|
NT Foolishness to Wisdom: The Gospel of Regeneration
Initial Salvation – The Gospel by Promise “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
-1 Cor. 1:24 “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” -1 Cor. 1:30 |
Present Progressive Salvation – The Gospel by Command
|
“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” -James 3:13-18
|
Need I say more about the eternal destiny of fools than what has already been referenced in Ephesians 5:15-17 and Matthew 25:1-13? But there is much, much more! Wisdom in those passages is expressively where the Divine Life of Christ abides, and therein is eternal life. This is confirmed again in James 3:13-18. According to this passage, if you are without heavenly wisdom, then you are without the “perfection of fruits” (Lk. 8:14) which the Father looks after with demand, for God has chosen you from this world to make you wise in Him (1 Cor. 1:27). The worldly-wise Corinthian is snared in what James calls “wisdom that descendeth not from above,” wisdom that is rather “earthly, sensual,” and even “devilish” (James 3:15)! Devilish wisdom exhibits the character of demons. Devilish wisdom exhibits the character of the devil’s world (2 Cor. 4:4). If a man bears the evil fruits of foolishness, then the world will hear and understand him very well (1 John 4:5-6), even in popular esteem (Lk. 6:26), but if a man is in the wisdom of God, the world will hate him (1 John 3:13). The world is like an antichrist harlot who seduces the spiritual fools away from the wisdom of virginity (2 Cor. 11:2-4), purity (Matt. 5:8), and marital faithfulness (Jas. 4:4). She, the harlot of hypocritical religion, “subtil of heart” (Prov. 7:10), sets her seductive eyelids a-fluttering toward fools. She doeth it as a pursuer of them, as it were, just as it was written of old – “For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: and, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart” (Prov. 7:6-10). Therefore, God saith, “without are…whoremongers” (Rev. 22:15).
|
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” -James 4:4
|
“Mrs. Worldly-Wise Christianity” loves the fools, and she hunts them with her venomous lusts! Even by sexual lewdness they will know her – by adultery (James 4:4) – and that, against GOD! But the adultery will be subtle to the eye, you see, like a secret crime done for one dark night. It will be a covering up of carnality with religious shows of reputable religiosity, men glorying in men and lying against the truth (Jas. 3:14). Saints ought to live out their wise, pure, regenerate natures, walking in virginity, as a Bride that is “holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27), a nature which the world does not know, a nature that the world utterly even hates (1 John 3:1, John 17:14-16)! “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” (1 Cor. 3:18). This is the gospel by command! Do you hear it? “Let him become a fool that he may be wise” (1 Cor. 3:18). But Oh! How often do saints turn back to baby, blamable, dark, drunken, foolish, adulterous “Christianity,” a worldly, cool, civilized, acceptable “Christianity” that is not worthy to be called Christianity at all! They are therefore “carnal, and walk as men” (1 Cor. 3:3), rendered unable to receive the meats of saving wisdom (1 Cor. 2:6), and they are henceforth unable to go on with God, because they have left off saving faith and repentance (Heb. 6:1). Becoming carnal, now they abide in death (Rom. 8:6-7), fast asleep on Delilah’s knees, arising again but at enmity with God and apostolic exemplification. Will you then understand the rebuke of Paul now, as he said it to the worldly-wise, baby-fools, and carnal-Corinthians?
|
“Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (1Co 4:8-13).
“…Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me…my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every Church” (1Co 4:16-17). |
|
The Gospel By Promise (FINISHED IN THE PAST)
God tells you what He has done. How He walked. ~ Imputed Righteousness (Rom. 8:10, Eph. 2:8-9, 1 Cor. 6:11)~ 2) Wise
|
The Gospel By Command (AT PRESENT)
God tells you what you must do, in Him & through Him. How you must walk, in Him & through Him. ~Works Righteousness (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 2:10)~ Walk: Col. 2:6, Gal. 5:16, 25, Eph. 4:17, 5:8, 1 Cor. 3:3, 1 John 2:6 2) Wise
|