10 Key Bible Verses on Wisdom and Discernment

by Crossway

Be Not Wise in Your Own Eyes

Wisdom is, first and foremost, from the Lord. When you desire wisdom, go to him and his word in prayer, and be encouraged with these verses and commentary adapted from the ESV Study Bible.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

This is the core maxim of the book: the quest for wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (cf. Ps. 9:10 and Ps. 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”). “Knowledge” and “wisdom” are closely tied together in Proverbs: “knowledge” tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while “wisdom” is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or “skill in the art of godly living”. On the fear of the Lord, see notes on Acts 5:5; 9:31; Rom. 3:18; Phil. 2:12–13; 1 Pet. 1:17; 1 John 4:18. The reason that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom is that the moral life begins with reverence and humility before the Maker and Redeemer. The idea of a quest for knowledge sets biblical wisdom in the broad context of the ancient Near Eastern quest for truth, and this verse also validates such a quest as legitimate and good. Thus it affirms a kind of “creational revelation,” the idea that one can find moral and theological truth through observing the world.

At the same time, it distinguishes the biblical pursuit of knowledge and wisdom from those of the surrounding cultures, for it asserts that submission to the Lord is foundational to the attainment of real understanding (cf. Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10). By using the covenant name “the LORD” in preference to the more generic “God,” this verse makes the point that truth is found through Israel’s God. In addition, the verse asserts that fools despise wisdom and instruction, thus setting up the alternative between the two ways of wisdom and folly. This contrast dominates the entire book, as the way of wisdom, righteousness, and the fear of the Lord is set against the way of folly, evil, and scoffing.

Proverbs 3:5–6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.*

Subordinating one’s own understanding to the Lord is in keeping with the major thesis of Proverbs, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Trust in the LORD is necessary for fulfilling any of the wise ways of life taught in Proverbs; trusting the Lord is closely connected to “fearing” him (cf. Prov. 1:7; 2:5; Prov. 9:10; Prov. 15:33; Prov. 19:23; etc.). “With all your heart” indicates that trust goes beyond intellectual assent to a deep reliance on the Lord, a settled confidence in his care and his faithfulness to his word. “Do not lean on your own understanding” further explains trusting in the Lord. One’s “understanding” in Proverbs is his perception of the right course of action. The wise will govern themselves by what the Lord himself declares, and will not set their own finite and often-mistaken understanding against his.

To make straight a person’s paths means to make the course of the person’s life one that continually progresses toward a goal. In Proverbs, the emphasis is on the moral quality of one’s life path (here, its moral “straightness”).

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Believers are to have an undivided faith, asking for wisdom from their ever-wise and all-generous God. James addresses the believer who lacks wisdom in handling trials. Wisdom, as in the Old Testament, is a God-given and God-centered discernment regarding the practical issues in life. Wisdom comes from prayer for God’s help. God gives generously (with “single-minded” liberality) and without reproach (he does not want anyone to hesitate to come to him).

Ephesians 5:6–10

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Paul is not telling Christians to avoid all contact with nonbelievers but to avoid joining with them in their sin. The Bible gives general principles for life, but followers of Christ must use wisdom to discern how to apply those principles to the concrete issues of their lives. The book of Proverbs is of great help in this regard. Such wisdom may be defined as “the skill of godly living,” which one must thoughtfully discern, apply, and practice in order to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Christian faith is not spiritual gullibility. The unseen spiritual influences that guide people’s speech and actions can be “tested” by observing their doctrine and conduct as well as by the gift of spiritual discernment (cf. 1 Cor. 12:10; 14:29). False prophets are people who claim to speak for God but are actually speaking by demonic influence (1 John 4:3–4). In today’s age of “tolerance,” discriminating discernment can be viewed as being judgmental (cf. “Judge not,” Matt. 7:1). Yet Jesus also taught, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The present evil age still threatens those who belong to Christ, so they must resist its pressure. Their lives are changed as their minds are made new (contrast Rom. 1:28), so that they are able to “discern” God’s will. By testing you may discern translates Greek dokimazō, which often has the sense of finding out the worth of something by putting it to use or testing it in actual practice (cf. Luke 14:19; 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Cor. 8:22; 1 Tim. 3:10).

James 3:13–18

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

These verses could be called “the tale of two cities”—the realm of wisdom (framing the passage in James 3:13, 17) contrasted with that of selfish ambition. The one “from above” leads to “peace,” while the “earthly” one leads to “disorder.”

Wisdom for James is not merely intellectual but also behavioral. Meekness (Gk. prautēs, translated “gentleness” in Gal. 5:23) was considered weakness by the Greeks, but Jesus elevated it to a primary Christian virtue (Matt. 5:5; 11:29). Meekness comes not from cowardice or passivity but rather from trusting God and therefore being set free from anxious self-promotion.

Matthew 7:24

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

A parable brings the Sermon on the Mount to a close as Jesus calls for his audience to decide between himself and the religious establishment, drawing a dividing line between himself and any other foundation for life. The evidence of whether one is truly a believer is in whether one does the words of Jesus (cf. James 1:22–23 and James 2:20–22). Disciples who build their lives on the bedrock of Jesus and his message of the kingdom of heaven are truly wise, regardless of the shifting cultural or religious fashions.

Philippians 1:9–10

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

The first petition in Paul’s prayer is that God would cause the cardinal Christian virtue of love to abound more and more, and that it would be accompanied by knowledge and all discernment, so that the Philippians’ love would find expression in wise actions that would truly benefit others and glorify God. As Christians grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus, they will increasingly be able to affirm and practice what is excellent. Such joyful obedience to God will give them the confidence of being found pure and blameless when Jesus returns. This does not imply instantaneous spiritual perfection but rather an increasing likeness to Christ. But fruit of righteousness is not produced in the believer’s own power. Because that fruit comes through Jesus Christ, it will result in the glory and praise of God.

Romans 11:33–35

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

As he concludes his setting forth of God’s great plan in the history of salvation (Rom. 1–11), Paul breaks forth into praise. God’s wisdom and ways are far beyond the understanding of human beings, and hence he deserves all the glory.

