What is needed so that God may make people, who were not wise according to the flesh, were not mighty, not noble, but were foolish, weak, base, despised, and even nothing - as 1Cor 1:26-31 describes - into saints who put to shame the wise of the world, and confound the mighty things honoured in the world (Lk 16:15)? 
What must the saints be and do so that they are made into men and women delighting God by fulfilling His Will (Jn 5:30; 15:5)? 

Let us, therefore, look at the making of women and men by the power of God! 

GOD'S INTENT FOR HIS SAINTS 
In Exodus 19 we have the lead-up to the giving of the Law at Mt Horeb. Please notice what the preincarnate Jesus Christ, as the Elohim who spoke consistently with the patriarchs and prophets, said to the gathered tribes of Israel: 

Ex 19:4-6 "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself (1Cor 10:1-5). 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. 

Rev 1:4b-6 Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come (God the Father with the New Jerusalem; Rev 21:3,22-3; 22:3-5), and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1Pet 2:3-12 you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (who is the High Priest of His Father; Heb 1:8-13.) 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture (Is 28:16), "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" (Ps 118:22), 8 and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" (Is 8:14). They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honourable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by you good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

God wants women and men who will fight the good fight of faith, who resist Satan, who abhor evil, who love what is good, and whose victories are by the righteousness of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

VIOLENCE AND INDECISION
What prevalent factors hinder the successes God's men and women should have? 

If any of us remains silent, passive, complacent in the face of evil, in the face of lies, in the face of oppression, in the face of inequity, folly, error - then what are we doing? Are we not accessories to the facts of these sins? Does God sit unmoved? 
Surely, like Christ, like the prophets and apostles, we must take a godly stand against all evils? We must use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, not grieve nor quench the Spirit (Eph 4:30; 1Th 5:19). How well do we use the sword of the word of God to cut through all that abuses and does violence to the Truth (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16; 2:16)?

Complacency produces an inevitable down-grading of Truth, whose chief elements are love, mercy, peace, faithfulness. The opposite elements are encouraged: hatreds, mercilessness and cruelties, strife of every kind, treachery, violence and warfare of every kind! And if not these, then complacency and inactivity are encouraged. Violence, and its bizarre bureaucrat, depressive inactivity, are the result of incapacity and unwillingness to resolve fundamental questions of true religion. Its catchcries are something like: "Don't scare me with the Truth! Leave me alone in my comfortable ignorance! I don't want to change. I don't want to always rely on God's power." 

Christian life challenges the false claims of society's cultural values, and condemns the ways of the world. If we walk as Jesus Christ walked, surely our visibility increases as did Christ's (1Jn 2:6; 4:17; 1Pet 2:21; Jas 4:4). Everyone claiming to be christian must exemplify all that is good, and abhor all evils (Rom 12:9,21; Ps 34:14; 37:27; Is 1:16-7). It should be very evident that inactivity and indecision are gross sins and not characteristic of Christians. 

A major example of violence in society that produces 'moral' inactivity is "free competition", i.e., the open market place, where dog eats dog! Business destroys business, or business hopes the competition will quietly go away, finds itself fading away, or is soon snapped up hungrily by something larger, more powerful, more avaricious. This is the way of Babylon (Rev 17:2; 18:3; Ezk 28:16,18). 

A basic law of violence is continuity; and the same applies to indecision. Once a person starts violence, or inactivity, he begets more of the same. It seems easier and more practical to use violence or indecision - it is a perverse armour against Truth and godly change (Eph 6:12-8). How can Christians in an age of violence and indifference survive the spiritual crises? They will continue to increase in intensity! Those who are indifferent will become more indifferent and will finally break - giving up on all Truth! The prophecies indicate such losses (Ezk 5; Is 6:13; Mt 7:21-9; Lk 18:8; see more references further along in this message). 

Rational dialogue with a violent individual, or with an inactive person, who is in a state of spiritual paralysis in indecision, is impossible. The reasons are quite evident: violence breeds more violence because violence hungers for greed and covetousness. Indecision feeds on indecision because it thirsts for its own broken cisterns (Jer 2:13) and feeds on its own unexamined delusions: 

Is 66:4-10 So I, the LORD, will choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear! 5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word: "Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My Name's sake (See Jn 16:2-3), said, 'Let the LORD be glorified (They say in blindness), that we may see your joy' (Note the irony of God contradicting their sarcasm of the faithful receiving their hope and joy). But they (the mockers and scoffers; Mt 7:21-23) shall be ashamed. 6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, who fully repays His enemies! 7 "Before she was in labour (cp. Rev 12:1-5; Is 54:1-8), she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labour, she gave birth to her children. 9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the LORD. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God. 10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her (Mt 5:4)."

