The apostle Paul wrote, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Corinthians 3:19). Why is the wisdom of this world foolishness in the eyes of God?
The wisdom of this world has its place and uses, but it is of no help to anyone who wants to understand the things of God; actually it is a hindrance to spiritual growth. We must put aside our worldly wisdom in order to become spiritually wise. Paul wrote, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him” (1 Corinthians 1:21). Spiritual growth does not come through the wisdom of this world.
The worldly system deceives people into overestimating the value of their own intellect and personal achievements. There are many that think that their educational achievements put them a step above those who have a lesser education. There is nothing wrong with getting a higher education, but it does not give you a better standing with God. You don’t see BS, MS, PHD or Dr. in front of the names of the apostles. And God used them in such a mighty way.
The Bible says, “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:21). “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall” (1 Peter 1:24). You may get a little glory on this earth from other men and women, but it won’t last.
Don’t misunderstand me, God gave us our brain and we are to use it. We should learn all we can possibly learn and be the best we can be in the profession that God has put us in. God uses highly skilled pilots, doctors, attorneys, government leaders and etc., along with evangelists, pastors and teachers.
God has used men and women of great intellect to preach the gospel to this wicked world. The apostle Paul was one of the most highly educated men of his day, and he said that it all amounted to nothing compared to the knowledge of God (Philippians 3:7-8).
Highly educated men and women wrote many of the commentaries that I read, and some of them spoke and wrote in Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, German, English and several other languages. These men and women realized that God had given them their tremendous intellect for the very purpose of taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ into this evil world. It is the glorying in intellectual prowess that God hates.
The wisdom of this world deceives people into thinking that personal wealth, and the material things of this world, are more important than they really are. The old saying, “The person with the most toys wins,” is a total lie. It could not be further from the truth.
The Bible says, “Whoever loves money never has enough money; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11).
The more material things you get, the more people it takes to take care of those material things, the more taxes you pay and the more upkeep it takes. And what good does it do you except to look at these things as they pass by in your life (my paraphrase). Jesus said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). You can’t buy your way into God’s Kingdom.
There is nothing wrong with having personal wealth and material things, but they have the tendency to corrupt mankind. There is the saying, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” When someone gets wealth and power, and they use that wealth and power to take advantage of others, it is an abomination to the Lord. Wealth and power usually corrupts people. The wisdom of this world says, “Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the can.” That kind of wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes.
The apostle James tells us that worldly wisdom is of the devil (James 3:14-15). The apostle John wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).
The life we live in this body and on this earth is short. James wrote, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:13-14).
Job wrote, “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure” (Job 14:1-2). That is so true. We are born, we go through the struggles of life, and we die. But what happens after we die?
The Bible tells us that we have a choice as to where we will spend eternity. We can make a choice to put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and as the Holy Spirit leads us we can grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. Or we can reject Jesus and live by the wisdom of this world. It’s a choice we all have to make for ourselves.
The wisdom of this world—eternal death in the lake of fire. The wisdom of God—eternal life in God’s Kingdom with Him. It is your choice.
Carlin Lawrence