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For Christ did not send
me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech,
that the cross of Christ should not be made void. For the word of the
cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God.
-1 Corinthians 1:17-18
The power of God, demonstrated most
fully in the cross of Jesus Christ, should be impressive to men. After
all, man
has always been impressed with power. Whether physically, politically,
financially, militarily, or spiritually, there is something compelling
to man about the search for, acquisition of, and demonstration of power.
The message of the world is that power is good and weakness is bad.
Power is proof that you are a winner while weakness is proof you are a
loser. The one with the power calls the shots and, in essence,
determines that the outcome of things most important to him will
ultimately end in his favor. Gaining power, or being affiliated with
those who have it, therefore, is the goal. Can you say,
"recount?"
Presidential elections aside, many
religions have sought to gain power or acquire powers that would not
only set them apart from the masses but also help to prove to themselves
and others that they are truly godly. Some, perhaps, are those whose
bottom-line trust is in Christ and Christ alone but others are false
prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing after nothing more than the
praise of men and the temporary rewards of this world.
All this chasing after power, however,
is chasing after the wind in terms of the faith of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. It is rooted in unbelief and a seemingly insatiable need for
tangible, visible, observable proof that takes precedent over the plain
testimony of word of God. It is feelings-based rather than truth-based.
It places subjective experience over the objective facts of Scripture.
Rather than taking God at His word, it challenges Him to prove himself
by giving us a good show. Why are we always looking for something more
than we already have in Christ (Gal. 3:3)?:
For in Him all the fulness of Deity
dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He
is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also
circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of
the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried
with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through
faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And
when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us
all our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He
has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He
had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of
them, having triumphed over them through Him
(Colossians 2:9-15, NAS).
Now that is power! Read these verses
again and notice all that God has already accomplished for you through
Christ through the cross. Notice as well that, through faith in His
work, not your works, you have participated in the working of
God. In demonstrating His power through the cross you were his
"lovely assistant!" You were part of the demonstration. But
instead of being sawed in half, you were nailed to the tree, buried, and
then raised up with Him as a new creation alive in Christ! Ta-daaaaah!
Let’s see Doug Henning, Simon the magician, or Pharoah’s sorcerers
pull that rabbit out of their hat!
Do you want to "see" the
pinnacle of all power that has ever been demonstrated? Do you want to
"know" the power of God that shows all other "power"
to be power-less? Then step right up to the epistles of Paul because in
them is revealed to us the word of the cross. In them is unveiled the
glorious details of the greatest act of power that has ever or will ever
be demonstrated and witnessed. My friend, who alone has the power to
reconcile the world unto Himself, not counting their trespasses against
them (2 Cor. 5:19)? Who alone has the power to be both just and the
justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:26)? Who alone has
the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:7)? Who alone has the power to reckon
an ungodly man righteous apart from works (Rom. 4:5)? And, who alone has
the power to raise the dead to new life and then seat them in the
heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:5-6)? We have all these spiritual
blessings and more through the unfathomable power of the cross of Jesus
Christ. Nuff said?
You may ask though, "How can I see
power that is merely written in black ink on white paper?" Friend,
it is seen "by faith, not by (physical) sight" (2
Cor. 5:7). It is through the Holy Spirit’s revelation of the written
Word that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the
riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the
surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are
in accordance with the working of His might which He brought
about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His
right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in
this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in
subjection under His feet, and gave as head over all things to the
church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in
all" (Ephesians 1:18-23).
Want to see some real power? Then look
no further than the cross of Jesus Christ. Don’t look forward in
anticipation of something God is going to do. First and foremost, look
back at what He has done. The word, the message, the testimony of the
cross IS the power of God. Here is where all the power you will ever
need to smell, taste, touch, hear, or see can be found anytime through
simple faith. In it, the gospel itself, there is inherent, supernatural
power that is personified in Christ himself. He is the gospel, both the
subject and the substance of it and the gospel is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16)...and one day, all
mankind will joyfully acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Step right this way and
see the power of God!
Love,
John
Moneypenny
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