What is a Wise Man?
How would you define a wise man?
Wisdom is the application of knowledge, correct? As they say, “Knowledge is information, but wisdom is application.”
So a wise man has to be really good at applying the principles of God to the details of his life, right? For example, God instructs our speech to be alway with grace, seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6). A wise man figures out how to apply this principle to his life. He figures out how to make all his words embody grace, seasoned with salt. That takes skill. You don’t become a master craftsman the first time you pick up a chisel. Thus, a wise man is someone who has spent years submitting his instincts to the Holy Spirit, building up spiritual “muscle memory” until applying grace becomes his second nature.
Perhaps we might define a wise man as one who is experienced and practiced at applying the sound doctrines of grace to the details of his life.
That’s pretty good so far, wouldn’t you say? A “wise man” is a master craftsman of living! He knows how life works under God’s design, and he carries out God’s will with practiced skill (Eph. 5:15-17).
Oh, but wait! Scripture has so much more to say about a wise man.
The Posture of the Heart
Scripture also shows us that great wisdom is fundamentally a posture of the heart. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10). Before a wise man ever applies a single truth, he has a specific orientation of his heart: he reveres God.
And being in that state of reverence toward God, the wise man has some radical humility in his heart (Prov. 11:2; 15:33), and there is also an openness to being corrected. He is always teachable. “A wise man will hear and will increase learning...” (Prov. 1:5). Not only that, a wise man is happy to receive correction – “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser...” (Prov. 9:9). The fool hates correction, but the wise man welcomes it because his life’s goal isn’t about protecting his ego. His goal is to glorify God.
He is a Man of Restraint
A wise man exercises great mastery over his words, knowing their power to build or destroy. He restrains his words. “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
He has self-control over his passions. “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards” (Proverbs 29:11). And his speech is one of peace. “A soft answer turneth away wrath... The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright” (Proverbs 15:1–2; cf. Proverbs 16:23).
A wise man also surrounds himself with wise people. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise...” (Prov. 13:20). Wisdom is contagious. So is foolishness. The wise man chooses his companions carefully.
Plus, the Lord Himself was very kind to give us a definition of the wise man in Matt 7:24. He said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.”
Notice the two criteria: Hearing + Doing, which matches how I’ve always viewed wisdom: a wise man hears God and figures out how to do what God says.
Redeeming the Time
Last Sunday, we exegeted Eph 5:15-16. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
In verse 15, Paul is calling believers to walk circumspectly, that is, to live with careful, deliberate precision, paying close attention to every step in light of the spiritual dangers around them. Because we are already children of light, we are to thoughtfully align our daily lives with our identity in Christ, walking as wise men who skillfully apply the doctrines of grace to the ordinary decisions of life.
In verse 16, redeeming the time isn’t primarily about better time management but about recognizing and seizing the spiritual opportunities that become available to us. Because we live in an evil age where opportunities to minister, encourage, and share the gospel can quickly disappear, wise men keep their eyes open and intentionally take advantage of every opportunity for God’s glory before it passes.
Notice the connection between these two verses. Verse 15 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” Then verse 16 explains what that wise walk looks like. The wise man is always “redeeming the time.” In other words, wisdom isn’t just a person who lives in humble awe of God, and he’s eager to listen to His Word, and apply those instructions to his life. A wise man also takes advantage of spiritual opportunities to minister when they become available.
How can you not think of Prov. 11:30? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.“ The wise man is a soul-winner. He’s consistently focused on eternity (Psa. 90:12).
New Definition
Now we can come up with a list of various aspects of the wise man:
· the heart (humble awe of God),
· the ear (hears God’s Word),
· the character (teachable, restrained),
· the walk (applies grace),
· the wisdom (walks circumspectly),
· the mission (redeems opportunities),
· the outcome (glorifies Christ).
I love that! So now we might refine our definition even more:
A wise man is one who lives in humble awe of God, eagerly listens to His Word with a teachable heart, gladly receives correction, exercises loving restraint over his words and passions, skillfully applies the doctrines of grace to every circumstance of life, carefully walks according to God’s revealed will, continually watches for and redeems every spiritual opportunity that becomes available, and through years of faithful obedience, he becomes a master craftsman of living whose life glorifies Christ and points others to Him.
Not bad.
But, wait! There’s one more point!
The Ultimate Personification
Paul reveals that Christ Jesus “is made unto us wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:30). To be a “wise man” in a complete sense according to all of Scripture is to fully yield oneself to the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and allow His life and His Spirit to transform your life into the very image of God and His Son.
Final Definition
Well, now, I have to revise my definition one last time –
A wise man is just like Christ.