The Heaton File

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Healthy Children And Spiritual Supplements

The basic need of the child of God is to respond to the need for growth much like a child must grow in the physical world. If a young child is not growing in the body, there is a concern for the health of the child and doctors are consulted. It is important to see the need for growth for the spiritual body and Peter addresses the fundamental pattern of how every child of God should examine themselves on their spiritual growth chart. Peter writes the prescription to a healthy spiritual body begins with supplementing faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love for everyone. These spiritual vitamins will give the child of God a strong healthy body to fight against the wiles of the devil.

Any parent knows how difficult it is to get children to eat healthy foods and take supplements that will give them strong bodies. Broccoli is not on the top of the list and eating vegetables is like pulling eye teeth. Brussel sprouts are weeds so why bother. If anything is good for you it automatically will not taste as delightful as the candies of the world that so attract the childish wills of the unsuspecting. Good diets and good foods will bring about greater happiness and a longer life. Adding the right kinds of supplements to a daily diet causes greater health and longevity. This principle will also find truth in the spiritual diet.

Adding the elements of Peter’s list are traits that will give a person a wholesome and happy outlook on life. Faith is the essential building block that everything else is built upon but will have no value if nothing is added to it. Many Christian believe in faith only by the nature of never adding anything else to their faith. The Holy Spirit emphasizes the need to make every effort to add something to a person’s faith and shows the necessity of supplementing each part with another. Faith needs moral excellence or virtue. Standing alone faith cannot shine without the excellence of God’s character infused in the heart of man. This level of moral excellence comes from the knowledge of the word of God. The more knowledge a man possesses the greater his virtue and the stronger his faith.

Self-control comes from faith that is filled with moral excellence by the knowledge of God. It is easy to live without restraints. Harnessing the spirit of man with the power of the word of God will bring about patient endurance. The scriptures reveal the nature of man and the blessings of trusting the Father. There will be less worry over the affairs of life with perseverance. This leads to a godly life measured by the character of the Divine. The measure of faith increased by virtue which is supplemented by knowledge, self-control and a patient spirit will create a life filled with the calm assurance of godliness.

Finally, all of these attributes will evidence a character of love toward the family of God and before all men. Jesus told His disciples the world would know them because of their love for one another. Adding to faith the characteristics of Peter’s admonition will bring harmony to the family of God to dwell together in the knowledge of the Son of God. Further, the world will see a spirit of love that is foreign to the ungodly. The children of God will stand as healthy, vibrant and happy souls who want to share their spiritual diet will all those who would desire to live godly lives. Peter’s list is a vitamin bottle full of eternal blessings to give the heart of the child of God a healthy and happy life here and in the world to come.

And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” (Genesis 12:11-13)

A Little White Lie Turns Black

Abraham was one of the great men of faith in the Biblical story but like all men, he was challenged by the frailty of doubt. The Lord had promised Abraham that he would be a great nation and through his seed, the world would be blessed. This promise included a land grant that would be the dwelling place of his people. At the age of seventy-five, these promises seemed impossible yet through faith he saw them afar off and embraced them. God told Abraham to leave his family and go to a place that He would show him. Abraham obeyed. When a grievous famine came upon the land, Abraham took his family to Egypt. There was a ten year age difference between Abraham and Sarah but Sarah remained a woman of great beauty. When they arrived in Egypt, Abraham became concerned that someone would see how beautiful his wife was and kill him to take Sarah. His plan was for Sarah to tell everyone she was his sister which was a half-truth as Sarah was his half-sister.

Telling a white lie is no different than telling a lie. No matter the justification of telling a half-truth, lying remains a sin. Abraham tried to justify his actions by failing to tell the whole truth because he feared for his life. There was no reason he had anything to fear. First and foremost, his faith in the protection of God was lacking. Secondly, the Lord has promised him a son through whom a great nation would come and the world would be blessed. He and Sarah had no son and the promise of God would assure Abraham that nothing would happen to him. He feared Pharaoh more than he trusted God.

