A foolish message???
The apostle Paul writes,
“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....”
“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...”
“Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 18,20,22-25
Put simply God’s ways are not our ways. God could have come to earth with a lot of fan fair. He could have came out of heaven in a spectacular way, showing his power and might, showing himself to all mankind at the same time, calling all to worship him.
The result would have been that people would have worshipped him, if for no other reason than out of fear of what he could do to them.
God however did not do such a thing. I for one believe he did not do this because fear of anyone does not produce true followers.
If history has shown us anything is that people will follow a leader, at least in word, if they fear the leader enough. They will give lip service to a person they fear. While inwardly they do not like the person. God does not want these kinds of followers. God wants true followers.
During his time on earth Jesus did perform miraculous signs. Yet people around him refused to believe in him.
As for the wisdom the Geeks “non-Jews”. They were looking for a person who would do things the way they expected. They had put God in a box. One only has to look at the statues of the Greek gods to see what they expected God to be like.
The same is true today as it was in the apostle Paul’s day. Some people expect God to show himself through use of miraculous signs. Some expect God to show Himself physically.
They have a preconceived idea of what God is and expect God to conform to that expectation or they will not believe in Him.
Many say you must work your way to heaven. That if the good you do, out weighs the bad you do, you go to heaven.
Christians believe what the apostle Paul said,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Christians believe God reached down to man in the form of His one and only Son Jesus Christ. That by accepting the Grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ you get to heaven.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
God understands man is imperfect and cannot live a life pure enough to stand before Him. Man sins. Sin is falling short of God’s ideal for our life. Thus God in His wisdom sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
The apostle John states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” John 1:9-10
This is what God asks people to believe. This is what Christians ask people to believe. If we are wrong then the individual has nothing to fear however if we are right, and I believe we are, then anyone who does not believe the message of Christ, has a lot to fear.
C. S. Lewis said,
Ultimately it is up to you to decide who Jesus is.
Please think about it.
The apostle Paul writes,
“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....”
“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...”
“Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 18,20,22-25
Put simply God’s ways are not our ways. God could have come to earth with a lot of fan fair. He could have came out of heaven in a spectacular way, showing his power and might, showing himself to all mankind at the same time, calling all to worship him.
The result would have been that people would have worshipped him, if for no other reason than out of fear of what he could do to them.
God however did not do such a thing. I for one believe he did not do this because fear of anyone does not produce true followers.
If history has shown us anything is that people will follow a leader, at least in word, if they fear the leader enough. They will give lip service to a person they fear. While inwardly they do not like the person. God does not want these kinds of followers. God wants true followers.
During his time on earth Jesus did perform miraculous signs. Yet people around him refused to believe in him.
As for the wisdom the Geeks “non-Jews”. They were looking for a person who would do things the way they expected. They had put God in a box. One only has to look at the statues of the Greek gods to see what they expected God to be like.
The same is true today as it was in the apostle Paul’s day. Some people expect God to show himself through use of miraculous signs. Some expect God to show Himself physically.
They have a preconceived idea of what God is and expect God to conform to that expectation or they will not believe in Him.
Many say you must work your way to heaven. That if the good you do, out weighs the bad you do, you go to heaven.
Christians believe what the apostle Paul said,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Christians believe God reached down to man in the form of His one and only Son Jesus Christ. That by accepting the Grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ you get to heaven.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
God understands man is imperfect and cannot live a life pure enough to stand before Him. Man sins. Sin is falling short of God’s ideal for our life. Thus God in His wisdom sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
The apostle John states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” John 1:9-10
This is what God asks people to believe. This is what Christians ask people to believe. If we are wrong then the individual has nothing to fear however if we are right, and I believe we are, then anyone who does not believe the message of Christ, has a lot to fear.
C. S. Lewis said,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance,
and if true, of infinite importance.
The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
C. S. Lewis.
Ultimately it is up to you the reader that must decide as to the importance of the Christian message.Ultimately it is up to you to decide who Jesus is.
Please think about it.
