God’s Dividing Line
Christ Crucified
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Introduction
A church divided
I grew up in a town that had several Baptist churches with numbers in their names—First Baptist, Second Baptist, Third Baptist, etc.
In many cases the latter numbers were formed due to a split from the earlier numbers
New churches were established by division rather than multiplication or growth
Some of us may have had similar experiences in church or even in our families
We have been a part of something that started as a unity, but ended up in division
The reasons for the division may have been subtly different, but the results were always the same
Often it is words or actions that lead to divisions
The church in Corinth was no stranger to division
Background on the first letter to the Corinthians
The city was not known as a bastion of morality
The Isthmian Games in honor of Poseidon
Paul stayed there for more than a year to win souls, disciple new believers, and plant a church
The church he planted ended up divided over many issues
1 Corinthians deals with some of those issues
In chapter 1, Paul commends the Corinthians for their response to God’s grace.
He also condemns them for the division that has developed over personalities
Our passage (1 Cor. 1:18-25) continues this idea of division by examining two things that may cause division
1. God’s Powerful Word
2. God’s Powerful Wisdom
God’s dividing line is clearly defined
What God says and what God does demands a response
That response creates a division between people
God’s dividing line is Christ crucified
1. God’s Powerful Word
1 Corinthians 1:18-20—Paul begins his discussion of God’s dividing line by noting that the things God has said (i.e., God’s Word) creates division
There are only two types of people for Paul (cf. 1 John 3:10)
a. Those who are perishing (“children of the devil”)
b. Those who are being saved (“children of God”)
We need to realize that in God's Word there is not middle ground. You cannot be sort of on one side or the other. You are either perishing without Christ or you are being saved by God's grace. There is no Oprah-like "all roads lead to heaven" position in Scripture.
The participles in these verses are present tense, indicating that this is an ongoing though not necessarily predetermined situation
The point is that those who are perishing and those who are being saved are currently in that state, although those who are perishing could know a change of state
According to Paul, God’s Word (particularly the message of the cross) produces these two groups
The question remains, how does the word of the cross do this?
The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing
God’s powerful word (the word of the cross) does two things
a. It destroys wisdom and cleverness (v. 19, cf. Isaiah 29:14)
b. It renders the best of the world’s best inept (v. 20)
The word of the cross is the power of God to those who are being saved
a. Those who experience salvation know that God’s power is not found in selfish exertion
b. God’s power is found in reliance on God’s provision—the cross of Christ
In this way God makes the wisdom of the world foolish
All of the world’s lofty attempts to make themselves gods are useless
But the humility (i.e., “the weakness”) of God results in salvation (Phil 2:5-8)
Relationship with God comes only through surrender to Christ (John 1:10-13)
Our response to God’s word of the cross creates division
We either find ourselves responding selfishly and siding with the world
Or we find ourselves being humbled by God’s grace and being saved by faith
God’s dividing line is Christ crucified
But God’s Word is not the only dividing line in our passage, we also see division caused by God’s Wisdom
2. God’s Powerful Wisdom
1 Corinthians 1:21-25—Paul now turns his attention to God’s dividing line as shown in his wisdom or actions
Paul points out that God in his wisdom had a plan (Romans 1:16-19; Gal. 3:6-9)
This plan preempted any effort on the part of the world or its wisdom to gain salvation/knowledge of God
Only by faith in God’s message of the cross could salvation be gained
The world’s wisdom is incapable of causing knowledge of God
a. Jews (i.e., the religious crowd) want miraculous signs
b. Greeks (i.e., the academic crowd) want wisdom or knowledge
Unfortunately for both groups God intended salvation to come in a “foolish” manner
God was “well pleased” to cause salvation to come into people’s lives by a foolish act
a. The act of preaching or proclamation (Romans 10:14-15)--of course, this proclamation is not simply a result of words, but is also one of deeds. To say that we have the knowledge of God and have experienced his mercy and then live like it is not true is not proper proclamation. Like Jesus, we need to learn to serve humbly and meet the needs of others while telling them about God's love. As Francis of Assisi is reported to say, "Preach always. If necessary, use words."
b. More to the point, though, it is the message of the proclamation that leads to faith and salvation (Romans 10:8-13)—Christ crucified
This message is simple—Christ the crucified One (Gal. 2:20; 3:10-14)--this is the message of the humility and weakness of God (see Phil 2). God, the Lord of the universe deemed it necessary to become a man, and not just any human, but one of no reputation. Remember, Mary was not married when she got pregnant. Jesus was known as "illegitimate." He was from the "wrong side of the tracks." As he grew up, he hung out with all the wrong people--a group of smelly fishermen, tax collectors, and wayward women. Jesus didn't go to the rich, the popular, or the religiously important crowd. He didn't hang out with kings, princesses, or important business people who could make his reputation. He hung out with the disenfranchised, the outcasts, the "least of these" in Israel. Then, horrors of horrors, he was sent to death row to be killed in the most horrible nature possible--crucifixion
Crucifixion was not JUST another means of capital punishment--it was a warning, a way of setting an example. The worst offenders were hung on a cross to make a point. They were put there to die slow and agonizingly painful deaths as a warning to others. It was the Romans' way of saying, "Don't follow this person's example."
Jesus didn't just come as a person of low estate, he died as one. His death took care of all of our sins, but it also labeled our Lord as "the least of these" or "Rome's most wanted." That is why the Jews (the religious crowd) despise this idea. Surely Messiah would be better than that, right? The academics aren't better off, they can't figure out how "wisdom" or "power" can be exhibited in humility and weakness. God understood it though, and that is why he went through this suffering!
John Stott sums it up this way: "I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I turn to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged into God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me. He set aside his immunity to pain, he entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death." (from The Cross of Christ) He came into this disregard because he regarded us with such love that he was willing to suffer the loss of all to gain us! That is the message of the merciful, awful, terrible, and loving cross. God knows us, and he knows our pain! And in spite of all our stuff, he is able and willing to save us.
This message/wisdom causes problems
a. It causes stumbling among those who look to religion to save (“a stumbling block to the Jews”)
b. It looks foolish to the wise folks
But to those who are being saved
a. The message of Jesus’ crucifixion is power ("There's power in the blood")
b. The message of Jesus’ crucifixion is wisdom--Jesus stooped low so as to raise us up. He humbled himself to make us great. He died so we could live!
God’s “foolishness” in the crucifixion is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s “weakness” on the cross is stronger than human strength (Phil 2:5-8; Gal 6:14)
Like God’s Word, God’s Wisdom requires a response from us
We can rely on our own efforts or wisdom or
We can rely on God’s “foolishness” in the cross to bring us salvation
Our response to God’s word will cause division
God’s dividing line is Christ crucified
Conclusion
Our choice is clear today—we can side with the world and our own selfish wisdom, or we can side with God and accept the “foolishness” of a dying and humiliated Christ
Amazing love, how can it be, that Christ my King should die for me
For those who are not Christians, you need to make a choice today—will you continue to try to save yourself by your own efforts or wisdom, or will you humbly submit to God and ask him to save you?
For those who are already Christ-followers, what can you do? You choice is easy to say but not so easy to do:
a. If you were brought to salvation by God’s humility and foolish message, do you think you can continue living it in your own wisdom and strength?
If God saved you by his own humiliation, then you need to humble yourself and live by his standard (Phil. 2:5-8)
b.This week, find some ways to “preach” God’s foolish message to a dying world
c. Live a life of humble service, speak to others about God’s message of salvation, be absorbed in living like Jesus (Gal. 6:6-10)
God’s dividing line is Christ crucified
Which side are you on?
Thanks for reading!
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