WISDOM FROM ABOVE - The Seven Pillars
WISDOM FROM ABOVE – The Seven Pillars
Sunday, March 7, 2017, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
The high calling is the ascended life from the realm of the Most Holy Place, giving away and sharing the gift that we are and the gifts that we have.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17).
… a man can receive nothing, except it be given from heaven.” (John 3:37)
Now we must apply the wisdom of the secrets of the Ascended Life to our everyday living.
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. (Prov. 9:1)
These seven pillars are revealed by James’ seven-fold description of the wisdom from above.
The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3: 17-18).
This is the fifth sermon I have preached on the ascended life as we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:14)
We have examined the secret, the perspective, and the impartation of the ascended life. But the primary catalyst (dynamic which makes it work) is the application of the wisdom that is from above.
This application of godly wisdom flows down from the heavenly places, and makes for the daily answers to life’s situations, to any and every circumstance. The Gospel we preach must work in the dirt among those who are desperate and the lost.
These seven aspects of Christ-like wisdom (James 1:17) are all traits of the new man (Eph. 2:15) created in Christ’s image and likeness.
Isa. 50:4: The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He wakes me morning by morning. He wakes my ear to hear as the learned.
Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. Jesus Christ and those conformed to His image have been given the tongue of the learned. Heaven’s wisdom shows us how to speak, what to speak, when to speak, and to whom we are to speak.
“This expresses the ministry of the “peacemakers” (Mt. 5:9), mature sons, the king-priest ministry, also known as the “more excellent ministry” (Heb. 8:6). These carry the peace of God, and have the ability to make or create peace. These can walk into a room and change the entire atmosphere. Empowered from above, a peacemaker can step in between two warring spirits, swallow up the death and hell in both and not ever become contaminated.”
Jesus, the Pattern Son, is the “Prince of Peace,” the Benefactor of Peace (Isa. 9:6). Our Lord is also the “King of Peace,” the Administrator of Peace. He is looking for those who will be kings and priests with Him, ministering His life and love.
The ascended life is His life. The wisdom from above is His wisdom. Christ is the wisdom of God.
1 Cor. 1:24: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1 Cor. 1:30: But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom…
1 Cor. 2:7: We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.
Col. 2:3: In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…
The Lord is the sum of all wisdom. He keeps it safe within Himself until we discover who He is in us. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing and the honor of kings to search out a matter.
James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
John’s epistle declares that we known everything. We are not apprehending all that we know. Saints get the information from God, and then get the confirmation from leaders, etc.
1 John 2:20: But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
1 Ki. 3:28: All Israel heard of the judgment which the king (Solomon) had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.
Classical Kingdom-son-ship theology has become weak in the earth because heretofore it has just been a “message” or “revelation.” I believe there is now a visitation and administration throughout the nations of this wisdom from above. I believe the upcoming conference, Light Up America hosted by: Pastor Kayode Oyegoke and Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministries from Nigeria is part of the celebration of this man-child coming into maturity.
Many have produced a wind of doctrine, but have not activated any deliverance in the earth. Even among those who have received the revelations from the Lord, many have become confrontational making their revelations into their own private issues. … a man can receive nothing, except it be given from heaven.” (John 3:37)
Eph. 3:10: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
Like Joseph’s colored coat with many folds, God’s wisdom and grace is layered. You will all recall the many sermons I have preached after the Lord spoke to me there are three levels of His wisdom. I am not certain I have ever adequately apprehended all three levels, but I sure gave it my best shot. According to Eph. 3:10, the primary New Testament instrument that has been commissioned to display this manifold wisdom is the Church. This is more than a message or revelation. We are to activate and actively make his wisdom known.
The ‘Word of Wisdom” (1 Cor. 12:8) is a fragment of His all-wisdom. Jesus was anointed with the “Spirit of Wisdom.”
Jesus and His glorious Church are anointed with the fullness of the Spirit (Jn. 3:34). The seven spirits of God enumerated in Isaiah 11: 1-2 rested upon Jesus. His mantle is upon us, and through us His wisdom is being sent apostolically into all the earth.
