View source for Our own wisdom, righteousness, and strength'

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<p>&quot;Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of <br />
  you thinks he is wise by the standards of <br />
  this age, <strong>he should become a &quot;fool&quot;</strong> so <br />
  that he may become wise.&quot; 1 Cor. 3:18<br />
  <br />
  The fruit and effect of divine teaching is—to <br />
  cut in pieces, and root up all our <strong>fleshly </strong>. . .<br />
  wisdom,<br />
  strength, and<br />
  righteousness. <br />
  <br />
  God never means to patch a new piece upon <br />
  an old garment. All our wisdom, our strength, <br />
  our righteousness must be torn to pieces!<br />
  It must all be plucked up by the roots—that <br />
  a new wisdom, a new strength, and a new<br />
  righteousness may arise upon its ruins.<br />
  <br />
  But until the Lord is pleased to teach us—we <br />
  never can part with our own righteousness, <br />
  never give up our own wisdom, never abandon <br />
  our own strength. These things are a part and <br />
  parcel of ourselves—so ingrained within us—so <br />
  innate in us—so growing with our growth—that <br />
  we cannot willingly part with an atom of them <br />
  until the Lord Himself breaks them up, and <br />
  plucks them away. <br />
  <br />
  Then, as He brings into our souls some spiritual <br />
  knowledge of our own dreadful corruptions and <br />
  horrible wickedness—<strong>our righteousness</strong> crumbles <br />
  away at the divine touch.<br />
  <br />
  As He leads us to see and feel our ignorance and <br />
  folly in a thousand instances—and how unable we <br />
  are to understand anything aright but by divine <br />
  teaching—<strong>our wisdom</strong> fades away.<br />
  <br />
  As He shows us our inability to resist temptation <br />
  and overcome sin, by any exertion of our own—<strong><br />
    our strength</strong> gradually departs—and we become <br />
  like Samson, when his locks were cut off. <br />
  <br />
  Upon the ruins, then, of <strong>our own wisdom, <br />
    righteousness, and strength</strong>, does God build <br />
  up Christ's wisdom, Christ's righteousness, and <br />
  Christ's strength.<br />
  <br />
  But only so far as we are favoured with this special<br />
  teaching are we brought to pass a solemn sentence <br />
  of condemnation upon our own wisdom, strength, <br />
  and righteousness—and sincerely seek after the Lord's.
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