1 Corinthians 3:14-23 (NLT)
14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
“He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”

We do give ourselves more credit for being wise than we ought to. We think we know, then we experience something and realize how far our theoretical wisdom is from true wisdom. I’ve learned this personally. 24 years of being an alcoholic and drug abuser. Two divorces. Bankruptcy. Jason’s death. The death of my father at to young of an age. The death of my step-daughter. There are more. They have taught me that what I think I know doesn’t mean much until I put on that skin.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to destruction is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

We know what we know until we know something different. It’s something that I’ve lived by and tried to impart to others. I know that I’m not nearly as wise as I think I am. I haven’t worn a lot of skins, and for that I’m grateful. I’ve worn enough skins though to know what I’m capable of when I go worldly.  That’s the wide gate. The narrow gate is anti-world, the opposite fo being worldly.

John 1:10 (NLT)
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.

I can’t fathom the skin that Christ wore when he was here. Not only did he wear the skin of God, he came and voluntarily took the skin of what we have devolved to in the world. We think we’re so high and mighty, so good, so righteous (whether we believe in God or not) but we’re not. We’re about as far away as we are from MACS0647-JD (the farthest star from earth that we’ve discovered so far). This is the skin God took on. He knows. We don’t. He’s shared with us, we think we understand, but we don’t, not really. We haven’t worn that skin yet.

James 3:13-18 (NLT)
13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:17-18 (NLT)
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of justice.

This is the wisdom of God. It’s throughout the red letters. Perfect love, perfect justice. From someone who’s worn skins we can only imagine.