The Saving Wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1:21 AV

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

I. Wisdom that leads to folly

Paul in this verse tells us that God in His wisdom purposefully made it impossible for the world’s wisdom to lead to God.

It says “in the wisdom of God” the world “by wisdom” knew not God.

This was God’s purposeful plan.

For worldly wisdom can never lead to God.

Men, in their own wisdom have been trying for ages to get to God by their own craftiness and wisdom.

This, of course, to no avail.

For if God could be found by our own wisdom, God would not be that much of a God.

1 Corinthians 1:17 AV

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Salvation, and the way to God must be all of God, or it is not of God at all.

Instead God in His wisdom made it impossible for worldly wisdom to lead to Him.

1 Corinthians 3:19–20 AV

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

The wisdom of this world is foolish, futile, and small to God.

He would not choose this to bring people to Himself.

For the Lord can not be made known by wisdom of this world.

Romans 11:33–34 AV

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Isaiah 55:9 AV

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Ecclesiastes 8:16–17 AV

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

ecclesiastes 8 126-17

These passages express so boldly the unsearchable wisdom of God.

This wisdom of which even the wisest among men could never begin to find.

They even say how man in his wisdom tries to find out the ways of the Lord and can not find it.

And even when he thinks he has finally got it, he still has not even come close to knowing the ways and wisdom of our Lord.

For the wisdom of this world is consumed completely with evil and leads to pride.

Isaiah 47:10 AV

For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

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Isaiah 5:21 AV

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

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Jeremiah 9:23 AV

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

2 Corinthians 11:18–19 AV

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

The wisdom of this world glories in self rather than in Christ.

Why would God use a wisdom consumed by self to lead other to Himself.

The way to God should be filled with Christ, Christ, Christ, not me, me , me.

So, try as they may men will never, by their wisdom get to God.

Because the Bible makes very clear that God will confound or confuse the wisdom of this world.

Isaiah 29:14 AV

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

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Job 5:12–13 AV

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

Proverbs 21:30 AV

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

The wisdom of men will one day be destroyed of God.

This is not the wisdom by which men come to know God.

This is the wisdom that displeases God, and is consumed with self.

So we truly find out that men “trying to find God” with their own wisdom are just really trying to push their own agenda.

They are trying to puff themselves up.

They have no true desire for Christ at all, only themselves.

And this “wisdom” will one day be destroyed.

So what is the wisdom that truly does lead to God.

II. Wisdom that Leads to Faith

1 Corinthians 1:21 AV

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

So we have already established that men can not reach God by their own wisdom.

So just how can men come to God.

The way to God must be found in Christ Himself.

The Lord, in His wisdom, chose the thing that the natural man finds to be foolish and makes that the way to God.

Christ and the message of the cross is what men found to be foolish.

For man in his natural state does not go after God and indeed thinks the things of God to be foolish.

1 Corinthians 2:14 AV

But 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.

1 Corinthians 2:14 AV

But 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.

1 Corinthians 1:18 AV

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

So God in his infinite wisdom choice what men thought to be foolish and makes that the way to Him.

1 Corinthians 1:22–23 AV

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;

The way to God must be found in Christ and Christ alone.

1 cor 22-23

Ephesians 1:17 AV

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Ephesians 3:5 AV

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

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1 Corinthians 1:30 AV

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

This passage makes very clear that the way to God is found only in Christ alone.

God, by His wisdom, flipped man’s wisdom on its head by making the only way to Him what the natural man finds to be foolish.

Christ is the power of Salvation.

Christ is the wisdom of God unto Salvation.

Look unto Christ and there you have your source and only way to the Father.

And this is what the apostles were preaching, Christ, and Him crucified.

For the apostles were preaching Christ and Him crucified.

And this seemed outrageously foolish to the people.

Because these people were relying on their own wisdom and works to reach God.

So this preaching to them was foolish.

1 Corinthians 1:22–23 AV

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;

This Christ of which the apostles spoke of was foolish to them, but yet this was the only way.

It was not of their own wisdom, nor of their works, but only through Christ.

Salvation must be all of Christ, or it is nonexistent.

This was indeed foolishness to men.

But as believers we know that Christ is the only way, and the power of God.

The wisdom of God has been made real to us displaying the One and Only Way.

That is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

Jesus Christ Himself.

1 Corinthians 1:24–25 AV

But unto them which 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.

1 cor

Christ in Himself is the power unto Salvation.

Because even the foolishness and weakness is stronger and wiser than man.(explain)

Christ is the wisdom of God unto Salvation.

This message of Christ which the apostles preached was foolishness unto men, but was the indeed the only way to God.

It was the power of God unto Salvation.

Christ and Him crucified.

But why would God choose to use something that seemed foolish to men as the only way to Him?

1 cor 1 27-

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 AV

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to use the one thing men thought was foolish as the only way to Him, because in doing such He would get all the Glory.

Because it displays the total foolishness and inability of man to get to Christ by Himself.

It displays that the Only way to get to the Father is through His Son, Only by Him that he would be magnified.

The “foolishness” that the apostles preached was the Gospel.

The Gospel is Christ and Him crucified.

Christ and Him crucified is the power of God unto Salvation.

And this is the ONLY way to the Father.

So that He would get all the glory! (Sola Deo Gloria)