DOES THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST OFFEND YOU?
1 Corinthians 1:18-21 (AMPC)
18 For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing. [Isa. 29:14.]
20 Where is the wise man (the philosopher)? Where is the scribe (the scholar)? Where is the investigator (the logician, the debater) of this present time and age? Has not God shown up the nonsense and the folly of this world's wisdom?
21 For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching [salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him], to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him).
Dear people of God, sometime in June 2019 I heard a testimony of a former Muslim man who testified via an audio message on social media that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and after the encounter, he was now a Christian.
I was excited to hear this testimony and in my usual manner, I sent it to all my contacts on WhatsApp and I received varied responses.
One particular response came from a friend of mine who said I should not send the message to him again. I was taken aback because this person is supposed to be a Christian so I wondered why he was offended by the message.
I wanted to respond to his comment but I thought better of it and left it. But I was still concerned about his reaction, which is what has necessitated today’s post, in the hope that he would see this message, have a rethink and amend his ways before it is too late.
Unfortunately, there are very many self-professing Christians with similar attitude as my friend. They go to night clubs, bars, drink alcohol, discuss politics, immorality, football, fashion and a host of other worldly issues but when it comes to the MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE, THE GOSPEL, they develop cold feet.
They fail to understand that God is not interested in the other activities SOME of which are offensive to him and that it is matters that edify one’s soul that interests God.
Dear friend, does the Gospel of Jesus Christ offend you? Are you a Christian but deliberately avoid sharing Christ with others in public because you feel they would view you as a religious person?
The lead text in today’s Holy Bible passage says the Gospel, the message of the Cross, is foolishness and absurdity to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition.
Ordinarily, one may interpret this statement as referring to non-Christians alone. However, from my friend’s reaction to the Gospel testimony I sent him and others, it is obvious there are some who profess Christianity but who by their action and inaction have rejected the Gospel and are also on their way to perdition.
The only way to avoid this perdition is for them to repent sincerely, confess to God, return to Christ sincerely and come out of the danger they have unwittingly placed themselves.
This is why the Lord Jesus Christ keeps warning through Christians and messages such as the one I sent that the Rapture would take place very shortly but many Christians are simply not ready for the Lord’s second coming.
Dear friend, are you very sure you are ready for the Lord’s coming? One way to find out is to take a look at God’s Word through study and meditation so the Lord could speak to you and for you to make amends where necessary.
I can only pray that my friend and other self-professing Christians with the wrong attitude would read this piece and reconcile with God Almighty and Father of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ before it is too late.
As for me, I have made a vow to the Lord to continue to preach the Gospel and I cannot ever stop because as the Word of God tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:24, Christ, the Word of God, is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.
May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Merciful Name, Amen.
Gabriel Ama.
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