Identifying False Wisdom - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

Gracetoyou.org ^ | 1997 | John McArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:15).

True wisdom is from God; false wisdom is from the Devil.

Wisdom that is bitterly jealous and self-centered is not “from above.” Such traits constitute a wisdom that doesn’t come from God, the source of true wisdom (cf. 1:5, 17). Human wisdom, rather than being from above, is “earthly” (3:15). It is limited to the sphere of time and space and marked by the curse of man’s own fallenness, which is characterized by pride and self-centeredness. Everything the world initiates in the way of supposed truth is self-centered. Unregenerate man’s finite system demands an earthly wisdom and nothing more.

Man’s wisdom is also “natural” (v. 15), which means “fleshly” and refers to man’s humanness and frailty. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.” The natural man is sensual. All his feelings, impulses, and appetites are locked up in a fallen and corrupted system. All of man’s wisdom comes from his unsanctified heart and unredeemed spirit.

Besides being earthly and natural, human wisdom is “demonic” (James 3:15). This is the only place in the New Testament where the Greek word translated “demon” appears in its adjectival form. Human wisdom is actually generated by demons, who have been made captive to the same evil system as man. Satan and his agents disguise themselves as ministers of light when in fact they are ministers of darkness (2 Cor. 11:14-15).

The wisdom of the world is spawned by demons, reflects man’s humanness, and proceeds no further than the fallenness of mankind. Since that is so, be sure to “be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10). Don’t let Satan and the world beguile you with their so-called wisdom.

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray to be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:9-10).

For Further Study

According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and Colossians 2:8, how is the believer to fight against Satan and his demonic wisdom?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[CondoleezzaProtege]

My favorite passage concerning this matter - especially right now as many around the world are left scratching their heads in the wake of God’s divine intervention in America’s elections - 1st Corinthians Chapter 1!

19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

…26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

[xp38]

Oh yes indeed. One of the themes one gets from the Bible is how opposite things go to our human wisdom and expectations when God interacts with us. There are examples throughout the Bible but the one that I often think of is Jesus flipping the tables of the money changers in the temple courts. That is what God thinks of our worldly corruption. He is the God of flipping tables and yes he is still flipping the world’s tables today as you say.

[SaveFerris]

[27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ]

And here I am. (cough)

(for those of you that have read my FR homepage - that’s one of my main Bible verses there - though there’s more work that needs to be done if I’d get in gear)

[imardmd1]

bmk

[Big Red Badger]

The Foolish,
Weak,
Lowly and things that Are Not
To Confound things That Are
That No man should Boast.
.
A carpenter from Bethlehem...

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

Important topic for reflection. Thank you.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”
1 Corinthians 3:19 NLT

[boatbums]

I was just reading this passage today:

“I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense" (Isaiah 44:24,25)

God shows that the wisdom of man is nonsense and professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. (Romans 1:22)

[boatbums]

Amen!

[metmom]

What still amazes me is how I now understand spiritual things that made no sense to me before.

Amazing what spiritual regeneration can do for one.

[boatbums]

Indeed!