BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
Everyone must realistically assess his wisdom or competence to avoid becoming overconfident, arrogant, or acting foolishly. Proverbs 26:12 says, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (NKJV). Note the phrase “a man wise in his own eyes.” Such a person is worse than a fool! He does not know, but he thinks he knows, and, therefore, cannot be helped because he doesn’t believe he needs it.
As the saying goes, “He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him. He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a student; teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep; wake him. He who knows, and knows that he knows not, is wise; follow him.” Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Heed this biblical warning to avoid the consequences. Isaiah 5:21 says, “What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever” (NLT).
People who admit they are not wise and benefit from others’ wisdom will fare better than those who trust in their so-called wisdom. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise” (NKJV). There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). Beware of overestimating your own intelligence.
Proverbs 3:5-7 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (NKJV). Note the latter part of this scripture: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” The latter part aligns with Proverbs 16:6b: By the fear of the Lord, one departs from evil. Those who are truly wise fear the Lord and depart from evil, but those who are wise in their own eyes do what pleases them, thinking they are wise.
Why will many ‘wise’ people end up in hellfire?
Many people will go to hellfire not because God doesn’t want to save them, but because they are wise in their own eyes. The Bible says that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18a). Romans 1:22 says that sinful people claim to be wise, but they are fools. Don’t be wise in your own eyes and act foolishly. Embrace the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of this age (1 Corinthians 2:6). The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).
God has simplified salvation through Jesus Christ, but those who are wise in their own eyes reject God’s way of salvation. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Those who claim there is no God, there is no heaven or hell, or Jesus is not the only way to heaven are claiming to be wiser than God; they are wise in their own eye. This wisdom is foolishness and will—tragically—lead them to hellfire, even though God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b). Are you wise in your own eyes?
Characteristics of those who are wise in their own eyes
1. They are arrogant. They have an exaggerated opinion of themselves.
2. They are unteachable. They assume they know everything and disobey instructions or the law.
3. They don’t listen to corrections. They don’t admit their faults because they assume they are always right.
4. They have a false sense of self-sufficiency. They assume they have all the answers. They don’t need anybody’s input.
5. They are often judgmental or critical of others, stemming from a belief in their own intellectual superiority.
6. They tend to dominate discussions and consistently push to have their ideas adopted because they have an inflated sense of their intelligence.
Some examples of those who were wise in their own eyes
1. Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3, Eve disobeyed God’s command and believed the devil’s lie that they would not die but would be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil. Remember that those who are wise in their own sight often violate instructions and do what seems right to them.
Eve ate the fruit in disobedience to God and gave it to her husband, who was not ignorant of God’s command, but also ate the fruit. The fall of Adam and Eve introduced sin into the world and brought upon them and all creation the holy justice of God.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Obey commands or instructions in the Bible or the societal laws. Those who claim to be wise and disobey prove, ultimately, that they are unwise. Wise people are obedient and are, therefore, preserved.
2. Cain. Cain was wise in his own eyes. After he became envious of his brother because God had accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected his, he planned to murder him. God warned Cain so that he could be saved from the consequences of the sin he was about to commit: “Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7b NKJV).
If Cain had listened to God, he would have retraced his steps, and his tragic fate could have been avoided. Instead, he killed his brother, acting as if God were unaware of the crime and there would be no consequences. Even when God asked him about his brother, his answer was dismissive: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9b NKJV). Do not be wise in your own eyes; always listen to correction, for it will preserve you.
3. Achan. God’s command to the Israelites in the war against Jericho was clear. He told them not to take any plunder. The city was to be burnt, and every spoil must be dedicated to God. But Achan was wise in his own eyes. He disobeyed God’s command out of greed and covetousness. He thought he was smart by taking a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and hiding them (Joshua 7:21). Because he was wise in his own eyes, he believed nobody would know—not even God! That is how those who are wise in their own eyes think; they assume they are wiser and smarter than others. Achan was exposed, but only after he had caused the Israelites to suffer casualties in their next battle against the small city of Ai.
