PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

CHRIST, GOD'S WISDOM TO US

To be a parent requires that the totality of our human living be under the practice of opening ourselves absolutely to God in order that we may live by Him. We may know a lot about human psychology, and we may be well trained in the skills of communication, yet "beside ourselves" in the simplest matter of guiding our children in their daily living. But God has put us into Christ who is His wisdom to us (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Our Christian life is not primarily a matter of doctrine or teaching. To know what we should do is one thing; to experience the grace of the Lord to do it is something entirely different. We sometimes speak with parents who say, "I hate myself for what I do to my children. I know that I should not lose my temper and deal with my children in anger, but when moments of frustration come, I am powerless to control my reactions." The key to meet this need is the enjoyment of Christ as God's wisdom to us.

The article reviewed in this month's Parenthood relates to enjoying Christ as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption through experiencing Him as God's wisdom to us. Witness Lee illustrates how the enjoyment of Christ as wisdom impacts our marital relationships. In fact, all of our relationships, including the way in which we deal with and care for our children, require us to enjoy Christ in various aspects as stated in this article.

As we call on the name of the Lord to simply enjoy Him, we will experience Him as our righteousness. We become righteous as He is righteous, and when we become righteous, we become calm. Calling on the name of the Lord also brings us into sanctification. When we are sanctified, we are made holy. This issues in a different atmosphere in our home, and we no longer react to our children; rather, we lead them, through our conduct and our living, to know God.

Another of the items we enjoy in Christ is redemption. We are often far away from God in our daily living, but through redemption, we are brought back to God. Through redemption, we are also terminated and replaced. We have a wonderful provision given to us by God in Christ, our wisdom. May we learn to receive Him in all things.

In [First Corinthians] 1:24 Paul says, "But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom." This is an important verse. Here Paul says that to those who are called, the ones who were chosen by God in eternity and who have come to believe in Christ, Christ is God's power and wisdom. As those who have been called by God to call on the name of the Lord, Christ is God's power and wisdom to us.

In 1:30 Paul goes on to say, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption." Why does Paul, after pointing out that Christ is theirs and ours and that we have been called into His fellowship, say that this very Christ has become wisdom to us from God, both righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? We have seen that to be called into the fellowship of Christ means to be called into the co-enjoyment of Christ as our unique portion. In the second part of chapter one Paul shows us various aspects of the enjoyment of this wonderful portion....In verse 2 Paul speaks of our portion, and in verse 9 he tells us that we have been called into the enjoyment of this portion. Now in verses 24 and 30 we see the aspects of this portion for our enjoyment. From these verses we realize that we may enjoy Christ as God's wisdom and God's power. Furthermore, Christ as God's wisdom includes righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. My burden in this message is to consider from the standpoint of our experience how Christ is wisdom to us from God, including righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

THE DIVINE WAY

It is not easy to understand or explain wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. I prefer to speak of these matters according to spiritual experience. In verses 24 and 30 the wisdom of God denotes the divine way. If we have wisdom, we shall know the proper way to do things. But if we are not wise, our way of doing things will be foolish. In order to have the best way, we must have wisdom.

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