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Testimonies, Tips and Tidbits Spiritual Challenges Human Wisdom verses God's Wisdom

by Robin Ulbredtch
07/21/17
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Human Wisdom verses God’s Wisdom

As Christian believers, we establish a personal relationship with God and follow Jesus down the path to eternal life. As we continue on this journey, we learn that though we live in this earthly or natural realm, there is also a spiritual realm. Through our relationship with God and our Christian brothers and sisters, we learn about the spiritual realm. As we read and learn from God’s word the Holy Spirit teaches us about the things of God—the true and good Spiritual realm. The Holy Spirit helps us discern between the natural world and the Godly spiritual realm and the realm of darkness and evil.

As humans, we learn from living in this earthly, natural realm. We gain earthly human knowledge and understanding as we grow up and experience this natural world around us. We also learn from the people who surround us or come and go from our lives. We attend school to learn facts on a variety of subjects from teachers. We learn living skills and skills to help prepare us for the workplace.

Many of us also gain human wisdom to help us understand how to use the things we learn in our daily lives. Human wisdom comes through various human critical thinking skills and logic. It also uses our God-given thought processes, training us to use them in ways that are fallible thinking processes such as human reasoning and rationalization.

Spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom come from God. As we learn from God’s word, the Holy Bible, the Holy Spirit reveals the truth of it to our hearts and minds. Then, wisdom from God tells us how to take the Spiritual knowledge and apply it to our daily lives. God’s word tells us, “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.” (Proverbs 2:6-8 KJV) This whole process of gaining knowledge, understanding and wisdom causes us to desire to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we face the challenge of discerning between human knowledge and wisdom and Spiritual or Godly knowledge and wisdom. Thank God we have His word and the Holy Spirit to help us discern the truth.

In this age of advancing education and technology, we’re continually learning new things which can be either good or bad depending on their source of origin, composition, and how they are being used. Each individual is responsible for how they use their human knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Are they using it to do good or bad? For example, let’s consider education. Are we filling our minds with good things or bad? Are we using our education to help or hurt others? Are we using it only for our own selfish motives? We choose what we do with what we’ve been given, and we face the consequences for our choices.

After years of studying we can become so proud of our knowledge and our collection of awards, diplomas or trophies that we become “puffed up” with arrogance and/or pride. At times, some of us get so puffed up that we think we know more and/or how to do things better than God and/or other Christian brothers and sisters. But this is a huge deception because we can never even come close the attaining God’s intelligence and there will always be people who are more intelligent than we are. So why do we think so highly of ourselves? After all, what human being can speak a heaven or an earth into existence?

Some people also have the arrogance to think our “human intellect” can figure out or reason how this world came to exist without God. They spend millions of dollars and fabricate stories so they can “humanly prove” God right out of the equation. After all, if they can rationalize God away, they won’t have to be accountable for their actions. They think they can live their lives in every kind of perversion, have as much fun as they want, and hurt anyone who stands between them and their goal—without having to be accountable.

Yet rationalizing God “out of your life” does not take His presence away. God is real, though—like the wind—He is invisible. God will not let people get away with mocking Him; God will hold them accountable for their actions at the great white throne judgment, if not before. Then people will understand that human rationalization and wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes. In 1 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV) the Bible asks us, “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” The Bible also tells us, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25 KJV)

The Apostle Paul warns us of thinking too highly of ourselves saying, “For I say (…) to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3 KJV) If any man or woman thinks too highly of themselves, God can deal with them. The story about King Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel Chapter 4 of the Bible, clearly demonstrates that God has the power to bring arrogant people back to reality.

The Apostle Paul understood there was a difference between human wisdom and Godly wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 KJV, Paul wrote, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” Paul goes on to say, “Now we have received, not the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:12-13 KJV)

As humans with limited knowledge, understanding and wisdom, we sometimes allow our human knowledge and wisdom to go contrary to the Holy Spirit and God’s word. We must be careful not to elevate our human thinking above a false perception of God’s. We must also be careful not to take God’s word out of context, twist it, or pervert it by interpreting it to fit our own selfish desires. Since it’s true that we can’t fathom God or the exact meaning of every scripture, we must pray and listen to the Holy Spirit direct us as we try to interpret God’s meaning for us from the Bible.

