1:17 For Christ did not
send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Baptism could make the cross of no effect?! Don't forget the
context. Some in the church in Corinth were saying "I'm a Paul
Christian", while others were saying "I'm an Apollos Christian",
and still others "I'm a Peter Christian". Why would they say that?
What did they mean by that?
Well specifically we aren't told but the inference is that
somehow each of these preachers had a slightly different slant on the message.
Whether that is true beyond style and emphasis is debatable but they felt it
was. It's more likely that their own desires and personal biases were causing
them to imagine differences so they could use the currency of the if names and
reputations to add weight to their own points of view. Had these trends grown
and blossomed Corinth would have ended up with a similar situation as we have
today. Multiple Christian churches with different names and different
teachings. Paul could see the end result. People would be baptized into an
"ism" Rather than into Christ, making His sacrifice of no effect. The
emphasis would shift from the good news of His relentless love to the issues
that divide us.
Seems his concerns were rather prophetic. You don't have to
hang around any Christian church for long before you discover their preferred
teaching. It might be speaking in tongues. It might be the day of worship. It
might be a certain dress code. It's not even about whether those issues are
true or not. Satan wins just by getting us to place greater importance on them
than should be. Contentions arise. quarreling follows and the end result is
that Christ is lost sight of.
Yesterday we talked about Abraham and his polygamy. I was
challenged privately and I was expecting it. The challenge was that I was
making it sound like God didn't care that Abraham was polygamous and that
essentially sin doesn't matter so long as we believe. I can see the concern.
However the issue is not whether sin is bad or not. Of course it is. Look at
the pain and trouble caused by Hagar entering the marriage of Abraham and
Sarah. The truth is that the turmoil in the Middle East that persists even to
this day can be traced back to that one bad decision.
The problem is that focusing on our sins doesn't cure sin.
Abraham didn't have a child with Hagar because he was a terrible awful person.
He did it because his belief wavered. His confidence that God could keep His
promise faltered. Unbelief produced the sin just as unbelief caused Adam and
Eve to eat from the tree. If unbelief is the true root of sin, than belief is
the only antidote.
That's why God didn't tackle the sin issues in Abraham's
life. He went straight for the cause. He knew if He could win Abraham's heart
and gain his full confidence the rest would follow.
One person explained it like this. The sins in our lives are
like leaves on a tree. Plucking them off solves nothing. They will just grow
back. If you really want to get rid of the leaves you gave to rip the plant out
by the roots. The roots are where the growth begins.
Belief or unbelief. Not belief that there is a God. Satan
believes that. Belief in Him. Confidence in Him. Trust in Him. If our
confidence is in our wisdom about God, our brand of religion, our favourite
Bible teacher or in anything but Christ alone than the cross of Christ is made
of no effect. We are, in essence, worshiping a golden calf. We are worshipping
ourselves and the idol of our own opinions and we will always end up fighting
with someone while Christ, the One who died for us, is left out in the cold.
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