February 12, 2011

God's Gospel Is Eternal Wisdom!

6th Sunday after Epiphany, 2/13/11
1 Corinthians 2:6-13


God’s Gospel Is Eternal Wisdom!
I. Revealed by the Spirit
II. Resulting in glory


The information explosion occurred so long ago, we hardly notice it anymore. Years ago we learned how to deal with too much information coming at us 24-7. We simply turn it off. We ignore it. We make the choice to focus on the information we find helpful or entertaining and let the rest of it go, no matter how vital it may be.

And in many respects that’s an emotionally healthy position to maintain. After all, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you think you need take in all the information available.

But truthfully, how much of what you know right now really matters? Do you really need to know the details of the lives of politicians, music and screen stars or athletes? I know of someone who prided himself on knowing the latest health information from some nationally respected health organizations, but he ended up dying pretty much like anybody else does. Really, what good does it do us to know the things we know?

A better question is this, “What do you know today that will matter once you’re dead?” We know all sorts of things about health and finances and entertainment and modern technology. Knowing those things benefits us while we’re still here on earth living and breathing. But what do you know today that will matter once you die?

To me, that’s wisdom. In fact, it’s the height of wisdom, for only that wisdom will last. Everything else you know will cease to be wisdom, but what you know now that matters once you die will always be wisdom.

Our God calls that wisdom his gospel—the good news of our salvation. It’s the wisdom Paul speaks about in this morning’s text from 1 Corinthians. Paul wants us and everyone else to know that God’s gospel is eternal wisdom. And he’s shared that wisdom with us. As we examine that wisdom, may our hearts be filled with joy and gratitude for it.

Part I.

If you told people what you believe, how would they react? For instance, if you told someone that you believe Jesus actually walked on water, calmed a storm, fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two small fish, that he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead or that he raised himself from the dead, what reaction would you get? How would they react if you told them you believe Jesus will return on the Last Day and raise all the dead? Well, we hope that other Christians would rejoice to hear you say these things because they believe them, too. But the vast majority of people don’t believe them and are likely to reject and even mock what you say.

Paul faced that same attack from some heretics in Corinth. Paul had spent a long time preaching and teaching in the congregation at Corinth, sharing God’s truth with the people. But soon after he left, false teachers arose who maligned Paul and what he had taught. Among other things, they claimed to have a higher wisdom to impart to the people. They spread the deadly poison that Paul’s gospel wasn’t wisdom at all; real wisdom centered in something else.

And in every case that “wisdom” did not come from God; it came from sinful human minds. Paul would contend that sinful human minds cannot comprehend divine truth on their own. Think about it. How can a finite mind comprehend the infinite God? How can a mind that can’t possibly know all things understand the mind of the all-knowing God? How can the creature fully know the Creator? That knowledge can’t possibly come from the gray matter between the human ears.

Instead, it must be revealed. Paul says that very thing with these words, “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” You see, this wisdom is a mystery. Paul says it’s hidden. Think about it. If we were going to try to figure out our salvation on our own, what way of salvation would we devise? It would be something along the lines of every other religion in the world outside of Christianity. They all focus on working your own way to heaven, on paying in some way for your own sins. But God’s gospel says this: God won your forgiveness and salvation for you. That wisdom comes to us through the working of the Holy Spirit. Today he brought that wisdom to little Ethan through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. He’s bringing that wisdom to us right now in his word. He’ll bring it through the Lord’s Supper later today.

That wisdom centers in Jesus. It’s the message that he is our Savior from sin. In no way at all do we save ourselves or have anything to do with that salvation or even coming to faith in him. Whatever God demanded of us, Jesus did for us. He lived a holy life for us. He died as the punishment for our sins.

In another place Paul refers to that wisdom as the “foolishness” of the cross. It doesn’t make sense that the death of a Jewish man 2,000 years ago has any impact on me or you today. Why should it? Only because that death was also the death of the eternal Son of God. That was God’s saving plan ever since the world fell into sin. He would sacrifice his Son for us. Is that foolishness? To the unbelieving mind it is. But to us it’s the saving wisdom of God.

God’s gospel is eternal wisdom—wisdom that’s been revealed to us by the Spirit.

Have you ever wondered if what you believe is really true? Does at least some of what you believe sound foolish to others? If so, that’s good. Because God’s saving wisdom doesn’t make sense to the human mind. Why punish someone else for my sins? Why would punishing one person count for every person? Those things don’t make sense. But God’s ways are higher than our ways. In fact, they’re beyond our understanding on our own. But God the Holy Spirit has revealed God’s saving wisdom to us. How privileged, how blessed we are! Do you feel blessed and privileged? Not so much some times. Instead, we feel battered, abused, and unfortunate. Others seem to have it so much better than we do. But people of God, you possess God’s eternal wisdom. It’s been revealed to you by God himself. In the final analysis, no other wisdom will matter. You already know and believe the only thing that matters—Jesus is your Savior. That’s God’s gospel, his saving wisdom.

Part II.

One way of looking at God’s wisdom is from the perspective of how it limits us. For instance, if you believe that Jesus is your Savior, then you will also follow what he tells you in his word. And that puts all sorts of limits on what you can and can’t do. It rules out anything that has to do with our sinful flesh and sinful world. It halts what many consider to be fun, entertaining or advantageous.

But our God didn’t share his saving wisdom with you in order to limit you or keep things from you. He shared it with you to bless you.

For instance, if you didn’t know God’s eternal wisdom, what would you do with your guilt? Well, some people who don’t trust in Jesus try to numb their guilt with alcohol or drugs. Others simply try to deny it. But those methods don’t work. The guilt gnaws away at them. It sucks the joy out of their lives. But you’re blessed to know God’s eternal wisdom which announces your sins are forgiven. God declares you not guilty. You’re innocent in Christ. That’s a blessing all the money in the world can’t buy.

You also can’t buy the kind of guidance God gives you on a daily basis. While others flit and flirt with any advice that comes their way, you have the rock solid wisdom of God guiding you. As the Psalmist proclaims: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Ps. 119:105). He leads us in the paths of righteousness; in other words, in the way to eternal life with him.

Paul calls that life eternal glory here in our text. He writes, “No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” Imagine that! Before time began—in eternity—God knew you by name as one of his own dear children and destined you to eternal glory with him. You’re not some after-thought in the mind of God. He has never forgotten you. He planned all things out for your eternal good, your eternal glory, a life in which you’ll enjoy his glory. That boggles the mind! Your God isn’t trying to keep any blessing from you; he’s all about making sure you have every blessing forever.

That’s wisdom. Eternal wisdom. God’s gospel is eternal wisdom, resulting in eternal glory.

I began this sermon mentioning all the information that you can take in on a daily basis. Much of that information reports what a rotten life this is. In fact, the media realizes this and will intentionally throw in a feel-good story or two because they know their audiences can’t take all the bad information all the time.

We see it in our own lives as well. The older we get, the more pessimistic we become. The youthful optimism which believes we can solve our problems doesn’t take long to dissolve in the flood of the personal problems we face every day. No matter how hard we work at it, we can’t seem to make a difference. The problems, even crises, keep coming.

So what’s the solution? God’s gospel. The good news that Jesus is our Savior from sin and that he has destined us for eternal glory. That’s not some wacky hope of a pipe-dream cult. That’s the plan, promise and purpose of the eternal, all-powerful God who has made you his own by the life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ. Your God has shared that wisdom with you. Cherish it! He has eternal glory in store for you! Wait for it eagerly! God’s gospel is indeed eternal wisdom! Amen.