Do you ever feel like people think you are a fool for being a Christian?
Does it seem like our faith does not make a lot of sense?
I have a friend who is a former Muslim. He tells me he has many more reasons to be a Muslim than a Christian.
He says, “Muslims eat better, they live moral lives, and they are often more dedicated in their faith. I only have one reason to be a Christian, and that is grace. That reason trumps all the benefits of Islam. If it is not for grace, Islam would be better.”
Grace, which tells us we meet God’s standard through faith, is not logical.
These are interesting words coming from a former Muslim.
They echo Paul’s word to the church in Corinth. He takes a message of foolishness to an audience who is pursuing wisdom, intellect, and eloquence. His message was counter-culture in every way. Many of the things the Greeks valued are similar to what we aspire to in our culture today.
The key is to allow God to determine the truth, not society and the world around us.
The gospel is foolishness in its ability to confound human wisdom and logic.
Listen to Paul’s timeless words in 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Too much eloquence actually took the focus off the gospel and put it on the messenger. This is reminiscent of his jars of clay illustration in 2 Corinthians 4 showing how God uses ordinary people.
Scripture promises people will think we are fools. The gospel is not bound by logic or human reasoning, nor the rules any culture of society hold dear. Grace breaks the rules.
Let me prove this point.
Society says:
Nothing is free.
Hard work is how you succeed.
You need to be bigger, better, faster, or stronger to succeed.
In contrast, the gospel:
Is free.
Received by faith
Growth comes when you declare your weakness.
Any wonder why the world thinks we’re nuts?
But truth is not determined by culture, God determines it. I Corinthians 1 tells us, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom (vs.25)”
This is not to say God’s plan does not work. It does.
His plan is consistent cover to cover in Scripture.
But, it is not bound by human logic or wisdom; which says do it yourself.
God says:
It pleased Him to use folly to save people (1 Cor 1: 21)
He uses the foolish to shame the wise, choosing ordinary people not superstars (vs. 26-27)
This puts the focus on Him, rather than human beings who might boast (vs. 29)
So, do you feel like a fool?
Do you think grace seems too good to be true?
If so, it means God is reprogramming you to think as He thinks.
He is rooting out the “rules” of our culture and society, rewriting our hard drive in accordance with how life really works.
What areas do we belief human logic over God’s Truth?