The real problem with a white lie is that it turns black with the foreboding consequences of sin. God plagued Pharaoh because of the lie of Abraham and Sarah. The character of Abraham was tarnished in the eyes of the ruler of Egypt because of his deceit. If Abraham would have thought the whole matter through, he would have realized he was committing great wickedness before God and that no matter how he tried; his plan was doomed to fail. In a short time, the plan of Abraham fell apart and he had to leave Egypt. His little white lie changed a lot of lives.

Truth has a pure character that men would do well to follow. If Abraham had told the truth, in the beginning, none of the harm would have come upon the house of Pharaoh and the good name of Abraham would not have been tarnished in the eyes of others. Telling a half-truth is no more than telling a whole lie. Trying to justify actions by lying remains a sin. The lesson we teach our children is to always tell the truth and yet they often see their parents fudge the truth and try to explain things away. A white lie is nothing more than a black lie with paint.

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:11-14)

Jesus Cares About Me

Recent estimates say there are 7.8 billion people in the world with China, India and the United States the most populous countries in the world. That is a staggering number to put into perspective of how much one individual will impact the immensity of nearly 8 billion souls. History is silent to the numbers of people that have lived on the earth at one time but the numbers would be in the millions and at times billions at any given year. This is remarkable as the population of the world began with two people: Adam and Eve. After the flood where God destroyed all in whose nostrils the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died; there were only four men and four women left alive. Now 7.8 billion souls walk the face of the earth.

A man can feel very small when he gauges his personal space in comparison to the crowds of humanity. Walking down the street of a major populated city, attending a sporting event, being drawn up in a political rally, or becoming one of the countless millions who work every day and all the activities of life will remind the soul of how expansive the world population is. It seems overwhelming when considered from the standpoint of the single individual and his or her life. How can one person be so important in the grand scheme of man’s present existence?

Jesus tells a remarkable story about a man who was a shepherd of one hundred sheep. To have this many sheep was an important part of daily life. A flock of sheep would provide many levels of necessities for the family and offer outside income to supplant the needs of the family. Watching over the one hundred sheep would require a great deal of time, diligence and care. Each day the shepherd examines his flock for any needs they might have. On a particular day and for unknown reasons, the overseer finds he is missing one sheep. Ninety-nine sheep remain in the fold but the one lamb is missing.

The mathematics of the shepherd’s plight would be a one-percent loss. In comparison to other loss ratios of business, this would be expected and planned for. Retail theft is common around two-percent of sales. When the shepherd realized the one lamb had gone astray the decision to go after the lost sheep would have been measured by the amount of sheep remaining. But this shepherd was not like other shepherds. He leaves the ninety-nine and goes to the mountains to seek the one that is straying. This is an arduous and dangerous task but the shepherd will not give up until he has found the lost sheep.

Jesus is teaching a lesson that out of all the 7.8 billion people in the world, the one is just as important and recognized as necessary, important, needful and valued by God. The Creator who has a name for every star cares about me – myself – my life – my hopes – my dreams – my failures – my world – and most important: my eternal life. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for me. I am not insignificant, unimportant and forgotten. The world may not know who I am but Jesus cares for me and God knows all about me. What have I to fear with an eternal Shepherd like that?

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:16-19)

The New Testament Baptist Church

Contradictions are matters that are illogical and paradoxical. A statement that opposes or disagrees with certain established truths makes the belief to be invalid or worthless. Anything that conflicts with the word of God is a contradiction leading to a false doctrine. Two sons of Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, offered strange fire which the Lord had not commanded and were killed by the Lord for contradicting His law. When King David brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel on a new cart, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah put out his hand to stay the Ark. God struck him dead for disobeying the teaching of the Law. The Lord will not tolerate the ideals of men who seek to oppose or contradict His clearly revealed law.

Jesus told His disciples that He was going to build His church. The world has accepted the idea that any church is the church Jesus promised to build but this is impossible. There are many different churches today bearing different names following different creeds and practices. Unity is not a part of the religious community because unity requires all parties to speak the same thing and be of the same mind. None of the promises made by Jesus have failed and the church Jesus promised to build is clearly revealed on the pages of God’s word. Reading the book of Acts it is easy to see the beginning of the church, the establishment of the church and how the early church spread throughout the whole world. The letters to the churches define the nature of the church in its design, pattern, worship, organization, and faith. For a man to replicate the New Testament church he must follow the pattern given by Jesus in building His church and the model of the church as found in the Bible.

