Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The foolishness of God is wiser than men

There is but one only,living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts,or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, (Of God, and of the Holy Trinity -WCF Chapter II -I)

30-31
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Cor 1:30-31

When I look at the enormous range of God’s creative works; vast and deep oceans, lofty mountain peaks, grand canyons, thunderous falls, swift and powerful rivers, gentle and meandering streams, mirror lakes, deep jungles and lofty trees, colors and scent of floral, creatures both great and small, ….I am always truly awed at the Wisdom of God: “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Psa 104:24

The wisdom of God is graciously and amazingly manifested in God’s Way of Salvation of sinners through the perfect redemptive work of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. This wisdom of God is clearly stated by Paul in Eph 3:8-11 , “To me, .., this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ..” Jonathan Edwards said, “One end of revealing God’s counsels concerning the work of redemption, is making known God’s wisdom. It is called manifold wisdom because of the manifold glorious ends that are attained by it. The excellent designs, hereby accomplished, are very manifold. The wisdom of God in this is of vast extent. The contrivance is so manifold that one may spend an eternity in discovering more of the excellent ends and designs accomplished by it, and the multitude and vast variety of things that are, by divine contrivance, brought to conspire to the bringing about those ends.”

God’s wise plan and eternal purpose for perfect redemptive work through Jesus Christ is “a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”1Cor 2:7. Yet the Gospel of Jesus Christ seems foolish to the intellectual atheist and skeptics, the scripture says in 1Co 1:18, 20 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. …..Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Why did God, in all wisdom, choose the way of Cross through Christ as the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life to Him ? Why ? The answer is simply this: so that no man standing before God can boast, I was saved because I…………… There will be no boasting of what I was. There will be no boasting of what I did. No boasting of meritorious works. There will no boasting of familial privileges. Here is the clear answer from scripture, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 1Co 1:27-29

The only appropriate responses are these “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Ps 90:12 and “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1Co 1:30-31

God is only and most wise ! “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.” Rom 16:27

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