The words of Isaiah 40:13 teach that no human being knows the mind of the Lord apart from revelation, and no one can serve as God’s adviser. Likewise the majestic words of Job 41:11 are a reminder that no one ultimately gives anything to God. Instead, everything humans have is a gift from God (1 Cor. 4:7).

Since all things are from God, and through God, and for God, it follows that he deserves all the glory forever. God’s saving plan brings him great honor, praise, and glory forever and ever.

All commentary sections adapted from the ESV Study Bible.

Posted at: https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-wisdom-and-discernment/

Obeying God Will Make You Wise

Article by Abigail Dodds

When our children were small, our days consisted of almost constant instructions and routines.

Naptime came after lunch. Beds had to be made, and teeth had to be brushed, and hair had to meet with a comb before school. Snacks were for snack time, not for grazing. We prayed and sang our way through the days of getting things out and learning to put things away. We read books before bedtime and learned verses in the mornings. I can hardly think of a moment when instruction wasn’t on my tongue. “Put your boots in the closet, please!” “Markers are for paper, not for tables!” “Food stays on your plate!” “Go outside and ride your bikes until supper!”

“Through the folly of the cross, Christ became wisdom for us.”

Our rules and routines were not forever statutes — many of them have changed or the need for them has expired — but they were particularly helpful in the season of babies, toddlers, and early school years. As parents, the rules made perfect sense. They were for the good of our children, not for ill. We were not some dictatorial spoil sports; rather, we put up boundaries so that our children could flourish.

Laws of Love

Instructions and boundaries were genuine (and imperfect) expressions of our love for them. When we require children to do chores and study and practice instruments, we require the activities that make for faithful, wise adults. And so it is with God.

God’s commands are expressions of love. When God brought his people out of Egypt, for instance, he had a lot of instructions for them. After reminding them of these instructions, Moses told them,

See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples. (Deuteronomy 4:5–6)

The obedience of the Israelites would be their wisdom and understanding. Obedience would set them apart as wise in the world, and over time it would teach them wisdom. And yet, all through the wilderness, God’s people refused to keep and do his commandments, often going their own way, because they believed they knew better than God what was in their best interest.

Who Knows Better Than God?

Believing ourselves wise apart from obedience to God is the great sin of the human heart. It is the essence of pride. When we declare that we are wiser than God by judging and weighing his commands to see if they suit us, or to gauge whether or not we think they are wise, we are hardening the wet cement of foolishness. But when we, by faith, receive and obey his commands, our hearts and minds are taught wisdom. His instructions become our wisdom and understanding. Consider Eve’s folly.

The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:4–7)

“Believing ourselves wise apart from obedience to God is the great sin of the human heart.”

Eve’s folly was in exercising her own judgment apart from obedience to God. She took it upon herself to evaluate the wisdom or folly of God’s rule. She assessed the tree’s fruit using her own wisdom: it was good for food, it was a delight to the eyes, and, in an irony, it was desired to make one wise. Eve, in her own wisdom, sought the path of wisdom through forbidden fruit, forsaking the instructions of her Creator — instructions that would have led her to true wisdom.

Because I Said So

If you’re anything like me, though, you might be wondering to yourself, “If Eve isn’t supposed to use her own judgment to judge the rightness of something, then what is the basis of her obeying someone else? Are you saying she should have just blindly obeyed others?” No, she should not have blindly obeyed others. With eyes beholding her Creator, she should have fully obeyed her Lord — the one who made the heavens and the earth, the one in whom is all wisdom and knowledge, the one who made her, knew her, and cared for her.

We see this dynamic in a godly Christian home. When children kick back against a bit of instruction coming from the mouth of their father or mother, saying, “Why should I do that?” the truest statement a loving parent can say back is, “Because I said so.” That doesn’t mean that they should say nothing else, or that the parent is perfect, or that every single thing a parent requires of his child is as good as it possibly could be. What it does mean is that children should obey because the source of the instruction is coming from a father or mother who loves them, is older and wiser than they are, and has their best interest in mind.

Children don’t obey because they fully understand all the reasons behind screen-time limits or bedtime routines — they obey because of who is requiring it. And the more they learn to obey their parents with gladness and trust, the more they come to see the wisdom of their instructions. So it is for us with God.

Obedience of Faith

The Christian life is one of supernaturally substituted discernment. Christians, by the work of the Holy Spirit, acknowledge that we, in ourselves, do not know what’s best for us.

When Jesus went to the cross, he became our substitute — he was punished for our sake and in our place. He who knew no sin became sin for us, “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). But that substitution goes further. Through the folly of the cross, Christ became wisdom for us (1 Corinthians 1:30). He endured the foolishness of the cross, so that God might destroy the wisdom of the wise, thwart the discernment of the discerning, and make us truly wise in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:19; 2:16).

Jesus commands, “Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). How do we obey such a command? How do we incline our ear to this instruction? How do we do differently than Eve did when she decided to use her own judgment in place of God’s? We do it by “the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26). God gives the free gift of faith (John 3:7–8), the supernatural ability to believe, and that faith produces our obedience to his commands. John Piper says of the obedience of faith,

That is the ultimate goal of the gospel: the gospel awakens and strengthens faith that leads to conformity to Christ, which displays the glory of God. . . . If there is any people group on planet earth where faith in Jesus Christ is not producing conformity to Jesus Christ, God’s aim for the gospel is not complete. (“Command of God”)

Real faith produces real obedience, our conformity to Christ, and then, through that obedience, we grow in understanding and discernment. We see the loving wisdom in what he has commanded.

How Obedience Produces Wisdom

Faith-filled obedience beholds the Command-Giver in all his righteousness, goodness, sovereignty, and power, and trusts that the words coming from his mouth are better than any coming from ours — even if we don’t understand them. Through that faith-filled obedience, we learn to substitute the perfect judgment and instructions and wisdom of God for our own sickly sense of things.

“As we increase in our obedience to God, all that he commands increasingly makes sense to us.”

When I was growing up, my parents required us to clean up the kitchen after supper. If I started to complain about the jobs that needed to be done, my dad always said the same thing to me: “You don’t have to do the dishes, Abigail; you get to.” “You don’t have to wipe down the counters, Abigail; you get to. Aren’t you thankful that we have food to eat and a kitchen to clean?” So, I would groan a little inwardly and obey my dad.

