Transcript:

Hello! This is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective!

What is the truly wise way to engage in our present cultural conflicts?

As a society, we are increasingly tempted to divide along “us vs. them” lines and demonize those that disagree with us. But the Bible suggests that such ungracious posturing can easily drive us to be pawns of the devil, (James 3:15). Satan is the master of bitterness and division. He loves to hate, and he hates to love. The devil is quite content to convince you of your “rightness”, “your truth”, so long as it does not lead you to love those you think are wrong, or you feel have wronged you.

Now, this isn’t to suggest that there is no such thing as truth! The Bible clearly says there is! But it also tells us that there is no genuine knowledge of truth without humility and love.

Paul warns the division-prone Corinthian church:

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know…” (1 Corinthians 8:1-3).

When Jesus, the embodiment of all truth and wisdom, entered this world, He was gentle and humble of heart (Matt. 11:30). Genuine Wisdom conquered us by serving us and dying for our sin. Indeed, the foolishness of God is wiser than our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:25). Christ-like spirituality is marked not by how “right” you are, but by whether you can serve and die for those you think are wrong. Jesus died for His enemies. He suffered for those who hated Him. If you call yourself a Christian, you must expect no less from yourself. After all, Jesus died even for you.

As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus, we can be assured not only that God is pleased, but also that truth will indeed win.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

~1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (ESV)