Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Hundreds and thousands and millions of people have never learned how to die to themselves, so they don't know the experience of the cross of Jesus Christ. You see, it's not the short time, it's longevity. That's important. And it all depends on your relationship with Jesus Christ today and how you're learning and how you're rooting and grounding yourself in the Word of God.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. It is good to have you with us for our focus on spiritual wisdom. Today Raul will explain how the Gospel paints a clear line of division with those who embrace it on one side and those who reject it on the other.

The world sees Jesus' cross as foolishness, but those who follow Jesus know its hope and power. Stay with us for encouragement to confidently walk in God's perfect truth. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins our study in the book of 1 Corinthians.

Raul Ries: And now in chapter 1, verse 18, we're going to see Paul now showing the folly of the exalting men, building up men and not emphasizing the real promotion on the cross of Jesus Christ, how the Gospel is the most important thing in the world. I don't know why, but people always get hung up with the instrument instead of the message. And we shouldn't do that. We should never, ever, ever take the glory for anything that God has in our lives.

He deserves all the glory and all the honor. We would not be today what we are because of Him, that we are who we are. He takes up one, He takes down the other. He can do whatever He desires in our lives. And one of the great things not only in the church, but among the leadership, it's the word pride when people become proudful. Then God has ways of humbling us, fully, completely.

And so, Paul the Apostle was one of the great apostles of Jesus Christ and Paul never, ever took the credit for himself. He always gave exaltation and he always pointed to Jesus Christ. The one that had raised him up, the one that had anointed him, the one that gave him the message.

And the way he starts out in verse 18, he says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." Imagine what he says here. The word message here literally should be in the Greek preaching. The preaching of what? The cross of Jesus Christ. We don't preach ourselves, but we preach Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. That's the message. We are the messengers and we have the message, and the message is the cross, the cross of Jesus Christ.

Now, what's interesting about here is that his first message here, as we see it, is pointed to that message of the cross of Jesus Christ, which is opposite of all the men considered to be true wisdom. The wisdom of this world, Paul said, is foolishness. But the world looks at the cross as foolishness, and yet through the cross of Jesus Christ, it is the power unto salvation to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

The power of God, the cross of Jesus Christ. But to those who are perishing, notice what he's saying here. To those who are perishing, he says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."

Now, I found something interesting here, that as he says, "but to us who are being saved," I thought we were saved. You notice what he said, "being saved." There is a problem in many times with Christians, and I think a doctrine that has been discussed for a long, long time is eternal security. Eternal security.

In eternal security, they say that they believe that once you're saved, you can never lose your salvation. That's what they teach. And yet the Bible says that salvation is the free gift of God. Okay. And Jesus in speaking in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, between the vine and the branches, he says, "He who abides in me," notice, "abides in me," he's grafted into the vine, or what? "Will continue to be fruitful." Then he talks about how the vine, he takes, he trims it, and those branches that are not bringing forth fruit, he cuts them off and he puts them in the fire to be burned.

But those that are truly saved and are continuing in faith in Jesus Christ every day, what does he do? He doesn't cut them off, he trims them to bring forth more fruit. More fruit. So many times as you talk to people in the church, and now over the last 40 years I've seen it happen, where people come to know the Lord, they get saved and they get excited.

And then it's like the parable that Jesus gave us of four types of hearers. Those number one that have no faith. Those that are emotional hearers, they come, they listen for a little while, they get excited, but eventually over a couple weeks, months, they fall away. And then the third group is the ones that come to church, they like what they hear, but the things of the world are more convenient to them and more powerful, so they never really truly come to faith in Jesus Christ.

But the fourth are the best. Those are the true believers. Those that come and hear and they do what God's word says, they bring forth 30, 60, and a 100 fold in fruit. We have to be fruitful, not unfruitful. And one of the things about the cross of Jesus Christ, it focuses on who Christ truly is. Where he went to the cross and he died for the sins of the world.

And that's why Jesus in Matthew, in chapter 16, verse 24, remember he said, "If anybody desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." The cross, the instrument of death. If you want to live, you got to learn how to die first, so that God can resurrect you in fullness of life.