As I grew older and continued to (imperfectly) obey and do what he required, I noticed that his attitude of “get to” rather than “have to” extended to every area of his life. On Thursday evenings, he would pay bills. I remember one evening asking him if he disliked getting so many bills in the mail, since it seemed like it was the only mail we got. He said to me, “No. I’m so thankful that I get to pay the bills.” He said the same thing when paying taxes. And getting up in the middle of the night as an on-call doctor. And cleaning out his workbench in the deep recesses of our cellar.

Even as a teenager, my eyes were opened to the wisdom of my parents requiring me to clean up after supper. Through obedience, I came to know the wisdom of a “get to” attitude over a begrudging “have to” attitude. It was made clear not merely through the commands themselves, but through witnessing and experiencing wisdom through obedience.

As we increase in our obedience to God — in whom all the riches of wisdom and knowledge reside — God is pleased to grow our wisdom and understanding, so that all that he commands increasingly makes sense to us. As that happens, not only will he be beautiful to us, but so will all his ways.

Abigail Dodds (@abigaildodds) is a wife, mother of five, and graduate of Bethlehem College & Seminary. She is author of (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ (2019).

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/obeying-god-will-make-you-wise

On Building Convictions and Wearing Masks

By: Andy Farmer

This time last year, I could have imagined I might write a blog on building Christian convictions. But I could not imagine it would have been about wearing masks. Yet here we are facing contention in our communities, families, and churches on the issue of wearing masks during the current pandemic. I have had my share of conversations with folks who believe masks are essential to saving lives in a pandemic. Others are equally convinced that masks are at best an unfounded government overreach and possibly part of a larger plan to abridge personal freedoms. I’ve been sent mountains of information and study data (from both positions) that have, frankly, left me more bewildered than anything else.

Often the issue of personal convictions comes up in the current conversations about wearing masks. As in, “I have a personal conviction that I should not go anywhere if I can’t be sure people are wearing masks.” Or, “I have a personal conviction against wearing masks unless there are legitimate health issues at stake.” I can certainly respect people operating out of conviction. But it has raised questions for me.

• What is a personal conviction?

• When do I need one?

• How do I get one if I need it?

• How do I build a conviction in response to a particular circumstance?

Without diverting into a philosophical rumination, let me briefly answer the first three questions because they’re generically related. Personal convictions are beliefs that are held strongly enough by an individual that they are committed to having their lives governed by them. They are committed to being known for them, and to varying degrees, are willing to act on them even at personal cost. A conviction isn’t a preference or a tendency. It is something clearly believed and strongly held in an ongoing way.

Essential Convictions and Personal Convictions

As Christians, we must have certain convictions borne out of our belief in Jesus Christ as Savior of the World. These convictions are best derived from the great creeds of the Church and the Statements of Faith to which we ascribe in our churches and denominations. Orthodox Christianity is well attested. We can have great confidence in our faith convictions when we ascribe to the primary historic doctrines related to the nature of God, the state of humanity in creation and fallenness, the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, and the person and work of Christ.

Personal convictions are of a different sort. They are not creeds or fixed rules or laws that define our standing with God. Nevertheless, they are an important part of the Christian faith. Christians draw the idea of personal convictions from the command language of the Bible, in particular the “grace commands” of the New Testament. Knowing that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law on my behalf, I am now free to live for Christ in joyful obedience to His commands. That is how I love Him (John 14:15).

We talk about the “indicatives and imperatives” pattern in the New Testament letters. The apostle Paul, in particular, structures his letters to churches with a strong doctrinal basis for confidence in our salvation (the indicatives) and follows that up with “if this is true, therefore here is how you should live”—the implications of life in Christ expressed in command language (the imperatives). The forming mechanism for Christian personal convictions is our application of the New Testament imperatives to life situations based on our indicative position in Christ.

Convictions overlap with wisdom and Christian freedom of conscience. We should be able to show from the Bible where we develop our convictions. But just because we derive convictions for ourselves from Scripture doesn’t mean we can impose them on others. In many cases, Christians may come to different personal convictions because of the biblical principles they are applying and how they weigh out various applicable biblical texts. In any case, the rule of faith should keep us from elevating our convictions to universal moral law. And the rule of love should keep us from imposing our convictions self-righteously on others.

Not all convictions are created equal. We often have to develop convictions in response to what life brings our way. I had no convictions on wearing masks prior to 2020. I hope at some point in the not-too-distant future, I’ll be able to retire this conviction, or at least only have to apply it in limited circumstances. But I’ve recognized the need for a conviction on masks so that my behavior is not being shaped by cultural pressure or personal feelings. I need a conviction on masks so I can approach mask-situations with a clear head, a humble heart, and a focus on serving others, not defending or protecting myself.

Building a Conviction

This gets us to the fourth question. How do I build a circumstantial conviction? Here are some guiding principles I’ve tried to apply to my mask conviction, and really what I want to apply to anything I hold as a personal conviction.

• Seek to understand the circumstances in a balanced way, as much as possible. We want thoughtfully considered convictions, not knee-jerk reactions we need to defend. Defensiveness can be used to cover the fact that we haven’t considered an issue in its complexity and depth. If I’ve considered an issue thoroughly, I should be confident but not defensive if someone disagrees with me.

• Consider the whole counsel of God. Don’t cherry-pick verses out of context to support what you think. Wrestling with the Bible is essential in developing personal convictions. In the example of masks, I have been strongly influenced by Romans 14, relating to how the strong must consider the weak. But I can’t build from this alone. After all, who says I’m the strong one in this issue? Maybe time will prove that others were more right than me, and in fact, I was the weak one who needed bearing with.

• Commit to humility and charity in the way you articulate and apply your conviction. The fact that we need personal convictions in the first place assumes there isn’t universal clarity on an issue. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul counsels us that we can be entirely right on a given issue but utterly wrong on what God values.

• Build out from principle to practice. A practice without a principle is a rule. A principle without a practice is a theory. I need to apply my personal conviction on masks without other people having to accommodate me. In fact, graciously held personal convictions will position me to interact with others in a posture of servanthood, not personal rights.

