1 Corinthians 1:18–"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Before I came to Christ I had this same perspective about the cross. It was maybe nothing more than superstitious foolishness. But after I encountered Christ everything changed. The reality of this verse was brought to bear upon my life and the power of God was transfused into me through the hearing of the Gospel. I cannot now deny, though, that the cross truly is the power of God. It speaks of His greatness, His creativity, His mercy, His justice, and, ultimately, His amazing power.
O the wonderful cross!
Showing posts with label power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label power. Show all posts
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Romans 1:16–Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
This verse speaks of not being ashamed of the Gospel because we understand its power for those who would rest upon the truth of its promises. This is a good thing: to believe that Jesus is Lord and God has raised Him from the dead. But it is not enough to merely give assent to the theological assertions of the Gospel; it must be planted within our hearts for its power to take root and for lives to be transformed.
Here's the Catch-22: if we do not implant the Gospel deep within us, we will always think of it as a set of doctrinal assertions lacking any 'real' power to transform hearts and lives. Are only understanding of the power of the Gospel will be, by nature, second-hand. We will be able to see the Gospel working in other's lives, but because we have never committed to our own lives in faith, we will remain just outside the purview of experiencing the Gospel's power.
In a round-about way, that's part of what this verse is talking about. If we are embarrassed or ashamed of the Gospel we have, in the very least, affirmed a low, un-salvific view of the Gospel. This view will, in the end, prove to be self-prophesying, for as the power of the Gospel is applied through faith, if we do not have the faith overcome our own uncomfortability of the Gospel, we have, in fact, rendered the Gospel an innocuous set of theological propositions lacking any perceivable power.
But the Gospel is powerful. Therefore, if we the Gospel seems embarrassingly powerless, the issue is not the impotency of the Gospel, it is our faithlessness and doubt. The relevant solution to such a lopsided ordeal is not, it turns out, to find a 'new, more-powerful' gospel, it is to press in wholeheartedly to the Gospel to see its power for ourselves. In the end, if we find ourselves ashamed of the Gospel it is not the Gospel's fault; it is ours. It is ironic, then, that the only cure for such a spiritual malady is the Gospel!
If we find ourselves at the precarious position of feeling ashamed of the Gospel, the only tactic which will prove fruitful is to pray and seek ever more for the face of God in Christ, which is the Gospel. In this way, we will see the Gospel's power in all its glorious splendor as it is: the power of God!
This verse speaks of not being ashamed of the Gospel because we understand its power for those who would rest upon the truth of its promises. This is a good thing: to believe that Jesus is Lord and God has raised Him from the dead. But it is not enough to merely give assent to the theological assertions of the Gospel; it must be planted within our hearts for its power to take root and for lives to be transformed.
Here's the Catch-22: if we do not implant the Gospel deep within us, we will always think of it as a set of doctrinal assertions lacking any 'real' power to transform hearts and lives. Are only understanding of the power of the Gospel will be, by nature, second-hand. We will be able to see the Gospel working in other's lives, but because we have never committed to our own lives in faith, we will remain just outside the purview of experiencing the Gospel's power.
In a round-about way, that's part of what this verse is talking about. If we are embarrassed or ashamed of the Gospel we have, in the very least, affirmed a low, un-salvific view of the Gospel. This view will, in the end, prove to be self-prophesying, for as the power of the Gospel is applied through faith, if we do not have the faith overcome our own uncomfortability of the Gospel, we have, in fact, rendered the Gospel an innocuous set of theological propositions lacking any perceivable power.
But the Gospel is powerful. Therefore, if we the Gospel seems embarrassingly powerless, the issue is not the impotency of the Gospel, it is our faithlessness and doubt. The relevant solution to such a lopsided ordeal is not, it turns out, to find a 'new, more-powerful' gospel, it is to press in wholeheartedly to the Gospel to see its power for ourselves. In the end, if we find ourselves ashamed of the Gospel it is not the Gospel's fault; it is ours. It is ironic, then, that the only cure for such a spiritual malady is the Gospel!
If we find ourselves at the precarious position of feeling ashamed of the Gospel, the only tactic which will prove fruitful is to pray and seek ever more for the face of God in Christ, which is the Gospel. In this way, we will see the Gospel's power in all its glorious splendor as it is: the power of God!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Planning in order to be More Effective
My natural inclination is towards disorder and improvisation. At a very early age I was diagnosed with pretty severe ADHD which has been a huge part of who I am in this regard. One of the effects of such a personality is that I tend to be very comfortable in uncomfortable situations because. While this propensity towards pandemonium can be an asset in certain scenarios, it can also be a hindrance towards productivity. As a result, a major part of my personal growth and sanctification has been about learning how to simultaneously take advantage of my comfortability with disorder as well as how to overcome it with some intentional scheduling and focus.
Speaking from the perspective of an ardent abstract-random thinker, to concede to the benefits of being intentional would be a shock if I were to tell this to my fifteen-year-old self. Although, as it stands today, I have learned without a doubt that God wants us to be intentional about how we will use our time to ensure that it is being used for maximum effect and potency.
Normally, I would make a list of relavent Scripture passages to make the point but for this it might be best to simply point to the nature of creation put forth in Genesis 1. God created all of creation to have order and He did it with great intention. God is a good of purpose and we should take that same posture in ourselves. We should become a people of purpose and of intentionality, who do are not tossed to and fro by the tossing waves of this corporeal life, but who determine to stay true to the paths that God has set out before us. Therefore, let us determine to plan and to stick to our plans so as to be as effective and significant as we possibly can!
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