Are You Deceived?

I woke up this morning wondering if and how I deceive myself. I searched the word "deceive" in the Scriptures and scanned all the verses to find the ones that talked about deceiving myself. I found two passages that speak to the issue (1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 1:8).

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
(1 Corinthians 3:18-20 ESV)


There are two commands here. (1) Do not deceive yourself. (2) Become a fool.

How do I deceive myself? I do this in my thinking. I think something about myself that is actually not true, but I think that it is. Specifically I think that I am wise. Could I be wise in this age? Possibly I could. James says that there are two kinds of wisdom; wisdom that comes down from above (James 3:15), and wisdom that comes up from below, that is earthy, unspiritual and demonic (James 3:15). So I could actually have wisdom, but which type do I have? In the 1 Corinthians passage, it is wisdom from below, which is folly with God.


So here is the problem, I have a wisdom of sorts, but I think that the wisdom I have is the important kind of wisdom. I think that the things I know actually make me wise. Paul, who is writing this passage in 1 Corinthians, quotes a portion of an Old Testament passage to prove his point. Psalm 94:8-12...

Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?
He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge—the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, (Psalm 94:8-12 ESV)


This passage that Paul quotes tells us how to become truly wise. We become wise by being disciplined by God and being taught by God out of his law. What is the first discipline God has for me? It is to hear the rebuke of God to me. He says that I am the dullest of persons. FOOL, when will you be wise?

The problem you and I have is that we think that the things we know make us so wise. We think we know what is right, what is true, what is good, what makes me happy. I need to hear this rebuke from God to me this morning, and maybe you do to. We are fools! And by understanding that I am a fool, and that the only way to become wise, is to be taught by God out of His Law, is the first step in gaining true wisdom and not deceiving myself.

May God give you and I such a hungering and thirsting for true and pure wisdom, the wisdom we gain through the Scriptures.
     (We'll look at the other passage tomorrow)