of Admissions