Title: Grace is more important than wisdom
< 4 definitions of wisdom >
Wisdom is more capable than the power of ten people with great power like a prince (Governor). What is wisdom?
First, wisdom is ‘to guard your ears well’. No one in this world is perfectly righteous (verse 20). All human beings are sinners in need of God's grace. Realizing that, keep your lips guarded to reduce mistakes in speech, and keep your ears open to listen to what others have to say, but don't open your ears too much and don't fuss over every word you say. If you try to listen to something too good, you will be disappointed (verse 21). Open your ears, but don't open them too much. So, listen carefully and digest well.
Second, wisdom is ‘knowing the importance of grace’. People want to gain wisdom and become wise, but they can acquire human wisdom, but not divine wisdom (verse 23). No matter how many direct experiences or indirect experiences through study, there is a limit to the wisdom of human beings (verse 24). Human knowledge is only a fraction of the innumerable knowledge of the natural world. So is wisdom. Divine wisdom is obtained by the grace of God rather than by effort. In that sense, knowing the importance of grace is wisdom.
Third, wisdom is “to please God.” No matter how much a person learns and studies, the evil nature of the heart cannot be overcome by learning and studying. As such, people are prone to temptation because of their evil nature, and that temptation is like the temptation of an evil woman, and it entangles people's souls so much that it is scarier than death. Who can break free from that temptation? Those who delight in God can overcome the temptations of their evil nature (verses 25-26). If you delight in God, God delights in your soul and He will protect your soul from temptation.
Fourth, wisdom is “associating with good people.” It is said that the evangelist got one wise man out of a thousand men, and not one out of a thousand women (verses 27-28). Because of the sinful nature of human beings, it is so difficult to obtain a true wise man or a loyal man. After all, even good people cannot be obtained through human plans, and God must send them to us. One God-sent person is sometimes more important than many. So pray for good people.
"Grace is more important than wisdom"
Why did the evangelist become so distrustful of people? Man was originally created to be honest, but because of Adam's sin, his evil nature came to dominate man, and because of the numerous schemes that came out of that evil nature, there were no more truly righteous people (verse 29). Don't put too much trust in human wisdom and knowledge. Human wisdom and knowledge can be distorted by human nature.
True wisdom comes only by the grace of God. Life doesn't go the way you want it to. Also, human wisdom can be wrong. Therefore, look only to God and do your best while waiting for God to give you grace. And live by the grace of God. Wisdom is important, but grace is more important than wisdom. We cannot overcome the world on our own, and we can overcome the world only when God gives us strength, power, and grace.
How difficult is the world right now? Nowadays, many people are living with discouragement and frustration, weakness and heartache, tension and overwork, envy and jealousy, conflict and suffering, and oppression and low motivation. No matter how much you learn and have a lot, you have one or two such chains. However, those who believe in God, depend on Him, and pray earnestly may be bound by such chains temporarily, but ultimately, they will always be victorious.
Never forget two things in life. One is the fact that God certainly lives, and the other is the fact that there is no trauma in prayer. If you pray, things will turn around. When we pray with faith, we receive the grace and power of the Holy Spirit above all else. At that very moment, we can overcome all discouragement and frustration that even human wisdom cannot help with, and we can drive out the sense of defeat, self-deprecation, bitterness, and wounds. Grace is more important than wisdom.