CAN A MAN DECEIVE HIMSELF?

SATURDAY 01 APRIL 2023

The first Epistle to the Corinthians was written by Paul the Apostle and Sosthenes in Ephesus. The city of Corinth, in Paul's day was the centre of worldwide commerce with immoral tradition and idolatrous religion. However, they were the epicentre of worldwide commerce. In the epistle, Paul revealed the struggles, challenges and problems of a Corinthian church he raised out of a pagan society, and also addressed their carnality.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:18 New King James Version (NKJV) "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise."

Paul couldn't speak to the Corinthian Christians as spiritual people but as carnally-minded Christians, since he considered them as babes in Christ. This was because strife, envy, fights, quarrels and all kinds of discord prospered among them. Proverbs 13:10 (NIV) says, "Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."

In line with his admonition, he says, "Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become 'fools' so that you may become wise." In other words, Paul expressed that it's only spiritual people that can understand the wisdom of God. Being wise by the standard of this world will not afford you the wisdom of God; many a time, you need to become a fool in the eyes of the world, in order to effectively function by divine wisdom. To that effect, 1st Corinthians 3:19 says, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God...(NKJV).

The Bible went ahead to compare the two major kinds of wisdom. In fact, in James 3:13-16, it says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice" (NIV). Then James defined the wisdom of God as pure and peace-loving: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17 NIV).

Beloved, human wisdom and the wisdom of this world are limited in nature and they find expression through sensory perception and worldly observations. Therefore, the unbelievers who function accordingly are carnally-inspired and cannot understand or live by spiritual truths. This is the same with carnal Christians. For this reason, Paul addressed Corinthian Christians as carnally minded people because their reasonings were mostly influenced by their degraded culture; as a result they were drawn to accept the wisdom of the world in their understanding, thereby proving to be wise by the world standard - in Paul's day.

As a Christian, don't be wise in your own eyes; don't work out your salvation by human senses, which is partial, limited and foolish, compared to God's standard and perspective. It's better to be seen as a fool in the sight of ungodly world, by complying with the wisdom of God which comes by divine revelation inspired by the Holy Spirit, than to be considered as being so wise, in accordance with the standard of this age. Moreover, when Paul said, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise," he didn't mean that worldly wisdom is illiteracy; he plainly meant that "to be truly wise" is to function by God's spiritual truth, which is superior to any other wisdom.

So we must be willing to become fools according to the world's viewpoint and frame of reference, by submitting fully to God's truth and operating accordingly, which we usually see the ungodly world avoid as unpopular sentiments, or consider as stupid, ridiculous, unreasonable or illogical. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Proverbs 2:5; Matthew 7:24; Ephesians 1:17; Proverbs 4:5-7; Ephesians 5:15; James 1:5.

Exuberant Declaration: I have strong faith in God and I function with divine wisdom. By acknowledging that the wisdom of God is at work in me, I'm practically able to accomplish things by the ways of the Word and Spirit, far beyond the sensory observation of human understanding and worldly wisdom. Hallelujah!