The Conquest of the Cross
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24 NASB)
Sometimes our attention can be distracted by how individuals react negatively to God’s power, the word of the cross and Christ crucified at the expense of the positive working of this power in others. Preaching Christ crucified is not aimed to prove itself as a stumbling block or to appear as foolish. No we are told these realities so that we might understand that the preaching of Christ crucified is a entity of power taking place every Sunday morning in our churches or in the tents of evangelism or along the trails of missions into the jungles and wilderness of virgin lands new to the Gospel.
The preaching of Christ has an effect on everyone who hears…it elicits a response. We see too that its work is no discerner of ethnicity, race, sex or even religious heritage. To preach Christ crucified is power and the wisdom of God for His called…His church.
This means that the preaching of Christ crucified to those who are the called is not only a life giving power, it is also a life living power. Christ crucified becomes then the way of life. Christ crucified is the power of God for this earthly life unto eternal life. Christ crucified is the wisdom of God for His people. It is therefore, wisdom granted unto His people to live life. Christ crucified becomes extremely and intimately practical for the true believer. We don’t live life on our own by our own. Not in the least. We are as Paul says, to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This power and the wisdom are the sources of this transformation to take place.
Common sense would bring us to conclude as well that preaching Christ crucified is a constant necessity for God’s people to hear. Much like the passengers in a pressurized airliner depend upon the constant provision of pressurized air flowing into the cabin, so too believers are dependent upon the constant life giving flow of God’s power and wisdom for their lives through the preaching of Christ crucified. To try and live otherwise, can only lead to spiritual depravation and even spiritual death.
Lord, I thank you for this power and wisdom given to me through the Gospel message. May I always look to and sit at Your feet. Jesus keep me near the cross, there a precious fountain, free to all who healing stream, flows from Calvary’s mountain.
