1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NIV — “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. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand 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 human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.””
Last week I wrote to you of how Christ is to be the center of our lives. We are to be united in who Jesus is and why Jesus came. He came to save sinners and He calls us to be about that same work. If Christ is not the center of our lives, then we lose focus and the mission suffers. So may we keep Christ the center of both OUR lives, and the center of the life of our church.
Today, we follow up with the next section of last week’s text. Paul tells the Corinthians believers that what Christ has done is both a miraculous saving work and a work that seems foolish in the eyes of the world. God being wisdom itself—the wisest of wise, the epitome of brilliance—chose to pay for humanity’s sins through having His Son nailed to a Roman cross. Now, I want to warn you. That statement is a bit of a litmus text for us; a dividing line of those who have faith and those who do not.
Look at it like this: to those of you who are saved and know Christ as your Lord and Savior, trusting in His grace and finding meaning and purpose through Jesus, there is a reaction to that statement, the statement that God paid for our sins through Jesus’ crucifixion. It could be sadness or grief because you envision the One who has saved you as suffering and because you love Him it pains you to hear it. It could cause a reaction of praise and joy and gratitude because your heart is oriented toward understanding that image to be one that means your sins are covered and there is a sort of “hallelujah” that rises up from your heart. Either way, those who have the Holy Spirit in their hearts find the statement moving and comforting.
Then, there are those who hear those words or picture that image and think,
That’s ridiculous.
That’s a myth.
That’s a story.
That’s true for those who wish to believe it but nonsense for those with real sense.
And here is my favorite reaction to the statement by the not-yet-believer, “That is foolishness. There’s no way an all-knowing, infinitely wise God would solve the problem of human sin.” These are the same people who say, “I’m not God and I can tell you right now I would never have done it that way.” That’s right. They wouldn’t have. Because we are finite, fallen, broken, and boastful, we think we know better, that we could do better, that there’s another way.
But Dear Ones, given the situation and what is required in order to be at peace with a God whose heart has been offended and broken by our sinfulness and evil, this is the way. It WOULD take the seemingly foolish, very violent, sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in order for us to be saved from perishing. The Scripture itself says it, “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” (v.18). We who know God, who have been touched by the His grace, we know this message is POWER, that the message of the cross has rescued us, pulling us out of a grave of sin and desperation. But the foolish are those who see this power as foolish. The philosopher who loves wisdom but dismisses the love of God shown through the cross as folly; the scientist who studies the nature of things but neglects the One who gave all things their nature.
And you may be wondering, why choose something like this to do this work. Of the many, many, MANY reason God has, we know from v.29 that God has done this so that none may boast; so that no one can take the credit or claim responsibility for salvation. The saving of our souls is God’s work ALONE! He…has…done it, and He alone. This is so important because the only way the work can be 100% completely and UTTERLY accomplished is if God has taken it all into His hands and fixed it all Himself. It is COMPLETELY COMPLETE because we have had no part in accomplishing the payment for our sin.
Do we have to avail ourselves of His grace, surrendering to it and submitting to God’s gift? Absolutely! The perishing are those who see God’s grace as foolish. The cross of Christ changed nothing for them because they would have none of it; because they have rejected it. The cross judges the fool, and they perish. The cross judges the wise, and they are saved. For the wise are those who accept God’s foolishness. And the fool is the one who thinks they are wiser than God.
Friends, may we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord so that He may lift us up. May we see ourselves as foolish, so that we may be saved. May we pray for the foolish, that they may accept the foolishness of the cross and look upon it with gratitude and thanks. May we today make central the foolishness of God, the glory of the cross, and worship the One who was nailed upon it…nailed upon it for you, for me; for the wise, for the foolish.
Glory be to God.
Amen.
—Pastor Whit