Remembered Grace - Pt 3

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ESV). In America there’s a ridge running up and down the Rocky Mountains called the Continental Divide. Any water that falls on this ridge has to go one way or the other. A raindrop may fall on this ridge and if it trickles to the west it ends up in the Pacific Ocean. The next drop may fall on that very same place and trickle off to the east. It will end up in the Atlantic Ocean. Consecutive drops of water will fall on same ridge, but eventually thousands of miles will separate them. That’s what the cross does to the whole human race. We are all divided into only two camps heading to only two destinations. Remember that Paul lists only two kinds of people: those who are perishing and those who are being saved. Perishing is a word we use to describe food going bad, just left to decay. When the way of all things takes its course, the food perishes. The bible says we’re like that. This world is like that. Keep the clock ticking and this world will run down and decay. And you will run down and decay. It’s the way of all flesh. We have a blue spruce in our front yard. For many this is the Christmas tree they go to buy at their local supplier in November or December. They are always fresh and green and smelling great. But unlike the tree we have planted, these have been cut down, wrenched from its life source and taken away from its natural habitat. The moment that tree was cut down it started perishing. It still looks great on the outside. All through Christmas it gets dressed up in beautiful decorations, brought into the warmth, surrounded by family and celebrations. But it’s perishing. It starts dropping needles, and turning a little brown. Never mind, we vacuum the decay and keep celebrating. But then at some point in January, we throw this dry, decaying, lifeless firewood onto the rubbish heap. That’s us. Perishing! And the clock is ticking. Oh we can pretty ourselves up. Like a Christmas tree, we can adorn ourselves with all sorts of good looks and good works. We can surround ourselves with family and celebrations, but we’re perishing. We have no life in us. And we’re destined for the rubbish heap. But there’s another kind of human being. There are those being saved. There are those lifted out of this perishing condition. The world is not ultimately divided into rich and poor. It’s not ultimately divided into East and West. It’s not ultimately divided into left-wing, right-wing. It’s not ultimately divided into black and white. It’s not divided into religious-types and non-religious types. The world is not ultimately divided into good people and bad people. That’s irrelevant in the end. The divide that splits the human race is those who are perishing and there are those who are being saved by the grace of God. Which are you?