“For the preaching of the Cross is foolishness
to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1st Corinthians 1:18

I’ve often wondered what the reasons are that keep people from coming to the Lord. We’ve all sat in a funeral parlor and gazed upon the dead body of someone we knew. You’d think that that would prompt a person to seriously consider his own mortality and be concerned about where he will go when he dies. So why don’t they? Why on earth don’t they?

The Word of God answers that here. It’s because the preaching of the Cross of Jesus Christ just seems foolish to them.

To whom?

“To those who are perishing.”

They refuse to think about it because it seems foolish, and they distract themselves with the cares of this life to avoid thinking about it. When they have questions they listen to the wisdom of the world. The wisdom of the world seems solid to them. What a paradox, it’s just the other way around.

vs 20:
“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe?
Where is the disputer of this age?
Has not God made FOOLISH the wisdom of this world?”

The wisdom of the world is based on the opinions and conclusions of mortal, limited man, and oftentimes their opinions and conclusions are very wrong, from the simplest issues to the greatest. They used to tell us that we must not ever eat eggs, because egg yolks increase the cholesterol in our body which leads to heart disease. Now they’ve totally reversed that and they tell us eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They teach us that it is wrong to physically discipline our children, because some parents are abusive. Look now at the results of this disregard for the Word of God, a more corrupt generation has never been upon the face of the earth.

Look at the world of politics to truly find a world of confusion. For every issue there is an array of opposing opinions. What is the truth on any one of them? Who knows? Everyone makes up his own opinion. Based on what? Based on opinion, that’s all.

Look at the issue of “global warming.” There are passionate devotees on both sides, each contradicting the other. It’s all opinion, contradiction, argument, and …foolishness. Thus is the “wisdom of the world.” Foolhardy at best, because the wisdom of this world, according to the God who created it, is foolishness. Yet instead, those who are perishing put their trust in it and believe that it is the preaching of the Gospel rather, that is foolishness.

vs 18:
“…but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

There is no power in the wisdom of the world, it will lead you around mazes and endless questions, decisions and the reversal of decisions, conclusions and the refuting of conclusions. It’s a world of babel. But there is POWER in the preaching of the Cross of Jesus Christ. When a person surrenders his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, the confusion ends. God changes that person from the inside out, rearranges his thinking totally, teaches him what is TRUE, and leads him in the sure and certain wisdom found only in God who created us.

Many Christians seem “narrow minded” to those outside, and that is because they ARE. Once you know the truth, you can’t un-know it. It’s sure. It’s certain. It’s un-moveable. You no longer waft between two opinions, you know what is true and there just isn’t any more argument, things are simply true, or they’re not. The most narrow-minded person ever to walk this earth was the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not waver on any issue, ever – because he knows the truth. Indeed, he said he IS the truth. (John 14:6)

The wisdom of God leads to peace and joy and happiness, all the things people seek for in the world and are never able to find. But these very things are found in him because he IS our peace, our joy, and our happiness, and you have to experience that to know it. Turn to him now and find out for yourself.

Friends, put an end to your confusion. Don’t seek wisdom where it cannot be found. The wisdom of the world is foolishness, says God. Believe him. Turn to the true and enduring wisdom that can be found ONLY in him, ONLY in his Word. Settle it forever in your heart.