Wisdom for Fools
One of the devastating results of sin is that it reduces all of us to fools. A fool looks at truth and sees falsehood.
A fool looks at bad and sees good. A fool ignores God and inserts himself into God’s position. A fool rebels against God’s wise and loving law, and writes his own rules. A fool thinks he can live on his own, not needing anyone’s help.
But here is what is deadly about all of this: A fool doesn’t know he is a fool. If a fool isn’t given eyes to see his foolishness, then he will continue to think he is wise.
So God, in his grace, did not turn his back on our foolishness and walk away. God looked on foolish humanity with a heart of compassion. He not only sent his Son to rescue fools from themselves but also gave us the wonderful gift of his word. In this way, fools could recognize their foolishness and have a tool by which they could grow in wisdom.
Adapted from Paul David Tripp’s book Do You Believe? these brief, approachable readings help teenagers learn about 12 doctrines and reflect on their relevance to the Christian life.
How do you start the search for wisdom? The first steps are not in university classrooms, on the pages of research papers, on popular podcasts, or in the books on the New York Times bestseller list. Wisdom begins in the pages of God’s word.
You can be highly trained and still be a fool. You can be a well-educated and gifted communicator and still be a fool. You can be successful and famous and still be a fool. You can have social media dominance and still be a fool. You can be a person whom people look to for guidance and still be a fool. But no one is hopelessly trapped in foolishness. Why? Because God, who is the source of all true wisdom, is a God of tender, forgiving, and rescuing grace (1 Cor. 1:18–31).
To all who confess their foolishness and run to him for wisdom, he offers mercy and grace in their time of need.
True Confession
I would not know how to live without the wisdom of God’s word. I would not know how to be a responsible man without the wisdom of God’s word.
I would not know how to be a husband, a father, a neighbor, a friend, a member of the body of Christ, a citizen, or a worker without the Bible. Without Scripture, I would not know right from wrong.
Without the truths of the word, I would not know how to understand and respond to suffering. Without Scripture, I would be confused about who I am and my purpose in life. Without my Bible, I would not know about sin or understand true righteousness. Without God’s word, I would not know how to handle money, success, power, or fame. Without Scripture, I would have no understanding of origins and no concept of eternity.
Without God’s word, I would have no idea of my need for rescue, reconciliation, and restoration. Without my Bible, I would have no understanding of what it means to love or what I should hate.
I not only need the content of God’s word, but I also need the help of the Holy Spirit.
Apart from God’s word, I would have no wise and holy law to follow. I’d have no amazing grace to give me hope. If it were not for Scripture, I would have no wisdom of any worth to share.
But here’s what I have experienced: My Bible is my lifelong friend and companion. My Bible is my wisest and most faithful teacher. My Bible is my mentor and my guide. My Bible confronts me when I am wrong and comforts me when I am struggling.
My Bible is my most treasured physical possession. I know that as long as sin still lives in me, I need divine wisdom. So I approach my Bible every day as a needy and thankful man.
Not Just the Word
Not only do we have the gift of God’s word, but we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit. He’s the one who guides us, teaching us through his word. As a result, we can know, understand, confess, and repent.
I not only need the content of God’s word, but I also need the help of the Holy Spirit. He enables me to understand it. He assists me to apply it, empowers me to live it, and equips me to take its message to others. God rescues me from my foolishness not just by handing me a book but also by giving me himself—and he opens the wisdom of that book to me.
As an author of books, I don’t do this. I write a book and move on. Then it’s up to the reader to make sense of what I have written. I don’t travel to reader after reader, sitting with them as long as it takes, shining light on the things I have written, making sure they understand, and helping them to apply the content of the book to their everyday lives.
But that is exactly what God does. He goes everywhere his word goes. He patiently sits with readers every time they open his book. He teaches them out of his word. God is not only the author of his word, he’s also its primary teacher.
When you get the word of God, you also get the God of the word, and that is a beautiful thing.
Words of Warning
Why are there so many warnings in Scripture? They are there because God loves us.
You see, a warning isn’t judgment. If all God intended to do was to judge you, he wouldn’t first warn you. Think about how parents constantly warn their children. They first warn them not to touch the hot stove, the lit candle, or the electrical outlet. Later they warn them what is safe to eat and what is dangerous, and down the road they warn them about the dangers of the internet and social media. Every one of these warnings is motivated by tenderhearted parental love.
God is our heavenly Father. And like our parents, he’s committed to warning us about the dangers of life in this fallen world. In each warning, he is loving us. Each warning exhibits his patience, faithfulness, wisdom, and grace. Each warning reminds us of his care. Each warning teaches us again that he is ready and willing to forgive and restore. Each warning is a call to trust him and to follow him by faith. Each warning reminds us that our Father is infinitely smarter than us. He really does know better. So we should listen and obey. You don’t want to be like the toddler who refuses to listen to Mommy’s warnings and burns his finger on the oven door.
You don’t want to be like the teenager who blows off her dad’s warnings and makes decisions that mess up the rest of her life. God loves us, so he has dotted his word with warnings. With fatherly care he says, “Don’t look there, don’t say that, don’t desire this, don’t do that, don’t choose that, don’t love that, watch out for this.”
Don’t think you are smarter than God. Don’t believe the lie that there will be no cost for ignoring his wise and loving warnings. Every sin, and every mess that follows, is a result of a failure to humbly heed God’s warnings. And remember, he not only warns you but also gives you the grace you need to live inside of his warnings.
This article is adapted from 12 Truths Every Teen Can Trust: Core Beliefs of the Christian Faith That Will Change Your Life by Paul David Tripp.
