Bible Reading – 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, Romans 1:16-17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 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.
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Devotion
In the church at Corinth, many people had begun to focus on personalities rather than on the message of Christ. There was division in the church as people identified with Paul, Apollos, or Cephas. The Gospel they preached unified the church. Paul is calling the church back to the simple message of the Gospel. Paul is making an appeal to the church regarding the supremacy of Christ.
Paul goes on to explain how the message of the cross divides the saved from the unsaved. This message of the cross should in fact unite believers. Jesus called Himself a divider of men. To those who have not accepted His message, the cross is foolishness. They do not understand it, so they refuse to accept it. For believers, the message of the cross is the power of God. The cross of Christ divides the world, but it does not divide the church.
In Romans, Paul proclaims that the message of the cross has the power to save souls. Of course, the condition for this salvation always centers on faith. Those who put their faith in the person and work of Christ get to experience the life-changing power of the Gospel. Not only are we saved by this Gospel, but we are called to be Christ’s ambassadors and to proclaim this Good News far and wide!
The Big Question
How are you proclaiming the Good News of Jesus in your home? Neighborhood? Workplace? In the World? Why is the message of the cross foolishness to those who are perishing? How has the Gospel changed your life? In what ways have you experienced the power of God in your life?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.