Articles
The Wise, Mighty, and Noble
It probably has not escaped your attention that the society in which we live is quickly turning against the values of previous generations, and not only turning away from those values, but rejecting them outright and heaping upon those values criticism, ridicule, and condemnation. In the place of previous generations' values and beliefs is what seems to be a whatever-you-want-to-believe or a whatever-you-feel-is-right concept of 'values' that is, in reality, no values at all. Some attempt to explain their choices as 'amoral,' but the reality is, they have chosen immorality and cloaked it in a description that is more acceptable to society, in general, and to their own conscience, in particular.
The world is, to no one's surprise, worldly, and the thoughts of most of this world's citizens are on the visible, material, physical things. The vast majority of people live for the here and now because they know nothing of that which lies beyond this world and this life. I say this not as a criticism, but as a matter of fact. Christians should not be surprised at this, nor should they think contemptuously of those who do so; it is all some have ever known, and it would be foolish of believers to expect otherwise.
Continuing in this vein, disciples should take note that fewer and fewer people know what the believers know, and more and more, what we do know and believe seems to be 'extreme' or antiquated, outdated, old-fashioned, and 'out of touch.' A few atheist scientists have stated well the perception that many now have of God and religion as it relates to civilization and our ever-increasing wealth of knowledge: "When we didn't know better, we invented God to explain what we did not know. Now, we don't need God."
Or so man thinks.
Long ago, the apostle Paul wrote to a church in Corinth [comprised of believers, of course], and reminded them, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Cor. 1:26). To clarify somewhat, Paul was reminding the brethren there that there were few men of high secular education, few people of power, and few people of nobility and prestige amongst them; I also am convinced that Paul's words are generally true of all times and places. It is those of humble origins and humble mind who are open to hearing and accepting God's word.
Paul didn't stop there, though. To make the point to these brethren that their desire and preference for human wisdom and reasoning had no place in the Lord's church or in the life of God's people, he went on to say, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:27-29). Again, to clarify, Paul pointedly stated that God used things the world perceives as 'foolish' to put to shame those who think they are wise, uses the weak things of the world to put to shame those who think they have real power, and uses the low, base, and things the world finds contemptible and beneath them to put to shame those who think they are 'something.'
Let us understand the two worlds we are talking about and comparing and contrasting: One [the materialistic world] trusts in self and whatever knowledge we have attained to as proof man is too intelligent to believe in God or the supernatural anymore; the other world [those who are spiritually minded] recognize that man knows only what God our Creator has revealed and made possible for us to discover, and we don't even know how much we don't know. So, calling ourselves 'wise' is itself foolish. As a truly wise man wrote long ago, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov. 26:12). As long as we think we are wise, we will never learn!
The spiritually-minded man will realize he knows nothing, and will take to heart God's instruction: “Do not be wise in your own opinion” (Rom. 12:16); meanwhile, the worldly-minded ones, “Professing to be wise,…became fools” (Rom. 1:22). Human wisdom cannot save us, despite our arrogance that says we can and will.
Furthermore, one world [the materialistic] relies on their power to assert and impose their 'wisdom' and desires on others. For those who are completely materially-focused, the highest attainment is not just the knowledge man may gain, but power over others, and the more power one has, the better the achievement, according to their thinking. They blindly pursue power, never acknowledging the reality that if it si power you seek, you will always have to exert it to show you have it, and that there will always be someone out there who is willing to challenge you for that highest position of power. It would be a twisted and cruel mind who finds joy in that continuous demonstration of power over others!
In the other world [the world of the spiritually-minded], humility regarding self, and exaltation of others is the rule. The one who knows God submits willingly to Him, realizing it is He who really holds all power, and the claims of men are pathetically laughable. He knows “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Rom. 13:1), and, “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (Dan. 4:25). He seeks no earthly power, but acknowledges Christ alone as King and head over all things (Eph. 1:20-23).
In one world [the materialistic] much weight is given to those born of certain lineages, or to those who achieve 'star' or 'celebrity' status, as if they were royalty. This world fawns over this 'nobility' [whether actual or perceived nobility] and they are idolized [sometimes literally], imitated, praised for simply being who society has said they are, and they magically have wisdom and charm that causes the masses to hang on their every word, wear the same clothes they wear, and they suddenly become 'expert' on anything and everything, from parenting to dietary planning, to political strategy.
But in the other world [that of the spiritually-minded], there is no hierarchy among their numbers. They firmly believe that in Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one” (Gal. 3:28) and all are treated equally, with respect and consideration of one another, and for all. Each disciple considers the other better than self, and looks out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of his fellow believer (Phil. 2:3, 4). The believer sees Christ alone as any sort of nobility, and that as King of Kings!
These two worlds, as should be evident, are worlds apart! The worldly-minded does not seek the same things, nor values the same things, as the spiritually-minded. That is just a fact. Don't expect them to abandon their world easily, or to believe the spiritual side is better. It is up to us to show them by our actions and our outlook, and teach them from God's word that one is infinitely better.
Which world are you in? — Steven Harper
