"Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever." Daniel 12:2-3
When the gospel has been fully preached, the sleepers will rise. Some into glory, many into shame. Glory is reserved for the saints, those who are wise.
What is it to be wise?
James 3:13-18 "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. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. 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. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness."
Wisdom is not a dead faith.
Wisdom is not an easy believism.
Wisdom is not a whitewashed religion.
If you read James chapter 3 you can see that the wisdom that leads to glory is a matter of the heart. A softened sincere heart. From wisdom comes humility. And when the Holy Spirit comes to live within a person, he cleanses their heart and enables them to overcome their natural inclinations. He helps them to choose a course of actions that will promote peace with God.
On the other hand, those who rise up into shame are they who had lived a compromised life. The Bible calls them wicked. The word wicked appears some 61 times in the ESV Bible. And in the KJV wicked is mentioned almost twice as much. In any version of the Bible the term wicked is meant as a scathing accusation. It was often said about all the people, not just an individual. The term is often used to describe an entire culture. The Bible describes wickedness as violence against the truth and righteousness. Wickedness is associated with worshipping pagan gods, with sexual immorality, oppressing the poor, and cruelty.
In this modern age, among the Christian people, it's popular to claim that we are all sinners, but how many Christian people would likewise claim to be wicked? I can't imagine even one Christian laying claim to being wicked. And yet Jesus Christ taught otherwise. At Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he equated evil thoughts and intentions with acts of wickedness (Matthew 5:21-22).
Jesus wasn't one for the modern trend of equivocation..."Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48, KJV)
The wicked people work against the righteous. They plot against them. They seek after accusations and excuses in order to scoff at the righteous. Ungodly people are full of evil and sexual immorality that comes from within the wicked desires of their hearts. These evil people love sensuality. They take pleasure in unrighteousness and go after strange flesh. Wicked Christians can’t be differentiated from the world. They don’t want anything to do with sound doctrine that leads to righteousness and the holiness of life in the Spirit. Sensuality is the most common trait among the ungodly people, due to their unchecked inherent sinful nature.
Fact of the matter is we human beings are utterly lost in our wickedness, we're unable to save ourselves from it. The only wise answer to wickedness must come from God. The good news, according to the gospel, is that God’s forgiveness is available to everyone who loves God and loves one another as God has loved them. Uncertainty, troubled hearts, raging anger and wicked desires can be overcome when the human mind is transformed by the Spirit. This is wisdom, hope, perseverance, and security found in the Holy Spirit. It's a powerful promise for those who walk with God.
Some in this age preach Christ from envy and with an attitude of strife against those who follow the principles of the gospel. They preach out of ambition and for personal purposes. Some preach a pretentious gospel in order to build a following for themselves. And yet some others preach the gospel of truth, even by accident, as they work out their own devious plans.
God uses even the wickedness of these preachers to make the gospel of truth known to those whom he has predestined to hear his truth. And so the church is filled with wickedness and wisdom. And God uses both to get the gospel out.
Our lives as Christians depends entirely upon the gospel of truth. Our conduct must be worthy of the gospel of truth. All other things that are presented as the gospel are born out of wickedness. All political considerations are wickedness. The only way is the way of Christ Jesus. In order for the Christian people to live their lives as "the wise", they must learn discipline and discernment. The people who hope to rise up into glory must learn to stand firm against the false gospel that mingles the pagan practices with the truth. Even though God can teach a new generation about the gospel of truth through the paganism of this Church age, the gospel must be defended against the wickedness of this age. It is important to stand up for truth in all the ways of this culture. At some point, the soul strength of the culture must be restored in order to make a way for those who are still yet to come into the Spirit. In this age it is even more difficult as so many have marked themselves as pagan while preaching Christ. There must be voices of truth so that the children of God will know that God has not forsaken them even as his preachers have forsaken the gospel truth.
Now more than ever the children of God must be wise and live in holiness. Everything else is just the same worldview as the pagans. Be marked by righteousness not the ink of pagans. Be blessed in your genuine kindness and mercy, not the pretense and politics. Be thankful for your life in Christ, thank him, praise him, and share his gospel of truth. And most of all be wise, following his commands boldly in this age of wickedness.