For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
New International Version (NIV)
Not everybody believes what you believe. I sat down on the plane with my Bible and commentaries in hand. The well-dressed young man by the window asked, "Why would anybody want to read the Bible? It makes no sense at all."
After Paul preached to the intelligentsia of Athens, he determined to focus on the cross when he arrived in Corinth. Even there those who prided themselves in their Greek philosophy found Paul's message strange and unbelievable. Why would God willingly divest himself of his glory and then die on the cross?
Paul saw two kinds of people. Those who were dying in their pseudo-wisdom found the message of the cross foolish. It was as though their eyes had been blinded to the truth. They could not see it. Karl Sagan's wife reportedly said, "My husband did not want to believe. He wanted to know!" But belief leads to the knowledge we long for.
Those who are being saved see the power of the cross. Spurgeon told his young preachers to cut cross-country to the cross as quickly as they could when they preached. I heard our young pastor Joshua do that in worship yesterday. God revealed his power in an instrument of death. Christ crucified and raised again possesses the power of life itself. But only those who believe see it. Do you believe?
Pray with me:
Father, give us the grace not only to see the cross but to experience the life-giving power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Grow us in your grace so that we may trust you more and more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses. You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/. As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God.
Joyfully,
Duane
Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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