Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians 1:18

Graceful Thoughts IV

The word of the cross illumines our lives
The word of the cross... is the power of God.

I’ve been thinking alot about the importance of the gospel recently. Particularly I’ve been thinking about how important continuing, increasing knowledge of Jesus Christ is to our ongoing life on earth.  In the midst of this thinking, my wife read me this quote from Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington, in The Great Exchange (p.129):

“Paul declares, ‘The word of the cross is… the power of God’ (1 Cor. 1:18). What a remarkable statement! God’s almighty, supernatural power is connected to a specific ‘word’ – the message of the cross – the preaching of the great facts of Christ’s atoning sacrifice as the provision of God’s love for guilty sinners. When this gospel of Christ’s great atonement is preached, God’s miraculous power to regenerate, restore, and renew sinners is displayed in those who are saved by it.

“This is the true gospel, the only gospel that unleashes the power of God by which those dead in sin are saved from the guilt, the consequences, and the enslaving power of their sin. Therefore, Paul was ‘not ashamed of the gospel’ because this message of the cross ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek’ (Rom. 1:16). Substitute anything for the cross or add anything to the cross, whether good works or human philosophy, and the preaching is stripped of God’s power – for it is no longer God’s message. It ceases to be the gospel.”

 I liked the “word of the cross” being the power of God… may we never add to or take away what our Savior has paid for. Blessings!