50 Days of Wisdom
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Wisdom is a skill in living that begins with fearing God, then progresses to guarding your mind, choosing your companions, controlling your body, monitoring your words, pursuing your work, managing your money, and loving your neighbor. Very simple. But that’s it. And when you’ve done that, you’ve learned wisdom. It’s vital to be taught wisdom. For example, as a father, if I fail to teach my son to fear God, the devil will teach him to hate God. If I fail to teach my son to guard his mind, the devil will teach him to have an open mind. If I fail to teach my son to obey his parents, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ hearts. If I fail to teach my son to select his companions carefully, the devil will choose them for him. If I fail to teach my son to control his body, the devil will gladly teach him to give it completely over to his lusts. If I fail to teach my children to enjoy speech that is honorable to God, the devil will fill their mouths with filth. If I fail to teach my children to pursue their work, the devil will make them lazy. If I fail to teach them to manage their money, the devil will teach them to waste it on riotous living. If I fail to teach them to love their neighbor, the devil will gladly teach them to love only themselves.
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Two Levels of Spirituality?
For the typical member of the charismatic movement, the gateway to spirituality is through an experience. And that experience is usually defined as the baptism of the Spirit with speaking in tongues. They tell us that if you have that experience, you are zapped. It accurately describes the way most charismatics view sanctification. They think that once you’re saved, you just go along in your Christian life until you get the zap. That’s when you get the baptism of the Spirit or speak in tongues, and then you’ve been elevated to sanctification. Some would go so far as to say you’ve reached the second level of grace. There are many charismatics who will even use the word “zap” and say, “Well, may Jesus zap you.” Charismatic evangelist Norvel Hayes explained what happened when he got his zap. He said, “God came on me so strong and started blessing me so much I just fell on my knees and began crying and weeping and getting blessed. I found out God loves me, and He was petting me because I obeyed the Holy Spirit.” Charismatics argue that unless you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit with tongues, you can’t function the way God really wants you to; you’re missing something. If, on the other hand, you do have the baptism of the Spirit with tongues, you’ve been elevated to another level of spirituality and sanctification. A good example of this particular kind of viewpoint is in Melvin Hodges’ book called Spiritual Gifts. He says, “While the full manifestation of a person’s gift and ministry must await the fullness of the Spirit, there may be a partial measure of spiritual ministry and incomplete manifestation of spiritual gifts or endowments before the culmination of the Pentecostal gift is experienced. We must not lose sight of the fact that in the New Testament, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the charismatic experience is considered an essential and a primary requisite for a fully developed spiritual life and ministry." So, is there a gap between Christians? Are there two levels? Do the charismatics have some other level of spirituality they’ve attained? And are all non-charismatic Christians somehow mired in the first-level muck of a second-level Christianity? Well, what does Scripture say about this? Paul spent most of 1 Corinthians 2 discussing the difference between the natural man and the spiritual man. And that’s the difference between the unsaved and the saved. The unregenerate is the natural man, and the regenerate is the spiritual man. The natural man doesn’t know God. He is unsaved, isolated in his humanness and sin, and headed for hell. He cannot understand the things of the Spirit. In contrast, the spiritual man knows God and understands spiritual things. So Paul is very clear that there is only one level of spirituality. And that's saved. Now, that’s very basic. And according to 1 Corinthians 2, all Christians are—what?—spiritual. That’s our position in Christ. We are spiritual, alive in the Spirit, and have the life of God within our souls. As Romans 8:6 through 9 clearly indicates, we possess the Holy Spirit. So, in the purest, truest, and simplest sense, there are only two kinds of people: spiritual people and natural people. Therefore, according to Scripture, there are not two levels of spirituality; there is only one. Saved! It's all or nothing! Repent and believe! GTY.org (90-62) - What Is True Spirituality? – 90-62
Today's Wisdom
December 31, 2025
Day: 834
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My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, “I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.
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Mark Paul - Servant of God
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