Wisdom of men, foolishness with God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0mGIJ8lC5E

Minute 1:07:56

In this is statement by Augustine we have an example of what was deemed great, or deep, wisdom during the post-apostolic church era. But it was nothing but foolishness.

“No dead man can raise himself. He [Christ] only was able to raise Himself, who though His Body was dead, was not dead. For He raised up that which was dead. He raised up Himself, who in Himself was alive, but in His Body that was to be raised was dead.”—Augustine.

Convoluted, confusing, contradictory. This is ancient “wisdom”. But really it is foolishness, by God’s standards. Yet, this fraud of biblical truth took the early church by storm. Similar convoluted, contradictory concepts were the trinity—one in three, three in one; transubstantiation—by the command of a man God becomes a wafer that resembles the Sun, and His blood becomes intoxicating wine that opens the priest’s soul to the spirit world. Then, there are all the myths of the gods who each played many roles that are as hard to follow as tabloid gossip.

All of this nonsense became the foundation of the church, as for ages it had been the foundation of paganism. Why base Christianity on such a nonsensical foundation? What is the draw? What is the incentive for such a false, faulty foundation?

The [pagan trance. The mind busied on nothing of reality, nothing that could result ina blessing to others or service to God, brought a semblance of peace. The devil-possessed mind is a bitter, unsettled mind.

“I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” (Isa. 57:19-21).

Satan kept the leaders and people on an endless search for peace of mind. They chose another ruler besides the Law-loving Son of God, and that other ruler, that other mediator besides Christ, chained them to his car in his daily victory parade.

“The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin,--to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no morning. Satanic agencies were incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the passions, the organs of men, were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the world's Redeemer looked. What a spectacle for Infinite Purity to behold!  

     Sin had become a science, and vice was consecrated as a part of religion. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart, and the hostility of man was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.” Desire of Ages, p. 36, 37.

  

Rather than true, wholesome peace, they had fake peace, empty of the power to obey the righteousness of the Law or to produce fruits of the Spirit. It was peace. Not from heaven, but rather from hell.

“For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” (Jer. 6:13,14).

The trance Satan designed to distract the conscience from its great need. If sin were to be fully recognized as a huge problem, if sin were exceedingly sinful, as Paul discovered by looking into the Law of liberty, then the church of Christ would end up in complete despair, as Paul ended up in. And the church would fall on their faces, as Paul ended up doing. The church would end up totally humbled at their condition, and prepared to accept a Saviour from sin.

So as a distraction from all that… the contradictory doctrines. A system of “salvific” or “salvational” beliefs that must be held as truth, that could not be rational, but only accepted by “faith”. I’ve heard it myself today in our denomination concerning the trinity. “It’s a mystery! No one can understand it! You just have to accept it. You can spend all eternity, but never put a dent in beginning to understand it!”

Truth takes time to learn and understand, yes. The true mysteries of redemption will be our study for endless ages, yes. But, those truths will be gradually grasped, unlike the false mysteries that never begin to be grasped, because they are not truth.

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2Thess. 2:8-12).

These delusive mysteries purport to be truth and revelation. They lead to an access to supernatural revelation, but not of a heavenly origin. Therefore, everyone caught up them are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. …men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” (2Tim. 3:7,8). Yet, what happened with these serial episodes of truth-nontruth, yin-yang, yoyo mental exercises, is that the mind was kept in a state of ever thinking but never arriving at any sound conclusions. But, that was believed OK because it gave the mind peace. It gave a supposed salvation, but it came from the devils

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27).

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of Me; and that cover with a covering, but not of My spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at My mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.” (Isa. 30:1-3).

This “deep, theological ruminating” was deemed piety, meditation, renewing of the mind. It brought a subtle peace simply by intellectual exercise, but it didn’t come from above. Souls were trapped in such a doctrinal deception because such pious exercises were pervasively accepted as Christianity. It eventually led to deeper enslavement in the form of Jesuitry.

Jesuit mental reservation was just another exercise of “peace”. And anyone who touched that “blessed” idol would be killed. In fact, all of these intellectual idols, very sophisticated idolatry, were so effective to give a sort of peace to the ravaged bitter minds of the deceived Catholic world, that, as in all ages of paganism, anyone who rebuked such religion, and thus threatened to take away such a precious resource for peace, was excommunicated and executed. Really, any idol is simply a resource for peace of mind, be it a physical or an intellectual image or spiritual as in Spiritual Formation, be it a secular or religious concept (doctrine), a substance (alcohol, drug of choice, even sugary and fatty foods), or the circular irrational method. And all of them are deemed ever so sacred for their peace giving, renewal component.

This will be the trap of the final delusion before Christ returns. It will look so right because the demonic peace will override the true requirement for peace from God—conviction of sin, faith toward God and repentance toward Jesus, God’s only approved intercessor. Only the religion from God, the Father leads to God, the only true God, the Father. But to turn away from His Law is to preempt salvation.

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Prov. 28:9).

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Cor. 1:18-25).

“Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.

And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a Stone of stumbling and for a Rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Bind up the testimony, seal the Law among My disciples.

And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.

Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

To the Law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa. 8:13-20).

“But before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:23,24).

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom. 5:1-5