The Fool

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

—Psalm 53:1 —To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.

April begins with All Fools Day. Seems to be celebrating the people described above.

The fool is the one who is ungodly. The Psalms open with the lot of the ungodly, contrasting the end of the godly with the ungodly:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Word of God will also tell us that the world’s wise can also be celebrated today, so we are thankful for inclusivity!

1 Corinthians 1:18–29 — “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

“Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

The fool, however, does have hope. This is true whether he is considered wise in this world or not.

He must accept the counsel of God against him. He must justify God (see Luke 7:29–30) — declare God as righteous in declaring the sinner unrighteous. It is true. God is right, the Bible’s witness against you is right, and you are wrong.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: … For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”— Romans 3:10, 23

If you think that you will get by on your own righteousness and do it your way, you are that fool. The Lord Jesus Christ warned against those that would hear His word to them and not obey Him:

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” — Matthew 7:26–27

In view of the cross, where the princes of this world thought they defeated God Almighty (see 1 Corinthians 2:6–8), the word of the Lord Jesus Christ to you is this:

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” — Romans 3:19–26

Will you be the fool, the ungodly, continuing in rebellion living in your way telling God that He is wrong are you are right?

Or will you justify God, and not be the fool who built his house on the sand. Will you hear the word of the Lord and despise it? Will you reject Him that once spoke on earth, but now speaks from heaven what is accepted by God and what is despised by Him. Whatever righteousness that you think you have is vain. You are guilty. You are in your flesh ungodly. But Christ died for you, ungodly sinner:

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:6–8

God is giving grace to the ungodly, if the ungodly will only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Your own effort to establish your own righteousness will only hinder you. It will not be accepted:

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” — Romans 4:5

In this, the day of salvation, God is graciously offering salvation to any and all that will cease justifying themselves and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. The gospel of Christ that He preaches as the power of God to salvation is quite simple:

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

— 1 Corinthians 15:1–4

Stop being the fool. Believe God and be saved and be accepted by Him, in Christ!