For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 1Corinthians 1:21
Without doubt we live in an age of intellectualism and knowledge that is seized by millions as being the panacea to mankind’s problems. The academic institutions chant their chorus - knowledge brings power, gives freedom etc. This is not new but the road to ‘reach one’s potential’ through ‘human knowledge’ is increasingly taking society by storm.
But for the believer this is not so. We know that to ‘reach one’s full potential’ is bound up in the wisdom of God and certainly not in the wisdom of man.
When a person becomes who God wants them to be - that is when we reach our ‘full potential.’ And this zenith of human experience is not found in the halls of temporary academia or through any other earthly means. This divine wisdom that excels all else, comes from the heart and mind of the eternal God, expressed in His Word.
To be well educated in the knowledge of mankind is a great blessing indeed - but as C.H. Spurgeon once wrote: Wisdom is the right of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” [Grace quotes]
In other words, true wisdom comes from the all wise God and is only leaned and gained by sinners who KNOW that “Christ Jesus came in to the world to save sinners” (1Tim 1:15)
The message of the redeeming cross work of Jesus Christ “is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” unto salvation (1Cor 1:18) - now that’s the wisdom we need - right?
Remember, God’s wisdom is bound up in the cross of Jesus Christ. Though foolish to the world, this is the wisdom of God that we preach for the eternal salvation of those who believe.