Man has always planned elaborate schemes of his own wisdom to plot out his own salvation, but God says: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” (1 Corinthians 1:19; cf. Isaiah 29:14).
In context, Paul is referring to the cross of Christ and how it confounded the religious “experts” (both Jew and Gentiles) of his day (1 Corinthians 1:17-23). In His wisdom, God laid a precious stone in Zion — the One the builders rejected, to become the cornerstone of His church (1 Peter 2:6-7; cf. Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Mark 12:10; Acts 4:10-11; Ephesians 2:13-22).
From Abraham and Sarah — to John the Baptist — to the cross-bearing Messiah. From unschooled and ordinary men to the very throne of the Caesars — God has always worked to confound the experts, “contrary to hope” (Romans 4:18), to achieve the impossible (cf. Romans 4:9-25; Hebrews 11:11-12; Genesis 17:5).
We deny ourselves the greatest blessings of God when our plans and goals do not go beyond what we perceive as “possible” (such as taking the gospel to “all nations” — Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). The reason why so many Christians confine themselves to mediocrity, unfruitfulness, and a “safe” Christian lifestyle, is that they do not believe in the God who delights to work the impossible (Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; Mark 14:36; Luke 28:27).
The question we need to answer is, “Would Jesus today address us as perverted and unbelieving disciples, or would we be those disciples in whom mountain-moving faith was found?” (cf. Matthew 17:14-21; Luke 7:1-10). Each day we live the Christian life, we answer the following soul-searching question that our Lord asked His followers in the first century: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
Beloved, let our faith be the mountain-moving faith through which God can work the impossible (Romans 4:16-24); Hebrews 11:8-11).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
In context, Paul is referring to the cross of Christ and how it confounded the religious “experts” (both Jew and Gentiles) of his day (1 Corinthians 1:17-23). In His wisdom, God laid a precious stone in Zion — the One the builders rejected, to become the cornerstone of His church (1 Peter 2:6-7; cf. Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Mark 12:10; Acts 4:10-11; Ephesians 2:13-22).
From Abraham and Sarah — to John the Baptist — to the cross-bearing Messiah. From unschooled and ordinary men to the very throne of the Caesars — God has always worked to confound the experts, “contrary to hope” (Romans 4:18), to achieve the impossible (cf. Romans 4:9-25; Hebrews 11:11-12; Genesis 17:5).
We deny ourselves the greatest blessings of God when our plans and goals do not go beyond what we perceive as “possible” (such as taking the gospel to “all nations” — Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). The reason why so many Christians confine themselves to mediocrity, unfruitfulness, and a “safe” Christian lifestyle, is that they do not believe in the God who delights to work the impossible (Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; Mark 14:36; Luke 28:27).The question we need to answer is, “Would Jesus today address us as perverted and unbelieving disciples, or would we be those disciples in whom mountain-moving faith was found?” (cf. Matthew 17:14-21; Luke 7:1-10). Each day we live the Christian life, we answer the following soul-searching question that our Lord asked His followers in the first century: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
Beloved, let our faith be the mountain-moving faith through which God can work the impossible (Romans 4:16-24); Hebrews 11:8-11).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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