Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Eph. 1. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- There are a lot of different things that we could aim our lives at, things that we could set as our first priority, our highest goal in life. I remember thinking as a young child what I’d like to do in my life – have a corvette, make a lot of money, have a lot of leisure time for playing the games I loved. I suspect that most of my dreams had to do with being safely empowered, rich enough to fulfill all my desires, well respected and envied by others. Now, that would be quite a life.
- I would guess that this was the life in front of Solomon as a young king and ruler over Israel. However, when God appeared to him in a dream, and gave him the chance to ask for anything, even in the midst of sleep Solomon didn’t ask for riches and power, but rather for wisdom and an “understanding mind,” so that he could properly discern between good and evil and rule well. This is probably not what we would seek as our highest goal in life.
- The Lord Jesus had all things within His control as He grew up. Yet two things are noted about His growth – strength and wisdom. This is not just physical strength, but strength of character and His whole personal being. He could have had anything as His chief interest, but when given the opportunity He devoted Himself to discussion of the Holy Scriptures and the wisdom from above, the wisdom of God.
- In view of this we might want to reconsider our own goals, priorities, and desires for life. And these very blessings of wisdom and strength are held out to us in our text – blessings and gifts that God seeks to instill within us through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So let us give thought to this as we consider our text – that perhaps “SEEKING WISDOM” might become our great prayer to God and our priority!
I. First, We Must Understand That Every Spiritual Blessing Is Given To Us In Christ Jesus
Text: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
A. The Chief Blessings Of God Are Salvation, Adoption, And Redemption
Text: “In love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight. . . . In Him you also heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.”
B. These Blessings Mean That We Already Have An Eternal Inheritance
Text: “He is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”
Statement: Like the young Solomon, we already have blessings aplenty – eternal blessings, and blessings that make us safe and secure forever! We are adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ – it was His will and predestined plan! So we are princes of an eternal heavenly kingdom, with a kingly inheritance in heaven. TO KNOW AND BELIEVE THIS IS TO HAVE AN INTRODUCTION INTO ALL WISDOM AND INSIGHT!
Application: So, if you truly knew that you already had all of these things – and the strength and wisdom they bring to us – what would you pray for if God agreed to grant you anything? But you already have all of these things, through faith in Jesus Christ, so what do you think you should devote your life to? What is most valuable and worth your time, your energy, and your commitment? Things of this earth – cars, fancy houses, luxuries, hobbies and amusements, money you will leave to your children? None of these are of enduring value, and none of these things has any future. And none of these things is really an investment in yourself or in others – they are only diversions, really only a waste of our precious time here on earth.
Transition: You see, by being here this morning and devoting your attention to God’s Word, you are being offered growth in wisdom – the wisdom to weigh and evaluate properly what is of greatest importance, that which was sought by both Solomon and by Jesus. And you are also being offered a choice – what you will pray for and pursue with your time and energy! You are being offered and encouraged to be “SEEKING WISDOM.” And it is clear from our text that:
II. Wisdom To Know These Things, And To Have Proper Valuing Of Wisdom, Comes To Us Through God’s Word
A. Truth Comes Through God’s Word
Text: “You heard the Word of Truth.”
John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.”
B. The Gospel Of God’s Full And Eternal Blessings Comes To Us Through His Word
Text: “In Him you also heard the Gospel of your salvation.”
C. And The Sealing Of The Holy Spirit, Guaranteeing All Blessings To Us, Comes To Us Through God’s Word
Text: “When you heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”
Statement: All blessings, dignity, strength, safety, and eternal security have already been given to us by God’s predestination and the purpose of His will for us in Christ Jesus. They are freely given to the praise of His glorious grace, and they are given to free us to pursue God’s wisdom. His Word has also been supplied to us to bestow this wisdom upon us, and in His Word all real wisdom and truth is found. So He invites us, and His Spirit which is given to us, urges us to pray for and to pursue wisdom and understanding – until the day we die and acquire possession of our eternal inheritance.
Application: All that stands in the way of our “SEEKING WISDOM” and acquiring it through God’s Word is in reality diversion and obstruction of real and genuine blessedness. Whether the new corvette, the fancy house, the over-endowed retirement accounts, the luxuries, the expensive vacations, the high-paying job, the exhausting career, the perks and prerogatives – these only encumber our time and enslave us so that we can’t get to what is truly valuable and of eternal worth – the personal strength and wisdom that comes from God, through His Word, Holy Scripture.
At the least we can live in the assurance of God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. But if we truly understand these blessings, and the goodness of God, why would we not devote ourselves to “SEEKING WISDOM” and receiving greater measure of “every spiritual blessing” which God offers to us through His Word?
Conclusion: Consider – if God’s wisdom was good enough for Solomon, and good enough for Jesus, why wouldn’t it be good enough for us? And His wisdom is not hard to access – His Word is preached each Sunday, taught in Bible Classes on Sunday and Wednesday, and written about in daily devotions. We all have bibles – though we treat them as of little value, looking at our account balances and contemplating our possessions more often than God’s Word. Yes, I think we need to be “SEEKING WISDOM” a bit more!
So let us pray as Solomon did, and have the priorities which Jesus had even as a young lad. God’s Wisdom only brings greater and greater blessings to us – and perhaps even the less important blessings of greater wealth and power, as was granted to Solomon. But what really matters, our eternal inheritance in His glory, is given to us with His wisdom – in Christ Jesus. And this should be all the motivation we need to be “SEEKING WISDOM.” Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.