Romans 1:22 says; “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:22 (KJV)
Isn’t that something. Many think themselves to be so wise – yet they are being foolish.
Wisdom is not how smart you are. You can be a genius in your field of study, and still be a fool. Wisdom is applying what you know in a way that is consistent with the truth. If you then take what you know in truth and apply it in the right way, you are then exercising wisdom.
The natural [i.e., soulish) mindset is inadequate for receiving truth.
“But the natural [Gk. psuchikos, soulish] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 (KJV)
“It is the spirit that quickeneth [makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63 (KJV)
In 2 Timothy 3:14-15, Paul is instructing Timothy; he writes;
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are Able to Make Thee Wise Unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15 (KJV)
There is nothing more important than being ‘saved’ from the consequence of your sin, from perdition (judgment). This is because if you are not saved you will be condemned to “everlasting destruction” (2Tim. 1:9) and that is an awful thought.
So, how do you get ‘saved’?
Well, here is what Paul, “the Apostle to the Gentiles” told Timothy; “the holy scriptures… are able to make thee wise unto salvation.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15
The word ‘wise’ here is the Greek verb ‘sophizo,’ which is related to the word ‘sophia,’ which means ‘wisdom.’ We have in our word ‘Philosophy’ the prefix ‘Philo,’ which means ‘to love’ with ‘sophia’ which means ‘wisdom.’ So philo/sophia is ‘to love wisdom.’ Therefore the verb means “to make wise, to think skillfully.”
The point here is this; if you want to be genuinely wise about ‘salvation’ then you must get your information from the Holy Scriptures. And Scripture tells us … salvation is through faith in Christ Jesus Alone.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of [religious] works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
So, there you have it. Every thought you of yourself have had about how you can be saved has been foolishness… unless those thoughts are derived from the Holy Scriptures that can make you genuinely “wise unto salvation.”