I have a tendency to intellectualize things and want to make a compelling argument.
But far be it from me when God has chosen foolishness for me to make it reasonable and render it of no effect!
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
—1 Corinthians 1:21
I was not called to win debates.
I was called to preach the gospel.
“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
—1 Corinthians 2:4-5
Jesus said His sheep know His voice and they follow Him.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
—John 10:27
So, my aim is simply to speak with His voice by His Spirit to gather His Sheep to Him that He leads to good pasture in God.
If the preaching of His Anointed Word does not cause them to hear, nothing will.
If the foolishness of the gospel does not save them, nothing will.
“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.”
—1 Corinthians 1:18
The foolishness of the gospel is the God ordained means by which He chooses. It is His dividing rod. I must be careful not to modify it or corrupt it to make it suitable lest it is no longer the gospel.
I must trust God.
I must do it His way.
If I don’t, those who are “saved” by my “ministry” are not saved at all, rather they are deceived again by the deceitfully wicked heart of man.
Preach the foolish gospel.
Here it is:
God alone is good.
We sinned and thereby died, becoming instruments of death, killing and being killed, languishing in darkness, hopelessly separated from God and condemned to the same destruction of every evil thing by a good and Holy God.
But, God demonstrating His exceeding goodness and love provided a Way, while we were His enemies, that we can be with Him. Jesus is the Way.
God came Himself, to do what only He could do, taking the form of man by sending His Son to live a sinless life so that He might be the perfect sacrifice -a sacrifice infinitely greater than sheep, goats and bulls, a sacrifice sufficient for the sins of the whole world for all time. Because, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
But, God through Jesus, who having the riches of God, paid the debt and took the penalty we owe -death. God made Him who knew no sin become sin that we might become the righteousness of God.
God through Jesus provides a way of salvation from the death we are dying now and the death to come.
But, God not only had Jesus to die for us. Jesus being God laid down His life and took it up again. He was raised from the dead as the firstborn of a new creation which we become part of as a new creature when we believe.
And, this is the good news: we can be with God.
Our sin is great but God’s love is greater and God has provided a Way to be with Him for all who will accept it. Jesus is the Way.
We accept it by believing God, that Jesus is God who came in the flesh, that He is the Word, that He alone makes the truth of who God is known to us, that He died for our sin and that He was raised from the dead.
Acceptance is indicated by repenting of our sin: denouncing the world -the kingdom of darkness, forsaking it with joy in exchange for the kingdom of light, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness above all, confessing Jesus as King and Master and giving our lives to Him who in turn reconciles us to God.
When we believe God, not only does He account Jesus’ payment on the cross to our account so that our current, past and future debt is forever paid, He gives us new life, making us righteous and acceptable in the Beloved, making us instruments of life rather than death through the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead -the Holy Spirit, and by Him makes available to us all of the riches of God, including a bodily resurrection on the Last Day so we can be with God forever.
God has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes.
God has done this, not we ourselves, so it will not fail.
God did it for Himself, not for us, so His reason will never change.
God didn’t do it because we earned it, deserve it, or because of anything desirable in us, quite the contrary.
God did it because He’s just that good.
And, the good news is that we can be with God.
Repent.
Accept what God’s done.
Believe in Him who God sent: Jesus.
And, be saved.
#gospel #preaching #perfectourlove