Tag: Christianity

The Message of the Cross (Part One)

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (NIV)

The twenty-first century is a great time to be a Christian! Though there are many challenges in a world that is increasingly anti-Christian, we have many opportunities to tell everywhere the good news of Jesus Christ. So, we should rejoice! But with the joy is the essential issue that the church must face in our time. What should the church be proclaiming in our age? Here the errors of the two previous centuries rise to trip us up. Many think the church should do anything but tell the good news.

  • Some wrongly view Christianity as a means of political revolution for oppressed people.
  • Some wrongly view Christianity as a tool to undo “social wrongs”, like poverty, homelessness, illiteracy, etc.
  • Some wrongly view Christianity as a crusade for morality.
  • Some wrongly assume that Christianity is a political movement to have an easy place to live.
  • Some wrongly think that Christianity should just shut up and go away or at least confine itself to “private” ceremonial matters, such as birth, marriage and death.

But what does God’s Word, the Bible, say that our message must be? It plainly says that the message of true Christianity is the message of the cross of Jesus Christ. God does not argue for our approval with this message nor does he say that people will like it. But he does clearly say, “This is what I want you to tell all people everywhere in every age of human history.”

The message of the cross is considered foolishness by the world (1:18). They logically, though incorrectly, reject the message of the cross as foolish because of their basic assumptions. The worldly person has a human-centered view of truth (1:22b, 20a).

  • They think that humans can and must verify anything and everything by human reason in order to be considered as true. Humanity becomes its own measuring stick. The problem is that humanity is too small and twisted to measure anything accurately.
  • They think that humanity can solve its own problems by its own wisdom. This truly is foolish. What of all the domestic violence and abuse? What of the growing dependency on drugs to cope with life’s problems? What of all the wars between people? What about the way that humanity is polluting its own world? If you stop and look at what is happening, you see how ridiculous and utterly laughable the idea that humanity can solve its own problems is. And I didn’t even mention our basic problem with our war with God!
  • The result is a very closed system from closed minds. Any message from God is deemed impossible by assumption. When people desire to suppress the knowledge of God (Romans 1:18), we should expect this situation. It should also show us that we need the power of God to break through their presupposition.

The worldly person has an experiential view of truth (1:22a; cf. Matthew 12:38-39; Mark 8:11-12; John 6:30). Their attitude is “Show me a miracle and I’ll believe!” Oh, really? Just what miracle do you think that God should do for those who mock him? What would you do to someone who was trying to humiliate you? And God has already done the greatest miracle of all, and you haven’t believed yet? Why should God do another for you to reject?

God sends us to people with these attitudes. What does he want us to tell them? Our mission is to tell them the message of the cross. They need to hear that the only way to be right with the true and living God rests on Christ and him crucified. We cannot make this appealing or acceptable to human wisdom. Yet it is this message that is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16). Are we convinced of the absolute, bottom-line truth of the message of the cross? If we are, then let us tell it to all people everywhere.

Grace and peace, David

Not an Easy Path (Part One)

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Acts 16:16-24

Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God” (16:16-17 CSB).

A few years ago, my son Trevor and I planned to hike up North and South Bubble “mountains” in Acadia National Park during a vacation trip. As we reached the far end of Jordan Pond and started our ascent, we saw a trail marker for South Bubble. There I made a serious miscalculation. “It’s only four-tenths of a mile to the top!” Right, but it was also hot, steep, and the granite path was exposed to the sun. I also was not in good physical condition. It was not an easy path, and as a result, we only climbed South Bubble.

True Christianity is a good path, since it is a saving relationship with Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. But it is not an easy path. Perhaps in the sheltered, Christianized west, it has seemed easy, but that was always more apparent than real. Had professing Christians been more zealous and faithful, we might not have wrongly assumed that it was easy.

Now we live in a rather twisted kind of intolerant pluralistic culture. We must face challenges from postmodernism, various eastern religions, and the pursuit of personal pleasure that tolerate anything except a truly Christian viewpoint. (If you doubt this, try to tell others the gospel, especially in public settings.) Christians must regain our balance and strength, so that we do not collapse on the trail. Since we are united to Christ, we will certainly follow the trail to the end in heaven, but we ought to want to be useful along the way. So, let’s look at this picture of the early church and learn from the experience of that great pathfinder, the apostle Paul.

True Christianity will always have to confront other religions and philosophies (16:16-18). In western civilization, this was not the case for many centuries, as institutional Christendom provided a Christian illusion as the dominant outlook. Under the protection of Christendom, true Christianity could influence western culture with little challenge from other religions or philosophies. This happened because of three events.

  • The “walling off” of Europe from Muslim expansionism
  • The elimination or total suppression of competing cultures in the Americas
  • The salvation of many people through great revivals, such as the Reformation and the First Great Awakening

Part of our present problem in this time of change is the need to retool our thinking. Years ago, Bob Dylan wrote a song called, “The Times They Are a Changing.” He was right, as our culture changed very quickly, but Christians did not listen. We can’t waste our time looking back at supposed “good old days”, which weren’t as good as we imagine. (Most people never read history books!) The old ways are gone forever. We must live in the culture God has permitted to develop since World War II. Therefore, we need to pray.

Usually, the church must compete in a non-Christian world for survival or expansion. This was Paul’s situation at Philippi. In God’s providence, he was breaking a new trail into the utterly non-Christian continent of Europe. When Paul, Silas, Luke and a couple others went to Philippi, they were the only Christians anywhere in the west! They were entering a new world uninfluenced by God’s Word, the Bible, and the ideas that flow from being true followers of Jesus.

Christians must be aware of various aspects of life in a culture where true Christianity is challenged. We must know the reality of the spiritual forces of evil. The Philippian slave girl in our text was under the control of a demon, and so she could do what was beyond natural human ability. True Christianity acknowledges the existence of spiritual powers that are unholy and wicked. They have power—sometimes great power (Matthew 24:24).

We must realize that wickedness will misuse truth for evil goals. What the slave said (16:17) could be heard as true, if you don’t realize her context. Her intent was mockery and disruption of Paul’s evangelistic mission. Some in our day think, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” The Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul did not share that view. God’s work must be done in God’s way (Romans 3:8; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; Titus 2:7-8

Our great need is to comprehend and lay hold of the greater power of God the Holy Spirit (16:18; cf. 1 John 4:4). This requires love of God and truth and… prayer.

Grace and peace, David