1st Cor.3:18] Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
[19] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
[20] And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
Today, we live in a time when the majority of the population today trusts, and ‘takes to heart’ the words and wisdom of men like no other time in man’s existence. In other ages, the word of God had an influence upon the men of this world who believed in the True and Living God. And even if they did not understand how to obtain the righteousness of God, but believed the Bible was the true Word of God, man allowed God’s word to be far superior to the word of men. Even those of other religious cultures who believed in ‘other gods,’ they trusted the ‘way,’ and ‘sayings’ of their ancient philosophers before they would believe the men of this world. But today, this world is given a ‘plethora of knowledge’ from men, and women from all over the world by whom they are enlightened. But what sets this knowledge apart from the knowledge of times past, this knowledge comes from those of whom we choose, and the things that are taught unto us, all cater to our flesh.
Rom.1:21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Therefore, the man ‘takes to heart’ the words of men and would trust what he hears as his final authority, because this ‘seems right’ unto him, and in his heart, and this wisdom is pleasant to his soul, because it is “after” his lusts. In other ages, men did not have ‘the luxury’ to have the wisdom of men ‘at their fingertips,’ but today, men can wake up to, and go to sleep with the wisdom of men. And this is mainly because the man has the methods and means to give his words, and wisdom to mankind all over the world by way of the internet, books, and any other form of media. And in no way at all would these ‘professors’ think of themselves as “fools,” nor would the hearers of this doctrine, but God “knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” And man has ‘become’ more vain in his imaginations,” and has chosen to put his word forth, and push God’s Holy Word in the ‘rear view.’
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Furthermore, the men of this world will not “endure sound doctrine,” but would rather be taught by the men of this world who we have accepted as our “teachers.” These teachers have a worldly wisdom specially catered to our “lusts,” and ‘hearts desire.’ Their ‘doctrine’ is actually “after” the lusts of the hearers, and the hearers place their faith in this wisdom catered to their thinking of the will of God. They do not abandon the thinking that God does exist, or that His Word does not exist, but they “changed the truth of God into a lie.” The world today desires to hear these ‘professors,’ and their wisdom, because as Romans 1:21 says, the man is “vain in their imaginations.” This vanity brings glory, and service, and worship unto the people who teach man’s wisdom, and the hearers who are after their doctrine.
1st Cor2:13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1st Cor.1:20] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
[21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Now, the question becomes, why does the common person today rather place what they hear on the internet, T.V., or by the mouths of men far above God’s Word of truth? The answer would be found within the foolish heart of the man, and the man has become all the more vain as time goes on in this dispensation. And man believes what he sees, and hears, and becomes a “disputer of this world,” he desires the glory and the praise that comes from his worldly wisdom. Other men desires to be in his image, and after his likeness. God created man to desire His wisdom, but Satan gave unto Adam and Eve ‘another option,’ and that was another way to be educated, (God alone had educated them from their creation) and the glory that comes from this wisdom. The quest for wisdom has been sought after since creation, and as we have seen with Adam and Eve, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a “tree to be desired to make one wise.” But the Adam should have continued to trust God’s education, and God’s word, and deny the “lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life.”
Gen.3:5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
[6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
1st Cor.1:25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1st Cor.1:27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Finally, mankind today has also ‘opted’ for the quest to “make one wise,” and instead of a “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” in our midst, we have the man in our midst. And our ‘partaking’ of man’s ‘fruit’ (his wisdom) will ‘produce’ functional death, and it is foolishness unto God, and it ought to be unto us as well. But mankind today continues create more methods by which attaining the wisdom of men is all the more accessible. The internet itself, and T.V. has become the platform “to make one wise,” and the men of this world rather search for, and trust in the wisdom of men over the Word and wisdom of God. But we who are in Christ and are beseeched to “be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing” of our minds, are to also view man’s wisdom as “foolishness,” and “vain,” and worthless unto us, because this is how our Father sees man’s attempt to “make one wise.”
Rod Jones
SUPPLY OF GRACE 