FOOLISH WISDOM-VII—1Corinthians 1:29-31(1:18--2:5)
Attention:
Something deceptively seen by the heart’s predisposition.
A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around & staring at him. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her & continued on. Finally as he entered the checkout line, the old lady was in front of him.
“Pardon me,” she said, “I'm sorry if my staring has made you feel uncomfortable. It's just that you look so much like my son, who just recently passed away.”
“I'm very sorry,” replied the young man, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Why Yes, I think there is.” she said, “There is one thing that I think would be a help to me.” As I'm leaving, could you wave to me & say “Good bye, Momma!” That would surely make my day.”
The young man’s heart was breaking, & was almost in tears, as he answered, “Of course I will! I’d be honored to do so.”
Her groceries were rung up & loaded into her cart. And as the old woman was leaving, the young man, true to his word, called out, “Goodbye, Momma!”, & gave her a loving wave, as the doors closed behind her. She turned with a tear in her eye, & waved appreciatively to the young man.
In the mean time, his three-piece chicken meal from the deli, & single soft drink had already been rung up. He stepped up to the cashier with a $20 bill in hand. As he handed it to the cashier, he noticed that his total was well over $360!
Taken aback, the young man asked, “How can that be?” “I only got a couple things!”
The clerk answered, “Your mother said that you would pay for hers too!”
As the young man was deceived by the endearing old woman,
So there are ‘deceptions’ of the heart that we must be wary of!
Likewise, a person may suppose one thing, while the opposite is actually true.
‘Foolish Wisdom’ can & should be seen for what it truly is...either Foolish OR Wisdom!
And that identity, depends entirely upon the condition of your heart toward God!
God encourages us:
1Tim. 2:1-4—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, & giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings & all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all godliness & reverence. For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Mat. 6:21-23—Jesus warns us,—“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
The apostle Paul related that the actual God-ordained wisdom in the Cross-work of Christ, was seen as foolishness by those who were perishing.
The wisdom of the Cross can be misconstrued.
BUT:
How can wisdom be properly interpreted?
8 means of understanding/interpreting foolish wisdom.
It is up to each & every one of us to decide the foolishness or the wisdom of anything. Particularly in regard to God & His witnessed word(written, Holy Spirit represented, & otherwise living).
Not only have we found that ‘Foolish Wisdom’ is interpreted/understood thru...
1. The MESSAGE Of The CROSS(:18)
2. PROMISED FUTILITY Present In The World(:19)
3. The VACUUM Present In The World(:20-21)Absence/Dearth of wisdom
4. GOD’s ANSWER To Adulterous SIGNS & WISDOM(:22-25)
5. The TOPPLING EFFECT Of GOD’s WEAKNESS(:26-28)
And TODAY we’ll find that...
6—Foolish Wisdom is ALSO interpreted thru...
The END RESULT Of GOD’s CALLING(:29-31)
Explanation:(:29-31)
1:29—“that no flesh should glory in His presence.”...
1:30—“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption”...
1:31—“that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
1:29—“that no flesh should glory in His presence.”...
There is a glaring result of God’s nullifying, or “bringing to nothing the things that are”(:26-28)!
•Remember that “the things that are”(:28) are those “things that are” elevated & ordained of fleshly desire. And so, they are NOT elevated & ordained of God’s desire.
•And the result of that reality is, that there is absolutely “no flesh” that can boast(“glory”) in God’s “presence.”
•That is, there is no one, absolutely no one, who can ‘deservedly’ stand in God’s “presence”, based upon that person’s own personal merit. Not yours nor mine nor anyone else’s worth, ability, hard work, or personal goodness, will endear you to God! Neither you nor I, nor anyone else of any generation—past, present or future—NO ONE ‘DESERVES’ eternity in heaven! It cannot be earned or bought!
•Anyone who has a lasting & continual “presence” before Almighty God in heaven, has that never-ending relationship with God, as a result of God’s own willingness! He offers it to everyone & anyone, as a loving gift that is entirely unearned.
•Amazingly & unfortunately, MANY DO NOT accept God’s free-gift! They refuse it, even though it is freely offered & unearned.
•However, Those who ARE willing to accept & receive His gracious gift, they all accept it by means of their personal faith in Jesus! They personally, & willingly receive to themselves, the person of Jesus...They receive Jesus as the promised Christ of God...They receive everything touched by Jesus’ powerful name...They receive everything associated with Jesus ministry surrounding His being the the Son of God & God the Son...They receive the necessity of & the encompassing nature of Jesus’ Cross-work regarding the forgiveness of personal sin. To the saved, Jesus is THE Redeemer of & for all mankind, for all time.
