Five Superlatives of Scripture - Part 2

Wade Webster

In the first installment of this study, we noticed the first of five superlatives of Scripture.  We noticed a peace that passes understanding.  In this installment of our study, we will see a second superlative.

Wisdom Beyond Discovery

‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Romans 11:33-34).  God is rich in wisdom and knowledge.  The exact depth of these attributes is unknown.  You might say that there’s no bottom to them.  His judgments are unsearchable.  His ways are beyond discovery or finding out.  Paul again used the term unsearchable in his epistle to the Ephesians. He wrote, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” (Ephesians 3:8-11).  The unsearchable riches of Christ and the manifold wisdom of God are one and the same.  They both refer to the eternal purpose that God had in Christ. In the unsearchable riches of His manifold wisdom God devised a plan for man’s salvation.  Although we can understand the basics of this plan, there are aspects of it that are beyond our knowledge and understanding.  Isaiah declared, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  In like manner, to the Christians at Corinth, Paul wrote, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  The things that God prepared for saints has never entered their hearts and minds.  In the first chapter, Paul wrote,” (1 Corinthians 1:25).  Paul wrote, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Of course, God has neither foolishness nor weakness. What some saw as foolishness and weakness, the saints knew to be wisdom and power.

Five Superlatives of Scripture - Part 1

Wade Webster

A superlative refers to something of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or others; supreme; extreme.”  In language, the ascending order would be “good, better, best.” Sometimes, we use adjectives or adverbs to enhance words.  I used to get letters from prisoners addressed to the Very Right Reverend Wade Webster. There were definitely some superlatives there, as well as many errors.  The Scriptures speak of five superlatives.  Five things that are beyond our words or thoughts.

Peace Beyond Understanding

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). The tense of the Greek word translated as surpasses suggests that the peace of God keeps on passing understanding.  The peace that Paul has in mind is not dependent on external circumstances.  It exists in spite of them.  There were some negative circumstances in the lives of the writer and the readers. Paul, the writer, was awaiting trial.  He had experienced some shortages.  Thankfully, their care had flourished again.  He wrote, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Philippians 4:10-12).  The Philippians, the readers, were also facing some negative circumstances.  Two sisters were evidently divided.  Paul wrote, “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2).

In the context, we read not only of the peace of God, but also of the God of peace.  Paul wrote, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Because the God of peace is with us, we have a peace that keeps our hearts and our minds from anxiety and worry. He will gladly supply all our need.  Paul wrote, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).  All that we have to do is ask. 

It is true that those in the world have some peace – financial, domestic, vocational, national, and social. However, they are missing the peace that passes understanding .  They are missing true spiritual peace.  This peace comes only through the blood of Jesús.  Paul wrote, “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).

Works Will Not Save But Works Are Required to Save

David Sproule

There are fewer subjects that will get some denominational folks charged up as much as the discussion of works and salvation.  It has seemed over the years that some very sincere religious individuals consider “work” (as used in a “Christian context”) to be a four-letter word that should be avoided.

Unfortunately, some have tried to pit some Bible verses against other Bible verses, to make an apparent contradiction between what the Bible says about works.  We must remember that the Bible has no contradictions!  If there is an apparent contradiction, the problem is with us and not with the Bible!  It is up to us to change us, and not to change the Bible!

The New Testament speaks about “works of the law” (Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:27-28).  Early Christians of a Jewish background struggled with their new relationship to (and without) the old law.  They had to be reminded that “by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16), they no longer needed nor could they be “justified by works of the law.”  When we read, we need to see if these are the “works” under discussion.

The New Testament speaks about “works” of human merit (Rom. 4:2-9; Eph. 2:8-10).  Ephesians chapter two is often the passage to which individuals run to “prove” (in their minds) that we are not saved by works.  But what kind of “works” is Paul addressing?  Notice in both of these passages that Paul is speaking of “works” by which a man (whether Abraham or a Christian) could “boast.”  Our salvation is certainly “not of works” by which we might “boast” (Eph. 2:8-9), lest we think that we can earn our salvation.  But that does not, by any means, deny that God can still require certain works of us in order to secure salvation.  When we read, we need to see if the “works” are meritorious works.

