"The mind of fools is in the house of pleasure." (Ecclesiastes 7:4) This wisdom from Solomon is repeated by Paul in Romans 1:24, from the perspective of God, Who no longer restrains the desire of the fool: "God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity.." This initial "giving over" by God (there are 3) signals the obstinacy of a fool determined to pursue the lust of his heart, set as he is on the house of pleasure. God's gracious restraining influences are persistently ignored, for the fool will have his way, and not even a hundred blows of harsh correction will dissuade him. (Proverbs 17:10) The uncorrectable nature of fool is a prominent feature of fooldom, and God's response of abandoning fools to their folly points to how we should, in some cases, respond to a fool.
Fools Reject Their Purpose
This episode links the discussion of the Biblical fool to the grand narrative of mankind's purpose, restored in salvation. The ultimate purpose of salvation is the restoration of mankind to his original purpose, where he gives God glory in response to beholding God (faith) and regarding the works of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Mankind's fundamental problem since the Fall is idolatry, where man and his works replace God and His works as the consuming focus of life. God initiates restoration: the accumulated sin debt of man is paid for and satisfied in Christ on the cross, and the wages of man's works, all tainted by sin, are paid in full. (Romans 6:23) Repudiation of the old man and his works, coupled with faith in God, is essential for salvation. Consequently, "repentance from dead works" and "faith toward God," ("repent and believe the gospel") are the first two foundational principles of Christianity. (Hebrews 6:1) Christ and His works progressively become the focus of life in Christian sanctification, replacing the idolatrous focus on man and his works. The Biblical fool, fixated on himself and his dead works, suppresses and exchanges the truth of God for a lie. (Romans 1:18-23) He rejects his God-given purpose of reflecting the glory of God while delighting in God and His works. The fool instead finds purpose in pursuing his own glory and ends, shaped entirely by his idolatrous fixation on himself. Perpetual rejection of the knowledge of God and His gracious offer of redemption in Christ leads to "eternal destruction." Christ, on his return, will deal out "retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) The Biblical fool then is ultimately held accountable for his WILLFUL ignorance and rejection of the gospel.
The Fool and the Works of God
This episode spells out the Biblical purpose of man, highlighting the folly of a fool in the process. The image of God in man makes mankind unique among all creation. Men and women are endowed with the capacity to appreciate God and His works, and reflect His glory. The Fall seriously impaired this capacity, but never extinguished the hunger for eternity placed in all men. Solomon, for instance, noted that "God has set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Eternity invites man to regard the never-ending works of God, which is the unique privilege of those created in the image of God. Regarding the works of the Lord, honoring God as God and giving Him thanks--these make up the fundamental purpose of mankind. Interestingly, the failure to regard the works of the Lord is the sin of the wicked, according to Psalm 28:5. And the fool in Romans 1:18-23 is essentially one who has no regard for the works of the Lord, even denying "God's invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature" made evident in creation. The fool then is one who rebels against his purpose, exchanging the truth of God for a lie, living for his own glory instead of the glory of his Creator.
Futile Speculations and the Descent of Fools
This episode summarizes the descent of a fool in Romans 1:18-23. The fool's rejection of self-evident truth about God is motivated by the "Great Exchange," in which he exchanges the glory of the incorruptible for an image in the form of corruptible man. The suppression of Truth however is costly, for it atrophies the mind's ability to discern truth from error. A "futile speculation" is reasoning grasping for explanations that deny God's invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature. The fool then ends up embracing the absurd, exchanging the truth of God for a lie. About half of the episode applies the descent of a fool to cosmology, the science of origins. The Big Bang originally encountered opposition among many scientists, not for lack of evidence, but rather because many were philosophically predisposed against it. A "beginning" suggested that a "causal agent outside of space and time" began...well EVERYTHING. Acceptance of the Big Bang would logically mark the death knell of materialism. In any event, the observed red shift of stars together with the discovery of microwave background radiation led to begrudging acceptance of the Big Bang among scientists. Many however refused to go to materialism's funeral. They instead sought to inject life into the corpse by proposing the absurd: the multiverse and quantum fluctuations "created" our universe. Futile speculations among non-believing cosmologists point to the descent of fools who would rather believe the absurd instead of self-evident truth.
Take the ‘Fooldom’ Inventory!
This episode sets out criteria for determining if one is a fool and invites the listener to honestly assess where he or she lies on the spectrum of "fooldom." The first test is how do you respond to self-evident truths. Are you correctible or do you tend to double-down, rationalize, or call into question the applicability of the Word of God to your life? Regarding the latter, "fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7), and "he who hates correction is stupid." (Proverbs 12:1) Secondly, is the objective of life honoring God in gratitude, or is it mostly about satisfying desires? The episode distinguishes God-given desires from lusts, which amount to an idolatrous pursuit of desires without regard for the honor of God and neighbor. Interestingly, the result of partaking of the divine nature is escaping "the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Peter 1:4) Eternal life is not a repudiation of God-given desires, but rather a "renegotiation" where expression of desire is subordinated to love of God and neighbor. The above 2 criteria, based on Romans 1:18-23, help believers assess where they are on the spectrum of "fooldom."