An example of how men have created contradictions to the word of God is a sign in front of a church building that read, “The New Testament Baptist Church.” This is a contradiction because there is no record of a ‘Baptist Church’ in the New Testament. There was a man called a “Baptist” who was a relative of Jesus called John. He was the one who went before the Lord as a proclaimer or forerunner of the coming Messiah. Only three gospel writers refer to John as “the Baptist” and no other record of the New Testament uses the term. He was called John the Baptist because he was a baptizer. Where in the Bible is a church called, “The New Testament Baptist Church?” It is never found.

Contradictions to the word of God have eternal consequences. Many in the religious world do not think it is necessary to find authority for what they believe or practice from the Bible. There are many, many things that men say and do and practice that cannot be found in the Bible. Salvation by faith alone is not in the Bible. The term “Pope” is in neither the Old or New Testament. December 25^th as the birthday of Jesus cannot be found in the Gospels. The use of instrumental music by the early church is absent from the first writings.

The list could go on but here is the important lesson learned from the “New Testament Baptist Church.” Calling something without Bible authority does not make it acceptable in the eyes of God. When the religious world is satisfied to call things without Bible authority they contradict the word of God and with this contradiction consequences will come. How difficult is it to simply find what we say and what we believe in the Bible and the Bible alone? If you are part of a church that cannot find its name (for example) in the Bible, why would you join yourself to a group without Bible authority? When the church you are a part of believes in something that you cannot find in scripture, why would you accept it? Let God be true and every man a liar.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:20-21)

Entitled

He walked around the front of the office building and came upon a bench with the words, “No Smoking” inscribed on the front. Staring at the bench for a moment the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lighter and a cigarette which he then lights before sitting down on the bench where the words are clearly posted, “No Smoking.” Some laws are more of guidelines without the merits of obedience for many people. They go through life believing they are entitled to whatever rights they desire to have in whatever way they want to have them. Ignorance of the law is one problem but when there is a blatant refusal to follow clearly marked guidelines it becomes a matter of a rebellious heart.

Driving down the road at excessive speeds is done by those who do not believe the regulations of road safety apply to them. When honest people cheat on their income taxes, lie to their boss and generally ignore posted signs the heart is hardened with pride and arrogance. Some folk ignores the “10 items or less” signs because they are more important than everyone else. Parking in the “Handicap” parking spaces when the driver is clearly unobstructed by a physical malady expresses the sentiment that they are not bound by laws of kindness. Examples are legion of how many ways man finds to ignore the obvious.

Sitting down for a smoke on a bench clearly marked “No Smoking” is the summation of the heart problem the ungodly have. The reason that Jesus said the majority of people will be lost in eternal perdition is that the heart of man refuses to submit itself to a higher authority. This kind of heart is not measured by whether a person robs a bank or kills another human being. It is seen in the small deeds of rebellion that convince the fool he or she is entitled. Lying at the root of the problem is the failed notion that man is a god and he is the only god he needs. Entitlement springs from a proud heart. Satan has convinced the spirit of man to challenge the word of God as he did in the beginning with Eve. The Bible is rejected by the world because man believes he is entitled to his own destiny.

Paul declared the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen and humanity is without excuse. The truth of creation is not hidden from man. Rather, man has chosen to hide the obvious from his mind so he can behave in the carnal manner of his choosing. All men know there is a God but they refuse to acknowledge Him. Filling their minds with their own self-worth they ignore the word of God. Creation declares the glory of God and the Bible unveils the mind of God. Both are clearly evident and embedded in the heart of all men. What man chooses to do is to ignore them and pretend he is not accountable.

When the man finished his cigarette, he got up and walked away. He had rejected the sign admonishing him not to smoke in that area but when he left the sign was still there. His actions did not change the words. No matter the level of his rebellion the words remained. Men will argue against the word of God and deny the will of the Father but he will not remove or take away the word of God. The day will come when all men will stand before the Creator. To their surprise, His word will be there – intact – and in force.

