Message 16 - By Jerry D. Green
The Foolishness of God
“…The foolishness of God is wiser
than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (I Corinthians
1:25).
What is the foolishness
of God? There was a time when I believed Paul to be saying that the all knowing
God is so much wiser than man that all the wisdom of man is only foolishness in
comparison. Likewise, the weakness of God is stronger than all the power of
man. Though all of this is totally true, that is not exactly what Paul was
speaking of in this teaching. The foolishness of God he is speaking of here, is
the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel he had received by revelation (Galatians
1:11-12). The gospel that he was “…not ashamed…” to preach to both Jew and Gentile (Romans 1:16-17). The
gospel which “…is the power of God
unto salvation…” to as many as will ever hear and believe
IT. The gospel wherein “…the righteousness (justice) of God is revealed from faith to faith:
(for) as it is
written, The just shall live by (‘…His….’) faith…,” the gospel of Him, the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16-17; Habakkuk
2:4). The gospel which includes “…the preaching of the cross (which) is to them that perish, foolishness; but
unto us… (who) …ARE saved, it is the power of God” (unto salvation; I Corinthians 1:18).
What does this
gospel which is the “…power of God…” save us from? Well, thanks be to God, it saves us from hell.
How does it save us from hell? That is where the foolishness of God comes in.
First, we must understand that Jesus did not suffer and die on that cruel cross
just to save us from hell. There was and is another foe that was and is the
primary enemy of both God and man; and that foe is sin. Secondly, we need
to know a few more specifics about this gospel which includes everything that
Jesus accomplished through his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. We
must believe that He suffered and died on a cruel cross and that His Father, “…the only true God…” (John
17:3), did raise Him from the dead. Also, we must call on God (the Father)
in true repentance (Godly sorrow for our sin and our sins), in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for “…whosoever shall call on the name of
the Lord shall be saved” (Acts
2:21; Joel 2:32). For “God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We must “…confess with… (our) …mouth the Lord
Jesus, who is also the Christ, and…believe in… (our) heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, … (in these things, we shall) …be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-11). In
repenting of our sin and our sins, we must repent, not only of
the wrongs which we have done (sinned) but also of that which we are that
compels us to do those things which are wrong (the sin nature within us). I could go on, but
I suspect by now you have seen that there is more to getting saved than just
believing or saying one particular verse of scripture and putting your trust
for all eternity in one particular scripture and/or one particular act. Yes,
all of the above scriptures are totally true and I myself fully stress the
simplicity of the gospel; but the fact of the matter is, the church today has over
simplified the gospel message.
Let’s discuss how
we are SAVED from hell. Death and hell are the inescapable end for a sinner,
but thanks be to God, “…Jesus came into the
world to SAVE SINNERS…”
FROM their sin and sins,
which in turn, SAVES a sinner FROM hell (I Timothy 1:15).
Escaping hell is only a fringe benefit of believing the true gospel, which
makes a person “…free indeed…” FROM SIN
(John 30-36; Matthew 1:21).
The true gospel of Jesus Christ “…IS the power of God unto SALVATION…” from SIN, to as many as are fortunate enough to hear IT,
BELIEVE IT, and SUBMIT themselves unto IT. IT is also the ONLY answer for sin.
How great then, is the importance of being MADE FREE FROM SIN.
What is believing? Believing is to know and accept in your heart
as the absolute truth, that which God has said. Abraham was such a person. That
is why he is referred to as the “father of faith.” “For what saith the scripture? Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3, 22; Genesis 15:6; Galatians
3:6).
Abraham believed God in many things. He left
the land of his nativity and went to dwell in a strange and hostile land
because he believed God. Let’s look for
a moment at Abraham, the believer, and see if we can learn something from his
experience. First, what was this “…righteousness…” which “…was counted (‘…accounted; reckoned; imputed…’) unto him…” (unto Abraham)?
Genesis 15:16
“And Abram said (to
God),
Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house (a servant) is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the
LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall
come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.”
A very simple statement
(promise), but just as so many do, Abraham immediately set about to help God
accomplish that which He had spoken. Just as the natural, carnal mind of man
always does, he began to REASON within himself how he could bring this promise
of God to pass.
