Recently, I had a Zoom meet; budded from the conversation an interesting question, “What is more important faith or wisdom?” And from it personally branched further questions: Can one exist without the other? Don’t they weigh the same; like 2 sides of the same coin? May one claim to have faith and not manifest wisdom? Doesn’t faith fuel wisdom and vice versa? Is this one of those chicken or egg questions? Where may we get answers to such thoughts?
The Bible says, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.1 Bible study is among one of the foundational spiritual disciplines. We cannot claim to have faith apart from truth. Claiming otherwise is presumption. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.2
Both faith and wisdom is birth and grown; it cannot exist in a vacuum. Through knowledge of Scripture we acquire both the fear of the Lord and wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.3 Notice the promises—wisdom and insight, are hinged on a premise—the fear of the LORD. God’s promises are partial, progressive, and conditional.
Etched in my memory was the time that we decided to join Victory (Sep 1999); we were eager to learn. Intentionally, Stella and I would make ourselves available for every meetings, events, seminars, workshops, etc. Occasionally, I had to go alone. At a coffee shop, while awaiting the doors of the Ortigas-Victory to open, Pastor Nuel Nanez was passing by and decided to engage me. He asked, “Have you ever been offended in Victory?” I answered affirmatively, “Lots of times!” Prying further, “Why are you still here?” Innocently, I said, “I don’t know.” He volunteered an answer, “Because you are a leader!” I thought, What? Far be it! Leader?
Years forward, Stella engaged someone and invited her to our Couples Victory Group meeting at BGC. She had no inkling whom Stella was married to. As she curiously asked who was leading the group, I entered. A loud scream followed, “GEORGE?!!” As though the Holy Spirit put words in my mouth, I promptly and boldly responded, “There is a God, right?!” (Yes, our meetings were a riot!)
Observe the progressive and conditional nature of God’s promises: The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom . . .4 [e.g., The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it5]. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil6 [e.g., The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it7]. The fear of the LORD leads to life as whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.8 Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.9
We can’t claim to have faith without acting on the promise. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, . . .10
But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do . . . God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared . . . as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD, I did not make myself known to them. . . . Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people . . . I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel,
‘I am the LORD, and
I will bring you out from under the burdens . . .
I will deliver you from slavery . . .
I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.
I will take you to be my people, and
I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, . . .
I will bring you into the land I swore to give . . .
I will give it to you for a possession.
I am the LORD.’”11
God begins and ends with his name, I AM.12 As a reminder of his unchanging nature. “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”13
Because I AM I will . . .
Notes:
1. Romans 10:17
2. John 4:23-24
3. Proverbs 9:10
4. Proverbs 15:33
5. Proverbs 10:22
6. Proverbs 16:6
7. Proverbs 22:3
8. Proverbs 19:23
9. Proverbs 28:14
10. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8
11. Exodus 6:1-8 (formatted for emphasis)
12. Exodus 3:14
13. Revelations 22:13
