BE AS WISE AS SERPENT

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 13, Luke 16, Job 31, 2 Cor 1

The serpent is the devil. There are two types of wisdom – Heavenly and worldly. James 3:17 says but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. The worldly wisdom on the other hand is the wisdom of the devil. According to James 3:15-16 worldly wisdom is earthly, sensual, devilish and where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Matthew 10:16 says be ye therefore wise as serpents. The devil is the serpent. Why will Jesus ask us to be as wise as the serpent, if the serpent is the devil? Jesus does not want us to employ the wisdom of the serpent. He expects us to be wiser than the devil. He actually wants us to be a step ahead of the devil when it comes to the application of wisdom. The least he expects is that we understand his motives and know what he is up to. When you are as wise as an individual, fooling you or robbing you becomes impossible. Jesus was successful in ministry because He was always a step ahead of the devil especially in the area of wisdom. The devil failed woefully when he tried to speak through Peter, Matthew 16:21-28. He immediately rebuked him saying ‘get behind me Satan!’To be as wise as the devil you need to understand worldly wisdom or wisdom of the devil. When it comes to the wisdom of this world, you come first. It teaches one that it does not matter who is losing, as far as you are making profit. The devil uses the application of worldly wisdom to steal, to kill and to destroy,John 10:10. The end result of this wisdom is loss as a result of theft and death. On the other hand, with heavenly wisdom you come last. When we talk of the wisdom from above, God comes first. Luke 10:27 says thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is why the bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning is wisdom, Psalm 111:10. After God, others come second. Luke 22:26 says ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. No wonder Luke 10:27 says love your neighbor as yourself. After others you come last. The sky is the limit for anyone in possession of heavenly wisdom. Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools (those in possession of worldly wisdom). According to Daniel 12:3 and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. When you are in possession of this heavenly wisdom, serving God in truth and spirit becomes easy. People with worldly wisdom have no problem fornicating or committing adultery becomes they come first. They think of satisfying themselves alone but an individual with Godly wisdom will think of how God will feel about what he is about to do. Next he will think of breaking the heart of the lady and lastly the dangers of going to hell. By the times he considers all these, he will resist the devil and the spirit of adultery will flee from him .

KEY WORD: With worldly wisdom you come first ; with heavenly wisdom God comes first