More on Paradox

As I said yesterday, there is not much on earth that claims to exalt the humble and humble the exalted. However, Christianity does lay claim to this statement and in fact proves it to be true. Christianity also moves towards glory in suffering, power in service, wisdom in submission, and the list goes on. It is difficult to give these paradoxes real, tangible reasons for existing within the faith, but I will try to do just that.

1 Corinthians 1:18 says the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to we who are being saved it is the power of God. We also hear that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent. He chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak things to shame the strong, the lowly things and things that are not to nullify the things that are. So that no one may boast.

One of the more commonly repeated themes of the New Testament is that boasting should be done in Christ alone, not in our own works. So why on earth would God ordain a religion and faith that seem so backwards to what humans are accustomed to? So that all glory and honor would belong to him. Without the knowledge of God given to me I would not be believing. I surely would not put my faith in a poor Jewish man and some story of virgin birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection. Ultimately, God ordained the paradox of Christianity to show us his power fully and with great clarity, knowing that no man who believes would believe in such a foolish message were it not for the validity of it in his own heart.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31- "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, 'Let Him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"

Because of His sovereign grace we find ourselves believing. Our faith is not attributed to our own hearts, for our hearts are wicked and deceitful. Faith is granted by the new heart which is given by God. Our faith is the gift of God, it is because of Him that we are in Christ Jesus. Let us not boast in ourselves but in God for granting us the faith to believe in what once seemed to be the most foolish of all messages, the message of the cross. Through his infinite mercy we find ourselves believing, and the once foolish message has become for us the basis of our own righteousness, justification, holiness, and redemption.