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Daily Devotions

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 
Day 
Day 49

"Let no one deceive himself..."

Text: 1 Corinthians 3:18

THE DANGER OF DECEPTION

Deception takes many forms and it is both real and deadly. The Corinthian Church was blessed with many spiritual gifts, yet they were vulnerable to deception!

“Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age,
let him become a fool that he may become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’; and again
‘The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'”
1 Corinthians 3:18-20

1. “Let no one deceive himself”

a) Deception may arise from the outside.
b) It may arise from within oneself.
c) The latter is just as deadly as the former.

2. “If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age”

a) Every age has its own standard of gauging wisdom.
b) Some standards are lower than others.
c) Thus, people can think that they are very wise in their own eyes.

3. “Let him become a fool that he may become wise”

a) Better to admit that one is not all that wise, for then learning is possible.
b) The person who humbles himself “as a fool” may yet learn things that would make him truly wise.

4. “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God”

a) Many are enamoured of the wisdom of this world.
b) But God is not impressed! He considers the wisdom of this world as “foolishness!”

5. Two quotations were cited to back up this statement

a) The first quotation is from Job 5:13.
i) This was a statement made by a man call Eliphaz.
ii) This was his observation about how God catches the so-called wise people in their own crafty plans!
b) The second quotation is taken from Psalm 94:11.

The Psalmist mused on the fact that God knows all the thoughts of man! To Him, all the thoughts of man are futile! His thoughts are far more limited than he imagines! There is no power in them at all!