In this passage of Scripture, Paul talks about what we believe: Christ Crucified. He explains that this was difficult for the people of his time, both Jewish and Greek. He says that the Jews want signs and the Greeks want wisdom, and that with Christ Crucified we have neither.We have no sign, only faith, to tell us that Christ Jesus was crucified, and with his Crucifixion there is no secret wisdom. There is just the knowledge that our sins are forgiven!
Paul then goes on to talk about who God calls. He tells his audience that most of them are not wise, nor are they born of noble birth or power, yet God called them because they believed in the simple story that Jesus came into the world, lived among us, died at the hands of angry and sinful men, and was raised from the dead. In addition, they believed that through this they had forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. This was good news for these who had little by worldly standards. And the reason God did this, according to Paul, is to shame the wise and the powerful by offering something greater then they have to offer to much simpler people.
"1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 1:28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 1:29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God."
The worst that God has to offer is much greater then the best that those in the world have to offer. We would do well to remember this! Nothing we do is good enough to earn us a spot with the Crucified Christ, yet we are there with him, by the grace of God. What we have from God is more then we can give to ourselves; it is more then church leaders or national politicians can give. And it is our for the taking. All we need to do is have faith in Jesus Christ, and him crucified! Thanks be to God!
No comments:
Post a Comment