“The Gospel-
God’s Salvation Plan”
I Corinthians
1:17-24
17)
For Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18)
For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved it is the power of God.
19)
For it is
written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent.
20)
Where is the
wise? where is the scribe? where
is the disputer of this world? hath not God made
foolish the wisdom of this world?
21)
For after
that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22)
For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23)
But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and
unto the Greeks foolishness;
24)
But unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom
of God.
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eeing
man’s condition, the Lord obviously knew the need for salvation and therefore
provided for it. Often, men have a problem with accepting the gospel in its
entirety (that is, all that eh death, burial and resurrection of Jesus implies). This arises when we feel that it is up to us to
decide if we agree with what the Lord had deemed necessary. Obviously, all that
the Lord has put before us is necessary or it would not be offered. He presents
a “choice” only in the sense that He allows us to decide if we will be saved by
obeying Him or unsaved by following our own way.
It
is the principles of man which often determine his willingness to do as “thus saith the Lord.” Meaning, his willingness to accept
biblical salvation is largely determined by what someone else believed and
taught him. Well, the fact is that one either accepts God’s plan of salvation,
or he cannot be saved” for the church does not stand on man or his principles,
but on “Jesus only.” The sacrifice of Jesus is the Foundation upon which
redemption is built. How then, can one who does not preach Jesus have anything
valid to preach?
When
truth is rejected, we will look for something else—and that which is not the
truth is a lie! Therefore, in rejecting truth, we effectively sign our own
“death warrant” because scripture warns that the devil will send a strong
delusion.
The
one plan of salvation that God has authored dictates that a human being must be
born again to get rid of sin. He must be born spiritually because sin is in the
flesh and therefore, it (flesh) can never be sanctified. Simply joining a
church does not confer upon one new life, for God’s plan involves a change—a
discernible change in the life of the individual. Only the Holy Ghost can
change one from being an enemy of Christ to being a friend.
Perhaps
one of the most frequently asked questions and excuse for not being saved is
why many who have been saved continue to commit sin. This excuse is often used
as justification for one’s own sin. We must understand that if anyone desires
to accomplish the will of God, he must allow the Lord control of his life.
Having His power yet not allowing Him control ensures that one will act the
same after salvation as before.
Not
enough can be said about the role of preachers in leading men astray. It is
easy to profess being a minister of God, but quite another to be willing to
base one’s every word on the truth. Far too many are actively preaching what is
neither true nor truth; and they must deal with the fact that preaching less
than the truth for purposes of luring members will never work. For once the
decision is made to adopt a standard, the people, when confronted with truth,
will run.
Across
the board, the only word which counts is the Word of God—the Bible. Therefore,
if what we speak, stand and act upon is the Bible, what we say will count. No
matter how we feel, the Word of God must be followed, for doing this is the
only thing which will bring results in the life of the believer.
Usually,
above all else, men will assent that no one is perfect and no one is sinless,
but once God commands and demands both, how can we get around them? Salvation
is granted that we might have the power to be free from the bondage of sin. If,
therefore, we choose to remain bound, of what use is salvation? Everything the
Lord does has specific intent and purposed, so how can compliance with His
commands be ignored?
Praise
is to naturally manifest itself in the life of one who has followed “God’s
salvation plan.” When we fail to produce it, we must realize we are failing to
fulfill an obligation to Him. Alone with this truth is the fact that salvation
requires denying the flesh. If one hears anything other than this presented as
truth, you can rest assure that salvation is neither being preached, nor
offered.
Our
responsibility is to get saved and stay saved. We must accept God’s Word as
God’s law, thereby helping others understand that believing one is teaching
truth is not enough. If you are in error you will find yourself opposing the