Submission and reverence to God are the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is the application of the knowledge and truth of God in discerning right from wrong and living an upright and godly life. True spiritual wisdom has no other source but knowing and fearing the LORD.
However, there is a type of counterfeit wisdom that does not come from God. One that seeks to oppose and deny God. And it has a different source (Genesis 3:5-6, James 3:13-14) it also has a different outcome as well - which is disobedience.
Genesis 3:5-6“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it
James 3:15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
Worldly wisdom is a system of values, beliefs, and attitudes that oppose the Truth of God and disregard any need for God, giving the impression that man can be independent of God.
The world through its wisdom does not know God. Neither does it acknowledge nor submit to Him. And when the LORD made a way for the redemption of man, through the cross, and the message of the gospel, the main hindrance for many was their worldly wisdom, since the wisdom of God in salvation was in a manner against the wisdom of the world. (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).
And when the world, through its own wisdom, tries to seek and understand the matters of the LORD, it neither comprehends nor accepts them. (1 Corinthians 2:6-16), because their wisdom counters the True wisdom of God and gets in the way of their understanding and redemption.
Many people, blinded by this wisdom (being wise in their own eyes), are indifferent and disregard God, they go about life trusting in their own judgment, instinct, and insight, which often inclines them towards evil. They are self-dependent, self-righteous (they choose what to deem right or wrong, by their own standards), self-exalting, and self-seeking.
What remedy does the word of God provide against this?
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become "fools" so that you may become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";"The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."
This verse is timely and true, in a world and culture that deems virtues such as chastity and integrity to be “foolish”, and considers shrewdness, deceit, and licentiousness as “wisdom”. We are therefore urged to embrace the wisdom of God, no matter what standards of “wisdom” the world upholds, even if it means being regarded as “foolish” by the world.
Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;fear the Lord and shun evil.
When people appear wise in their own eyes and thus fail to see the need for the wisdom of God, God conceals His wisdom from them, and reveals it by grace to those who are meek, the Bible calls them "little children".
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
1 Corinthians 1:26-27 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
What's the distinction between Worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom?
One is drawn from Heaven, and the other comes from the world. James 3:15,17
James 3:17 Tells us that the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure (holy), it creates peace, it makes us considerate towards others, makes us submit to God, brings mercy and results in good deeds in our lives, and makes us impartial and truthful. While the wisdom that comes from this world is marked by envy, bitterness, and selfish desires and it results in evil practices.
The wisdom of the standards of this age is far from the true wisdom of God, embrace the fear of the Lord and you will find true wisdom.
Job 28:28 And he said to the human race, "The fear of the Lord —that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding."