The earliest accounts of human sin are in Gn 3 and 4. Indecision by Adam, violence by Cain, were fed by fear and envy. Adam had a perverse fear of God (Gn 3:10) and an inactivity in using the knowledge of God. The envy of Cain for his brother's righteousness - and they were both observing the same period of worship of supposedly honouring the same God - was father to his violence against his brother Abel, and fed his indecision to repent (Gn 4:3-11). 

Those who hate and fear search for vengeance. They reveal their early stages of raging vengeance by the bitter fruits of defamation, slander, prejudice, irrational talk about others, character assassination, and belief in lies. The apostle Paul says to us: 

Php 4:8 Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on [and decidedly do!] these things.

• Ex 18:21: capable, fear God, truthful, hate covetousness; 
• Dt 1:13,15: wise, understanding, knowledgeable, regarded as leaders; 
• Acts 6:3: good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit, having wisdom; 
• Tit 1:8-9: hospitable, lovers of good, sober-minded, righteous, holy, self-controlled, faithful in the word of God, able to exhort and convict with sound doctrine; 
• 1Tim 3:2-7: blameless, temperate, sober-minded, hospitable, able to teach, rules his children well, has good outside testimony.

Mt 5:48 You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

1Jn 2:6: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did (NIV).

Rev 14:4: they follow the Lamb wherever He goes

Rev 14:12: they keep the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus

Rev 12:17: they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.

Col 1:28-9 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily - as the apostle Paul says, but as I would put: To this end I labour, striving with every resource God presently gives me.

God's greatest gift is love (1Cor 13:13). The Love of God can never fail (1Cor 13:8). Furthermore, there is a close link between love and courage: love is the gift of God, but courage is a godly requirement each of us is must assert by voluntary decision. 

1Jn 4:17-18 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment (i.e., there is an awareness that one's Faith exhibits itself as Paul shows us:
2 Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing).

1Jn 4:17b because as He is, so are we in this world. (We live, walk, talk, think, act as He has shown us in the Gospels, in the lives of the great men and women of the Bible, and by personal revelation from the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ). 18 There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear, because fear (causes) involves torment (Doubt and painful indecision are attributes of the lack of the love which is of the Spirit). He who fears has not been made perfect in love.

2Tim 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear (Gk phobia), but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

Some quite profound examples of courage that flow from the love and faith (1Jn 5:4-5), committment to God's Truth are:

Joshua 1:5-17 (The preincarnate Jesus Christ speaks to Joshua) "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you (Heb 15:5-6). 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them (Gn 12:1-3; 15:8; 17:8). 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 "Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'" 12 To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.' 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valour, and help them, 15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise." 16 So they answered Joshua, saying, "All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you (Notice the self-delusion of most of the people of Israel as Ezkiel makes clear [Ezk 20:8-16]). Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses."

Moses' words to all Israel in the last month of his life, and just before they entered the land:

Dt 1:21 Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you: "Do not fear or be discouraged."

Dt 31:6-8 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear nor be dismayed."

More references worth reading are: Dt 30:19-20; 32:46-7; Josh 10:25; 1Sam 4:7-11; David to Solomon in the matter of building the Temple, c.970 BC, 1Chr 22:11-3; 28:20; the prophet Azariah to Asa (910-969 BC, 2Chr 15:1-9; inspired by the prophet Jehu, Jephohaphat (872-848 BC) to the leaders, 2Chr 19:1-11; Hezekiah to the military leaders, inspired by Isaiah, and with Jerusalem confronted by Sennacherib in 701 BC, 2Chr 32:6-8; also Ps 31:24; with regard to rebuilding the Temple and with overtones to the two prophets of Rev 11:1-12, Hag 2:4-5; Zec 8:9; 1Cor 16:13; Eph 6:10. All these references, and more, are God's expressions of the kind of expectation he has of us who should be about our Father's business of helping to build the Temple made of living stones, with Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone.

"THERE IS NO LEADER"
It's probable that a contributing factor to the lack of courage and decisiveness is that there is no visible leader, today, whom most people can trust, have confidence in, or be powerfully motivated by to follow in the same way Paul asked the churches to follow him (1Cor 4:16; 11:1; also Mt 16:24; Jn 10:27; 1Pet 3:13).