•The only way a person can be in God’s “presence” for eternity, is by God’s grace, that he freely offers or extends to people, thru each individual’s personal faith in Christ Jesus!
•The clever, philosophically devised, & confusing, & multiple ‘salvations’, that the world offers, are actually DENIED & REJECTED by God Himself!
•And since that is true, there is NO POSSIBILITY that people who continue to trust in the world’s ‘brand’ or version of ‘salvation’, are able to stand boldly before God!
•That is, WHEN a person continues in their own fleshly ‘salvation’(one of the many) or ‘deliverance’ wrought by their own hand, They ARE NOT receiving the ACTUAL ‘salvation’ accomplished by God thru Christ Jesus!
•And such a self-deceived person, will certainly NOT be able to even stand in God’s “presence”, much less “glory in” themselves in God’s “presence”!
•Whereas the believer/Christian, even in his/her flesh, can & is encouraged to approach God boldly, BECAUSE they trust in God’s singular salvation thru their personal trust in Jesus Christ!
•And so, such a person is eternally ‘bold’ before God, because God by His own commitment to the enforcement of Salvation by His Grace thru your Faith in Christ Jesus, forbids Himself to refuse that avenue of trust!
•Heb. 4:15-16—“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
1:30a—“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus,..."
We(Christians) are the result of God’s choosing us by our faith, & so we are of or from Him. Due to God’s choice(“of Him”) of us by that individual & personal faith, we “are in Christ Jesus.”
1:30b—who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption”...
At the very minimum, this “Christ”(Anointed One) “Jesus”(Savior/salvation), “became” the source of “wisdom” “for” His people(“us”). He also “became” much more for God’s people.....He “became for us” “righteousness & sanctification & redemption”!
•?But HOW did “Christ Jesus” “become” this “wisdom” “& righteousness & sanctification & redemption”?...
•God assured that Jesus would be all these things for His people of faith, thru “Jesus’” willingly leaving His glory in heaven, & taking on human flesh(Php. 2:7-11). And thru that action by Christ, He took mankind’s sin to Himself, so that He—Jesus—would “be sin for us”(2Cor. 5:21)! So that Jesus became the eternal sacrifice on our behalf, for every individual, should they decide to accept Him. And by sending His Holy Spirit to indwell them, God’s people have been ‘created anew’(2Cor. 5:17), so that their/our fleshly lives have been upended & subdued by their ‘new creation’ “in Christ.”
And that ‘new creation’ & transformation is, in turn, illustrated thru four possessions of the believer, who as a result, is despised by the world(:28).
Each of these listed ‘possessions’ by believers, is a gift arising from God’s love “for us” that is attained thru our faith in Christ Jesus.
?SO, What has “Christ” “become for us”?...
Four things:
1) “Jesus” is Himself the embodiment of God’s “wisdom.” Generally, godly “wisdom” is a sensible & proper use of godly knowledge. Therefore, God’s “wisdom” by “Christ”, involves a different grasp of reality than that which the world holds to. It views the world very differently & does so fully, rather than in a limited capacity.
•We are not “wise” in & of ourselves(:26-28). Because, a person is only able to comprehend spiritual “wisdom” thru “Christ Jesus” alone.
•And without the true spiritual “wisdom” that is found “in Christ Jesus,” there is only counterfeit or ‘knock-off’ “wisdom”! And the counterfeit’s abound! Personal holiness thru “wisdom” is only possible thru “Christ Jesus”!
2) “Christ Jesus” has also “become” “righteousness” “for” the Christian.
?So what is “righteousness”?
•“Righteousness” is simply doing that which is determined to be ‘right’ by God’s discernment & design. And so, God’s “righteousness” by “Christ”, involves a different grasp of “righteousness” than what the world holds to.
•We are not “righteous” in & of ourselves(:26-28). We only comprehend spiritual “righteousness” thru “Christ Jesus” alone.
•And without the true spiritual “righteousness” that is found “in Christ Jesus,” there is only counterfeit or cheap ‘knock-off’ “righteousness”! And those counterfeits abound just like the counterfeits of “wisdom”! Personal holiness thru “righteousness” is only possible thru “Christ Jesus”!
3) “Christ Jesus” has also “become” “sanctification” “for” the Christian.
?So what is “sanctification”?
•“sanctification” is being ‘set apart’ from everything else, so that you will be used exclusively by & for God. So that God will be able to ‘use’ us in the capacity that He desires & deserves.
•God’s people are not “sanctified” to God, in & of themselves(:26-28). We only comprehend “sanctification” to the true God thru “Christ Jesus” alone.
•Without the “sanctification” to God that is found “in Christ Jesus”, there is only counterfeit or cheap ‘knock-off’ “sanctification”! And those counterfeits abound just like the counterfeits of “wisdom” & “righteousness”! Personal holiness thru “sanctification” is only possible thru “Christ Jesus”!