The Futility of Fooldom
This episode mostly addresses the devastating consequences of the Fall/Great Exchange on mankind himself. The Fall initiated "Fooldom," the kingdom of fools, in which mankind suppresses truth, worshipping and serving himself, rather than God. "They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible god for and image in the form of corruptible man." (Romans 1:23) Truth is replaced with a lie, the creature is worshipped instead of the Creator. The consequences of this idolatry? Both the mind and emotions of man that were designed to glorify God are now fixated on serving and protecting the new sovereign. No longer glorifying the Creator, God-given desires become self-centered lusts, and the mind is principally employed in pursuit of "the big three," "the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." (1 John 2:16) Fear, anxiety, envy, and strife mark the emotional life of idolaters competing in the rat-race of Fooldom. Solomon noted that "all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor." (Eccles.4:4) The episode finally provides the Biblical solution: Christ reverses the Great Exchange where fools ensnared in fooldom can experience the liberty of the Kingdom of God, if they would embrace Christ as King.
There’s a Fool in ALL of Us
This episode applies the discussion of "fooldom" to believers, who might contend that "suppression of the truth" is not their issue, since they have confessed Christ as Lord. While many Christians have determined to glorify God with their lives, sincerely desiring to reverse the Great Exchange (Romans 1:23), very few believers, if any, have come under the total Lordship of Christ. The flesh is sympathetic to fooldom, leading to "foolish rationalizations" instead of "foolish speculations." Partial submission is the operative detente of the flesh, which naturally rationalizes some disobedience as tolerable. After all, no one is perfect. Rationalization among Christians therefore reflects a common means of suppressing truth, requiring believers to come under the total Lordship of Christ. "Fooldom" then is relevant to believers who take sanctification seriously and want to be conformed into the image of Christ.
The Underlying Idolatry of a Fool
This episode spells out the consequences of "fooldom," where one prefers "foolish speculations" over the knowledge of God. Declaring in their hearts that "there is no God"(Psalm 14:1), the fool suppresses the available knowledge of God, speaking through creation and conscience. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, fools fill the void with futile speculations, ultimately aiming to "exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man." (Romans 1:23) Self-serving idolatry then is the objective behind the rationalizations and actions of fools, who in varying degrees, resist the knowledge of God in pursuit of their own ends and glory. A common theme of future broadcasts is that "fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) The underlying idolatry of the above "great exchange" anticipates hostile reactions to any who might correct the fool.
The Moral Descent of the Fool
This initial episode introduces the Biblical fool as someone who responds to the knowledge of God incorrectly. The "fool" in common English parlance often suggests a fool is ignorant, but not morally culpable for that ignorance. The Bible however describes a fool as one who willfully suppresses the knowledge of God, and is therefore morally defective. Romans 1:18-22 details the regression: the fool 1) suppresses the truth, 2) rejects the knowledge of God in creation 3) produces alternate futile speculations, 4) professes to be wise, when in fact, he/she is a fool. A Biblical fool then is someone who is willfully blind to "EVIDENT" knowledge that points to God, resulting in a refusal to "honor God as God and give Him thanks." Absent the plain knowledge of God, the fool is left groping for explanations that would discount the EVIDENCE. Futile speculations now testify to the spiritual darkness that has descended on the heart. The darkness brought on by willful ignorance of God culminates in self-deception, the darkness obscures the knowledge of God and the self. The fool thinks he is wise, when he is in fact, a fool.
Let Ministry Work out your Sin Issues
This final episode addresses a common reason why many Christians choose not to evangelize: they're not worthy because of sin issues, and they don't want to be hypocrites. Most Christians haven't fully given over to Christ's Lordship, and many struggle with sins "that so easily entangle." (Hebrews 12:1) The way forward is not to take an extended sabbatical from witnessing till substantial victory is realized, for few Christians ever feel sufficiently victorious. The recipe for gaining substantial victory over the flesh is Romans 13:14: "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ means so regularly identifying with Christ through reading Scripture and prayer that Christ's character and mission become part of the believer. One is then motivated to lay aside the flesh, because it clearly obstructs and hinders the vision Christ has imparted to us, that of being ambassadors. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (inhaling) naturally leads to the ministry of reconciliation (exhaling), both of which clarify our purpose and reason for existence. We then see sin for what it truly is, an obstacle to true fulfillment, and we lay it aside. The alternative, being an unemployed Christian, rarely leads to victory over the flesh. "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint." (Proverbs 29:18) Absent the invigorating power of Christ, inspiring and illuminating His plans for us, we only see the flesh. If we're going nowhere and willfully unemployed, rejecting participation in the Great Commission, we cast off restraint. We indulge the flesh even more, the paltry dividends of the lusts of deceit medicate us temporarily from loss of purpose and meaning. We settle for a substandard Christian life, where victory is always elusive and ministry is made a captive of the law of sin and death.* Clearly this latter alternative is not an option. All of us in varying degrees are called to be ministers of reconciliation, and ironically our battles with sin propel us to identify with Christ more. "Where sin abounds, grace abounds more.." Is it possible God wants to use you as a mighty evangelist, through your struggles with sin?