However, we speak
wisdom among those
who are mature, yet
not the wisdom of this age,
nor of the rulers of
this age, who are coming to nothing.
But we speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom which God
ordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the
rulers of this age knew; for had they known,
they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.
1Corinthians 16–8
The object that we
choose to hold in high esteem, to be where we place our faith and trust, is and
has been abused by those with ulterior motives; i.e., money, power, celebrity,
etc., misleading many to believe in a lie. Much what is being propounded in the
pulpits, in Bible studies, is nothing more than the wisdom of men and not that
which is to be found in Scripture: “And my speech and my preaching were not
with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and
of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power
of God” (1Corinthians 2:4–5). The Wisdom of God became incarnate, that is,
to be made flesh and it is Him, the object of our faith. Jesus Christ being
God, the Second Person of the Trinity and that He is everywhere present, yet He
condescended to become mortal, a man, and this by being born of the virgin Mary
from which He received His manhood, and then by the Holy Spirit was conceived
by God, the Wisdom of God clothed in flesh, so that Jesus was born without sin,
not blemished by the sin of Adam that has plagued man from Adam’s fall. Jesus
Christ came to this earth for one purpose, to die! Jesus would live as a man,
being tempted as all men are, yet He did not sin, and as God, His death
accomplished the purpose for which He came to earth, to pay the debt owed to
God by man and yet a debt man could not pay themselves for man is fallen and
does not godly things: “For since, in the wisdom of God, it pleased God
through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe”
(1Corinthians 1:21). Who can believe? Only those drawn by God to believe
being enabled by God and having the gift of faith given to man by God. (John
6). Here is a paradox, the creator came to that which He created. Then man who
is foolish in his wisdom being chosen by God before the foundation of the world
(Romans 8:28–29) would now be used to preach and search out the called ones by
the Gospel, that is, the life, death, resurrection, and ascension bodily into
heaven: “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we
preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks
foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ 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 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 of 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” (1Corinthians 1:22–29). Being chosen by God should be impetus for
our devotion and worship, for God, His Wisdom, that is, His Son, and the Holy
Spirit, the Godhead should be without any doubt the object of our love and
worship. Why then did Jesus Christ come to the world when He was already and is
already present in the world everywhere? Man sinned, man owed a debt to God,
and man could not pay that due to his sin, yours and mine, and God demanded
that debt to be paid, and the result of that original sin, which brought death
upon this world, man dies, the world being in chaos, life and restoration of
God’s universe needed for there to be healing, therefore God before the
foundation of the world made provision for some to become His children by the
coming of His Wisdom, their belief in God’s son, the Only Begotten Son of Him
by which the chosen can be saved, and then to have the Gospel preached by those
chosen by God so that God’s chosen could choose Him.
Much ado is
spoken in some Churches about healing, and especially that healing of physical
diseases that they teach are to be the norm for Christians and it is true that
God does whatever, and, whenever, it pleases Him to heal physically some and
not others according to His Providence. Being Good, all that God decides, who
to choose as His children, who to heal physically, and those who He protects
from harm are all in the realm of God, His providence, and all is Good for God
is Good: “So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but
One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments”
(Matthew 19:17). This subject of healing will be the thrust for the next
blog and it is of major importance that there be a true understanding about
healing. Not a simple opinion on the subject, rather what God has revealed in
His word. This was a problem in the early Church allowing for deceptive false
teaching to enter into theology. Stay tuned!
Having then gifts differing according to the grace
that is given to us, let us use
them:
if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
or ministry, let us use it in our
ministering;
he who teaches, in teaching; her exhorts, in exhortation;
he who gives, with liberality; he
who leads, with diligence;
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans
12:6–8
Live For The Lord
Richard L. Crumb
No comments:
Post a Comment