Wisdom of Foolishness

 

The Wisdom of Foolishness

 

My text today comes again from the first chapter of Romans. Here are verses 21-22 – speaking of the unrighteous: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

 

Listen! It ought to be an ominous thing for anyone to know God calls him or her a fool. And the classic definition of the one whom God calls a fool is found in Psalm 14: “The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist” . . . To which God adds a few verses later, “Will evildoers never understand?” (Psalm 14:1, 4a).

 

Richard Dawkins is one such fool. The author of ‘The God Delusion,’ likes to opine that people who believe in God are delusional. Dawkins then goes on to postulate the reason for the stunning complexity and intricacy of nature is because aliens – yes, aliens – planted DNA on earth millions of years ago. That DNA evolved to life as we now know it. 

 

That is from the guy who says those who believe in God are delusional. (You can listen to Dawkins’ comment https:// winteryknight.com/2009/03/12/richard-dawkins-thinks-that-aliens-may-have-caused-the-origin-of-life ) 

 

The late Professor Stephen Hawking, eminent Cambridge scientist and cosmologist, was another fool. The well-known atheist called heaven, “A fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” But I like what John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford, said in response to Hawking’s mockery: "Atheism is a fairy story for people afraid of the light." 

 

I’ve mentioned before this bit of biological science, and I do so again because I find it utterly astonishing that atheists such as Dawkins and Hawking refuse to acknowledge how singularly and divinely unique each of us are created.

 

According to biological science, an average of 250 million sperm are released every time a man ejaculates. And listen – EACH ONE of the 1/4 billion sperm has its own unique DNA coded into it. That means no two sperm have the same DNA code.

As most every adult knows, DNA directs our formation in the womb regarding our gender, basic intelligence, eye, hair, and skin color, our eventual height, what medical issues we will be susceptible to – and an myriad of other elements unique to each individual man and woman.

And our conception gets even more astonishing: Of the hundreds of millions of sperm cells racing toward the mother’s ova (egg), only ONE will successfully break through the ova’s coating and bring about what we know as the conception of a singularly unique person.

In other words, you and I are each a one-in-a-quarter of a billion possibilities.

When we take time to really think that remarkable bit of biological science through to its logical conclusion, we are faced with only two options: We are each the result of some absolutely incredible and miraculous accident of ‘chance.” Or we are each the result of some absolutely incredible and miraculously unique design by God. There simply is no scientifically sound third option. Yet despite the obvious choice, those professing to be wise remain fools.

 

Here is just one more example from biological science that points like a laser to a benevolent and omnipotent Creator:

 

Insulin is a hormone produced and released by specialized cells in the pancreas, called ‘beta’ cells. Insulin ‘unlocks’ each of the cells in our body to permit glucose (a form of sugar) to enter and provide the energy cells need to do whatever the cell’s DNA has programmed it to do.

 

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a condition in which the person’s pancreas no longer produces ANY insulin. Unless the person receives insulin from an outside source – such as injections – that person will die.

 

So, here is the point: What a lucky accident it was that over the eons it took for Mankind to evolve, they finally did so at the exact time as the beta cells in his or her pancreas. It had to happen that way, otherwise the first humans would not have survived 24 hours.

 

Of course, the other option is that God suddenly and miraculously created Adam and Eve with an intact and functioning pancreas.

 

“Professing to be wise, they became fools.” So, the question remains, why do otherwise intelligent men and women persist in their rejection of the idea of God?

 

Let me give you a bit of history from my own life as illustration. Some of you may remember the story I’ve told of my traffic light experience more than 50 years ago. I was stopped at a red light on a street corner in my hometown when this thought dropped into my mind: What if there is a God?

 

It was an odd thought. I hadn’t given so much as a moment’s consideration of His existence for years. But the prospect intrigued me for a few moments until I realized if God existed, I’d have to change my lifestyle. But I was unwilling to give up my ‘sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll.’

