2 Peter 1:3 is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (NIV). I think it’s a verse that so clearly argues for the nowism of the gospel – what it looks like to live a godly life between salvation and eternity.
But as I’ve taught from this verse, people will ask me: “Paul, what is everything I need?” It’s a great question, and one the Bible doesn’t leave unanswered. Obviously, writing about everything would be impossible, but over the next four weeks, I want to pinpoint four specific things.
Using Colossians 2:1-15 as my primary text, I want to highlight four benefits of the work of Christ that give you everything you need to live a godly life until salvation. This week, we’ll focus on Wisdom For Foolishness.
Here’s our first text: “…in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
In Christ, you have been given wisdom for the foolishness of sin. You don’t celebrate the wisdom that is yours in Christ unless you first embrace your own foolishness. This may offend some of you, but sin has reduced you to a fool.
You don’t need to look very far to see evidence: you will continually belittle another person (spouse, child, neighbor, etc) and be surprised when that relationship is tense and cold. You will play with the fire that is sin and be surprised when you get burnt. You will spend more money than you should and be surprised when you run into financial difficulty. You will eat more than you should and be surprised when your body shows the evidence.
Certainly, you have been given wisdom for outside deception as well. “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments” (Colossians 2:4). But the fool that is most dangerous to you is the fool inside of you. You see, the foolishness of the world is only attractive to you because there is still remaining foolishness inside your soul.
Maybe you feel put down today by being called a fool so many times. But you have to understand the Gospel – good news is only good news because bad news exists. If your heart wasn’t infected by foolishness, the One who is Wisdom wouldn’t have had to invade earth.
Today, humbly admit to your own foolishness and susceptibility. But more than that, celebrate the new wisdom that is yours in Christ.