The Conquest of the Cross
For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB)
The message of the cross has two diametrically opposed effects as it strikes the hearts of its hearers. To one party it holds nothing but what appears as foolish talk and to the other it is the message of hope and power of God for life. Why would the same message gain such entirely different receptions?
It would be wise for all of us, but especially preachers and the spiritual leaders in our churches to appreciate what takes place every Sunday morning in our sanctuaries when the message of the cross is preached. The word of the cross has a dividing effect upon people in our fellowships of tares and wheat.
Some dear souls leave worship in disgust and anger on a Sunday morning cloaked behind a forced smile. They don’t want to hear about the cross on a regular basis. They prefer to hear about themselves, their good works. They want to be thanked for their offering, to be built up in their human accomplishments and comforted in their social status. The word of the cross is too confrontational to have to sit and listen to it week after week. It makes them uneasy.
The message of the cross deals with sin…our sin. The cross reminds us of our need for something needing to be done about our sin. The cross leaves no allowance for prideful, human accomplishments nor will it accommodate the self inflated ego. There is nothing a person can do that remotely compares to what Christ did not the cross. We are not even qualified for that work, even if we were able to.
On the other hand, there are those who leave in jubilant celebration those Sunday morns when the old, old story has been told again. They never grow tired of the word of the cross. Such folk prefer to stick around the fellowship of the cross and return as soon as possible, to be built up more in the power of the word of the cross. There is sincerity in their smile. Their eyes might be rimmed with the wetness of tears…tears of joy and of appreciation. There is also the brightness of life in their eyes…the life of sweet comfort and consolation from the powerful word of the cross over sin. Their voice is confident and their spirit holds assurance, because the word of the cross is the power of God – they are saved. This power is the source from which they draw daily life.
Why the difference? In the close fellowships of our churches we may not be comfortable with the answer, especially when it cuts through family lines or into clusters of long time earthly friendships. The reason: some are perishing and some are saved. Could it be that simple?
