Unaided by the Holy Spirit, the world cannot grasp the eternal significance of knowing Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ. It seems such an absurd notion to them, mortals in a relationship with the invisible Creator God. Surely, the world would argue, to claim a real relationship with a God who lives separate from His creation is foolishness at the highest level.
The world wrongly assumes God to be like them, reasoning as they reason, and operating as they operate. But no! God reveals Himself to be uniquely holy and different to mankind. As Solomon prayed, O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath… (1 Kings 8:23. Cf. Isaiah 55:8-9). Plus, Yahweh declares Himself to be separated from the sin which mankind loves so passionately (Habakkuk 1:13). When forced to consider God, proud humanity simply does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God” (Psalm 10:4. Cf. Psalm 14:1).
Therefore, the apostle Paul explains that a person needs to become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). When God chose us for salvation, God chose what is foolish in the world… God chose what is weak in the world… God chose what is low and despised in the world. That’s us. Before salvation, we were the foolish, the weak, the low, and the despised.
But now, because of God, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:27-30). On the Cross, Jesus became all the things God required of us, but we were incapable of. Think of this for a moment. On our behalf, Jesus became wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The very things we sinners thought of as foolish and inconsequential, Jesus became as our substitute.
This is why Paul delivered to the Corinthians that which was of first importance, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Peter turns up the volume by adding, Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
This is the gospel which the world energetically rejects. But it is, none the less, the only gospel which brings sinners’ forgiveness and acceptance before Holy God. This is why God declares that salvation depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy (Romans 9:16). Paul amplifies this truth to the Ephesians, by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God… (Ephesians 2:8). Following Pentecost, Peter boldly declared to the Jewish leaders, there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
At the very least, these truths magnify Christ’s Glorious Gospel. Indeed, Christ is beyond compare! In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). All glory and praise to God. May the Lord flood our souls with worshipful thoughts and words today. Let others hear of the hope that exists in Jesus Christ. Let those who are timid in faith hear of the available strength in Christ through our words, in the tone of our voice, and see it in our smiles today.
