FOOLISHNESS

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. —I Corinthians 1:18
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. —I Corinthians 2:14

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. —I Corinthians 3:19

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. —I Corinthians 6:9-10

The world we live in promotes sexual immorality. Many people don’t even believe that deviate sexual activity is deviate anymore. It is being accepted as normal— homosexuality, sex before marriage, adultery are all being seen as a normal part of life and not immoral. Greed is also promoted through state sponsored gambling and few have a problem with it. People not only see no problem with drinking, but now drug use is being encouraged normal.

Jesus came to save people from their sin which is so offensive before a Holy God. He hates sin and cannot have anything to do with it. He is perfect and we have to be perfect to know Him, serve Him and be with Him in heaven when we die. Jesus dying on the cross for our sins made it possible for us to turn (repent) from our sins, be forgiven and be made perfect in Jesus, not in ourselves in what we do, but in Jesus and what He has done for us.

To share what Jesus did at the cross sounds foolish to those who do not know Him. “How does somebody dying on a cross 2,000 years ago affects me today”, they think. They do not get it, but we who have been saved do get it. What took place at the cross is powerful. When we trust the finished work of Jesus on the cross not only is our sin forgiven, but God gives us His righteousness. We are clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. When God sees the person who has trusted His Son He sees His Son’s righteousness and not our sinfulness. That is the only way a person can know God, serve God and be with Him in heaven after death. No amount of good works or deed can make us right before God. Only trusting Jesus does that. Then out of the gratitude of our hearts for Him saving us, then we serve Him.

All this is foolishness to the person who does not have the Holy Spirit and that person clings to the foolishness of worldly wisdom. Only when the Lord God Almighty causes light to shine into a person’s life can they truly understand what He has done for them. Otherwise, they will just be caught up in the immorality of this world. Oh, that many would come to truly understand what Jesus has done for them.

Dear Father, may You be pleased to shine Your Light into the lives of those people we share the gospel with. Only You can save a person from their sin as they trust the Lord Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross. Thank You for allowing me to know Jesus and how wonderful He is!