Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Wisdom from God
It's tempting to think that if you are a Christian, you should have fewer problems in life, less sickness, fewer struggles, and more success. This false approach to the Bible has been called the theology of glory, because it begins with the assumption that God always wants his message and his people to look visibly glorious. What the Bible actually teaches is something Martin Luther called the theology of the cross. Luther noticed that in the Bible God routinely hides his wisdom and power behind a guise of foolishness and weakness. The cross of Jesus is the most notable example. When the world looked at the cross they saw Jesus looking foolish, weak, and lowly. They couldn't see what was really happening. By his suffering and death, Jesus paid for the sins of the world. In what looked like the world's darkest moment, God was working the divine wisdom and power of his forgiveness.
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the apostle Paul wrote, the weak things to shame the strong, the lowly and despised things, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are. What was true for Jesus is also true of his followers. Believers in Jesus may at times feel like they are beaten and hopeless. We may feel weak and foolish. But in spite of what we see, God has chosen believers to be his own, and he works through us to bring his message of life to the world.
Why does God work in such a strange way? Why does he use the theology of the cross when he could use the theology of glory? God's Word answers that question when it says, so that no one may boast before him. The goal is that we are empowered to join our hearts with that of the hymn writer who said: “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.”
Do you ever feel sad, weak, lonely? Use those times to glorify God who rescued you from sin through Jesus. Let his glory shine through your weakness. In other words, Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, in times when I feel weak and foolish, help me to boast in the cross of Jesus. Amen.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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