• Keep convictions proportional. Something may be very important to me, but not to someone else. We don’t need to fight over masks. We live in a time where the fewer needless arguments we have (in person or on social media), the better off we will be.

So what is my personal conviction on masks? That’s another conversation entirely. My question is, what is your conviction? And how have you gotten there?

Question for Reflection

1. What passages of Scripture have shaped your personal conviction on mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic?

2. Are you humbly and charitably applying and articulating your conviction, or is being right more important to you than loving your neighbor?

Posted at: https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2020/12/07/on-building-convictions-and-wearing-masks/

Draw Near to Discern

Laura Eder

I can’t remember the last time I experienced a season of life that demanded as many decisions as this one.

Local and national government elections compelled decisive action. Families have been choosing (from less-than-ideal options) how their children should be educated during a pandemic. Some people are considering new job opportunities; others are struggling to develop new budgets with less income. Many are facing difficult tensions in close relationships.

The decisions have been relentless, and I have felt desperate for discernment.

At the beginning of 2020, I had not planned to read through the book of Ecclesiastes at this time, but God, in his providence, had planned for me to read it. The book begins with a wise admonition about how we are to approach God in our worship. Before we make decisions (even sacrificially, for the Lord), we can adopt this same humble posture as we wait for God’s guidance:

To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools… (Ecc. 5:1).

Thankfully, God faithfully provides exactly what we need through his word. As we draw near to him through the regular reading of Scripture, he instructs us directly and personally. By listening to God’s word, fearing him, and keeping his commandments, we can gain the wisdom we lack for today’s difficult decisions. The writer of Ecclesiastes summarizes the book with three instructions to guide us in this pursuit.

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh… Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecc. 12:11-14).

On the Way to Wisdom

1. God’s word guides us according to his own wisdom (Ecc. 12:11).

The words of the wise are like goads…

A goad is a stick used to prod and guide animals along the right path for their work. Much like oxen, I am prone to venture away from God’s good and right way. God is faithful to steer me back through the wisdom of Scripture.   

…like firmly fixed nails are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.

The words “firmly fixed nails” bring to mind the image of Christ’s hands and feet, fixed on the cross. His sacrifice secures our salvation by grace and through faith. And his wise words collected in the Bible are utterly dependable. They are given by the Good Shepherd who was faithful, even unto death. He is fully able to provide the good direction and right stability that we crave.

2. The world’s voices will make us weary (Ecc. 12:12).

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

We can become victims of our own analysis-paralysis when we primarily look outside of God’s word for wisdom. We don’t want to be like children “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, human cunning, craftiness or deceitful schemes” (Eph. 4:14). Instead, God’s word offers us a firm tether in a sea of confusion.

We have the hope of the gospel as a “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever” (Heb. 6:19-20). We may feel like we’re lost at sea, but Jesus Himself is the anchor of our souls.

It’s not our job to know everything that’s going on in the world, to fix every problem, or to have a right answer for every question. Instead, believers have the duty and freedom to fear God and keep His commands. In the end, that’s all that really matters.

3. Fear God, and rest in his justice (Ecc. 12:14).

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

The fear of the Lord is our motivation to keep his commands. This kind of fear is the reverent, awe-filled belief that God has the power to give and take life as he chooses. His act of saving us is his choice to give us undeserved, new life. Though we deserve punishment for our many sins, the gavel has landed with the miraculous declaration: “Not guilty!” Not only is our debt paid in full, but we are credited the perfect righteousness of Christ. This good news fuels our gratitude that manifests in joyful obedience.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Obeying God’s commands is important because he is a just judge. He will deal with every human decision, whether known or secret, whether good or evil. He will judge perfectly and finally. All things are ultimately in his hands. We do not control the final outcomes. This is a fearsome warning for those who do not know God. But what a relief for the believer! We are in right standing with God, not because of our decisions, but because of his decision to claim us as his own for all eternity. What relief that brings when we feel the weight of responsibility to make wise decisions in our temporary, earthly days.

Brother and sister, be encouraged in these days of decision-making. In his word, God has given everything we need to wisely discern his will. He gives us his own fatherly wisdom, collected in the pages of Scripture. He gives us his son, Jesus Christ, whose decisive sacrifice on the cross makes him the perfect Shepherd, able to guide us. And he gives us his Spirit, who still speaks into our decisions—if we are willing to draw near and discern, with an open Bible.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/11/draw-near-discern/

No Fear, No Wisdom

by Sam Parkison

Allow me to correct one of the most common misconceptions about biblical wisdom literature in general, and Proverbs in particular. People often believe Proverbs is this spiritually neutral collection of helpful insights. As if what was collected in this book were simple truisms that lay out on the ground for whoever happens to stumble across them. Maybe Solomon finds a few, maybe Confucius finds a few more, maybe Oprah finds the rest.  

No, that’s not how this book works. You don’t tap into this book’s insight without “fear of the LORD.” And who is this LORD? This capitol “L-O-R-D” LORD? Whenever you see the word, “LORD” all capitalized in your English translation, that’s your cue that God’s covenant name Yahweh has just been translated. So the path to true wisdom is not reverence for God in general, it’s reverence for Israel’s covenant-making God. The fear of “Yahweh” is the beginning of wisdom.  

If fearing God is the beginning of wisdom, then the refusal to fear God is the beginning of all folly. The essence of folly is trying to live in God’s world without conforming to God’s will. Now, the reality is that God is incredibly gracious. God-fearers and God-despisers live in the same world, created and sustained with the same symmetry and design embedded therein by the same God. The fool who says in his heart that there is no God still lives in God’s world. They are like the rebellious adolescent who hates his parents and declares, “I don’t need you!”—while living in his parents’ house, insured by his parents’ employer, sleeping on the bed his parents bought, eating food in the refrigerator his parents stock, bashing his parents online with a phone they provided using the internet services for which they pay. That’s the non-Christian—living in God’s world, receiving all his benefits while denying that he is, in fact, the benefactor.  

