Every person has their own life experiences. Most have gone to school for many years. Every person has some knowledge of a few things, and some have knowledge of many things. In today’s culture, people consciously or subconsciously make an effort not to display vulnerability in any respect, and so they talk about new vehicles or about the newest and latest developments. It would be fair to say that all of us like to know something of what is going on in our world.
Besides, we are all, more or less, people of this century. We have both feet on the ground; we have perceptive eyes and senses, intent to be on top of everything. After all, we only go through life once.
Today, however, after a very busy day, we experienced something extraordinary on our way home. A young man was on the street, handing out invitations to an evangelistic meeting. The person on the receiving end of the pamphlet crumpled it up in rage and shouted loudly and angrily, “Is this nonsense starting up again?”
Perhaps a few bystanders thought, “Why can’t these people just leave us alone? After all, I know what I need to do, and want to do, and I don’t need them to tell me to do these things!” Some people also think that taking God’s Word seriously and conforming their one and only life according to it would portray one as foolish and unfit for life.
Others, however, even in our modern time, testify from the depths of their soul: “Only the Word of God, the Gospel, has made me wise!” By the way, this is not a new discovery. Several thousand years ago, people already happily testified this fact: “Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:104).
But how can we identify the truth? What is true wisdom, and what is extreme folly?
Most likely, only a few people are convinced and will admit that many things in our world are broken, corrupt, and perverse. Because so much of our world is depraved, humans constantly endeavor to improve it. They have been striving to do so for millennia. There is no generation that has not recognized these problems and hasn’t tried to tackle the dilemma in new ways, with new strength and courage. To this day, the results are unsettling, humiliating, and even devastating for all humanity.
The following question is then justified: Is it not simple-minded to try to generate a “new and improved world” without first renewing its people?
If a person’s life has not been transformed and he hasn’t confessed and turned away from his sins and the evil in him – how can “good” triumph? Man’s attempt to do the right thing may be unmistakable, but the strength to bring it to reality is sadly lacking. Even trying to do the right thing often ends up in miserable failure. And finally, millions of “intelligent” people declare this condition to be “normal.”
All the mending and patching on an old, tattered, and moth-eaten dress simply will not help. There is only one solution: a new dress! All the reparations, corrections, and doctoring of our own selves cannot fix the problem.
A new world can only be “built” with people who have become new, and such newness can only be achieved through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is wisdom!
Many people of our time are educated and enlightened. Yet hardly any choose to acknowledge the most important event in the history of the world – the revelation of God in Jesus Christ! The Way of Truth has already been revealed for centuries, paved by the Lord Jesus! It was the way out of despicable egoism and materialism, out of the slavery of sin, to a way of peace with God and to forgiveness. What a pity it is that people take a path that ends in a dead end.
To this day, many people believe in the existence of God, even if only according to the motto: “Brothers, above the stars, a good Father must be dwelling!” It is tragic to live a life without seeking and desiring peace with God! Peace with God is given only by Jesus. We are told in the Bible that without Jesus and His peace, we are enemies of God! How dangerous it is to leave the matter pending until eternity, when everything will be lost and it will be too late! It is utter foolishness to go on and hasten towards death without being intensely concerned about eternal salvation! What is the benefit of the idols of our time: our money, our car, our beauty, our expensive clothes, our prestige, all the pleasures and joys? We make many errors in life, and sometimes we can smile about them. However, all excuses and trivialization must cease in light of this matter: Will you choose eternal life or eternal death?
If we are so devoted to earthly and temporal things with passionate commitment, how much more should we do our utmost to ensure that our life is really in order with God? This will only happen if we dare to abandon the old way and completely entrust our new life and even our failures to Jesus with childlike faith. That is true wisdom!
A. Stäheli
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