Foolishness Or Truth??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #437

It seems that we live in a culture (the whole world) that clings to anything they want to call truth, yet Biblical truth seems to be excluded from acceptable conversation—in both interpersonal and public situations.  Well, I want us to consider what scripture says about the Gospel—scripture reminds us that the world will call preaching Jesus foolish!  What do you call it?  Do you know what the gospel is?  I would like to spend some time today sharing the Gospel from a scriptural perspective.  I hope you will find it helpful; and also that you will receive it to your heart, if you haven’t already been born again.

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am

the way,

the truth, and

the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6

Jesus shared this truth with His disciples as He was about to leave this world, and He assured them that He would return; and while they didn’t understand it as He spoke to them then, for the most part, they later gave their very lives in defense of this truth.  Jesus also shared truth with a religious leader named Nicodemus.

“For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son

into the world to condemn the world;

but that the world through him

might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name of the only begotten

Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.”  John 3:16-19

Jesus makes it clear—it’s your choice!  You can believe and receive His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice that He made on the cross of Calvary, for He died in my place and yours—but only for those who see our sin and turn to Him with a repentant heart and receive His amazing gift of eternal life and forgiveness of our sin. (See Colossians 1;14) For sin, my friend, is the issue.  Will you receive Jesus’ gift of life and forgiveness, or will you pay for your own sin and be condemned to hell?  It’s your choice but choose wisely, there is a test, and Jesus is coming again soon!  Paul made this most clear in his letter to the believers at Rome.

“For all have sinned,

and come short

of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

“But now being made free from sin,

and become servants to God,

ye have your fruit unto holiness,

and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death;

but the gift of God is eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:22-23

The truth of the Gospel IS JESUS—His death burial and resurrection to pay for the sin of all who will come to Him.  The check has been written; the choice of belief and receipt is in your hands!  But you must choose!  You are choosing each and every day that you wait to decide, every day that you put it off until a tomorrow that may or may not come.  Will you be saved today?  Peter told a massive gathering in Jerusalem shortly after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, that they had to choose to be saved or stay lost! (the “man” who was standing before the crowd was a man healed in Jesus’ name.)

“Be it known unto you all,

and to all the people of Israel,

that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

whom ye crucified,

whom God raised from the dead,

even by him doth this man

stand here before you whole.

11 This is the stone which was set at nought

of you builders,

which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name

under heaven

given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:10-12

How amazing that Peter proclaimed the Gospel that Jesus is the only way of salvation—the only way to be saved; and Paul also gives us the Gospel in a nutshell (you might say!)

“For I delivered unto you

first of all that which I also received,

how that Christ died

for our sins

according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred

brethren at once;

of whom the greater part remain

unto this present,

but some are fallen asleep.”  1 Corinthians 15:3-6

So, if we sum it up, what is the Gospel?  Simply put, that Jesus (the one born of a virgin that He might “…save His people from their sins…”) lived a sinless life, died a death which He didn’t deserve for your sin and mine, that He was buried and laid in the borrowed tomb for 3 days, then He rose on the third day victorious over sin, death and hell for all who will believe and receive Him.  All of this done “according to the scriptures” which God made known thousands of years before it was fulfilled!  For God always keeps HIS WORD, in His time!

So, how are we to get the message out?  Not entertainment, or catchy phrases, or any way of man!  Paul made it clear—and I still believe God’s way is God’s way!

“For Christ sent me not to baptize,

but to preach the gospel:

not with wisdom of words,

lest the cross of Christ should be

made of none effect.

18 For the preaching of the cross

is to them that perish foolishness;

but unto us which are saved

it is the power of God.

19 For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and will bring to nothing the understanding

of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise?

where is the scribe?

where is the disputer of this world?

hath not God made foolish

the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God

the world by wisdom knew not God,

it pleased God

by the foolishness of preaching

to save them that believe.”  1 Corinthians 1:17-21

God chose preaching!  So what is that?  Telling the truth of the Gospel just as Paul shared above—that Jesus died “for our sins…according to the scripture…”; that He “was buried”; and that HE “rose again the third day… according to the scripture”!  Jesus IS the Gospel!  What’s your gospel?  May we go forth sharing the truth of what Jesus did to save sinners—the Gospel shared by “preaching”—that which the world (and oft-times even the church) disdains as ineffective!  But God chose this way!  May we be found to be faithful witnesses of the truth of The Gospel—and preaching means ‘telling forth’.

In closing, a portion of one of my favorite passages about what Jesus did!  I pray that you will be moved to trust God and His salvation which Jesus accomplished for you and me on the cross!

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith

into this grace wherein we stand,

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God…

…5 And hope maketh not ashamed;

because the love of God is shed abroad

in our hearts

by the Holy Ghost

which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without strength,

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man

some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

9 Much more then,

being now justified by his blood,

we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God

by the death of his Son,

much more,

being reconciled,

we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now

received the atonement.”                         Portions of Romans 5:1-11

(I encourage you to read this entire chapter—in fact the book of Romans would be a great way to start your year!)

May we be faithful to share God’s truth, God’s way!!!

Amen and Amen!!!