Message Of The Cross

For the message about 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,

  and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”   

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

                                                                           (1 Cor 1:18-24 NRSV)

I often listen to other preachers on the internet. Some are very good. Others seem to think the message of the cross is foolishness. I guess that they think that there are better things to preach about than the cross of Christ. There is, of course, morality that they can preach about and some do. But, morality will not save you. You cannot work your way into heaven by your good deeds. Getting rich is also a favorite topic; but, money cannot save your soul. You cannot buy your way into heaven. What good will money do for you when you have breathed your last breath? 

I do not care what the day is; whether it is Easter or Christmas or Pentecost or any day in between. There is only one message that I want to hear and that is that I am and you are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. There is nothing more important for any of us to hear than the proclamation of Christ crucified for you. The message of the cross is not foolishness. Wise men and women will hear it and be saved by faith. 

If you do not hear from the person who is trying to convince you to join a congregation, a fellowship, or whatever that "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor 12:3) then it would be wise for you to find a fellowship that proclaims the truth of Christ crucified for you. If Jesus is missing from the fellowship than it is nothing more than a social club. Social clubs cannot reconcile you to God our Father. Only the blood of Christ can do that.

Do not let the wisdom of the world guide you away from Christ. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into eternal life with and in Christ. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Confess Your Own Sins

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. (Luke 6:41-42 NRSV)

One of my former confirmation classes really got hung up on the commandment: "You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain." Sure they knew that they shouldn't actually use God's name to curse anyone or anything.  But, they really didn't realize how often they actually did it by the use of various slang words to replace the name of Jesus and how often they used that infamous f.... word in conjunction with the name of Jesus or how often they damned others in the name of God.

These young people were also friends. They hung out with each other not just at the church; but, at school and after school, as well. They decided they should start policing each other's vocabulary. They began coming back to me; letting me know how others in the group had sinned by using God's name wrongly.  

It was all in fun at first; but, then it got so bad that I finally had to tell them: "You do not get to confess your neighbor's sins. You only get to confess your own." 

We only get to confess our own. Unless we are called as a witness for something or have to report a crime that's been committed or about to be committed, in addition to not taking the Lord's name in vain, we do not get to confess the sins of others. We do not get to gossip. 

One means of "evangelism" that particularly bothers me is when "christians" use examples of what other people do and what they should not be doing as examples of what is not the Christian life. It is done with this reverse maneuver in an attempt to get them to understand what is an acceptable Christian life-style and how this life-style is beneficial. This sort of evangelism, where the sins of others are confessed, is not sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God for you. It is the preaching of morality. Our good works and our supposed morality will not save us. Only Jesus saves.

Confessing the sins of others to make ourselves look better than them will not save us. Plucking at the speck in our neighbor's eye will not remove the log in our own. Plucking at the speck in our neighbor's eye only reveals to the world, the log in our own. If you are willing to share the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ then share the Good News. Do not point out to everyone, their sins. Share the Good  News and let the Spirit of God do the rest.

We are not to be pointing out the speck in the eyes of others; it is probably only a reflection of the log in our own eyes, anyway. This is something all Christians might want to consider before they open their mouths to proclaim anything other than the Kingdom of God for you and for all who believe through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Morality does not save us; only Jesus saves.

God's Peace - Pr. J