THE WISE IN THIS AGE
18 LET NO ONE DECEIVE HIMSELF. IF ANYONE AMONG YOU SEEMS TO BE WISE IN THIS AGE, LET HIM BECOME A FOOL THAT HE MAY BECOME WISE.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;
20 AND AGAIN, “THE LORD KNOWS THE THOUGHTS OF THE WISE, THAT THEY ARE FUTILE.”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (NKJV)
If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. Man’s wisdom cannot be compared with that of God (Isaiah 55:8,9; 1 Samuel 16:7).
Man is limited in space, time, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and every other thing; however, God is unlimited, infinite, His knowledge and wisdom are incomprehensible and unfathomable (1 Corinthians 2:6-8).
Some boast of their intellectual wisdom and prowess, but it amounts to nothing without God.
God would not want anyone to boast before Him (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
If God wants to use anyone for a particular assignment, He would strip the person of his or her fleshly glory (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
• Apostle Paul said He forsook everything, his worldly attainment, that he may gain Christ: "YET INDEED I ALSO COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM AS RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST" (Philippians 3:8 NKJV).
• Moses also forsook the treasures in Egypt to embrace the reproach of Christ greater riches (Hebrews 11:24-26).
• The Lord Jesus Christ Himself laid down His glory to embrace God’s will and plan, and He was exalted for that (Philippians 2:5-11).
God could have used some individuals for special assignments or purposes in His Kingdom on earth; but He could not, because they are full of themselves. They believe they are wise, they are self opinionated; if God dared use them, they will ascribe the glory of whatever they did to the self (1 Corinthians 1:26,29).
God would always want to prove to the one who claims to be wise that he is not.
Wisdom of the wise will turn to foolishness, if he does not acknowledge God.
God wants to be revered and acknowledged. Thus, it is said in Proverbs:
5 TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; 6 IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS" (Proverbs 3:5,6 NKJV).
For this reason, the Scripture admonishes:
Those who think they are wise by the world’s standards should become a fool to be truly wise (1 Corinthians 3:18).
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
1 Corinthians 1:25 (NKJV)
Someone who wants to prove that he is wise would always have God to contend with. The reason being that any wisdom that does not acknowledge God is bound to fail (Proverbs 3:5,6).
If you do not acknowledge God, embrace His wisdom, it amounts to pride in His sight; and God resists or opposes and contends with the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6).
The admonition of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Peter is: “LIKEWISE, YOU YOUNGER MEN [of lesser rank and experience], BE SUBJECT TO YOUR ELDERS [seek their counsel]; AND ALL OF YOU, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH HUMILITY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER [tie on the servant’s apron], FOR GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD [the disdainful, the presumptuous, and He defeats them], BUT HE GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE" (1 Peter 5:5 Amp).
When you embrace God’s wisdom, you obey His commands, He makes a commander of you.
Those who are great in God’s Kingdom, they are great because they embrace God’s wisdom—promptly obeying and doing whatever God has instructed them to do (John 15:5).
The wise are the ones who follow God and obey Him, not those who trust in the self.
How do you embrace or choose God’s wisdom?
• When you choose to fear God and honour Him, you have chosen the path of wisdom (Job 28:28; Proverbs 9:10).
• When you choose to walk in the light of God’s Word, you have chosen the path of wisdom (Psalm 119: 98-100; 2 Timothy 3:15).
• When you build a strong fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you are sensitive to His leading, for He resides on the inside of you if you are born again—you have chosen the path of wisdom.
The Holy Spirit reveals the hidden things of wisdom to those who fellowship with Him—the informations and ideas which could not have received from anyone or any other source (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
Note:
• It takes humility to serve God, to walk with Him and follow Him; the self had to be relegated, before anything can be received from Him.
• If you want to amount to something in the Kingdom, the self had to be relegated, and God be allowed and enthroned in your life.
Therefore, embrace His wisdom!
You will not fail in Jesus’ name. Peace!