Right thinking leads to right living which is why the letters in the New Testament take time, sometimes up to half the letter, to instruct us on right thinking before getting into right living. I mentioned Sunday that Paul, writing to the Church in Corinth (a city in Greece), that there is only 1 Cross but 3 ways people view the sacrificial death of Jesus on that Cross. The song (Call It Grace) says it this way... ♪ Some may call it foolish and impossible But for every heart it rescues it's a miracle ♪ In 1Corinthians 1: 22-24 we are told of these three ways of seeing the Cross, "For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." The Jews were waiting for the Savior but understood He would come in power and glory not in humility and to die on a cross like a common criminal. The Greek or Gentile were the philosophers of their day, they sought to find reason and it just wasn't reasonable that God would take on a human form and die in the place of sinners. Then we have that third group- "the Called". It is the called, from both the Jews and the Gentiles, that God would save people by calling them out from the dead. God has made it very clear that we were dead in our trespasses and sins but now made alive in Jesus. (Ephesians 2) 1Corinthians 1:30 tells us, "it is by [God's] doing that [the believer] is in Christ". What an amazing truth. Like most people, if not all, I believed that I was in Christ or became a believer because it was I that came to Him but the Bible makes it very clear that God makes the first move. He is the one goes after us. He calls us to Himself. 1Corinthians 2:14 then tells us why there is that difference, why some are being saved and others find the Cross a stumbling block (impossible) and foolish. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "People who do not have God’s Spirit do not accept the things that come from his Spirit. They think these things are foolish. They cannot understand them, because they can only be understood with the Spirit’s help." Would do you say about the Cross? As a believer, have you received the truth that it is by God's doing that you are in Christ? Receive this truth and live knowing that our salvation is eternally secure because it depends on Jesus not anything we can do or have done. Maybe today you realize that you've seen the Cross as foolishness and maybe even impossible that God would be willing to save sinners like you and me. God is not waiting for you to do something he wants you to know that while we were still sinner Jesus died for sinners. If you believe that Jesus died on that Cross for your sin and He was raised from the grave 3 days later you can be saved. God tells us that with our heart we believe and are made right with Him and with our mouth we agree with Him that Jesus is Lord and are saved. Right thinking leads to right living but not before the very life of God becomes ours. Have a great day Loved Ones and God bless you real good!
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