“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
It can be appalling to me sometimes, the way that people make jokes about Christianity or about God himself. I just can’t comprehend how someone could say a thing so terrible. Paul reminds us here though, that for people who don’t believe, this whole Christianity thing is just a big joke. They can make jokes about it because it’s no more real to them than a unicorn or a leprechaun. But the wording of Paul’s reminder is important. He says that the gospel is folly to “those who are perishing.” That brings a new light to the situation.
It’s not just that people don’t believe, that they think it’s funny or made up or stupid. Their biggest problem isn’t their attitude. They are perishing. Their lives are being spent up, and there is no eternity in heaven waiting for them. Day by day they get closer to their end. Some may be tempted to think of this as a fitting punishment, what they deserve for the way they talk about Jesus. I urge you not to fall into the temptation of self-righteousness that condemns such people. I urge you to have compassion.
Paul says that for us, “those who are being saved,” the gospel is the power of God in our lives. The difference isn’t that we’re good and they’re bad. The difference is that we’re being saved and that they aren’t. We all deserve the same thing. We’re all sinners. But we have the blessing of the knowledge of the truth of Jesus, by which we are saved. They don’t. In fact, they’ve been led to believe that the truth is actually a lie, a folly.
It is up to us who know the truth to share it. It may seem foolish to them, but take heart in knowing that the gospel is the power of God and it is working through you. Don’t give up. Don’t stop loving those people. Don’t stop trying to tell them the good news. The consequences are dire. They are perishing. It is up to us who are being saved to help them.
Prayer:
Father,
Let me be patient with those who speak all kinds of slander against you in their ignorance. They don’t know the truth. They don’t realize what they’re doing. Give me the power of your Holy Spirit to share your truth with those who are perishing. Let them see you and come to know you through Jesus, and let them be saved.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
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