Now the womb of his
wife Sarah, had always been barren. This was the reason Abraham was childless
and had no heir. So at Sarah’s counsel, he took and married her handmaid and
conceived a child by her. Praise God! At last he had the child of his own body,
which God had promised, which he had so long yearned for. And, for 13
years Abraham rejoiced in this child he had conceived of his own body (of his “…own bowels…”). But this was not what God had in mind
for Abraham. This child which Abraham had produced through carnal REASONING (in
marrying a servant woman; was “…a wild man…;” Genesis
16:12). Nevertheless,
Abraham loved Ishmael and believed him to be the fulfillment of God’s promise
to him, until he was 99 years old when God again spoke to him:
GENESIS 17:4-5, 9-10, 15-19, 22, 24-26 and 18:1,
9-15
“As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and
thou shalt be a FATHER OF MANY NATIONS. Neither shall thy name any more be
called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations HAVE
I MADE THEE. …Thou shall keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after
thee in their generations. (And) this is my covenant,
which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man
child among you shall be circumcised. …As for Sarai
thy wife, …I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless
her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and (in his heart he) laughed (at the
foolishness of God), and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him
that is an hundred (100) years old? and shall
Sarah, that is ninety (90) years old, bear? And
Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee (Abraham’s faith could not lay hold of so great a promise.)! And God said,
Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name
Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant,
and with his seed after him…And He left off talking with him, and God went up
from Abraham. And Abraham was ninety years old and nine (99), when he was circumcised in the flesh
of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen (13) years old,
when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was
Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And the LORD appeared unto him in the
plains of Mamre: And…said unto him, Where is Sarah
thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall
have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now
Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with
Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself (at the foolishness of God) saying, After I am
waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto
Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh (in her heart), saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child,
which am old? IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? At the time appointed I will
return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And He said, Nay;
but thou didst laugh.
GENESIS 21:1-8
And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah
as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age,
at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of
his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham
circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And
Abraham was an hundred (100) years old,
when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to
laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have
said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born
him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made
a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.”
What a great story
and what a great lesson to be learned. For when the day came that Abraham had
come to the end of that which he could do and believed God, God brought to pass
that which He had spoken. In like manner, God has “…given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these…
(through faith in
these promises of God, we) might be (made) partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4). The question is this, can we believe the
promises of God, or will we, just as Abraham and Sarah, laugh within our heart
at the foolishness of God?
ROMANS 4:1-25
“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to
glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God,
and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (What was this righteousness which was counted unto him? It was a
son of his own body by his wife Sarah.) Now to him that worketh is the reward
not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the
man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are
they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the
man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the
circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was
reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in
circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them
that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be
IMPUTED unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of
the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our
father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. For the promise, that he
should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through
the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because
the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to
that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, ([For] as it is written, I HAVE MADE thee a father
of MANY nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who QUICKENETH the
DEAD (Abrahams dead body and Sarah’s dead womb) and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who
against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations;
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in
faith, he considered not his own body now DEAD, when he was about an hundred
years old, neither yet the DEADNESS of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to
perform. …Therefore it was IMPUTED to him for righteousness. Now it was not
written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for US also, to
whom it SHALL be imputed, IF we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord
from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
ROMANS 5:1-2
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this GRACE wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
I CORINTHIANS 1:19-27
“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will
bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 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? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching (the true gospel of Jesus Christ) to save them that
believe (it). For the Jews require a sign, and the
Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a
stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (is both) the power of God, and
the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise…after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: But God hath chosen (that
which is foolishness to) …the world to
confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound… (the) …mighty.”
I CORINTHIANS 2:14
“ (For) …the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
How then do you compare with Abraham? Are you
trying to fulfill the promises of God through your own means, through your own
strength, through your own wisdom? Are you still trying to tame the “…wild man…”; the “…old man…”; “…the flesh…”? Do you laugh in your heart at “…the foolishness of
God…”; “…the foolishness of (the) preaching…” of the cross; “…the foolishness of
preaching…” the true gospel of Jesus Christ; which says, “…our old man is
crucified with Him…”
(Romans 6:6)? Do you
laugh at “…the foolishness of
God…” which says “…we are buried with
Him by baptism (immersion;
not into water; but,) into (His)
death…” (Romans 6:3-4); “…the foolishness of God…” which says “…we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10); “…the foolishness of God…” which says, “…I live; yet (it’s) not I (that lives)…but (it’s) Christ (that) liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20).
This is the true gospel of Jesus, the Christ, which
IS “…the
foolishness of God…”
that will save the soul
of all who hear and believe it from the heart; and submit
themselves unto IT. If anyone, including lost, religious people, will
hear and believe God and His “…rightly…” divided Word (the true gospel), IT will
make you “…free indeed…” FROM SIN (John 8:30-36). And freedom FROM sin
is the only possible escape FROM eternal “…death and hell…” (Revelation
20:13). So
don’t struggle with your old “…wild man…,” the “…old man, which is
corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” until it’s too late (Ephesians 4:22). Humble yourself before God today, and call on Him to
save you. REPENT and BELIEVE
“…the
foolishness of God…”
(the true gospel of Jesus
Christ). For only those who “…be of faith (true believers of the true gospel) are blessed with
faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:9).
JDG
Message 16 - The Foolishness of God
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