And this is why, on the surface level, some of the insights we receive from Proverbs may seem universally accessible to Christian and non-Christian alike. That’s because the Christian and the non-Christian both live in the world the Triune God created and sustains. But this does not mean that there is such a thing as neutral wisdom, because there is, in fact, no such thing as neutral anything. “All things were created through him and for him,” says Paul to the Colossians. No, the non-Christian who experiences the surface-level insights of Proverbs understands not its wisdom. That comes from covenantal allegiance and reverence. A rebellious teenager may have some insight on how to navigate a smartphone his parents bought him, but that doesn’t make him wise. He doesn’t understand that smartphone like the grateful teenager in right relationship with his parents—the teenager who understands his gift in relation to its giver. 

True wisdom—biblical wisdom—is not limited to the intellect. Lady Wisdom does not invite you to come into her house and lounge as you pontificate and speculate about the deep mysteries of the universe. She invites to think about those things deeply, but in the context of eating and drinking and laughing and sleeping and cleaning up the dishes and folding the laundry. Her lessons are not disembodied concepts one can entertain intellectually but never practice. Biblical wisdom is concerned with the whole person. Right thinking and right living are the two hands of a wise person.  

This means that there is a uniquely wise—a uniquely Christian—way of doing everything. When we talk with our spouses and kids, eat our meals, do the dishes, engage on social media, think about politics, date, spend our money, have sex with our spouse, receive insults, save for retirement—we should be thinking, “What is the uniquely wise—uniquely Christian—way of doing this?” 

Let’s just use one example. If we ask, “What is the uniquely Christian way of engaging on social media?” Lady wisdom answers, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12:16) and “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.” (Proverbs 12:17) and “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly,” (14:29) and “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (15:1) and “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18), and “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends” (17:9) and “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back (29:11).  

Lady Folly sings a very different tune. The most brazen form of Lady Folly’s message can be found in Proverbs 7. “You will get away with it. You will enjoy it. Live life with no regrets—today, gratify your desires.” But this is not her only speech. Notice that the heart of her strategy is to expose and exploit your sinful desires—she affirms you in your folly. Which means much deeper than the explicit temptation to disobey is the idolatry of self. Sometimes she focuses on the ends—i.e., break this law of God’s because you deserve it. And sometimes she focuses on the means with not explicitly mentioning the end—i.e., “you deserve everything.” But starting there cannot but lead to the same deathly end. 

It is therefore important that we learn to recognize the tone of Lady Folly’s voice in whatever context we happen to find ourselves in. Her invitations persist as long as we live in this world. And she borrows the lips of many a sap. Her words were found on the lips of Satan with the question, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” and in his statement, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:1b, 4b-5). You can hear her voice today still. She asks questions like:  

Does not God simply want you to be happy? 

Did not God make you this way? 

Is this not your body? 

Is this not freedom? 

Is this not your choice? 

Ought you not cut out toxic people? 

Ought you not prioritize self-care? If you don’t who will? 

Ought you not go, girl? 

Are you not your own master? 

This is not a “gotcha,” we ought not gloat. This is serious business, and Lady Folly has no shortage of party guests, even among those who follow Christ. Don’t presume that you are beyond succumbing to her invitations just because you may reject outright these explicit proverbs of Folly. She invites you implicitly and undercover. She does so in the Rom-Com that depicts when the fornicating couple who overcomes all odds to find true love—when prudence is thrown to the wind, marriages are destroyed, God’s law is despised, bridges are burned, but you are expected to celebrate because the two guilty parties found true happiness. She offers her invitation to our children in every animated movie that sells the lie that the ultimate vice is self-denial, and the ultimate virtue is to “follow one’s heart.” She invites in the deep recesses of your mind when you harbor resentment for your spouse for failing to recognize your all-importance. She’s sneaky, and you must learn to recognize her invitations for what they are. 

Enter the Christ. The road forks at Jesus, friends. To reject Jesus is to reject wisdom. It is an oxymoron to be wise, according to biblical standards, and persist in refusal to submit to Jesus. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and we fear God through Jesus. Lady Wisdom invites to come her way, fearing God, and Jesus tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6). Just listen to how the personification of God’s wisdom is described in Proverbs 8 and try not to think about John 1. Lady Wisdom is a poetic personification of God’s wisdom—but all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. You cannot get God’s wisdom without coming to Jesus.

Sam Parkison

Samuel G. Parkison is the author of Revelation and Response: The Why and How of Leading Corporate Worship through Song. He is also a Regular Contributor to For The Church and is a PhD student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Samuel lives in Kansas City with his wife (Shannon) and their two sons (Jonah and Henry), where Samuel serves as a Pastor of Teaching and Liturgy at Emmaus Church. You can follow Samuel on Twitter at @samuel_parkison.

Posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/no-fear-no-wisdom--2

Gospel Centered Life Questions - Part 2

by Bob Kellemen

In the first part of this two-part blog post, Gospel-Centered Life Questions, I began by quoting Michael Horton, in his fine work, The Gospel-Driven Life, where he notes that:

“… we typically introduce the Bible as the ‘answer to life’s questions.’ This is where the Bible becomes relevant to people ‘where they are’ in their experience. Accordingly, it is often said that we must apply the Scriptures to daily living. But this is to invoke the Bible too late, as if we already knew what ‘life’ or ‘daily living’ meant. The problem is not merely that we lack the right answers, but that we don’t even have the right questions until God introduces us to His interpretation of reality.”

I then started comparing the world’s 8 ultimate life questions to the Word’s 8 ultimate life questions. And we began to see that the world doesn’t even get the questions right!

Today we look at ultimate life questions 5-8—contrasting the world’s shallow questions with the Word’s profound questions—and answers.

Ultimate Life Question # 5 

The World’s Question: “How do people change?”

The Word’s Question: “How does Christ change people?” “How does Christ bring us peace with God?”

The world’s question focuses on human self-effort—which is the very definition of secular thinking. It’s all about me and my self-sufficient efforts to be a “better me” in my power for my good.

The Word’s question focuses on Christ-sufficiency—it’s all about Him, His power, for His glory—and becoming more like Christ, not simply a “better me.” Yes, there is a role that we play—but that role is a grace-empowered role. Already changed by Christ, we now put off the vestiges of the old us and put on the new person we already are in Christ—through the Spirit’s empowerment. And Christ not only changes our inner person; Christ changes our relationship with the Father from enemy to family, from alienation to peace.

