Promise thru Paul 89: Save

89. Save

 1 Corinthians 1:21 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.

 The foolishness of preaching saves believers. That’s a promise. Of course, too much of the preaching that we hear in churches may indeed be foolish, but in the context it is preaching of the Gospel that saves. Preaching that contains purely Law and Morality does nothing, cannot save and produces either smugness or frustration. On the other hand, preaching only rainbows and light does no good either. However, preaching Law and Gospel saves. The Law is designed to convict of sin and lead to repentance by the need for the Gospel. The Gospel forgives the sin and brings faith in Jesus; Jesus is the One who saves.

The wisdom of the world with all its proverbs, axioms, aphorisms, clichés and good advice does not know God and it cannot lead one to know God. Only the preaching of the Gospel does that. For His own good reasons, God in His wisdom has chosen the apparent foolishness of preaching the Gospel to save believers. To the world preaching the gospel is foolishness, a waste of time, and makes no sense. But to the believer it is the power of God and it saves.

Technically, preaching is the means that God uses to bring the saving message of salvation in Christ Jesus, who saves. But it can be said: “The Gospel saves.” We need to hear this powerful saving message at least weekly in the public preaching of the Church. Additionally, we need to hear this preaching in our ear every day even if we have to speak the gospel to ourselves through the words of the Word of God. Thus the Gospel is useful for everyday problems for which we need solutions; it is useful for spiritual dangers from which we need salvation; it is useful for deceptions and temptations that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Preach the Gospel to yourself as often as possible. It has a “foolish” and unbelievable power to save.