The ONLY Wise God … (August 2021 Update)
Exclusive claims bother us – and they should. Whenever anyone says that they are the “only one” who can fix a problem or they are the “only one” who can do something, we automatically think they are simply bragging. We can all remember athletes who claimed to be the “only one” who were humbled by their subsequent defeats! But when we are speaking about the God of the universe, the claim to be the “only” one is not just appropriate – it is the ONLY correct assessment. When we speak about love and forgiveness, ONLY God provides perfect love and forgiveness. And ONLY God perfectly judges and punishes. ONLY is the only appropriate word when we are speaking about God. And ONLY is especially appropriate when we are talking about His wisdom. No one else compares. That’s why He is called the ONLY wise God!
When speaking about the attributes of God, theologians usually divide the attributes into two categories – communicable and incommunicable. Communicable attributes are characteristics of God that are similar to those in humans. For example, love is a communicable attribute. It is one that humans share with God. This attribute of God is called communicable because we also love and, therefore, we experience and understand this attribute. On the other hand, the incommunicable attributes of God are characteristics of God that we do not share. God is infinite; we are finite. We cannot even begin to understand the concept of infinity. God is eternal; we are temporary. We can talk about eternity, but we really do not understand it because we do not naturally share this attribute.
One very important attribute of God is His wisdom. In Jude 1:25 and also in Romans 16:27, God is called the “only wise God.” These verses emphasize that God alone possesses complete and total wisdom. Wisdom is a communicable attribute. It is something we share with God. We understand wisdom and we experience it (even though we often do not live according to it!). But we are not all-wise. Unlike God, we do not have complete and total wisdom. Nor do any other (so-called) gods. There is only one all-wise God. He alone has all wisdom and all power (Revelation 7:12). He is the ONLY wise God!
When teaching on the attributes of God, I often call wisdom a “controlling attribute” because the attribute of wisdom affects every other attribute of God. God is all-powerful, but an all-powerful God that does not use His power wisely can be a dangerous menace! God is all-loving. But a God whose love is not in the context of acting wisely will end up a sycophantic god whose love prevents Him from wisely using discipline and punishment and judgment. So, gratefully, all that God is, and all that God does is controlled by His wisdom. And, because He is the ONLY wise God, we can trust His choices and actions as being the most wise possible – in fact, those choices are the ONLY wise choices. All other choices would not ultimately be wise. Keep this in mind as we look at the wisdom of God.
So, the wisdom of God is an overarching attribute because it shows that He is able to use his wisdom to know how to use all of His attributes – wisely. Wayne Grudem says that God’s wisdom means that He always chooses the best goals and the best means to accomplish these goals. Charles Hodge writes this: “God’s wisdom is seen in the selection of proper ends and of the proper means for the accomplishment of those ends.” In His wisdom, God always chooses ONLY what is best. That is why we can trust the wisdom of the ONLY wise God!
Now we must be careful to distinguish between the knowledge of God and the wisdom of God. The knowledge of God has to do with his infinite access to all information. The wisdom of God has to do with his ability to use this information in the best possible way. Omniscience is cognitive; wisdom is practical. Simply knowing all the information does not guarantee wise use of that information. But it is God’s wisdom that gives us confidence that every plan God chooses is not only the smartest plan; it is the best plan. Or we might even say, it is the ONLY wise plan. This is because of the wisdom of God.
Here are at least 5 things the Bible says about the wisdom of God.
First, it says that His Wisdom is All-Wise. The Bible is full of passages testifying to the wisdom of God. For example, In Romans 16:27, Paul says: “to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” He is described as the only wise God. In Job 12:13, we read: “With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding.” Psalm 104:24 says, “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all.” God is the all-wise God!
Second, the Bible shows us that His Wisdom is Personal. His wisdom is not merely academic – it is personal. In His wisdom, we see that He not only knows about me; He understands me! David echoes this thought in Psalm 139:17: “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” His wisdom is personal.
Third, His Wisdom is Skillful. Psalm 139:15 tells us: “My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” The Hebrew word “skillfully” means “to mix colors into a perfect pattern.” We see God’s skillful wisdom repeatedly in the Bible, when He allows Joseph to be sold into slavery so that Joseph can save all of Israel. Everything He does is done skillfully – even using evil plans of men to accomplish His perfect plans. Paul says this in Romans 8:28, “For we know that God works all things together for good….” His wisdom is skillful.
Fourth, His Wisdom is Contrary. Very often, God’s plans don’t seem very wise to us. In fact, they seem contrary or opposite what we would call wisdom. God’s Wisdom is often contrary or opposed to our wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Paul says that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing….” And that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty….” God’s wisdom is often opposite of what we would call wisdom. He used the death of His son on the cross to defeat Satan. He allowed Paul to be put into prison so that all of Caesar’s house could hear the gospel. And so on. God is wise, but His wisdom often seems contrary to human wisdom.
