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Renounce This Carnal Wisdom & Beg Wisdom Of God
"Here is a word for Christians.
Knowing your strength lies wholly in God and not in yourself, remain
humble - even when God is blessing and using you most. Remember, when
you have your best suit on, who made it and who paid for it! God's
favor is neither the work of your own hands nor the price of your own
worth. How can you boast of what you did not buy? If you embezzle
God's strength and credit it to your own account, He will soon call an
audit and take back what was His all along." - William Gurnall
- The Christian In Complete Armour
In this same volume, Mr. Gurnall is also quoted as saying -
"The philosophy called humanism has long
been a suitor to man's pride. It boasts in his natural strength and
wisdom, woos him with promises of great accomplishments now, and
heaven later. God Himself has scattered such Babel-builders and
proclaimed His preeminence for eternity. Confounded forever be such
sons of pride, who trust in the power of nature as though man with his
own brick and mortar of natural abilities were able to make a way to
heaven! You who are yet in your natural state, would you become wise
to salvation? Then first become fools in your own eyes. Renounce this
carnal wisdom which cannot perceive spiritual things, and beg wisdom
of God, who gives without rebuke."
"Renounce this carnal
wisdom which cannot perceive spiritual things..."
This is a Word from the Holy Spirit to the
Church of today.
Because many lack the Power and Anointing of the Holy Spirit, they are
looking to the world for answers to their dilemmas. They are seeking
to the Philosophies of Men for solutions to their problems.
In the midst of it all, God is screaming out -
"Renounce this carnal wisdom..."
Have nothing more to do with it.
Since when did God ever tell anyone who represents Him to
go to the world for help?
Do the Preachers and Teachers of today realize what a
mockery it is to the name of Christ to do so?
Nowadays, the title "Pastor" has been
replaced by that of "Counsellor." This is
not to say that a Minister cannot counsel others using the Word of
God, but the Bible only mentions one Counsellor and that is the Holy
Spirit. If any counselling is to be done, He is the One to do it.
"Renounce this carnal
wisdom..."
Why? For what reasons?
Because God has "made foolish"
all carnal reasoning.
1 Corinthians 1:20 -
"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?
Because no one can come to know God through this type of reasoning.
1 Corinthians 1:21 -
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world
by wisdom knew not God..."
The "world" in
this verse refers to the philosophers. Hence, the Scripture tells us
that no one using the philosophies of mankind can ever come to a
knowledge of God. Never! Never! Never!
Because God opposes such thinking.
1 Corinthians 1:19 -
"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of
the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
As pertaining to the things of God like salvation, He takes the
treasured learning of this world and confounds it. He shows it to be
of no value. All the schemes of human reasoning and planning are
brought to nothing through the preaching of the Cross.
Because it is pagans who seek after Carnal Wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:22 -
"...and the Greeks seek after wisdom."
The Greek philosophers of Paul's day sought after schemes which
depended on human wisdom and reasoning. In all actuality, these
"learned" men despised the Gospel and all
the things pertaining to God and the salvation of mankind through the
Cross of Calvary.
Because Carnal Wisdom is diametrically opposed to the Doctrines of
Christ.
Colossians 2:8 -
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not
after Christ."
These philosophers - through their corruptible teachings - perverted
the minds of the people and led them away from the Truths of Christ.
Violently, they spoiled their souls of all Faith and Hope, bringing
great confusion, while leaving them stripped and naked and on the road
to perishing. They taught the people to lean on their own human
reasoning rather than on the Holy principles of God's Word.
Because Carnal Wisdom renders the Cross of Christ of none effect.
1 Corinthians 1:17 -
"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."
Many preachers, in trying to be so much like the world, have lost
their true sense of direction and purpose which is to call people to
repentance and Faith in God. So many lack the Power of the Holy Spirit
so they are making up the difference, using graceful eloquence of
speech to impress their audiences and learned disputations to excite
men's minds.
What this is doing is making the "cross
of Christ" of "none
effect" in people's lives. Arising in our midst
are a people who claim to be saved but know not the Power of God to
live one second without Sin.
Why is that? Simply because they have never had the foundation of the
Cross laid to their old sin nature, and consequently, they are
continuing in Sin, wearing the label of "Christian."
What an abomination this is in the sight of the Holy God!
So, we ask the Churches throughout the land these very piercing
questions - Where is the Holy Spirit in your midst? What is this
philosophy and carnal wisdom that we hear coming from your pulpits?
Who told you to resort to such foolhardiness? Do you realize that you
are fighting God here by looking to
"Egypt"(this world's
system) and its philosophies, while totally nullifying the Power of
the Cross in people's lives?
Let's read the inspired words of the Apostle Paul in hopes that we, as
the Church, will come to our spiritual senses -
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 -
"But God hath revealed them unto us by His
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but
the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God."
Can it get any plainer than this?
"Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God."
Because we have not "received...the
spirit of the world," we do not preach the Gospel
with "wisdom of words."
1 Corinthians 1:17 -
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to
preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words..."
We must never forget that the Power to change men's lives does not lie
in our words but in God's Words.
Because we have not "received...the
spirit of the world," we do not resort to pompous
displays of intelligence and learning in order to impress men and win
their favor.
1 Corinthians 2:1 -
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of
speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God."
What is the "testimony of God"?
It is simply the Gospel, backed up by God's Miraculous Power.
The Apostle Paul - even though he was a highly educated and
intelligent man - refused to resort to eloquent expressions and
gracefully formed sentences when presenting the Gospel. He knew that
the Greek philosophers and orators of his day used such means to
substitute for truth and solidity.
Paul's mission was to Preach the Truth, not impress men.
Because we have not "received...the
spirit of the world," we do not seek to dazzle
the crowds but enlighten them with the Truth.
1 Corinthians 2:13 -
"Which things also we speak, not in the words
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
God's Word needs no garnishing by man's carnal wisdom. However, what
it does need in order to be effectively preached is the Holy Spirit's
Anointing to open, unfold, explain, fit, and adapt it to men's lives.
It would be better for every Preacher to be stricken dumb like
Zacharias of old than to speak another word, using man's carnal wisdom
and reasoning and lacking the Holy Spirit's unction. For every man or
woman who seeks to do so brings such eternal damage to the hearts and
souls of men - "lest the cross of
Christ should be made of none effect."
Oh! For men and women who will
not dare to enter the pulpit until God comes down and fills their
mouths with His words and His words alone!!!
The Preaching of the Cross is God's answer for every dilemma that man
will ever face in this life. It needs no garnishing by the
philosophies of men.
It's time like never before for the Church to take William Gurnall's
godly counsel to heart -
"...Renounce this carnal wisdom which cannot perceive spiritual
things, and beg wisdom of God, who gives without rebuke."
From the pulpit to the pew, let us
"beg wisdom of God."
The needy of this world are longing for us to become all that the
Almighty has designed for us to be.
Let's not disappoint them.
May God Bless His Word.
Connie
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