Pity the Fool

Pity the Fool

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it's the power of God." I Corinthians 1:18(NIV)

What is the cross? In biblical times, it was just a couple old pieces of wood that were used to built a torture device. They punished criminals by nailing them on a wooden cross and raising it up off the ground and basically suffocating them.

The cross was nothing, until the son of God was placed on it. Now the cross is a symbol for us Christians to remind us of grace, our salvation, of the power of God. The cross without Jesus is nothing than wood, with Jesus the message of the cross showed us all the power of God.

The power to forgive sins, to defeat death and hell, and give us hope of eternal life. Before Jesus, people merely had to make sacrifices in order to cover their sins, after Jesus the price was paid once and for all. To those of us who have accepted this gift, we understand that only God has the power to forgive sins and give us eternal life.

To people who aren't saved and do not know God or who have not accepted this gift of salvation from God through Jesus, it's foolish, it's silly, it's stupid, or it's a waste of time.

People who feel they have no need for God don't want to waste their time going to church or trying to learn about Jesus. But, the key to remember is just because you reject Jesus doesn't make him any less real. Just because you think church is a waste of your time, doesn't mean you're not wasting your time by not going. Just because you think christianity is foolish, doesn't mean you aren't the true fool.

As christians, we have to live our lives in such a way that people see that christianity isn't foolish. When we are extreme in our religion, dogmatic, legalistic, judgemental, or ignorant, unfortuntely we make God and the church look that way, that's why many people think christianity is foolish. We have to show people it's real, life changing, transforming, and that God is power, real, and relevant.

The cross is not foolish, because to those of us who have experienced the grace of God, it's the most powerful, life-changing, thing that should ever happen to us. Jesus didn't die on the cross for your church, your opinions, or traditions, or anything else. He died for our sins. He died for ALL. God has power over life and death.

That does not mean we'll be perfect, never struggle, or life will always be peachy. It does mean our sins our forgiven, we have hope of eternal life, and we have victory over death if we remain faithful and continue to grow in our faith. If we can do that, hopefully we can show those around us that Christ and the cross isn't foolish, but the power of God on display.