Finally, His Wisdom is Mysterious. In His wisdom, God has chosen to withhold many divine mysteries from us. Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us….” 1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us ““Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Often His wisdom is mysterious to us. We need to know that He is the ONLY wise God and that His wisdom is not just the best way, it is the ONLY wise way – even when His choices are mysterious to us.
Teaching Ministry ….
This fall, I will be beginning my 26th year teaching at Kyiv Theological Seminary and my 6th year teaching at Ukrainian Baptist Seminary in Lviv! I am trying to get ready for this year’s classes. I usually teach 3 classes a semester, but it looks like I am scheduled to teach 4 per semester this year! I guess that’s what I get for not attending faculty meetings this past year (due to my illnesses and surgeries)! I’ll have to think through the schedule and see if I can find the time to do so. I’m still not up to full strength, so I am a little concerned about teaching all these classes. In September, I will be teaching a class on Prayer and then in October, I teach Evangelism. In November, I have two classes back-to-back: Church History and then Prayer and Worship classes in Lviv. I will be trying to get some Ukrainian professors to help me with the classes to take some of the load off me. Be praying as I sort out my schedule for the fall and also for the Spring semester.
Health Issues …
My health is definitely improving but I still have a way to go. Because of the severe infections that I had in my gallbladder (Clostridium perfringens or gas gangrene – very deadly!), the doctors put me on some extremely heavy doses of antibiotics to try to kill this deadly bacterium. It appears that the antibiotics have killed off all the good bacteria in my colon as well. My low blood levels are contributing to additional tiredness and limited energy. So now I am taking probiotics, antispasmodics, and other medicines along with special diets to try to restore my stomach culture. We are already seeing progress in my blood work and in my overall health.
I have an upcoming appointment also with my oncologist to check on the cancerous spot that they removed last year. I don’t expect any additional problems, but we appreciate your prayers that no additional cancer would be found.
Finally, my heart issues seem much better, and I am back to walking regularly to increase my strength. I’m still much weaker than I was a year ago, but I do feel some improvement. I’m optimistic that the surgery and the treatments now are moving me in the right direction.
Family Time ….
We are back in Ukraine now but not without some difficulty getting back into Ukraine. On the way to the states, we had to keep proving that Katya was my wife so she could travel through the Netherlands. On the way back, everything went smoothly with no questions until we got to Ukraine. At passport control, Katya and the girls had no problems since they are Ukrainian citizens. But as an American (or any other foreigner), I had to show proof that I had insurance to cover hospitalization if I got Covid while in Ukraine. I had brought my health insurance documents with me but, for some reason, I packed them in my check-in bags instead of my carry-on. But you can’t get checked bags until AFTER passport control. So we tried to figure out what to do and then remembered that we had scanned the documents into the cloud. Once again, we tethered Katya’s phone to my tablet and pulled up the documents and they accepted them! All of this goes back to our electric being out before we left for the US (see the article on our website in case you missed it: https://teachingresources.org/2021/05/14/little-providences-from-a-big-god-may-2021-update/). Because we have an ONLY wise God, He knew ahead what we needed even though His “wisdom” at the time seemed like a terrible inconvenience!
Getting back to Ukraine meant a lot of catching up at our house. We had grass to mow, weeds to pull and many other things to get back to normal. We usually travel to the US in the winter and none of this is a problem. But spring and summer will not allow yard-work neglect! Also, we started working on preserving fruits and vegetables and cleaning up bikes for the girls and Nadia was excited to be able to be back on the piano!
Ukraine in the summer is much, much cooler than Arkansas. The girls missed swimming, so we tried to get in some swimming when it was warmer. Unfortunately, we only had a couple of days before the cooler weather returned. We are hoping to find an indoor pool near us so they can continue practicing their swimming over the summer.
Finally, we were glad to be back with our church family. Three months is a long time to be apart! When we returned, we were able to be part of the church picnic in the park. It was great fellowship, and the kids had a great time with some fun activities, including making mummies with toilet paper!
Pray for Ukraine ….
Please keep praying for Ukraine. We are entering our 26th year of ministry here and Ukraine has changed dramatically through those years. I remember all the empty store shelves in the grocery stores and the dark hallways because people stole lightbulbs from the halls to light their own homes. Today, Ukraine is very different. Our store shelves are full with items from countries all over the world. But the biggest change is in interest in the gospel. Like most developing countries, interest in the gospel wanes as people’s material needs are met. Ukraine has improved but the need for the gospel is still great. We are grateful that we have had the opportunity to train students over the last 26 years who are serving their churches and sharing the gospel in Ukraine. Thank you for making this possible by your partnership with us!
Thank you for your prayers and support! We will never fully understand the wonderful wisdom of God in bringing each of you into our lives! We treasure the friendships and depend on your prayers for us too! Most of all, we are grateful that we are able to serve together with you and that we truly have an ONLY wise God!
By His Grace,
Jim, Katya, Kristina, and Nadia
If you missed previous updates or just want to read some short theological reflections, you can find these at our website at https://teachingresources.org/ .
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