Scriptur
10-30-2006, 03:52 PM
For Christ to be our wisdom can be likened to Aaron’s speaking on behalf of Moses. Let us suppose you go out to talk to people and you find yourself speechless; what can you do? You ask the one who goes with you to speak on your behalf. You cannot speak, so you ask him to speak for you. He supplies the demand on your behalf. And while he is speaking eloquently your mouth remains as slow of speech as before, without the slightest improvement. Never mistakenly conceive, therefore, that because Christ has become our wisdom we thereby grow wise ourselves. Always remember that though we have Christ as our wisdom, our own selves remain inadequate.
Let us be aware, however, that there are two sides to this matter. True, when Christ dwells in us and lives for us, the one who lives is Christ. It is He who lives out through me. I am only responsible for obeying Him and not hindering Him. There is also another side: that after passing through a long period of obedience and cooperation, and being penetrated and moulded by the life of Christ for many years, the nature of this glorious life is gradually incorporated into my soul. Unconsciously a second personality is being produced in me. During that time, I undergo a substantial change. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit in making precious stones. It also is from glory—the glory of the Lord—to glory. All areas of my soul are gradually being glorified (see 2 Cor.3.18).
"It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2.20). This is a fact. It shows us how to be a Christian. That is, I do nothing but let Christ himself do everything. In other words, with Aaron as mouth, you, Moses, need not open yours. Let us suppose you know someone who is not able to speak, and yet speak he must. So, you suggest to him: let me speak for you. Nevertheless, while you are speaking, he shows his unhappiness by injecting a word or two; with the result that you have to say more to cover what he says. Does not this make you feel most embarrassed? If a Moses is slow in speech, he should accept an Aaron’s mouth as his. Thank God, this is precisely the salvation of the Lord. Long ago God did not change Moses’ mouth; He simply gave him a new mouth. And God today does not change anyone’s mouth; He merely gives a new mouth. He does not make the foolish wise; He makes Christ the wisdom of the foolish. And this is real salvation.
An example of what has been said might be as follows: A certain matter arises which requires great wisdom to manage it well. You exhaust what little brain power you possess and still find it unresolved. So you pray: "O Lord, I truly am foolish. If this is left to me, 1 am sure I will fail. I can only look to You to do it for me." After you have in this way wholly trusted the Lord, you will be amazed at His wisdom in moving you to do and to speak. In looking back you will one day exclaim: "Ah, what I did on that day is truly what I could not do myself. What I said that day is really what I personally would never be able to say." This indicates that you yourself have not changed, only that the Lord has become your wisdom. This reveals how Christ is made wisdom to us. Previously I was required to meet a situation which in my own wisdom I could not handle, but now I let Christ come forth to be my wisdom.
We must ever keep in mind that it is not Christ’s wisdom made our wisdom, nor is it Christ giving us wisdom to make us wise, rather is it Christ himself being made wisdom to us. Consequently, all the wisdom belongs to the Lord, none to us. He himself becomes our wisdom. If in truth we understand what is meant by Christ being made wisdom to us, we shall be able to live a life well-pleasing to God.
Let us be aware, however, that there are two sides to this matter. True, when Christ dwells in us and lives for us, the one who lives is Christ. It is He who lives out through me. I am only responsible for obeying Him and not hindering Him. There is also another side: that after passing through a long period of obedience and cooperation, and being penetrated and moulded by the life of Christ for many years, the nature of this glorious life is gradually incorporated into my soul. Unconsciously a second personality is being produced in me. During that time, I undergo a substantial change. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit in making precious stones. It also is from glory—the glory of the Lord—to glory. All areas of my soul are gradually being glorified (see 2 Cor.3.18).
"It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2.20). This is a fact. It shows us how to be a Christian. That is, I do nothing but let Christ himself do everything. In other words, with Aaron as mouth, you, Moses, need not open yours. Let us suppose you know someone who is not able to speak, and yet speak he must. So, you suggest to him: let me speak for you. Nevertheless, while you are speaking, he shows his unhappiness by injecting a word or two; with the result that you have to say more to cover what he says. Does not this make you feel most embarrassed? If a Moses is slow in speech, he should accept an Aaron’s mouth as his. Thank God, this is precisely the salvation of the Lord. Long ago God did not change Moses’ mouth; He simply gave him a new mouth. And God today does not change anyone’s mouth; He merely gives a new mouth. He does not make the foolish wise; He makes Christ the wisdom of the foolish. And this is real salvation.
An example of what has been said might be as follows: A certain matter arises which requires great wisdom to manage it well. You exhaust what little brain power you possess and still find it unresolved. So you pray: "O Lord, I truly am foolish. If this is left to me, 1 am sure I will fail. I can only look to You to do it for me." After you have in this way wholly trusted the Lord, you will be amazed at His wisdom in moving you to do and to speak. In looking back you will one day exclaim: "Ah, what I did on that day is truly what I could not do myself. What I said that day is really what I personally would never be able to say." This indicates that you yourself have not changed, only that the Lord has become your wisdom. This reveals how Christ is made wisdom to us. Previously I was required to meet a situation which in my own wisdom I could not handle, but now I let Christ come forth to be my wisdom.
We must ever keep in mind that it is not Christ’s wisdom made our wisdom, nor is it Christ giving us wisdom to make us wise, rather is it Christ himself being made wisdom to us. Consequently, all the wisdom belongs to the Lord, none to us. He himself becomes our wisdom. If in truth we understand what is meant by Christ being made wisdom to us, we shall be able to live a life well-pleasing to God.