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29)

What Is The Work Of God?

Feeding more than five thousand people at one time would be a monumental task for anyone to undertake. To do so with only five barley loaves and two small fish would be nothing short of the power of God. Jesus exhibited one of the great miracles when He fed five thousand plus people from such meager rations with twelve baskets full of the fragments of the five barley loves leftover. The response of the people was immediate. They wanted to make Jesus of Nazareth their next king and they were willing to do so with force. Jesus retired to the mountain by Himself alone joining His disciples later that night on the voyage across the sea toward Capernaum.

The next day the crowds came looking for Jesus. Their hunger had returned and they desired the wonderful barley loaves and delicate fish of the day before. When they found Jesus they derided Him for not telling them where He had gone. The Lord knew the only reason they came looking for Him was that their stomachs were empty and they wanted to be fed once again. Everyone could see the miracle of Jesus as it unfolded the day before. Five thousand men sat down as twelve disciples continually passed out an abundance of bread and fish but what they refused to see was the work of God in the miracle. They were only interested in having their hunger filled. This should have been a clear testimony that Jesus was the Son of God.

When the people asked Jesus what should do that they could work the works of God, He responded not with the eating of bread and fish but the foundation of obedience to the will of God. The work of God is to believe in Him whom He sent. When the people were eating the bread the day before they could not see the power of God because they were not looking for the power of God. Denying the miracle denied the One who performed the miracle. How sad that five thousand people witnessed one of the greatest miracles of history and they could not see the power of God in Jesus.

The work of God is to believe in the power of God. Paul would write about the foolishness of the cross that became a stumbling block to so many. When the world looks at the cross of Jesus they do not see the glory of God but the failed life of a common man executed as a criminal by the Romans. The work of God is to believe in the power of the word and to accept the will of God in obedience. Many would turn away from Jesus and never follow Him again because His teachings were hard and Jesus offended them.

Preaching a crucified Savior does not appeal to most people today because they are looking for some greater sign than the cross of Jesus Christ. The work of God that leads to salvation is found in believing that Jesus is the Son of the Divine and accepting His word as words of eternal life. There is no other way to the Father but the way Jesus, the truth Jesus and the life Jesus. If a man will not believe in Jesus there is no other work that will save Him. What sign will God perform then, that the world may see it and believe? Jesus came to the earth two thousand years ago. He is the bread of life and all that believe in Him will have everlasting life.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)

Having A Mind Like Jesus

Arthur Fletcher said, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” There is no greater waste of something when it is not used for the original intent of its design. The mind was created by God to allow a man to rise above animals as an image of the expression of the divine for the intended purpose of the creation giving glory to the Creator. What makes a man a rational being enables him to be aware of the world to think and feel with consciousness and thought so that he can direct his life towards his eternal destiny. The greater good of the mind of man is for worship. What has destroyed the character of the man is when every intent of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually. Sin invaded the mind to corrupt the relationship of created man with his divine provider.

When Jesus came to earth, He did not come to rid the world of war, poverty, sickness or death. His work was to give His creation a means to redeem themselves to the grace of His Father. The sacrifice of Jesus on a cross was emblematic of the divine love that God wanted to impress upon the mind of all men of how much He loved and cared for them. In response to this love, those who would embrace the will of the Father would have a change of heart and thus recreate their minds to achieve a higher experience of relationship with his place in eternity. Salvation would not come from an outward form of obedience alone but an inward change of heart that would continually drive the soul of man to the throne of God.

Paul exhorted the saints at Philippi to have a mind like Jesus Christ. The apostle was exhorting his readers to remember their eternal nature and to dwell together in unity, peace, and love. Human experiences often involve strife and conflict. Having a mind like Jesus would show sacrifice, love, and forgiveness. Humility is the prime motivation of a mind like Jesus because of the example of the Son of God to leave the eternal and dwell among the mortal. As a follower of Christ, the disciple is continually creating his mind to be in the image of the Son of God. This is in contrast to a world that seeks to enslave the mind with the carnal nature of man.

