18)
For the preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19)
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom
of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
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.
22)
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks
seek after wisdom:
23)
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews
a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24)
But unto them which are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
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S |
cripture tells us that the world, through its own wisdom, did not know God. Obviously, then, God is to be known by some other means. As it turns out, those "means" are spiritual and a matter of understanding. Now those of us with the Holy Ghost are equipped to have that understanding, but if we neither heed nor trust Him, we will remain without spiritual understanding.
Man,
in and of himself, even with education and
"breeding" has absolutely no capacity to understand spiritual things.
The only thing at his disposal is the fleshly and it is impossible for this to
yield spiritual solutions. A man who has not been touched by the Holy Spirit
will never to able to subdue this life, for mankind was created to operate in
union with God—not outside. Even a naturally wise man will be foolish if he
tries to handle spiritual things through wisdom.
The
saints of God are going to have to begin to accept the "truth" which
is making itself all too clear: if the "solution" to Man's problems
was to be found where he believes, then hospitals would not be overflowing. We
put misplaced trust in the medical profession to be able to "fix"
that "engineered" by Someone Else. If "help" were to be
found here, we would receive our "cure" and go, never to return
again. Likewise, if prisons were the answer, we would have no second, third, or
fourth offenders.
People
have been running from accepting the truth of salvation. They cite many
excuses, including that salvation is too restrictive and confining. There is
still one truth that is too restrictive and confining. There is still one truth
that is inescapable; as long as man has been trying to find a solution in the
World, if one were to be found, all would have it by now.
It
does not speak well for us who have "...the power and wisdom of God"
that we can still have so many difficulties in our lives. After all, when we
accept salvation, we accept that our life is given to God, to do with as He
sees fit. The source of problems, then? It is the fact
that, all too often, Jesus is not allowed to step into the leadership of our
lives.
The
Lord is beginning to hammer home His point of Jesus being the answer to any and
everything. All the wisdom and power of God are embodied in Him. Though Man
does not seem to understand the importance of this, he must begin to accept
that Jesus is the only source of healing. No matter how it might seem, when
healing is effected it is because Jesus and He, alone, has carried it out.
Therefore, all praise belongs to Him.
What
we have been given to proclaim is a responsibility of great importance. Others
are dependent upon us, for how will the world know of God's wishes, but through
those who have been chosen to serve? Each of us has someone already connected
to us and there are many others that only one person can reach. Who can say
that that one person is not you?
Admittedly, we are working under a handicap. Even though God's way is the only way, most do not see Him as the solution to their own problems. This is, of course, part of the deceit of the devil. His trial is to get God's creation to question: "If God is so great, why does He allow what He allows?" The answer is actually very simple: Without some unpleasantness, man would never know the greatness of God. We must be those "testimonies" who allow man to see who God is, what He is "about" and what He wants. We hold the answers to questions about God; we represent, in many cases, the answers, God Himself, is the answer and He illustrates that answer through us.