The Cross: God’s Wisdom
July 2023
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Worldly Wisdom—The pursuit for knowledge throughout history has been man’s quest to improve his quality of life. II Timothy 3:7 says, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Does man’s evolution in learning make this world a better place? Have modern discoveries improved man’s sinful condition? Human reasoning is wrapped up in science and philosophy. Science is based on experience derived from experiments that obtain similar, repeatable results. Many have tried to liken the Bible to a book of science. Creation science became an effort to give scientific support for the truth of the account of creation given in the book of Genesis. However, God’s creation cannot be viewed from the lens of science. No one has been able to supply an experiment that repeats God’s initial creation. In Hebrews 11, we read, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, and the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear…. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that his is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:3, 6).
Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. Science and philosophy will not be sufficient to acknowledge and comprehend mankind’s real problem. The heart—evil heart—of man’s condition is sin. Science and philosophy may uncover some true aspects of God’s creation, but they can’t supply any solutions to the deteriorating moral condition that plagues man due to sin. The wisdom of God can only come by revelation from God. What creation gives to us is the evidence that there is a Creator who should be sought after by mankind. The Bible says, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse….Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:20,22). The conscience of man is another witness that there is a divine Creator. However, due to sin and its corrupting power, even the conscience of man can be seared and darkened.
GODLY WISDOM
God’s wisdom is wrapped up in the cross of Christ. How can that be? The Bible says, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom [human] of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:17-18). The cross is not a philosophy but an historic event with everlasting results. Unlike the definition of science, it never has to be replicated, and does not need to be: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). Prior to Christ’s death and resurrection, everything that God revealed progressively to man pointed to the cross. Now that it is a finished work, we look back to the cross as our object of faith. The world (system) sought for wisdom to empower itself to be its own god. The epitome of man’s efforts to build a society without God was historically seen in Babylon. The Bible says, “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth…and the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (Gen. 11:4, 6). The vain imagination of man to build a society without God is rebellion! I Corinthians 1:19-20 says, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world [system]?” (I Cor. 1:19-20).
It seems foolish to the wise in this world to accept that God in His infinite wisdom has chosen a means to redeem fallen sinful man without violating man’s free will. I Corinthians 1:24 says, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” The cross of Christ reveals to us the depravity of our fallen condition. The cross reveals God’s anger against sin and rebellion. The cross displays God’s judgement against sin. But most of all, the cross reveals God’s love for His creation. Our loving God made it possible for anyone and everyone to receive forgiveness of sin. God, in His wisdom, chose grace through faith to receive any and all of the benefits of the cross. He did not choose our intellect. Education has its place, but is insufficient to produce or maintain righteousness. The Scripture says, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (I Cor. 1:25).
THE FOUNDATION
The cross is the foundation of the plan of God. God had determined in His foreknowledge before the creation of the world to make the cross of Christ His redemption plan. Sin wrought separation from God and thereby enmity with God. God would humble Himself and become part of the creation to fulfill His righteousness; required of His creation. The man Christ Jesus was born of a virgin so that the likeness of Adam’s sin would not corrupt the Messiah. Man’s fidelity was first tested in the garden of Eden. Eve was deceived but Adam openly sinned and rebelled against God. Adam and Eve were the fountain of the human race that was to reproduce life after its own kind, but, after their fall, they were capable of only reproducing a race of sinners. It was disobedience to God’s word in the garden that produced spiritual death. Now it takes obedience to faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified to produce new life. The wisdom of God and the truth of God are intrinsically woven into the plan of God—the cross! The disobedience of Adam brought death to humanity but the obedience of one man brought life. As in Adam, all share in his death when they are physically born—dead in trespasses and sins—but all are made alive to God in Christ by obedience to the faith. The word to Adam was, “Don’t eat,” while the word to us today is, “Take and eat of the bread of life.”
NEW CREATION
The new creation, being born again, makes us a fit habitation for the Holy Spirit to take up residence. I Corinthians 3:16 says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” As new creations in Christ Jesus, we must operate in His kingdom principles. The Bible says, “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world [system], let him become a fool, that he may be wise” (I Cor. 3:18). To be wise, one must place his faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The cross is the wisdom of God.
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