Having a mind like Christ is utilizing the mind in the proper fashion as created by God. A mind like Christ worships the Divine. Infusing the word of God into the mind is where faith grows. Worship is filling the mind with the glory of God and the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the conduit of grace allowing a man to lift his mind to the throne of God. Singing with a melody in the heart fills the mind with the rose petals of the heavenly chorus. Having a forgiving spirit will only come from a mind that is like Christ. Jesus left the ultimate example of what a mind should be. Have a mind like Christ. The joy of the mind of Christ is the day when the eye shall behold Him face to face and what the mind will see at that moment is beyond description.

And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain. Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 13:14-18)

Those Who Trust The Lord Are Victorious

The death of Solomon brought about a great upheaval in the land of Israel as the country plunged into civil war. Rehoboam and Jeroboam divided the land with ten tribes to the north and two tribes remaining faithful to Jerusalem in the south. Rehoboam reigned for seventeen years before his son Abijah (Abijam) took over the leadership of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. When the battles lines were drawn up the southern tribes of Judah numbered four hundred thousand against the eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor fighting for the northern tribes of Israel.

Jeroboam was a military tactician who surrounded the men of Judah with his army as the battle line encircled the outnumbered troops of Abijah. Seeing the perilous position they found themselves in, the army of Judah shouted to the Lord and the priests sounded the trumpets. The battle began with ferocious combat between the people of Israel and Judah. Jeroboam would have won the day due to his prowess of fighting ability but he lacked the one thing Judah had fighting for them. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah.

Jeroboam came against Abijah with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor. When the battle was over, five hundred thousand of those chosen men of Israel were dead. Jeroboam died soon after his crushing defeat, having reigned only twenty-two years over Israel.

The reason Judah gained the victory against their northern brothers was that while the ten tribes of Israel had rejected the worship of the one true God, Judah retained their faith in the power of Jehovah God. Israel was subdued that day and Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers. The turning point in a battle that pitted an army twice the size of Judah to be nearly wiped out was who they trusted to deliver them. Jeroboam rejected God and the Lord rejected him.

Abijah warned the northern army that God had established a covenant with David because he trusted in the Lord. The rebellion of the ten tribes would bring no peace as long as they served to gods of the land. It was futile to fight against the army of the Lord. Jeroboam lost five hundred thousand men and died soon after and for what? Turning away from the one true God to serve the gods of men brought no reward for Jeroboam and the people.

God created man to worship Him and to give glory to the only Creator. The tragedy of men has always been when they become their own gods trying to save themselves through their own wisdom. It seemed impossible odds for eight hundred thousand choice warriors fighting against four hundred thousand valiant warriors of Judah but God was only on one side. No matter how great the foes of life will be, the power of God rests upon those who trust in Him who declares that God is with them and He is their leader. Do not fight against the Lord. You will not succeed.

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. (Mark 3:1-6)

The Anger Of Jesus

Jesus got angry. One of the rare images of Jesus is when He was filled with indignation. He was saddened at the hardened hearts of those who should have known He was the Son of God and yet intent on trying to ensnare Him as He performed a miracle were offended because He would dare heal a man on the Sabbath. It was incredulous to know how depraved the heart of a man can be to see an incredible manifestation of divine power and at the same time condemn Him for showing that He was the Son of God.

A man with a dried-up hand was in the synagogue. Had he been placed there to tempt Jesus into healing him on the Sabbath? The gospel writers do not reveal the motives of the man’s attendance but the attitude of the Jewish leaders was clearly evident. They could see an opportunity to charge Jesus with breaking the Law of Moses if He healed the man on the Sabbath. What they did not acknowledge is that Jesus knew their hearts and saw their motives.

Jesus asked them if it was lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath? Was it lawful to save a life or destroy it on the Sabbath? It was universally accepted among the Jews that an act of kindness was acceptable on the Sabbath. The intent of the evil heart would condemn Jesus for removing the affliction of the man whose right hand was a shriveled stump. They had more compassion on a sheep fallen into a hole than a man with physical infirmity.

