That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God  (1 Cor. 2:5 KJV)

The Apostle Paul makes a remarkable statement in our verse above: He tells the Corinthians that he does not want their faith to stand on the wisdom of men. What does this mean? First, a little background of the Corinthian Church would be of some benefit. It was a Church with a Greek background,  interested in wisdom, philosophies, ideas, etc. They had men who were great thinkers. But there is a problem with this. Human ideas, no matter how brilliant they are, cannot sustain true faith.

Faith is not positive thinking in life. It is not optimistic or strategic in life. Faith is putting to work the power of God unleashed into our lives through His Word. Human words might have appealing ideas, with a touch of human wisdom. However, they are void of spiritual power. This is a fundamental difference that is key to grasp. When God speaks, there is power in His words. When a human being speaks, he or she merely express ideas or thoughts which might have some value to a certain degree. Faith, however, cannot be built on empty human ideas, void of spiritual power.

Paul did not make this statement to unbelievers but he was addressing a very spiritual Church. The Corinthian Church had great teachers, but some of them were speaking wonderful ideas which were appealing but were not from God. This is a challenge the Church is facing today. A sermon might be very appealing. The critical question is whether the Spirit spoke those words from God or not. Putting your faith in human words is begging for a  spiritual catastrophe. The Lord calls those “clouds without rain.” That means such words might raise people’s hopes but fail to deliver what they promise.

We are living in the days when many people want to hear what they LIKE to hear. The catch is that human words might make you shout hallelujah but will not produce any results, and certainly will wreck your faith. It is your responsibility to know the Truth and ensure you are not feeding on emptiness(that is void of spiritual power). 

What is the foundation of faith from the verse above? ( Clue: look at the word “stand”).

Apply the Word

The support of solid faith is hearing from God, that is,   accurate and precise knowledge of the thoughts, plans, and purposes of God. This is our responsibility. Build your faith on a solid foundation.

Ask the Lord to help you not to build your faith on the wisdom of men. 

Read & Watch

We have not Followed Cunningly Devised Fables

The Meaning of ‘Fallen from Grace’

The Wisdom of the Holy Spirit

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