Wisdom

Wisdom is the bridge between knowledge and truth. Below it runs the murky waters of folly.

Folly is sort of archaic now and is used little in modern society. It's merely the lack of organized thought. It's the chaotic waters which flow beneath the bridge of wisdom.

Knowledge is the totality of what has been mentally consumed. Within the body of knowledge are facts, fictions, and all that is consumed by the senses. Experience continually adjusts knowledge as wisdom analyzes it. Learning is the process of gaining knowledge. It is best learned by experience but formal education is taught. The most learned are those who combine learned knowledge with experience. Wise people are well-balanced in the sources of their knowledge.

In addition to physical knowledge are the spiritual. That body of knowledge cannot be proven, hence, spiritual knowledge is accepted by faith. For instance, eternal life cannot be proven. Most people desire eternal life, we are taught through scripture that it exists, but faith is all we have that it exists. After all, eternal things will never be history. We can never say mankind had eternal life. Therefore, it shall never be proven. On the other hand, glorification has happened, and is proven by the testimony of reliable people.

Theologians accept that the time of death is when Christians are glorified. God is glorified throughout scripture. To glorify God is bestowing honor, praise, or admiration on Him. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). His glory is God's existence. Therefore, it would seem that glorification is honoring God with our presence, and Him showing us His majesty. At the time of death, Christians are immediately in the presence of God, and incidentally, he is honored that his children rejoin Him.

On the other hand, Jesus was glorified at a different time. Let's look at some verses:

John 12:23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 

It would seem that this means that Jesus had not died yet. Not so! Read on: 

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

At this time, Jesus had died on the cross, was physically resurrected but had yet to ascend. He had not been in the presence of the Father at this time. He had yet to glorify God. Therefore, to be a perfect sacrifice to God, he asked not to be touched. (Of course, with Thomas, he challenged him to touch, knowing that Thomas would not. He believed without touching).

After Jesus died, he was resurrected, ascended, and then his "Ghost" returned to comfort us. 

John 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Jesus's physical body remained in heaven - the place of glory. He ultimately glorified God, just as all the patriarch had by honoring, praising, and admiring God. However, he did so perfectly and without ever having the contamination of sin.

We know this happened!  For Christians knowing is knowledge. When one is born-again, this enlightenment happens. If one knows the truth about Jesus: his birth, death, resurrection, and glorification, then the person is born-again. This is spiritual knowledge, but it is derived from the physical.

Christians know that Jesus is God because he claimed to be, then proved it by miracles. Agnostics don't like it, but thousands witnessed the many miracles of Jesus. Sorcery could never do that, and why would a sorcerer come to die? That doesn't make sense. This use if logic is wisdom. Logic is taking the facts, assembling them to test the presumed truth, and then making a conclusion. Orderly use of the thought processes using knowledge is wisdom. A wise person seeks truth, and uses knowledge and thought to derive the truth.

Christians know that Jesus died on the cross because hundreds saw it happen, even high officials who reported it to Caesar. Christians know that Jesus arose from the tomb because they found it empty, and people saw Jesus alive after he was resurrected because hundreds saw him, walked with him, and spoke with him. Honorable people left legal depositions which would hold water in a court of law. Christian have this spiritual knowledge because they believe the truth about Jesus!

Hence, wisdom is also the bridge between spiritual knowledge and divine truth. Those who have faith in the integrity of the knowledge and accept it as truth, are said to be born-again. There is but one gate to paradise, guarded by seraphim, and the knowledge of Jesus is the bridge passing through that gate. If one is not born-again by being enlightened in this manner, there is no entry past the guarded gate.

Wisdom was characteristic to Solomon. God made him wise:

2 Chronicles 1:10  Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? 11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12  Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

God grants wisdom. Solomon was spiritually born-again when God made him wise. He was an imperfect specimen but because of God's grace, Solomon was born a new person who was wise.

On the other hand, those who are not enlightened are in folly:

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise...

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

We know that Solomon did foolish things, but wisdom brought him back. Essentially, wisdom is the hedge God puts around Christians to protect them from evil. Remember that sin was eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Wisdom protects mankind from his own body of knowledge. That hedge of wisdom is the safety in which Christians live until they are saved by glorification. Yes, salvation is the instant a person is glorified! Wisdom is the enlightenment to accept that. We call that acceptance faith. Just as wisdom was a gift of God to Solomon, faith is to us (Ephesians 2:8)!  Faith is more than believing in and trusting God, but also believing the depositions the apostles left for us. Faith is demonstrated by our works. (1 Thessalonians 1:3). We have faith their testimony is true because all but John died for those truths. (John was boiled in oil which may have been even worse!)

Wisdom is also the bridge which carries a person from foolishness to safety - from unsafe to safety.

1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom...

Jews failed to be born-again because they failed to believe the miracles they saw. For them, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost came to convince them. That was the sign the Jews needed. Since the early church, salvation results from wisdom. Sinners examine the evidence that Jesus is who he said he is, and did what he said he did, use logic, are enlightened, and are born-again. Wisdom is what brings sinners to God, and that too, as a component of faith, is saving.