Ultimate Life Question # 6 

The World’s Question: “Where can we find help?”

The Word’s Question: “Where can we find a place to believe, belong, and to become—like Christ?”

The world says, “It takes a village.”

The Word says, “It takes a church.” Sanctification is a community journey with our brothers and sisters in Christ. As Ephesians 3:14-21 reminds us, it is together with all the saints that we grasp grace and grow in grace to glorify our gracious God.

Ultimate Life Question # 7 

The World’s Question: “Where are we headed?”

The Word’s Question: “How does our future destiny impact our lives today?”

We all want to know, “What’s the point?” “What’s our purpose?” The world asks these questions in a vacuum.

The Word asks the destiny question knowing the answer and relevantly tying our future to our present. As Christians, our future destiny is eternity with God on a new heaven and a new earth where we have intimacy with God, purity in our hearts, and victory in our lives. Since this is true, the Bible urges us to live today in light of eternity. As saints who struggle against suffering and sin—our future makes all the difference in our lives now.

Ultimate Life Question # 8 

The World’s Question: “Why are we here?”

The Word’s Question: “What’s our calling/purpose?” “How do we become like Christ”?

The world’s take on the question of ultimate meaning begins with a shallow question and responds with an even more superficial answer: “To be a better me.”

The Word sees our purpose as a calling in relationship to God and others. And the Word focuses our answer on Christlikeness. We are here to glorify the Father the way the Son glorified the Father. We are here to increasingly reflect Jesus. Each of us will do so in unique, idiosyncratic ways because we are each fearfully and wonderfully made to reflect Christ in a billion different ways.

The Right Questions and the Right Answers 

I summarized Part 1 with this tweet-size summary, which also summarizes both of these blog posts:

To offer wise & loving biblical counsel, we must ask & answer gospel-centered biblical questions.

The world not only gets the answers wrong, the world’s questions are impoverished.

The Word not only gets the answers right, the Word’s questions are rich, robust, and relevant.

Join the Conversation 

How are you biblically answering life’s second four ultimate questions?

1. “How does Christ change people?” “How does Christ bring us peace with God?”

2. “Where can we find a place to believe, belong, and to become—like Christ?”

3. “How does our future destiny impact our lives today?”

4. “What’s our calling/purpose?” “How do we become like Christ”?

Tweet It 

To offer wise & loving biblical counsel, we must ask & answer gospel-centered biblical questions.

Posted at: https://www.rpmministries.org/2016/02/4-more-gospel-centered-life-questions/

Gospel Centered Life Questions

by Bob Kellemen

As a reader of my Changing Lives blog, you know that I often discuss what I call 8 ultimate life questions. Perhaps you have wondered:

“Why don’t you call them 8 ultimate life answers”?  

Michael Horton, in his fine work, The Gospel-Driven Life, notes that:

“… we typically introduce the Bible as the ‘answer to life’s questions.’ This is where the Bible becomes relevant to people ‘where they are’ in their experience. Accordingly, it is often said that we must apply the Scriptures to daily living. But this is to invoke the Bible too late, as if we already knew what ‘life’ or ‘daily living’ meant. The problem is not merely that we lack the right answers, but that we don’t even have the right questions until God introduces us to His interpretation of reality.”

Exactly!

So…let’s compare the world’s 8 ultimate life questions to the Bible’s 8 ultimate life questions—and see that the world doesn’t even get the questions right!

Ultimate Life Question # 1 

The World’s Question: “What is truth?”

The Word’s Question: “Where do we find wisdom for life in a broken world?”

Do you see how rich and robust the Word’s question is? And how real, raw, and relevant the Word’s question is? The world asks about truth in the abstract—philosophical truth. The Word asks about and provides the ultimate source of wisdom for living—how broken people live wisely in a broken world.

Ultimate Life Question # 2 

The World’s Question: “Why is there something rather than nothing?”

The Word’s Question: “Who Is God?” “What comes into our mind when we think about God?” “Whose view of God will we believe—Satan’s or Christ’s?”

When Shirley and I recently visited the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, we read displays that constantly pondered why there was something instead of nothing. They not only failed to provide an answer, they were asking a shallow, even foolish, question.

See again the richness of the Word’s question: “Whose view of God will we believe—Satan’s or Christ’s?” We all have a view of God. We are all worshipping beings. And we all follow someone’s portrait of God—either an evil portrait painted by Satan or the beautiful portrait painted by Christ—in His blood.

Ultimate Life Question # 3 

The World’s Question: “Who am I?”

The Word’s Question:” “Whose are we?” “In what story do we find ourselves?”

Wow! Just add those two letters—s and e—and what a world of difference we find between the world’s question and the Word’s question.

“Who am I” is such a tiny, puny, self-centered question. It is a question that pictures the world revolving around me. “Who am I?” is a question that can only be answered by self-sufficiency and self-reference—I am who I see and make myself to be.

“Whose are we?” is such a gigantic, even infinite, question. It is a question that pictures the universe revolving around God. “Whose am I?” is a question that can only be answered in-reference-to our Creator—coram Deo. The story of our lives is not an auto-biography. The story of our lives is a God-biography—we are each epic poems (Ephesians 2:10) written by God as pages in chapters in God’s book of eternal life.

Paul answers this ultimate life question in Romans 1:7: “Beloved by the Father and called to be saints.” We are loved sons/daughters and cleansed saints—that’s who we are because of Whose we are!

Ultimate Life Question # 4 

The World’s Question: “Why do we do the things we do?”

The Word’s Question: “What went wrong?” “What’s the root source of our problem?”

The world answers its wrong question with a wrong answer. “I do the things I do because of others—it’s my spouse’s fault, my boss’ fault, my parent’s fault.” Or, “I do the things I do because of my feelings—they are out of control, beyond my control.” Or, “I do the things I do because of my body—I need better medication because my physical brain is the ultimate source of my soulful problems.”

The Word gets to the heart of our heart problem. Yes, our life situation is an influence. Yes, our emotions are tricky and complex. Yes, our bodies are frail and fallen jars of clay. However, the root source of our problem is spiritual—it is a worship disorder. It is a loss-of-awe disorder. We are all spiritual adulterers and heart idolaters—that’s the root source of our problem. Recognition of that root source compels us to cry out in God-sufficiency for an Answer—a Person—who has paid the price for adultery and idolatry.