One example, from my life, of Human wisdom verses God’s wisdom came when I first met Steve, my husband. Recovering from a previous divorce, I had promised myself I would never get married again. Steve was also thinking along this line. Yet, as friends, we were getting to know each other, and God used us in one another’s lives to do great healing. One day, while Steve and I were talking, he began telling me about his church, Sandpoint Christian Center. Steve told me his church believed in baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Spiritual gifts, including the speaking and interpretation of tongues.

Though I had heard about these things, the church I was attending believed these Spiritual gifts were only for the time when the original twelve apostles lived. I had also heard, from people in other churches, that speaking in tongues came from Satan, not God.

During this time, I led a singles Bible Study at my church. Some Christian men (not Steve) kept coming to our singles group and kept talking about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Speaking in Tongues. Since I didn’t know much about these topics I went to my pastor and asked him about them. All he said was, “Just tell them we don’t do that here.” When I asked him why we didn’t, he only repeated his previous statement and would not explain anything about it to me. His behavior—his unwillingness to talk about it—sparked my curiosity. I wanted to know the truth about these two subjects and I knew they were mentioned in God’s word. Why wouldn’t my pastor explain this to me?

I shared my experience with Steve and he explained what he had learned about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Speaking in Tongues. He showed me many scripture references so I could see for myself that they were in God’s word. In fact, 1 Corinthians 14:39 KJV says, “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.”

For a few months I was in total confusion because people from both churches were trying to convince me with human and Godly wisdom that their church was right. So I prayed, asking God to show me the truth because I didn’t know what to believe or who to listen to. I kept seeking God’s truth through prayer and reading His word. My answer finally came in an experience I hope I never forget.

One day, while visiting Steve’s church, Pastor Dave made an altar call, asking those who needed prayer to come forward. My friend, Steve, went forward for prayer for healing.

At that moment, I thought “I should pray for my friend, Steve.” Soon after this Pastor Dave asked for anyone who wanted to lay hands on and pray for those in need to come forward and do so. I hesitated for a moment because of insecurity in this new church but I finally decided to go forward to pray. As I took one normal-size step out into the aisle between two sections of pews, the Holy Spirit picked me up and translated me up to the altar and set me down directly behind Steve.

A moment before the Holy Spirit released me, I saw and heard Pastor Dave ask me, “Sister, do you want a healing?” I couldn’t respond because the Holy Spirit had not yet released me. The next moment the Holy Spirit released me, and Pastor Dave repeated the question, “Sister, do you want a healing?”

I was confounded when I realized I was at the altar and didn’t know how I got there. Consequently, I didn’t think clearly when I answered Pastor’s question saying, “No, I just want to pray for my friend Steve.” Oh, How I wish I would have said, “Yes, I’d like a healing for my friend, Steve.”

After service, without saying a word to anyone about what happened, I went home and prayed. I asked God to show me what had happened to me at church. Then I opened my Bible and my eyes were immediately drawn to the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, in Acts chapter eight. In this true account, the Holy Spirit translated Philip from one location to the place near the Ethiopian who was riding in the chariot, reading the book of Isaiah. The Holy Spirit translated Philip so he could explain God’s word more fully to the Ethiopian.

As I read this account of Philip in Acts chapter eight, I realized God had translated me from the place where I stepped out in the aisle to the place right behind Steve at the altar. God did this so I could pray for Steve, but God also did it to answer my prayer. When I experienced the divine power of God that day, I realized He was far more powerful than I had ever dreamed. I also knew that God was alive and powerful in Sandpoint Christian Center. I knew God was showing me He wanted me in this new church, and I knew the truth of God’s word was being preached there.

I also experienced the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart whenever Pastor Dave preached. His preaching was so anointed that I could feel the words penetrating my heart and soul in a way I had never known before. I knew God wanted my boys and I to continue at Sandpoint Christian Center. God was real and He was changing our lives.

Not long after this, at a women’s retreat, I got baptized with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. God empowered me for service and gave me—a normally quiet person—the boldness to reach out and share God’s message with others.  

Consequently, there is a vast difference between human knowledge, understanding and wisdom and God’s knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We need to rely on the truth of God’s word rather than humans. God will direct us down the right path, and God never makes mistakes.

Though people may have good intentions, they are only human and make mistakes. We need to check any advice we’re given by humans with God’s word and the quickening given to us by the Holy Spirit. We want to make sure we follow the right path and enter in to heaven through the right gait:

“Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)

“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 KJV)