 

So as the light turned green, I made a choice. It was not an intellectual choice. It was a moral choice. I rejected the idea that God existed because I wanted to live life the way I chose to live life.

 

In the decades since I finally called Jesus my Lord, I’ve spoken with dozens of self-professed atheists and agnostics. And in each case – each case – their arguments only thinly veiled the real reason for their rejection of God: they were moral reasons, not intellectual.

 

But our Creator is not fooled by such self-deceptive and disingenuous arguments like saying aliens planted DNA on earth, and similar silliness. Here is what the Lord Jesus said in John chapter 3: “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (verses 19-20). 

 

Did you catch that last clause? “Men loved darkness rather than light.” Pretty succinct, don’t you think?

 

So, St. Paul tells us those who think they are so smart are, in God’s eyes, not smart at all. But on the other hand, St. Paul also tells us that in God’s eyes the ones called ‘fools’ by the likes of Dawkins and Hawking are really quite wise.

 

Listen to Paul’s words to the wise ones at Corinth:

 

1 Corinthians 1:20 “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (verses 20-24)

 

He continues in the next chapter: “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; ⁷ but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood . . . .” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8a)

 

And finally in chapter three: “Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19)

 

And so now to the point of today’s message – how to become a fool in the eyes of those who think they are wise – but wise in God’s eyes.

 

First, recognize the fool is not only the atheist who denies God with their mouth. Fools are ALSO those who – although believing in God – deny Him with their deeds. These are the practical or functional atheists. Whereas Paul describes fools in our text today from Romans: “Professing to be wise, they have become fools . . .” Titus describes functional atheists this way:  “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. (Titus 1:16)

 

Second, recognize the terrible reality that both sets of fools, God will judge. And His judgement will not be pleasant. Jesus talks about that judgement in Luke 13:24-30 and Matthew 7:21-27.   We will not turn there now for the sake of time, but I bring it to all of our attention to help make us WISE in our interactions with our Holy God.

 

Third, recognize God will actually HIDE truth from the proud and arrogant. Listen to the warning of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:

“Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

“At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants . . . .”(Matthew 11:20-25)

Fourth, to become wise in God’s eyes, take to heart Jesus’ rebuke of those who rejected Him despite His miracles and His words. And take to heart His offer in Matthew 11 to those who chose to follow Him: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:20-25, 28-30)

Before we move on, I must point out the context of the Scripture Jesus quoted in verse 28: “Come to Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls.” He is quoting from the scroll of Jeremiah in which God said to Israel: “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jeremiah 6:16)

If we are to be wise in God’s eyes, then we MUST walk in the ancient paths, the paths laid out for us in God’s word from Genesis to Revelation.

We must walk boldly, shamelessly, fearlessly – even when others mock us. Even when friends and even family shun us. Even if pastors and other prominent so-called ‘Christians’ try to dissuade us from following ancient paths, and who urge us to turn toward modern and updated theology.

Fifth: Seek God’s SUPERNATURAL help to become as a child in your relationship and trust of God. Remember the Lord’s words: “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Luke 18:16-17)

 

This last point is perhaps the most difficult of all. To trust God absolutely, completely, utterly, supremely in all situations and circumstances –especially when things are spiraling out of control and are about to crash in a ball of flames. There is not an adult reading this who does not know how difficult it is trust our heavenly Father in all of life’s circumstances as a small child instinctively trusts his mom and dad.

 

I know so very well how much I need the SUPERNATURAL help of the Holy Spirit to become as a child in my faith and trust of God. And such faith will seem very foolish to those professing to be wise – but such faith is pleasing to our Father who art in heaven. Indeed, there is great wisdom in such God-focused foolishness.

 

Solomon advised us in Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

 

The wisdom of foolishness, when that ‘foolishness’ seeks to trust God in all things, is the kind of wisdom that changes lives and changes destinies. And so, we pray for godly wisdom and boldness to live courageously and obediently for Christ in the midst of a very foolish world.