A Simple Explanation of Human Wisdom, Divine Wisdom, and Revelation
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom. 8:6)
Let’s talk about two different ways we get knowledge: what we learn from our senses and what we receive through revelation. These are big ideas, but we can break them down into everyday language.
What is Sense Knowledge
Sense knowledge is simply what we learn from our five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. This is how humans naturally interact with the world around us. When you see a red apple, hear a bird singing, smell coffee in the morning, taste something sweet, or feel the sun on your skin, you’re using sense knowledge. Everything we learn in school, most of what we understand about science, history, or even other people, comes through these senses and the reasoning abilities of our mind.
Now, sense knowledge is very important. It helps us survive, learn, and enjoy life. But when it comes to spiritual things, especially knowing God, sense knowledge has its limits.
Can We Know God Through Our Senses?
The simple answer is no. 1 Corinthians 1:21 in the Bible says that the world, with all its wisdom and cleverness, did not know God through wisdom. That means, with all our intelligence, studies, and observations, we can’t reach God or understand who He truly is just by using our five senses and human reasoning.
You might read the Bible, learn a lot of facts, memorize scripture, and even become very religious. But if all that understanding stays on the surface—just what your mind can figure out—it’s still not truly knowing God. It’s possible to know about God without actually knowing Him personally.
What Is Revealed Knowledge (or Revelation)?
Revealed knowledge, also called revelation, is something entirely different. The word “revelation” basically means an uncovering—like pulling back a curtain so you can see what’s behind it. It’s a disclosure of something you couldn’t know before.
When it comes to God, revelation is when God Himself makes Himself known to us. It’s not something we figure out with our minds or our senses; it’s something God gives us directly, in our heart and spirit. Every person has the capacity to receive this kind of knowledge, because God wants to make Himself known to us.
How Does Revelation Work?
Think of it this way: imagine you’re reading a letter from a friend, but the letter is written in a language you don’t understand. You can “see” the words, but you can’t truly understand the message until someone translates it for you. In the same way, you can read the words of the Bible and know them on a surface level, but their true meaning—the life-changing part—only comes alive when God, by His Spirit, reveals it to your heart.
This is why the Bible says it’s the Spirit who gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). The words on the page alone can’t change us. Only when God’s Spirit breathes life into those words do they become more than letters—they become living truths in our hearts.
The Difference Between Human Wisdom and God’s Wisdom
There’s a big difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. Worldly wisdom relies on facts, logic, what we see or learn from others. God’s wisdom is revealed to us—it comes from the Holy Spirit, not from natural understanding. The Bible calls this “a secret wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:7) that was hidden but is now made known to us through the Holy Spirit.
We haven’t received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so we can understand what God has freely given us. In other words, it’s God’s Spirit who opens our spiritual eyes and helps us grasp things our minds alone could never reach.
How Do We Receive God’s Revelation?
Revelation knowledge is imparted by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. As you read or hear the Word of God, the Holy Spirit makes certain truths stand out to you, impacts your heart, and gives you understanding that you couldn’t have on your own. This is how faith comes alive. It’s that “aha” moment when you suddenly see or realize something about God that changes you.
Wisdom, then, is simply spiritual knowledge in action—it’s when we take what God has revealed to us and actually live it out.
Biblical Examples
Let’s look at two stories from the Bible to understand the difference between sense knowledge and revealed knowledge.
Religious Leaders and Sense Knowledge (John 5:37-42)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks to the religious leaders of Israel. These leaders knew the scriptures very well—they had studied, memorized, and spent their lives trying to understand God’s Word. But Jesus pointed out that they only knew it with their natural minds, through sense and reason. They hadn’t heard God’s voice or received His revelation. Because of that, they missed the biggest truth—that Jesus was the Christ, the One sent by God. The knowledge stayed in their heads, but didn’t make it to their hearts.
Peter and Revelation Knowledge (Matthew 16:13-17)
Another great example is Peter. Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. Most of the disciples answered with what they had heard from others—using sense knowledge or what made sense to them. But Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told Peter that he was blessed, not because he figured it out himself, but because God the Father had revealed it to him. Peter received revelation knowledge—a truth that came straight from God.
Why Can’t the World Understand This Kind of Knowledge?
The world doesn’t understand revelation knowledge because it’s spiritually discerned. It’s not something you can study for, test, or measure in a lab. It comes from God, and only those who are open to Him can receive it.
How Can We Get This Kind of Wisdom?
The Bible says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.” (Proverbs 4:7). If you lack wisdom, you can ask God, and He will give it freely (James 1:5). This wisdom isn’t just knowing facts; it’s about knowing God’s heart and plans for your life. When God reveals something to you, it’s meant to be lived out, not just known.
Spirit Versus Flesh: Which One Are We Following?
The Bible explains that believers are not condemned with the world because, through faith in Jesus, they are united with Christ. The real question for all of us is: what is the guiding principle of our lives? Is it our own natural desires (“the flesh”) or the Spirit of God?
We all struggle with our old nature, the drive to follow our own way, which the Bible calls “the flesh.” The law of God requires not just outward actions, but inward obedience—a heart that truly loves God. Only the Spirit of God working inside us can bring about this kind of change. The law shows us our need for a Savior, and Jesus’ suffering on the cross makes it possible for us to be forgiven and have a new relationship with God.
The Law Fulfilled in Us by the Spirit
As believers, God’s law is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We may not fulfill it perfectly, but God’s intention is fulfilled in us. The most important things—God’s favor, the welfare of our soul, our eternal future—are spiritual things, and those who follow the Spirit set their minds on these things.
Ask yourself: What do I care about most? Where do my thoughts go when I have free time? Are my plans mainly for this world, or for my soul’s good? The Bible says that those who live only for pleasure are spiritually “dead” (1 Timothy 5:6), but a heart touched by God’s Spirit is alive and at peace.
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritually Minded?
To be spiritually minded is to let the Holy Spirit guide what you think, feel, and do—to pursue the things of God rather than just the things of this world. It means making it your aim to cultivate the qualities and actions the Spirit produces, to submit to His influence. This is real life—the kind of life God designed for us.
Death and Life: The Consequences
The Bible is clear: to set our minds only on the flesh, or our own desires, leads to death—spiritual separation from God, condemnation, and ultimately, eternal ruin. But to be spiritually minded—following the Holy Spirit—leads to true life, joy, and peace.
Conclusion
In summary, sense knowledge is valuable for living in this world, but it cannot bring us to know God. True knowledge of God comes by revelation—God making Himself known to us through His Spirit. This revelation brings wisdom, which is spiritual knowledge lived out in everyday life.
So, if you want to know God, don’t stop at what your eyes can see or what your mind can figure out. Ask God for revelation. Read His Word with an open heart and invite the Holy Spirit to teach you. As God reveals things to you, put them into practice. That’s how real wisdom is gained—and that’s how you come to truly know God.
Minister A Francine Green
August 2025
afrancinegreen.com 