The Rest of the Story 

Stay tuned for my next post when we probe ultimate life questions 5-8 and compare and contrast the Word’s shallow questions with the Word’s rich questions.

Join the Conversation 

Is it a new thought for you that the world not only has foolish answers, the world also has shallow questions? If so, what impact might this realization have on your life and ministry?

How are you biblically answering life’s first four ultimate questions?

1. “Where do we find wisdom for life in a broken world?”

2. Who Is God?” “What comes into our mind when we think about God?” “Whose view of God will we believe—Satan’s or Christ’s?”

3. “Whose are we?” “In what story do we find ourselves?”

4. “What went wrong?” “What’s the root source of our problem?”

Tweet It 

To offer wise & loving biblical counsel, we must ask & answer gospel-centered biblical questions.

Posted at: https://www.rpmministries.org/2016/02/gospel-centered-life-questions/

Wisely Handling the Book of Proverbs

RC Sproul

Every culture seems to have its own unique, collected wisdom, pithy insights of the wise. Oftentimes, these tidbits of wisdom are preserved in the form of the proverb. We have proverbial sayings in American culture. I am thinking of sayings such as “A stitch in time saves nine” or “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

The Bible, of course, has an entire book of such pithy sayings—the book of Proverbs. However, this compilation of proverbial wisdom is different from all other such collections in that these sayings reflect not just human wisdom but divine wisdom, for these proverbs are inspired by God.

Still, we must be very careful in how we approach and implement these wise sayings. Simply because they are inspired does not mean that the biblical proverbs are like laws, imposing a universal obligation. Yet, some people treat them as if they were divine commandments. If we regard them in that way, we run into all kinds of trouble. Even divinely inspired proverbs do not necessarily apply to all life situations. Rather, they reflect insights that are generally true.

To illustrate this point, let me remind you of two of our own culture’s proverbs. First, we often say, “Look before you leap.” That is a valuable insight. But we have another proverb that seems to contradict it: “He who hesitates is lost.” If we tried to apply both of these proverbs at the same time and in the same way in every situation, we would be thoroughly confused. In many situations, wisdom dictates that we examine carefully where we should place our steps next so that we are not moving blindly. At the same time, we cannot be so paralyzed in our evaluation of the pros and cons of our next move that we hesitate too long before making a decision and lose opportunities when they present themselves to us.

Naturally, it does not really bother us to find seemingly contradictory proverbs in our own cultural wisdom. But when we discover them in the Bible, we find ourselves wrestling with questions about the trustworthiness of Scripture. Let me cite one well-known example. The book of Proverbs says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly” (26:4a). Then, in the very next verse, we read, “Answer a fool according to his folly” (26:5a). How can we follow these opposite instructions? How can both be statements of wisdom?

Again, just as in the example I gave above, the answer depends on the situation. There are certain circumstances when it is not wise to answer a fool according to his folly, but there are other circumstances when it is wise to answer a fool according to his folly. Proverbs 26:4 says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself” (emphasis added). If someone is speaking foolishness, it is generally not wise to try to talk to him. Such a discussion will go nowhere, and the one who tries to carry on the discussion with the fool is in danger of falling into the same foolishness. In other words, there are circumstances when we are better off saying nothing.

At other times, however, it can be helpful to answer a fool according to his folly. Proverbs 26:5 says, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (emphasis added). Although it was made an art form by the ancient Greek philosophers, the Hebrews understood and in biblical teaching sometimes used one of the most effective ways of arguing with another person. I am referring to the reductio ad absurdum, which reduces the other person’s argument to absurdity. By means of this technique, it is possible to show a person the necessary, logical conclusion that flows out of his argument, and so demonstrate that his premises lead ultimately to an absurd conclusion. So, when a person has a foolish premise and gives a foolish argument, it can at times be very effective to answer the fool according to his folly. You step over onto his territory and say, “Okay, I’ll take your position for argument’s sake, and I’m going to take it to its logical conclusion and show you the foolishness of it.”

So, the book of Proverbs is concerned to give us practical guidelines for daily experience. It is a neglected treasure of the Old Testament, with untold riches lying in wait in its pages to guide our lives. It holds real, concrete advice that comes from the mind of God Himself. If we want wisdom, this is the fountain from which to drink. He who is foolish will neglect this fountain. He who is hungry for God’s wisdom will drink deeply from it. We need to listen to the wisdom of God so that we can cut through the many distractions and confusions of modern life. But, as with the entirety of the Word of God, we need to be zealous to learn how to handle the book of Proverbs properly.

Posted at: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/wisely-handling-book-proverbs/

I Don't Like Correction

Article by Jay Younts

 don’t like correction. There I said it. I like to be right. More importantly, I like it even more when you think I am right. 

By admitting these things I have also shown a propensity for stupidity. This is but another reminder of the danger of being wise in my own eyes. If I care most about being right, I care most about myself. This desire to be right is destructive to relationships, especially relationships in families. This is not wisdom but stupidity. 

If I am to learn, I must first love discipline and rebuke. When I recoil at the correction and rebuke of those closest to me, I make myself weak. Instead of trying to find a way to challenge a rebuke, God wants me to first learn from that rebuke. Why is my child or my spouse angry with me? It is easy to say that they are wrong. It is harder to say, what is my part in this. Am I really stupid enough to think that my actions are so wise, loving and perfect, so that no one could be hurt or offended by my words or actions?

Learning from a correction or a rebuke, even if it is out of place, means that I care more about serving God and others than I do about myself. That is a good thing. 

Being defensive is stupid, it means I have noting to learn. The reality is that I have more to learn than I can ever imagine! If those whom you love have a hard time talking with you, perhaps the problem may have more to do with you than with them. Become wise and learn to love a rebuke.

Think about it.

To learn, you must love discipline;
it is stupid to hate correction. (Proverbs 12:1)

Posted at: https://www.shepherdpress.com/i-dont-like-correction-2/?fbclid=IwAR1yZWLxIgpb0-H3ehVAzPy8Q0PhYjuxQv1deQA_mC5kkC1DIgXcQ6kOQKY

Learn to Love All That's Good

Article by Hannah Anderson

Ask ten different Christians to define discernment and you’ll likely get ten different answers.

