Wisdom & Charity: Principle Things


Wisdom & Charity: Principal things
Proverbs 4:7; Colossians 3:14
Introduction: To serve God effectively one must possess and practice Christian Character. With all undertakings, a thorough understanding of basic principles is vital to success. In serving God, we must ask ourselves, “What are the fundamental elements I must possess if I am to successfully serve God?” In Scripture, what does God declare to be most important? What does God place a premium upon? A search of the Scriptures leave us with two basics!

I. Identifying and Defining the Principal Things
A. Wisdom – The Most Important Acquisition – Proverbs 4:7 – “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get
wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
1. Defining wisdom
a. Way of Life Encyclopedia
1) “The knowledge and fear of the Lord which results in a hatred of sin and a love for truth and
righteousness ( Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Pr. 1:7; 2:10-13; 9:10; 15:33).”
2) “Wisdom is the principal thing in life and more valuable than all precious commodities (Job 28:12-
19; Pr. 4:7; 8:11; 16:16).”
b. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
1) “The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to
accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a
faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper, and useful,
and if it be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most
proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. Wisdom in the first sense, or practical wisdom, is
nearly synonymous with discretion. It differs somewhat from prudence, in this respect; prudence is
the exercise of sound judgment in avoiding evils; wisdom is the exercise of sound judgment either in
avoiding evils or attempting good. Prudence then is a species, of which wisdom is the genus.”
2) “In Scripture theology, wisdom is true religion; godliness; piety; the knowledge and fear of God,
and sincere and uniform obedience to his commands. This is the wisdom which is from above.”
2. Wisdom is declared the “principal thing”. The term principle denotes wisdom as “chief; beginning, first
in rank.” God has declared wisdom to be the most important possession of all men.
3. “Therefore get wisdom” – If wisdom is the most important possession, we must acquire it!
B. Charity – The Most Important Act – Colossians 3:14 – “And above all these things put on charity, which is
the bond of perfectness.”
1. Defining charity
a. Way of Life Encyclopedia – “godly love”.
b. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary – “In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of
heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological
sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.”
c. Thayer’s Dictionary– “brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence”
2. Charity is in reality the expression of God’s benevolence to his creation. The ultimate expression of this
divine love is the sacrifice of Christ as the propitiation for our sins.
3. Charity in the believer is the reproduction of God’s divine love.

II. The Relationship of Wisdom & Charity
A. Wisdom: The Foundation upon which Character is Built
1. Wisdom is the principal thing. It is the foundation upon which the character of a man should be built.
2. What is wisdom? Review the following verses. Notice the union of wisdom and understanding.
a. Ps 111:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they
that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”
b. Job 28:12 – “But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?”
c. Job 28:28 – “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from
evil is understanding.”
d. Ps 49:3 – “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of
understanding.”
e. Prov 4:5 – “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my
mouth.”
f. Prov 10:23 – “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.”
g. Prov 14:33 – “Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding…”
h. Prov 17:24 – “Wisdom is before him that hath understanding…”
i. Prov 23:23 – “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”]
j. Prov 24:3 – “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:”
3. A Scriptural Definition of Wisdom and Understanding.
a. Wisdom – Prov. 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”
b. Understanding – Prov. 9:10 – “the knowledge of the holy is understanding”
4. Why is understanding so closely connected with wisdom?
a. Understanding is the knowledge of the holy! It is a recognition that God is in control and that we as
humans are accountable to Him.
b. When one recognizes the lofty position God holds as creator and ruler, that man’s thinking is elevated
to new heights. Understanding is vital because it positions the individual where he may evaluate the
problems and questions of life from God’s vantage point.
c. Wisdom comes from understanding! It is realized when one is raised to view the world from God’s
perspective. Illustrate – Higher altitude offers a better view of the things. One can see more.
B. Charity: The Fountain from which Character is Shown
1. In the Old Testament, wisdom is described as the principle thing. What is the most important thing in
the New Testament?
a. 1 Cor 13:13 – “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
b. 1 Cor 14:1 – “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.”
c. 1 Cor 16:14 – “Let all your things be done with charity.”
d. 1 Tim 1:5 – “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good
conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”
e. Col 3:14 – “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
2. It is obvious from these verses that charity is the most import act which can be shown by the believer.
Wisdom is the producer of character. Charity is the product of character. Between wisdom and charity
all other virtues can be found.
3. Understanding positions a person to look from God’s perspective. This perspective gives him the
wisdom needed to apply knowledge to specific life situations. The ultimate purpose of understanding and
wisdom is that the individual will duplicate the benevolence of God in his or her life.
4. There is a connection between Understanding, Wisdom, and Charity.
a. Understanding is Knowing of God – Knowledge of the holy
b. Wisdom is Seeing with God – Divine perspective of life
c. Charity is Doing like God – Using one’s resources to help others

III. Applying the Principles of Wisdom and charity
A. The Contrast of Wisdom and Foolishness – Proverbs 9:1-18
1. In these verses, there is a contrast portrayed. A wise woman builds a house with seven pillars and calls
for the simple to turn in for help in wisdom, prosperity, and happiness. There is also a foolish woman
mentioned who also calls for the simple to come unto her. However, she offers only scorn, confusion,
poverty, and destruction.
2. Every individual has a call from both wisdom and foolishness. Those who go the way of foolishness
will meet destruction. Those who choose to forsake foolishness will go in the way of understanding and
experience fullness of life.
3. Notice in the middle of this contrast is verse 10, which speaks of knowledge, understanding, fear, and
wisdom.
4. What is the main difference between the wise and the foolish woman?
a. Wise – vs. 9 – “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man , and he
will increase in learning.”
b. Foolish – vs. 13 – “A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.”
5. Knowledge is the difference. It is in this context of knowledge that we learn of wisdom building a house
containing seven pillars. Knowledge is linked to understanding (see verse in section above),
understanding is linked to wisdom, and wisdom causes one to act in a charitable manner.
3. Wisdom is associated with a house containing seven pillars. It has to be built
B. The New Testament Connection of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Charity – 2 Peter 1
1. 2 Peter 1:5-7 list 7 things that are closely associate with knowledge. Notice 2 Peter 1:8, “For if these
things be in you, and abound, they make you that you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2. The seven things are located in verses 5 through 7. Notice they are additions to faith.
a. Faith may be likened to the Wisdom of Proverbs – Both are basic to character.
1) Faith is the foundation upon which character is built.
2) Wisdom is built upon the foundation of our faith which is Christ.
3) Though we have a strong foundation, happiness, contentment, and joy cannot be experienced in our
lives without the structure of character.
4) Illustrate – It would be absurd to dig a foundation and then expect a family to live there without any
structure built upon it. In like manner, a believer who possesses faith (foundation) but never builds
character in his life is foolish.
b. The seven “pillars” of 2 Peter 1 are all based on our faith in truth.
1) Virtue – Readiness for Truth
2) Knowledge – Reception of Truth
3) Temperance – Response to Truth
4) Patience – Refining of Truth
5) Godliness – Realization of Truth
6) Brotherly Kindness – Reproduction of Truth
7) Charity – Result of Truth
3. The Promises of possessing and practicing “these things”.
a. You will always be fruitful – vs. 8
b. You will have spiritual discernment – vs. 9
c. You will never doubt salvation – vs. 9
d. You will never fall – vs. 10
e. You will be established – vs. 12