Eternal Life Comes with Wisdom and Understanding

The English phrase “eternal life” doesn’t convey most appropriately the meaning of the original Greek word “Zoë,” which actually means “the God-life.” Everlasting life or eternal life as sometimes used in the New Testament means more than an unending life that goes on year after year; rather, it’s the very life of God.

There’re different kinds of life and we’re all familiar with plant life, animal life and human life. The human life is also different from the God-life. When you were born into this world, you came with human life from your dad and mum. But now that you’re born again, you’ve received the God-kind of life. He’s made you a partaker of His divine nature by virtue of the new birth (2 Peter 1:4).

The Bible says, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth…” (James 1:18). That means God gave birth to us by the Word of truth. Peter also tells us we were “…born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23).

God’s Word is divine and has the same life of God. It’s one with Him. Just as you can’t separate a person from his word, God can’t be separated from His Word. Words are thoughts clothed with vocabulary.

Now, the Word says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7). It follows then that God’s words, which are His thoughts expressed in vocabulary, represent and reveal His Person. They’re one with Him and reflect His character.

The Word of God is the character of God; it’s the nature of God; it’s the very life of God. Now, that same Word gave birth to you. When you were born again, you were born of the Word of God. That’s so wonderful! The life you have in you is the life of the Word, which makes you a child of the Word, Hallelujah!

“Christ Jesus has made me wise.” Through the Holy Spirit, he communicated a deeper truth, which is that Christ Jesus is made unto you, wisdom. He didn’t just make you wise, He’s your wisdom. How big this is! It means your capacity is now the wisdom of Christ; your wisdom reservoir is Christ, so you could never lack wisdom. The question then is, “how do you activate the wisdom of God in you?”

First, you have to study the Scriptures. If you don’t know the Scriptures, you can’t activate the wisdom of God. The Bible says, “Deep calleth unto deep…” (Psalm 42:7). So, the more of God’s Word you have in you, through intense study and meditation, the more connection you’ll have with the wisdom of God. If you don’t deposit the wisdom of God in you (and the Word of God is the wisdom of God), you won’t know how to tap into it when there’s a need.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 says “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” To have the wisdom of God released in your life, you must declare that you have, and operate in, the wisdom of God. You must speak the wisdom of God. If you ever find yourself in a fix, then say, “Lord, thank you for your wisdom that’s in me to handle this situation.”

Life will be easy and sweet when you take advantage of the wisdom of God for every situation. When you face challenges, ask yourself, “What’s the wisdom of God concerning this matter?” and then go into sessions of meditation on the Scriptures and praying in tongues. As you do, wisdom will come to you and propel you to say or do what is exactly right to put you over in that situation. Christ has been made unto you wisdom to excel, reign and win every day in life. Have this consciousness.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3)

In Matthew 6, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray; and even though He didn’t intend for that prayer to be repeated ritualistically, He said something very profound in verse 11. He said, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

Remember, this was before He brought us into the Kingdom. That means God had a plan for everybody. The word, “bread” there is symbolic; it isn’t just the staple food you prepare from a dough of flour and water. Rather, it means today’s supply; everything you require for today, to live joyfully and fulfil God’s purpose. Hallelujah!

When I read this many years ago, it dawned on me that I had a lot of leftover daily bread that had accumulated over time that I hadn’t taken possession of. Then I said, “In the Name of Jesus, I receive them all!” After all, the daily bread doesn’t get expired with God.

In Joel 2:25, He said, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm….” If He can restore all of that, then there’s no expiration with Him.

Just as wisdom is important, understanding is also very important. That’s why the Bible says, “…therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” A beautiful thing about the Spirit of wisdom is that He doesn’t come alone. In Proverbs 8:14, Wisdom says, “Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.” Wisdom imparts understanding. Sometimes, people have questions for which they require answers, but the Spirit of wisdom gives you insight into mysteries and secrets; He floods the eyes of your understanding with light.

The Lord Jesus emphasized the importance of understanding when He spoke a parable to the people about the Sower who went forth to sow his seeds. As he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside. He then explained that the seeds that fell by the wayside represent those who, when they hear the Word, don’t understand it. The message got into their hearts, but Jesus said, because they didn’t understand it, Satan came immediately to steal it from their hearts (Matthew 13:19).

People do many things today in the Church without proper understanding. For instance, when some sing worship songs, not many care to understand the language or the message they’re worshipping with. Some supposed worship songs are actually not worship songs, yet many sing them and, in their minds, they’re worshipping the Lord. For instance, when you sing: “We’re heirs of the Father,” that’s an affirmation; it blesses you, but it’s not a worship song.

Worship songs are about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. A song like, “I Surrender All,” isn’t a worship song, neither is it for the new creation; it’s meant for sinners being converted to Christ. You already “surrendered all” when you proclaimed Jesus as the Lord of your life. You don’t need to surrender again.

Do you see why understanding is so important? Without it, one’s ministry, success, and prosperity will be very limited. What you need is to grow in wisdom—divine wisdom—and this comes to you through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Yield yourself completely to the Holy Spirit. Study and meditate on the Word every day, and you’ll find that always, you’re filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

So, if you’ve never taken possession of that which belongs to you since you became a Christian, that means you’ve been living a life below your status, in spite of the accumulation of wealth in your heavenly account.

But the good news is, you can call forth your supply even now, through your faith-filled affirmations. He’s made everything available to you for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Call them forth in Jesus’ Name.

For this cause we…do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9).

The Spirit, through the apostle Paul, prayed an insightful prayer for the Christians in Colossae, that they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. It lets us know that there’s such a thing as spiritual understanding, just as there’s a natural understanding.

It takes the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and give you spiritual understanding. He unveils mysteries and secrets of the Kingdom to you. He’s the Spirit of truth, and part of His ministry in your life is the unveiling of truth. It brings to mind another prayer of the Spirit through Paul in Ephesians 1:17 AMPC: “For I always pray to God…that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him.”

Without the understanding and insight that the Spirit gives, your interpretation of life would be ordinary, mundane and useless. It will be difficult to grasp spiritual realities. Consider the disciples of Jesus for example, though they had been with the Master, they didn’t understand many things that He taught them, because they hadn’t received the Holy Spirit. When He spoke of His death, burial and resurrection, they grappled with it, because they lacked spiritual insight and understanding at the time.

That’s how come even after He rose from the dead, some of them still doubted. But after His resurrection, when He came among them, the Bible says “…HE BREATHED ON THEM, AND SAITH UNTO THEM, RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST” (John 20:22). What He did was to open their understanding by the Holy Spirit so they could receive and comprehend spiritual realities. From then on, they had spiritual insight; they understood the words of Jesus.

When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, He gives you understanding so you’re no longer in the dark about God’s Word, life, or anything. Through that insight and understanding, you know the paths of life that bring success, joy, victory, and prosperity; you’re led in wisdom, glory and righteousness. Hallelujah!