Eventually, when he was fished out, it became obvious to him that he had been foolish to act as if he were wiser than God. He brought trouble not only upon himself but also upon his family, and they all perished. This wouldn’t have happened if Achan had obeyed God’s command as the other Israelites did.
4. King Saul: God’s instruction to Saul through the prophet Samuel was clear regarding the conduct of the war against Amalek: destroy Amalek completely, sparing nothing, both human beings and animals. But Saul, apparently wise in his own eyes, disobeyed. He pretended to have carried out God’s instructions until Samuel asked him about the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen he was hearing (1 Samuel 15:1-34).
Saul then made an excuse, claiming the people spared the animals to offer a sacrifice to God. Samuel told him that to obey was better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). If God had not revealed Saul’s disobedience to Samuel before the prophet arrived to confront him, Saul might have deceived Samuel into believing he had indeed obeyed God. God does not ask for a sacrifice at the expense of obedience. Earlier, in 1 Samuel 13, Saul had acted foolishly by disobeying God’s commandment and offering an unlawful sacrifice to Him. God rejected him as king and sought a replacement in David. Saul’s disobedience marked the beginning of his fall.
5. The prostitute who exchanged her dead child for her colleague’s living child. Consider the prostitute who exchanged her dead child for her colleague’s living child. One can deduce that this woman thought she was wise, convinced that since the exchange occurred at night while the true mother was asleep, there was no proof against her. She seemed to have succeeded until King Solomon used a masterstroke of wisdom, which exposed her deceit and revealed the true mother of the baby (1 Kings 3:16-28). Today, some people may consider themselves wise, making progress through practices that are unbiblical or illegal. Yet, nothing is hidden that will not ultimately be exposed, leading to dishonour or loss of position. Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
6. Gehazi. Gehazi, the prophet Elisha’s assistant, must have been wise in his own eyes, pursuing Naaman to collect the gift that his master had refused after Naaman’s healing. He lied to Naaman, claiming that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim had just arrived, and Elisha needed a talent of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them. What effrontery Gehazi had to do such a thing! He knew how powerful Elisha was as a prophet—a man the king of Syria learnt could reveal even the most intimate secrets the king whispered in his bedroom (2 Kings 6:12). How did Gehazi deceive himself into thinking he could collect gifts from Naaman without God revealing it to Elisha?
Those who are wise in their own eyes often believe that nobody is as clever as they are and that they can get away with anything. However, Elisha showed Gehazi his folly: “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever” (2 Kings 5:26-27a NKJV). Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
7. Ananias and Sapphira. They were wise in their own eyes. Instead of doing as others did, they deceived the apostles by pretending to have brought all the money from the sale of their land. They didn’t need to lie, but rather tell the apostles that they brought the portion they could comfortably give from the sale. It was unlikely that the apostles would have rejected it because God loves a cheerful giver, not a grudging one (2 Corinthians 9:7). The couple’s sin was deceit, not the amount they brought.
When Peter confronted them separately at different times about the money, they lied, claiming the amount they brought was the total proceeds from the sale of the land. Consequently, Ananias fell and died instantly, and the same fate befell Sapphira when she came three hours later, unaware of her husband’s death (Acts 5:1-11). They died because they were wise in their own eyes, thinking their deceit would not be exposed. Satan filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit; they lied not to men but to God (Acts 5:3-4). Don’t be clever in your own conceit. Your sin will catch up with you (Numbers 32:23).
Conclusion: I have limited myself to seven examples of people in the Bible who considered themselves to be wise. There are also several examples outside the Bible. Learn from them. Avoid being wise in your own eyes. The latter part of Romans 12:16 says, “Do not be wise in your own opinion” (NKJV). Beware of being wise in your own eyes.
Proverbs 26:16 says, “The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly” (NKJV). Moreover, Proverbs 28:11 states: “The rich are wise in their own eyes; one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are” (NIV).
Be truly wise by biblical standards. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10a; Psalm 111:10a), and the fear of the Lord is wisdom (Job 28:28). Let your wisdom be Bible-based and Holy Spirit-inspired; don’t be wise according to the world’s pattern. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 says, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile’” (NKJV). Build your life on the foundation of the Word of God, especially by practising the teachings of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 6:47-48).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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