The New Testament speaks about “works” of obedience (Jas. 2:14-26).  This is where folks want to suggest that the Bible contradicts itself.  It does not!  The inspired text clearly teaches that “…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…faith without works is dead…Abraham our father [was] justified by works…by works faith was made perfect…a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…”  These are not meritorious works, by which someone earns salvation.  These are works of obedience, which are required in order for Christ to save us (Heb. 5:9).  When we read, we need to see if the “works” under discussion are the means of obeying God.

Christians are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10; cf. Matt. 5:14-16; Tit. 2:11-14; 3:1, 8, 14).  We are required to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).  “Work” is not a bad word.  It’s a glorious requirement to demonstrate our love (John 14:15).

What Does The Lord Require?

Wade Webster

We should all be interested in what God says is good for us.  We should all want to know what God requires of us.  Micah revealed three things that God says are good and that He requires of us.  We read, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

To Do Justly

Solomon wrote, “To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3). Although God loves sacrifice, He loves justice more.  He is a just God and He wants His children to be like Him.  You may recall that justice is one of the reasons why God chose Abraham.  We read, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Genesis 18:19). It should come as no surprise that this man was later called the friend of God (Jam. 2:23). After all, he loved the things that God loved.

To Love Mercy

God is a merciful God.  He loves mercy and He wants His people to be merciful.  Jesus declared, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Not only does showing mercy make us like God, it puts us into a position to receive the mercy of God.  We read, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).  James warned that judgment would be without mercy to those who have shown no mercy.  We read, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (Jam. 2:13).  No doubt, you recall the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Mat. 18:21-35).  May we realize the great mercy that we have been shown by God and show it to others.

To Walk Humbly

God receives the humble, but resists the proud.  Peter wrote, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).  We see several examples of this in the Scriptures.  The first is Hezekiah.  We read, “Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah” (2 Chronicles 32:26).  The second is Josiah.  We read, “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the LORD” (2 Chronicles 34:27). A third example is that of the praying publican.  We read, “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14).  Humility is one of the foundational requirements of God.

What does God say is good for us?  What does He require of us? Micah says that it is good for us to do justly. He says that we are required to love mercy.  He says that we should walk humbly before our God. How are you doing with these three things?

The Full Soul

Wade Webster

Solomon wrote, “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Proverbs 27:7).  Honey was one of the sweetest things in the ancient world.  When God wanted to picture the sweetness and goodness of Canaan, He described it as a land flowing with milk and honey (Exo. 3:8).  As sweet and as good as honey is, a man can be so full that he detests even the thought of it.  Have you ever felt that way?

A week or so ago, we were anticipating a huge Thanksgiving meal.  Likely, our mouths were watering for turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, deviled eggs, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and a host of other things.  An hour or so after eating, the thought of these things was likely less appealing.  Eventually,  after several hours of family, football, and turkey induced napping, our appetite returned.  However, after a second round of these same dishes, the thought of them a third time probably had little or no appeal for us.  We may have even loathed or recoiled at the sight or mention of them.

If we are not careful, the same thing can happen with spiritual things. As you likely know, God’s word is described as honey.  The psalmist wrote, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalms 119:103).   The psalmist delighted in the thought of God’s word.  Even the bitter things (hard things) were sweet to Him because he was hungry to know God and to please Him.  We read, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips” (Psalms 63:1-5).  The psalmist never lost his hunger for God, for God’s word, or for God’s house.  The same needs to be true of us (Mat. 5:6; Acts 17:11; 1 Pet. 2:2).

Sadly, individuals who once hungered for righteousness and for God’s word can lose their appetite for these things.  Jesus spoke of some like this in the Parable of the Sower.  We read, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Mat. 13:20-21).  The initial joy of the stony soil hearers soon faded.  Given more time, they might have even grown to hate the thought of truth.  Through Amos, God spoke of some who fell into this category. We read, “I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”Says the LORD. “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’ (Amos 2:11-12).

It is okay to have your fill of turkey and to not want it for a while.  I suppose that it is even okay to be so full that you don’t want pie.  However, it is not okay to grow weary of the preaching of God’s word.  It is not okay to loathe the very thought of truth.