Walking in the Fullness of the Holy Spirit
Part Three: Constant Access to Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding
Dr. Bob Abramson
This is the third of four articles in my series on “Walking in the Fullness of the Holy Spirit.” In this article, I would like to elaborate on God-given constant access to spiritual wisdom and understanding. Let us begin by looking at King Solomon. 1 Kings, Chapter 3 records that the Lord invited the young king to ask Him for anything. Solomon could have had whatever he asked for, but he chose to ask for an understanding heart to Judge God’s people. God gave Solomon what he asked for. Solomon was granted complete and constant access to the spiritual wisdom and understanding only the Holy Spirit can provide. Solomon exercised this wisdom and understanding without equal. He did so for a fruitful season, but then turned from God and spent much of his life in the foolishness and disobedience of prideful, ungodly living. This resulted in tragedy. The lesson is simple. As long as Solomon had walked in faith and obedience before the Lord, he was the wisest man who ever lived. Unfortunately, Solomon turned from faith and obedience to prideful rebellion and foolishness. It was just plain stupid!
The first step to constant access to complete wisdom and understanding is to ask God for it. The second step is to keep our hearts right, and seek it constantly. The third step is to do the smart thing and carefully use it wisely. We must never abuse this wonderful gift, as Solomon did.
Access is for Today.
Ephesians 1:16-18 (NLT)
“I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, {17} asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. {18} I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to the people of the Ephesian church, telling them he had asked God to give them “spiritual wisdom and understanding.” He compared it to their hearts being “flooded with light.” Paul knew how valuable it would be for them to have hearts filled with unlimited wisdom and understanding. Paul understood this was a path to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He knew that when their hearts were “flooded with light,” the darkness of ignorance would disappear. A same access Paul prayed for then is still available to us now. It is God’s desire that we have it, use it and share it with others. Here is my paraphrase of Ephesians 1:16-18.
“My prayer is that God would give you spiritual maturity, and in the process, provide you with a growing knowledge of His divinely-given wisdom and spiritual understanding. This will lead you to experience constant access to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Then, you will enjoy a future filled with all the goodness God desires for you.
Paul’s prayer can teach us how constant access to spiritual wisdom and understanding will bring the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Let us look again at Verse 17. It has three points worthy of a closer look.
1. Paul knew that walking in spiritual wisdom and understanding has its own special characteristics. These are different from walking in natural wisdom and understanding. They are special because they are sourced from God and reflect how He thinks.
2. Without spiritual wisdom or understanding, there will be neither the ability nor opportunity to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Foolishness has nothing of God in it. Foolish actions lead to harmful consequences. However, spiritual wisdom and understanding leads to blessings, as they light our paths to fulfill the will of God.
3. When we have only natural wisdom and understanding upon which to rely, it will inevitably fail us. Growth in the knowledge of God and success in life requires wisdom and understanding that is given by the Holy Spirit. This requires access to Him. Commitment to this access, as a lifestyle, will bring you the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
If you desire to gain constant access to spiritual wisdom and understanding, surrender in complete submission to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Listen to what He says and then, act on it with unquestioning obedience. This will result in fully pleasing God, as you serve and glorify Him through the wise decisions you make. Now, let us look at Verse 18 of Paul’s prayer. It informs us that we carry the potential for our hearts to be “flooded with light.” What does this mean? We find this answer in the Epistle of 1 John.
1 John 1:5 (NKJV)
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
John teaches us that the biblical expression of “light” is infinitely more than illumination. In the hearts of God’s people, “light” is the presence and person of God, Himself. John tells us that, “God is light.” Let us look once more at Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18. We previously looked at the New King James Version, which said, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.” Here is the New Living Translation. It translates the eighteenth verse as, “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light…” Let me paraphrase these two translations for you, wrapping them around the reality of constant access to spiritual wisdom and understanding.
“I pray that what you see, hear and know, will be flooded with the light of the Holy Spirit’s presence, guidance and loving instruction. I pray that His heavenly light would give you constant access to the spiritual wisdom and understanding He desires you to have. It surely comes when you give Him full access to your heart. It is an exchange based on the favor in which you walk, as a child of the Most High God.”
Now, let us look into what Paul wrote to the Roman Christians.
Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV)
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. {15} For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” {16} The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, {17} and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
The Holy Spirit bears witness that you are legally your heavenly Father’s child and heir by adoption. Do not deny yourself your inheritance because you lack faith, fail to be obedient…, or neglect to claim it. Your inheritance brings to you the possibility of constant access to God’s kind of wisdom and understanding. Do not settle for less. The fullness of this power-filled supernatural wisdom and understanding will free you from your limitations. It will enable you to remove what does not please God from your life. As you do this, you will embrace what does please Him. This is the process we call sanctification. It is the unrestrained, unlimited, endless ability to grow in Christ and please God the Father. It will result in you having the ability to make wise choices that consistently bring correct and proper results.
Here are three recommendations I can make that will help you to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and make these wise choices
1. Make humility your lifetime partner in all that you do.
2. Be diligent to learn and apply the wisdom you find in the Word of God. You will have God’s favor and blessings. You will find fruitfulness in your life’s journey to its fullest.
3. Form the habit of listening to the Holy Spirit throughout the day. This will be especially vital in the midst of important decisions you will make. Recognize the wrong voices and reject them.
King Solomon’s ending was a tragedy. Paul’s ending was victorious, as it was triumphant in its fruitfulness, through the growth of the Gospel. Paul has touched countless people with his edifying words. His epistles are a source of unusual, extraordinary wisdom and understanding for us all. What a contrast! Now, let us look at the wisdom of James.
James 3:13-17 (NKJV)
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. {14} But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. {15} This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. {16} For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. {17} But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
James wrote of “the wisdom that is from above.” This is spiritually sourced and filled with righteousness. It contrasts with carnal, “self-seeking” wisdom. James described this carnal wisdom as “earthly, sensual, demonic.” James says that Wisdom from God is “meek, pure, peaceable, gentle and willing to yield.” James lists two final characteristics of wisdom that help us understand how it works in us. James says that God’s wisdom is “full of mercy and good fruits…” He explained that God’s wisdom is unrestrained and unlimited in its mercy. It can provide us with an endless supply of fruitfulness throughout our lives. It is fully dependable for every situation we will face. God is very clear that fruitfulness is the evidence that the believer walks in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Finally, God’s wisdom shows no prejudice against anyone who calls Jesus Lord, nor should we. It is available to all who seek it. You can have constant access to it. I strongly encourage you to ask God for it; keep your heart right; and use it wisely.