01 Jun What is wisdom – June 15

Every one wants to be wise, regardless of whether you are a Christian or not. But what is wisdom really? The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom and makes a very clear distinction between wisdom of the world and wisdom of God.

Today, many who claimed to be wise refused to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They do not believe that two thousand years ago Jesus came in the flesh, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay for our sins, in order that we may have eternal life. To them the message of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, in other words, the gospel, is simply foolishness. They just cannot comprehend the idea of God being crucified.

About this kind of worldly wisdom, God has a strong warning: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

What is the difference between wisdom of God and wisdom of the world?

Wisdom of God can be in direct opposition to wisdom of the world. While some of the people whom the world considered as wise think that we who believe in the gospel are fools, God thinks otherwise. The Bible says that God made foolish the wisdom of the world. The wise thinks Christians are fools, however, God says they are the fools, for they refuse to believe in Christ crucified.

The apostle Paul writes, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

Are Christians wise? Or are they fools just as the non-believers say?

Well, Christians are fools, but not in the way we may think. The thing is, Christians are no better than the non-believers. We may even be worse by the standard of the world. But the Bible says, “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.” (1 Cor 1:26–29)

The Bible says, as Christians, though we are foolish by the world standard, God chose us to shame the wise of the world. Furthermore, we are low and despised. And God did so in order that we might not boast.

Do not be mistaken, we are chosen not because we are better or know better. Not that because we are smarter or wiser. The Bible says, “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)