4) “Christ Jesus” has also “become” “redemption” “for” the Christian.
?So what is “redemption”?
• “Redemption” is a ransom payment that brings about a release. It involves an exchange/purchase/trade/compensation of something, that removes a person/life from ruin. The compensation needed to accomplish the “redemption”, is only acceptable if the ‘owner’ or offerer of the “redemption” ‘price’ says it is acceptable.
•God’s people are not “redeemed” to God, in & of themselves(:26-28). We only comprehend “redemption” to the true God thru “Christ Jesus” alone.
•Without the “redemption” to God, that is found “in Christ Jesus”, there is only cheap counterfeit or ‘knock-off’ “redemption”! And those counterfeits abound just like the counterfeits of “wisdom” & “righteousness”, & “sanctification”! Personal holiness thru “redemption” is only possible thru “Christ Jesus”!
•We are purchased back(“redeemed”) from our former lives of being controlled by sin. God’s people are “redeemed” or purchased back from sin’s control, so that God’s people would surrender control to God!
1:31—“that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
The above statements(:26-30) declare a truth which all human activities were intended to encompass, that is, that any ‘boasting’ or “glorying” on the part of man, must be solely centered in lifting up God above ourselves.
•And so, verse 29 is reinforced, in that God’s intention for men is that they should “glory” in God rather than in themselves!
•Men who “glory” in themselves & their achievements, have NO “glory” in God’s eyes, NOR in the eyes of those who “glory” in God.
Argumentation:
To “glory” in God, is to elevate Him above all that is created, & recognizing Him as the Creator of all things.
•Keep in mind that there is nothing in all of God’s creation that has been created sinful or with the intent of being sinful! HOWEVER, all things have been created within the realm of Mankind’s freewill. And as a result of man’s intervention, sin is in the world! So we must admit that Mankind, by means of his exercise of sinfulness, has interjected ruin into God’s world that was originally deemed by God to be “very good”(Gen. 1:31).
Jer. 9:23-24—“Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands & knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, & righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.”
Jn. 3:28-31—John the Baptist said,—““You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands & hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly & speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
1Chron. 16:10—King David wrote & sang,—“Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!”
Eph. 2:8-10—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Rom. 3:19-28—“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, & all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
Illustration:
That God alone may gain the glory.
This past Tuesday on the way to the office, I saw a large box-turtle attempting to cross Salem Road just north of the bridge below Salem Church. The turtle obviously made it to the other side, because I didn’t see a dead turtle when I returned home.
Though the turtle had some age on it, it didn’t make it to the other side because of it’s great box-turtle wisdom, box-turtle righteousness, box-turtle sanctification, or box-turtle redemption. The turtle could not rightly or correctly boast to itself or to other turtles, & say “Look what I did! I crossed Salem Road without a scratch!”
The car I drove that day was my red Ford Focus sedan. At most, that car has about a four inch clearance underneath the oil pan.
That said, the turtle was ‘saved’, NOT by anything IT did, but rather it was saved by my intentionally avoiding the large box-turtle in the road! So the turtle was actually saved by my ‘grace’ put into action by my swerving to intentionally avoid killing the turtle!
At the time I swerved to miss the turtle, there was a pickup gaining on me with a lift-kit & wide tires. It didn’t swerve for the turtle at all, but drove right over the top of where the turtle was, which didn’t touch the turtle. Salem Road is busy at times, so there were obviously other drivers of cars & trucks that passed over &/or around the box-turtle in the road, but did not hit the turtle.
Application:
?Do YOU properly interpret The END RESULT Of GOD’s CALLING for yourself & others?
?Are you a competent interpreter of Foolish Wisdom?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
As the young man was deceived by the endearing old woman,
So there are ‘deceptions’ of the heart that we must be wary of!
Likewise, a person may suppose one thing, while the opposite is actually true.
‘Foolish Wisdom’ can & should be seen for what it truly is...either Foolish OR Wisdom!
And that identity, depends entirely upon the condition of your heart toward God!
Action:
Foolish Wisdom is interpreted thru...
6. The END RESULT Of GOD’s CALLING(:29-31)
1. The MESSAGE Of The CROSS(:18)
2. PROMISED FUTILITY Present In The World(:19)
3. The VACUUM Present In The World(:20-21)
4. GOD’s ANSWER To (adulterous)SIGNS & WISDOM(:22-25)
5. The TOPPLING EFFECT Of GOD’s WEAKNESS(:26-28)
Pnt# 6 only! Presented 010/05/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Pt#3 only! Presented 09/22/2013am to:
FBC’belle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
