The Foolishness of Men

The natural man, ruined by the Fall and sin in the faculties of his soul lives in the delusion that he is wise, not only in matters of the World, but as to what he should think and do relative to his whole mode of living for his personal satisfaction and happiness. Yet the Word of God reminds us that, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God”: (1st Corinth, 3, v9); and that “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool”: (Proverbs, 28, v.26). And so the utter foolishness of men may be shown to operate in many ways. and some of these ways we shall now indicate.

1. Some, men with outstanding intellectual parts and powers, and having the revelation of Creation, Providence and the Holy Scriptures, say within their hearts that there is no God “The fool hath said in his heart that there is no God”: (Ps. 14, v.1.) and such give unashamed expression to this openly. Albeit God created them and in Him they live, and move and have their being, they being sustained by His divine hand from day to day. “Our times are wholly in his hands.”

2. Others say in one way or another, that they have no sin, denying the testimony of the Scriptures, the law of God, and the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ, which combine to declare that “all have sinned and, come short of the glory of God.” And yet they have “an heart which is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” out of which proceedeth all that defileth the man. The world and society is permeated with sin and moral evil, bringing untold wretchedness and misery upon multitudes in every nation and wherever men are. Sin and its effects are not surely confined to a section of mankind, whereby some may aver “I have no sin.” But such is the ignorance of man, that he will, and does, reject the solemn charges made against him as to his personal sinfulness and sins.

3. There are those who “call evil good and good evil”; (Isaiah, 5, v.20), because, among other reasons, of their love to evil and their hatred to God and to that which is good. There is a “woe” pronounced against such. That which is evil in the sight of an infinitely holy God can never be anything else but evil; and that which is good retains its blessed character, whatever men say or desire in their madness and folly. Adultery can never be but a heinous evil, however lightly considered by many in this day of laxity in morals. And the law and claims of the Sabbath can never be anything else but good, essentially and in their observance, irrespective of the views of wicked men, who look upon the Sabbath as a bane and a burden.

4. Worldly, active men think to find satisfaction and a purpose in life in minding nothing whatever but earthly things. Enemies of the Cross of Christ are said by Paul, to mind earthly things and to glory in their shame etc. Men devote and bend all their energies to this end, not considering that they thereby neglect their greater interests in ignoring God, and the soul and its need of spiritual blessings and salvation in Christ Jesus. It seems that they do not expect the world and the things thereof to pass away, while they find a present portion in it. How deceived they are! There is the case of the man who said to himself: “Thou hast much goods laid up for many years: take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke, 12, verses 19 and 20).

5. One feature, among many, which is said to characterise “perilous times” is that men shall be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. What folly and madness is here on the part of reasonable, rational creatures! What fools sin has turned men into! God who is clothed with infinite glory and majesty, as revealed in His Word, is worthy of all adoration, love, worship and devotion from angels and men. And yet men prefer and love more, or love instead, the empty, soul destroying bubbles of a carnal world. The foolishness of men is great upon the earth.

6. In places of eminence and government, in and among the nations of today, rulers think to conserve peace for the masses of humanity, without reference to, or reliance upon God for wisdom, help and guidance. The world is troubled with dangerous men, dangerous activities, dangerous weapons and dangerous views. Those who seem to be somewhat in desiring peace and tranquility in international relations are emphasising continually their reliance upon “chariots and horses.” “In chariots some put confidence, some horses trust upon”: (Ps. 20, v.7). What foolishness on the part of men to be carrying a heavy burden of responsibility related to the temporal good and peace of nations and the World, and to be relying entirely upon their own wisdom and an arm of flesh. It is folly which greatly dishonours God, when such men and governments completely ignore the divine government, the divine mind in the Scriptures, and the need of divine wisdom and help. And those who profess the Christian faith, in many cases, are as self-sufficient as heathen, under the circumstances we have indicated. God says: “Call upon me in the day of trouble”: (Ps. 50) but do our rulers, as such, act according to the wise counsel of God? Verily, No!

7. The pre-eminent folly of multitudes, young and old, is that they consider the Cross of Christ, and the preaching of the Cross with all the sufficiency of Christ’s death to redeem sinners from sin and its curse, to be indeed foolishness. Of course we are told that, “The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness” (1st Corinth. ch. 1. ver. 18), and the fundamental truth and fact is that sinners can be redeemed in no other way, but by the Cross. And the rejection of Christ Jesus and the way of redemption from sin through His Cross and blood, is the rejection of life that shall never end, even everlasting Salvation. This was the madness of the Jews in their particular conduct when they cried out, “Away with Him.” This is the supreme madness and folly of the human heart, where Gospel ordinances exist today, when the preaching of the Cross is counted as nothing. Such sinners are truly blind and ready to perish, and that eternally in the lake of fire and brimstone.

These briefly stated particulars which point to the existence and operation of folly of the most disastrous kind in the experience of sinners, may also assist in revealing the great need men have of “the wisdom which is from above.” As Solomon declares; “Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”: (Prov. 4, v.7). And let us hear advice from the Spirit of wisdom, by the pen of James, as follows:—”If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”: (James, chp. 1. v.5). Now the means through which we and others can be made wise spiritually, and for time and eternity and unto salvation, is the Holy Scriptures. The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “That from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”: (2nd Timothy, chap. 3, v.15). But men also need the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of Wisdom and of power to work mightily in their minds and hearts through the Word of God, to make them wise in the fear of God and unto salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ. And it is the divine, blessed holy Spirit in the continuance of His gracious operations, who can fill the soul of the believer with the knowledge of God’s will “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,” that such “might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing”: (Coloss. ch. 1, v.10).

If you are a Christian, you are dead to those things to which you were once alive; and you are alive to those things to which you were once dead.—Selected.