Fools for Christ

1 Corinthians 3:18 ~ "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."

Around the world people will be celebrating the day known as: April Fool's Day. This iconic non-holiday began in the 16th century as France was changing their calendar to follow the more accepted Gregorian calendar, changing the beginning of the year from Spring (April) to Winter (January). For those who did not want the change and continued to observe the old date were known as "April Fools."  

Soon the term was spread across the globe and many countries adopted the first day of April as the day where harmless pranks and jests were set upon the unwary. Even to this day, the idea of an "April Fool's joke" is meant to convey humorous antics to disrupt the drudgery of life.

Dear Christian, let us step into this day with the pursuit of becoming "fools for Christ." 

The world looks upon the church as an archaic, dusty old religion that is long past its date of expiration. We hold to the old truths, seek the ancient paths and want to walk according to the ways of Christ as the Scripture teaches. The LORD says in Jeremiah 6:16, "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’" Who are "they" that refuse to walk in the ways of God? It is those who believe that their own worldly understanding holds greater wisdom than God.

There are some in the church that have taken such a stance. In our text today, Paul identifies them as those who think they are "wise in this age." They believe that they hold a better understanding than the Word of God and so they dismiss the Scriptures as unfit for a modern society. You see them as those who call themselves by the name of Christ yet hold to all manner of worldly notions. They will twist the Scriptures to suit their own desires (see 2 Peter 3:15-17). But, in the end, they only deceive themselves.

But let us become fools for Christ's sake. Paul tells the Corinthians church, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:25). Are you concerned that holding to the ancient ways of God, the ways of holiness and truth, of righteousness and faithfulness to His word, will cause you to seem foolish to those around you? So be it. Be a fool for Christ. Hold very little concern that the world might mock and ridicule you for your faithfulness. In the end, they will acknowledge that their ways led them to destruction and the ways of God are the ways of life. 

Calendars notwithstanding, the world is changing all the time. They call it progress and social advancement. Some improvements are good: medicines, technologies, advancement is architecture, etc. But for the most part, the world is accommodating sin and rebellion against the Lord. And that, beloved, is what they call wisdom.

So as you enter this April Fool's Day, let it illuminate your determination to be a fool for the sake of Jesus. In the end, it will prove to be the wisest move of all.

In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

---