Ezekiel who was taken to Babylon in 597 BC, gives us this prophecy, in ch 20, in 591, four years before the utter destruction of the Temple:

Ezk 20:22-5 (He is told to preach against the holy places and against Jerusalem, 20:2; and does this apply to the church?): Nevertheless, I withdrew My hand and acted for My Name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, 24 because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers' idols. 25 Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live.

 Jeremiah was contemporary with Ezekiel:

Jer 5:1-5 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem. See now and know. Seek in her open places (squares and plazas where great men might speak) if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her. 2 Though they say, 'The LORD lives,' surely they swear falsely. 3 O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, but they have not grieved (to be brought to the decision of repentance); You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to return. 4 Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor (in discernment and understanding). They are (too) foolish (to recognise the Truth, because they have had the Truth suppressed). They do not know the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. 5 I will go to the great men (those educated in the Word, their teachers, and shepherds) and speak to them, for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God." But (all of) these have altogether broken the yoke (the yoke and burden of living like Christ; Mt 11:28-30), and have burst the bonds (Ps 2:1-3 which speaks of leaders breaking the bonds between the LORD and His Anointed, i.e., Jesus Christ).

Isa 41:27-29 (NJB) Firstfruits of Zion, look, here they come (i.e., those who can foretell of the events to come [see vv 21-26]). I send a messenger to Jerusalem, and look - no one, not a single counsellor among them who, if asked, could give an answer. Taken together they are nothingness, what they did is nothing, their statues, wind and emptiness.

Isa 59:15-20 Good faith has vanished;
anyone abstaining from evil is victimised.
Yahweh saw this and was displeased
that there was no one
and wondered there was no one to intervene.
So He made His own arm His mainstay, 
His own saving justice His support.
He put on saving justice like a breastplate,
on His head the helmet of salvation (see Eph 6:13-17).
He put on the clothes of vengeance like a tunic
and wrapped Himself in jealousy like a cloak (Zech 8:1-3).
To each He repays his due,
retribution to His enemies, reprisals to His foes,
to the coasts and islands He will repay their due.
From the west, Yahweh's name will be feared,
and from the east, His glory (Mt 24:27),
for He will come like a pent-up stream
impelled by the breath of Yahweh.
Then for Zion will come the Redeemer,
for those who stop rebelling in Jacob (NKJ: those who turn from transgression),
declares Yahweh.

Zech 10:1-3 Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain, the LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone. 2 For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; they are in trouble because there is no shepherd. 3 "My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the goatherds. For the LORD of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah (Rm 2:28-9), and will make them as His royal horse in the battle."

Jer 3:14-15 "Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion (see Jn 10:16). 15 I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."

FINAL DEFEAT OF COMPLACENCY
But the this personal responsibility has a mighty enemy: complacency!
The prophet Zephaniah, contemporary with Nahum and Jeremiah, contemporary with King Josiah (ruled 640-609 BC), begins in chapter 1 by speaking about the Day of the LORD, and says:

Zeph 1:12 It shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, "The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil."

This kind of attitude is prophesied as being prevalent in times of great stress, and is suggested in questions such as: "Where is the promise of His Coming?" (2Pet 3;4); "My Lord delays His Coming! (Mt 24:48). The parable of the 10 virgins suggests that complacency is a major problem in the end; as does Jesus question in Lk 18:8: Will I find faith in the earth when I come?

The following is required to overcome complacency:

Mt 22:36-40 "Teacher (a lawyer asked Jesus Christ), which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus said to him, '"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart (i.e., with all your emotional power and psychological resources), with all your soul (i.e., with all the fibre of your being; with all your human resources, efforts, and gifts), and with all your mind (i.e., with all your intellect; with all the gifts of the mind given you).' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And second is similar: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

2Cor 7:10-11 For godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and is not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces (a slow) death. 11 For observe this very thing: you sorrowed in a godly manner: what diligence it produced in you, what clearing what of yourselves, what indignation, what fear (godly fear; reverence for God), what vehement desire (to be clean before God), what zeal (for righteousness and all truth), what vindication!

Job 38:1-3 The LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you will answer Me".

Job 40:1-8 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: 2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer." 3 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 4 "Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5 I have spoken once, but I will not answer. Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further." ('I really don't know what to say to You to give You an answer that answers Your questions. Help me!') 6 The LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 7 "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: 8 Would you indeed nullify My judgment (You don't like what I'm doing. You give your own judgment about what I'm doing! Why do you still hold onto your own perceptions of Me?)? Would you condemn me that you may be justified?"

Job 42:1-7 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours (which is always good) can be withheld from You. 3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 Listen, please, and let me speak (Notice the boldness before the Judgment Seat); 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.' 5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees (rightly perceives) You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." 7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."