The heart of Jesus was grieved at the insolence of those who were the keepers of the Law that refused to see the clear evidence of the divinity of His nature. Jesus was angry that men could be so impertinent against the victim and the power of God. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Telling the man to stretch out his hand, he did so and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Jesus was angry at the hard hearts of the scribes and Pharisees. After the miracle (that was plainly seen by all), the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and plotted with the Herodians how to destroy Jesus. The irony of the picture is a group of men trying to destroy a man who healed the right hand of another. This would happen often as Jesus performed His miracles. Many will be drawn to Him believing Him to be the Son of God. Many more would not believe He was the Son of God although they could never deny His power.

There are none as blind as those who refuse to see the power of God fully revealed to them without any doubt or question. Jesus got angry because of the sad condition of the proud man who refuses to acknowledge what he clearly sees. It is eternally tragic how many reject the teaching of God today for the carnal wisdom of humanity. What else could Jesus do to change the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees than to exhibit His power? Is there any more God can do to reveal His power to man today? There will be no more revelations or manifestations of the power of God through miracles. Abraham told the rich man who cried out in torment, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” The gospel is fully revealed. If you do not hear the message of Jesus Christ, there is nothing more God can do.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

The Foolish Things Of The World

When the gospel of Christ was preached to the world for the first time, many were puzzled why a faith would be built upon the life of a relatively unknown carpenter’s son who had little education in the schools of men and was executed by the Romans as a criminal. This man Jesus was of no importance to the known world and although he had made an impression for a few years with a group of followers in Palestine, his story was of no great impact in the vaunted halls of the political, educational and religious world of the Roman Empire.

Soon after the death of Jesus, a band of disciples began to preach that same Jesus had in fact been crucified and buried with the authority of the Roman army but that He had been seen alive by many followers for over a month. A growing number of people numbering as high as five thousand began to follow the teaching of the man from Nazareth. It was a very simple message. Men of letters examined the doctrines of Jesus Christ and were puzzled why anyone would follow a man who was crucified as a common criminal. The story of the cross of Jesus was central to the teaching of this new movement to the dismay of many intellectuals.

It came as a tremendous shock and a blow to the political movements of the Jewish hierarchy when one of their own, a Pharisee and teacher of the law, also came under the sway of the teachings of Jesus. Saul of Tarsus was a powerful force within the Jewish leadership and had made his life goal to destroy the teachings of Jesus and all those who followed him. On a trip to arrest a number of disciples of Jesus, Saul had become one of the followers of the one he had opposed with such great zeal. Now Saul had become one of the leaders of the band who would be called Christians.

The story of the risen Christ is foolishness to a world thriving on the wisdom of human knowledge. Preaching a crucified Jesus does not make sense. Following a life of abstinence to the carnal pleasures of the world would go against all wisdom of society. Everything about the message of the cross was foolish and yet that is where the wisdom of God is exalted. Human wisdom exalts the mind of a man but the teachings of Jesus Christ demote the wisdom of men to folly and raise the knowledge of God above a man who seeks to make himself a god.

Accepting the idea that in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth is not explained in terms of human scientific studies. Believing the world could be covered by an enormous flood goes beyond the rational thinking of men. Hearing about a man from Nazareth walking on water, healing all manner of disease and raising the dead is a fairy tale to the wisdom of men. Preaching salvation based on a man crucified is nonsense to a world where man is his own god. What becomes foolishness to man is where the wisdom of God shines through.

The best the wisdom of man can do is to show his folly. He builds large monuments that exalt his wisdom but in time they fall to decay and ruin. His glory is short-lived. The message of God shows the eternal wisdom of the Creator that never ends. When God put the Sun 93 million miles away from the earth He designed it to remain that distance and thank God it does. His wisdom endures. The Bible may seem foolish to most people but it has remained unchanged and unchallenged for centuries because it is the wisdom of God. The pyramids of Egypt exalt the glory of human toil. Preaching Christ crucified gives glory to God. Which one lays in ruin today and which one remains as vibrant as the day it was inscribed?