What we know, what we don't and how to bring glory to God
"I want to know the facts. I want to know the facts as they are, not as you think they are, not as you hope they are, not as someone tells you they are." www.fac.org Have you or anyone you know said something along these lines? |
These are the most exciting words for me to hear and yet the hardest. How much of what we say or explain is fact and how much is our opinion or swayed by our opinion?
That being said how do we present the gospel or solve problems when we are sinful people swayed by our own opinion, formed mainly by our own experiences? Lets go to the Word and see if we can gain some understanding.
Paul writes, "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 it's power. " 1Cor 1:17
Later on Paul writes "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my reaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
We need to tread carefully "...lest the cross of Christ be emptied of it's power." Wow that is concerning that our "human wisdom" could do that. How do we avoid that?
Through out the upcoming chapters of Corinthians you see Pauls honesty and how humble he is. He quotes Jeremiah9:24 in 1Cor 1:31b "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." He also talks about the "rights" of Christians and how he does not "use any of these rights" 1 Cor 9:15a
Being a Christian is complicated and yet simple. The wisest don't understand and yet children get it. So where does that leave most of us? Well thankfully as a friend encouraged me with scripture, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9.
So this blog does not have a conclusion. All I can end with is that I don't have all the answers and my opinions are biased but I love my Savior and am encouaraged that He loves me and uses me. I encourage you to get to that place too.
Alanne.