Faith is Hindered by Reliance Upon Human Wisdom

The following is from A. B. Simpson's book A Larger Christian Life:

"Faith is hindered by reliance upon human wisdom, whether our own or the wisdom of others.

"The devil's first bait to Eve was an offer of wisdom, and for this she sold her faith.  'Ye shall be as gods,' he said, 'knowing good and evil,' and from the hour she began to know she ceased to trust.

"It was the spies that lost the land of promise to Israel of old.  It was their foolish proposition to search out the land, and find out by investigation whether God had told the truth or not, that led to the awful outbreak of unbelief that shut the doors of Canaan to a whole generation.  It is very significant that the names of these spies are nearly all suggestive of human wisdom, greatness and fame.

"And so in the days of Christ, it was the bondage of the Jews to the traditions of the fathers and the opinions of men, that kept them back from receiving Him.  'How can ye believe,' He asked, 'which receive honor from men, and seek not that which cometh from God only?'

"This, today, has much to do with limitations of the church's faith.  The Bible is measured by human criticism, and the promises of God are weighed in the balance of natural probability and human reason.

"Our own wisdom is just as dangerous if it takes the place of God's simple word, and therefore, if we would trust the Lord with all our heart, we must lean not to our own understanding."