For some, discernment is the ability to uncover scandal or spot doctrinal error, the stuff of church members who stand ready with a critique of the pastor’s sermon. For others, discernment is a kind of sixth sense, a gut instinct that kicks in when you need to make an important decision. If you are a discerning person, you’ll “just know” what to do. Still others see discernment as the ability to decode the hidden agenda and secret meaning behind seemingly innocent things — things like the design of a coffee cup or a holiday colloquialism.

Outside the Christian subculture, however, discernment carries a much simpler, and more positive, meaning. We say that a museum curator has a discerning eye or that an award-winning chef has a discerning palate. What we mean is that a person has skill in a certain field or has developed a refined taste through education and experience. A discerning person is someone who has an appreciation for goodness.

Interestingly enough, Scripture affirms a similar understanding of discernment in Philippians 1:9–10, where Paul prays that the believers’ love “may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent.” While a discerning person will be able to identify what is not good, he can do so only if he has developed a taste for what is good. He can spot a fake Renoir because he knows what a real one looks like.

How to Become Discerning

So how can we grow in our understanding of goodness? How can we become discerning people?

If you ask a museum curator how he developed his eye for quality, he’ll likely tell you about his formal education. He’ll also tell you about how experience and contact with masterworks cultivated his sensibility. A chef might tell you about attending culinary school or working under an award-winning mentor. But she’ll also tell you about her years working in the kitchen and the countless dishes she’s tasted. While discernment may eventually come to feel like a sixth sense, discernment develops through education, experience, and quite simply, exposure to goodness.

When we consider how we develop spiritual discernment — the kind that Paul talks about in Philippians 1 — the process is similar. In order to grow in our appreciation for goodness, we must be transformed “by the renewal of [our] mind[s], that by testing [we] may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Just as a chef’s palate grows through both schooling and experience, we grow in discernment both by educating ourselves in goodness and by encountering it firsthand.

This need for firsthand experience is something of what Paul is getting at in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Having opened his letter to the Philippians with a prayer for discernment, Paul now closes it with practical advice. Do you want to be able to approve what’s excellent? Seek whatever is true. Do you want to be able to navigate the world with wisdom? Seek whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. Do you want to become a discerning person? Seek whatever is good.

Good Gifts from a Good God

But even as we begin to understand discernment as a thirst for goodness, even as we begin to desire discernment for ourselves, we might remain wary of Paul’s instruction. For some of us, it might feel dangerous to give ourselves to actively seeking good things. After all, even good things have the potential to distract us from what really matters. If we give ourselves to whatever is good, won’t our eyes become focused on this life and miss heaven’s priorities?

While it’s true that our hearts quickly go astray, the problem is not with God’s good gifts, but our own lack of goodness. And while it may seem counterintuitive, God actually intends for his good gifts to be a means of changing our hearts to love him as we should.

After praying that believers would learn to approve what is excellent, Paul continues by explaining that this process will lead to our being made “pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:10–11). In other words, something about seeking whatever is true, honorable, just, lovely, pure, and commendable leads to our good and God’s glory.

To understand Paul’s logic, we must remember that God himself defines what is good. Goodness is not an abstract or culturally defined category. It is not simply what we like or what we deem to be valuable. Instead, something is good if it aligns with God’s character. So when we seek whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable, we are not seeking whatever we want. We’re seeking things, people, and experiences that reflect his glory and show us what he is like. And in seeking him, we will be transformed.

Settling for Something Less

The genius of Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4:8 is that focusing our hearts and minds on goodness focuses our hearts and minds on God. Just as encountering a masterpiece shapes and cultivates a curator’s eye, encountering God’s nature can shape and cultivate our own taste for goodness. But seeking virtue does something else: it confronts our own lack of goodness.

We commonly read Philippians 4:8 as a filter for choosing what to take into our lives. Learning to seek whatever is true means evaluating messages to determine whether they are both factually and ethically accurate. If an article comes across my social-media feed, for example, seeking whatever is true forces me to test it before I accept it. Is it accurate? Does it portray the facts honestly, or does it bend the truth to fit a certain bias or narrative?

But seeking whatever is true also means testing my own honesty as a reader. Am I reading this article with integrity? How are my presuppositions or group loyalties blinding me to what the author says? Suddenly my own motives, biases, and emotional responses are laid bare, measured against the standard of God’s own truthfulness. And in that moment, I have the opportunity to align my heart with God’s character or to settle for something less than truth.

The problem, of course, is that too often we settle. We convince ourselves that we are seeking truth when we really just want to use facts as weapons against our ideological opponents.

Instead of seeking truth, we settle for winning arguments.
Instead of seeking honor, we settle for fame.
Instead of seeking justice, we settle for being right.
Instead of seeking purity, we settle for legalistic boundaries.
Instead of seeking beauty, we settle for sentimentality.
Instead of seeking what is commendable, we settle for hot takes.

Like C.S. Lewis noted in “The Weight of Glory,” we are half-hearted creatures whose desire for goodness is not too strong but too weak. Instead of becoming discerning, we remain ignorant children, content to “go on making mud pies in a slum because [we] cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (26). And in missing the sea, we miss the God who made it.

The God Who Makes Us Good

But even here, a good God has made a way. The good news of the gospel is that even poor, ignorant children can be made wise. The good news of the gospel is that a good God sent his good Son to make us good once again.

When the Scripture invites us to seek whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable, it is inviting us to discover a God who himself is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. And when we encounter this God, we will be changed. Like a refiner’s fire burning away the dross, he will purify us to make us like himself. And out of his abundant goodness, he will teach us to love all that’s good.

Hannah Anderson (@sometimesalight) lives in the haunting Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She spends her days working beside her husband in rural ministry, caring for their three children, and scratching out odd moments to write at her blog Sometimes a Light. She is the author of All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/learn-to-love-all-thats-good?fbclid=IwAR09XPSOc5wEOgtSghp_3UmAGz1sAH-FrlAMa6zvt7GIt9_3S61keiEf9vg