Like the healing balm of Gilead (Jer. 8:22), we are God’s applied medicine that ministers to a hurting and broken humanity. We embody the fiery wisdom that comes down from Heaven as the “answer” of God.
James’ seven-fold description of this heavenly wisdom constitutes the “seven pillars” of Proverbs 9:1:
1. The wisdom that is from above is first pure… This wisdom is “first” in time, place, order or importance. It means, clean, innocent, modest, perfect; exciting reverence, venerable, sacred; pure from carnality, chaste, modest, and pure from fault and mixture, immaculate. Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. (Phil. 4:8)
- The wisdom that is from above is…then peaceable… The word here for peaceable is used in one other place and has to do with the disciplines of God. Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Heb. 12:11).
- The wisdom that is from above is…gentle… Many of life’s situations could be resolved with the application of “sweet reasonableness. This wise gentleness does not insist on the letter of the law, nor does it demand to always have its own way. Are you a considerate person, regarding the needs, weaknesses, and strengths of others?
- The wisdom from above is…easy to be entreated… compliant, easily obeying; ready to obey. Can you be corrected? Are you submissive in your spirit, ready to obey? When Heaven’s answer is applied to your particular situation, are you willing to yield? God’s Spirit and Word are always in agreement. When confronted with truth will you let your mind be renewed, or will you dig in your heels and hold on to your pre-conceived ideas.
- Wisdom that is from above is…full of mercy and good fruits…Do you want to help people? You carry a wisdom that is from above. The world is filled with hurting people who don’t know what to do. They have not been born again. They may know the acts of God, but remain ignorant of His ways. People are scared, and are struggling. We, the church should be full of mercy, not condemnation and God forbid, psycho-analyzing every failure. That is always from a spirit of religion. Fruit is that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism; the visible expression of power working inwardly and invisibly, the character of the “fruit” being evidence of the character of the power producing it.
- The Wisdom that is from above is…without partiality…Christ is not prejudiced. The wisdom from above knows no prejudice. God’s wise answers refuse to take sides. He is not respecter of persons. All prejudice is from beneath, and is to be swallowed by the wisdom that is from above. Men and women raise these issues and build these walls---male and female, black and white, clergy and laity, old and young, educated and uneducated, rich and poor, masters and servants.
- The wisdom that is from above is…without hypocrisy. Every answer from God, marked by godly wisdom is honest and sincere. It wears no mask or disguise. Everything outside of Christ is a lying vanity. The wisdom from beneath is earthly, sensual, and even demonic.
Prov. 15:24: The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath.
The secret of the ascended life is our union with Him, our fellowship with Christ and our protection in Christ. If you never see your worth in Christ, you will rob the earth of your reason for breathing. We have the mind of Christ. We live in the heavenlies.
In the Song of Solomon (4:8), the Bridegroom is speaking; Come look with me…from the top of Amana…the English translation of the Hebrew Amana is am-aw-naw: something fixed, covenant, sure portion. It is further derived from aw-mane (sure, faithfulness, truly; Amen! So be it!) The Hebrew word for “faith”
Look from the places of His headship. The eyes are in the Head. We will be certain and sure if we look with His steady perspective.
The perspective of the ascended life has brought a new view of our fears, our enemies and His favor, His blessings. That new viewpoint brings a whole new mindset and vocabulary. We see everyone and every thing through the eyes of God.
The Christian has a whole new world view.
The application of the ascended life is the wisdom of heaven for the situations of earth. Every answer is in Him, and He has hidden Himself in you. Christ in you is the best-kept secret in your entire world. In the day when all things are headed up in Christ, he has purposed to manifest, display, exhibit, ad apply His wisdom in and through a many-membered, corporate Church.
Is there anyone who will ascend and talk to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
He has the answer for cancer, Aids, poverty in all its forms, distress of nations, racism, lawlessness, broken homes and broken families…every answer can only be found in one place---they are all hidden in Christ Jesus.
1 John 2:20: But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.F.V. and N.K.J.V.
I entered into the labors of Kelly Varner (1939-2009) – Secrets of the Ascended Life. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Rev. Varner.