Do you remember the end of the book of Daniel? “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (12:3).
Hundreds of years before Daniel, when there was still hope for the northern kingdom of Israel, the prophet Hosea, in his last chapter called his readers to repentance. They should come to God not with sacrifices, but with words of repentance and commitment: “forgive all our sins and receive us graciously. . . We will never again call what our own hands have made ‘gods.’” God will provide healing, the prophet promises. Those who are “wise,” he says, will realize these things, and the “righteous” will walk in the ways of the Lord.
At the end of the day, two things are necessary for a close walk with God: first wisdom, the understanding that God’s way is the only right way. Second, a commitment to walk in those ways.
What about “faith”? That’s a part of the way of God.
What about “love”? I fail to understand the question. Perhaps we are thinking about love as a “feeling,” some emotional endearment we have toward Him. It’s interesting to note that love for God is never properly expressed in sentimentality. It is always expressed in obedience. The wise and the righteous of God’s people will be blessed.