And that's a problem that I think we have within the church today, that hundreds and thousands and millions of people have never learned how to die to themselves, so they don't know the experience of the cross of Jesus Christ. You see, it's not the short time, it's longevity. Where will you be 30, 40 years from tonight in the Lord? That's important.

And it all depends on your relationship with Jesus Christ today and how you're learning and how you're rooting and grounding yourself in the word of God. Because we are living in very dangerous days. We're living in days of apostasy. Many people where you sit tonight sat where you sat tonight and they're gone today. They're gone. Many of them are back in the world. And at one time they sat right where you're sitting and they were saying amen to the messages of God.

And then at the same time, you think about the value of the cross as Paul is talking about here. The message or the preaching of the cross, the instrument of death, it is stupidity or foolishness to those who are perishing, non-believers. They don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear it. But then Paul takes it positive. He says, "But to us who are being saved, it is the power, the dunamis power of God."

It's a transition, it's a transformation. It's the power of God that has transformed me into the image of Jesus Christ, but he's made me a new creation in Christ Jesus. And the power of the cross has not only the power to transform us, but has the power to forgive us for our sins. If there was no cross, there would be no gospel and there would be no salvation without the cross.

That's the reason that Jesus had to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. When he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, remember the disciples, they were sitting there and they fell asleep? And what did Jesus do? He went three times and he got on his knees and he said, "Father, if there's any other way to the cross, show me, not my will but thy will be done." And finally what did he do? He submitted to the will of the Father to go to the cross and to die for the sins of the world. Otherwise, we would have no hope. No hope at all.

Check this out. In verse 19, he quotes now from the Old Testament, from the Book of Isaiah 29:14, to confirm what he's saying here. He's going to quote. He says, "For it is written, Isaiah 29:14, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise," see, all these philosophers, all these people with great knowledge and wisdom in the world, "And I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Notice that.

Which means here that the fact that the Gospel would be offensive to human wisdom was prophesied here by the prophet Isaiah. That people were being offended by the Gospel, especially the cross of Jesus Christ. And yet it is the power unto salvation. Without the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no salvation. No salvation at all. Because Christ is the one that went to the cross to die for the sins of the world.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you're in the Diamond Bar area on March 14th, join Pastor Raul and other solid teachers at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs for a family conference titled "Family, God's Way." Through powerful biblical teaching and worship, couples and families will be encouraged to build their homes on the foundation of God's word. For more information, go to somebodylovesyou.com and click on the family conference graphic. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Notice Paul's next hurdle here, it's a defiant challenge he brings here. He gives the answer. Notice: where is the wise? Three questions, three rhetorical questions. Where are the smart people? Where's the wise? Where's the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolishness the wisdom of this world? It's an emphatic what? No. Imagine that.

The world thinks they're really, really smart. And here Paul, in writing concerning the cross of Jesus Christ, he's bringing a great challenge by asking three major questions: where are the smart people? Where are the teachers? And where is the disputer of this age? And then he says, "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"

Yes, through the cross of Jesus Christ, that's the reason why people are perishing. For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God. So the world thinks they're real smart. Go up to a smart person in the world that's not a Christian, "Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?" "Oh, man, I don't believe in that kind of stuff."

The only way you're to come to the knowledge of God is through the word of God. By humbling yourself before God and asking Jesus Christ to forgive you by repentance and coming to Christ and then reading the word of God. That's why he starts, he says, "For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God." In others, and "It pleased God through the foolishness of what? Of preaching to save those who believe."

Can you imagine how simple that is? The preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Imagine if he would have made ten rules in order to come to Jesus Christ. Because none of us would ever come. And he made it so simple and yet so hard for the natural man, the people in the world.

And think about this: how easy it is to go to heaven and why is it that billions and billions of people will go to hell? Because they don't have the simplicity of faith to believe in Jesus Christ. They'd rather believe in Plato and Socrates, they'd rather believe in all these knowledgeable people, and the knowledge and the wisdom of this world, than to humble themselves and accept the true message of Jesus Christ and the true wisdom and power of God through the cross of Jesus Christ. They will give you salvation.

That's the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. You see, it pleased God by preaching of the cross. A message that seems foolishness, stupidity, to the men that are in the world. They don't want to be saved. And we should never force ourselves upon them. We should never do that. Unless they ask, I'll tell them. Unless they're willing to humble themselves. But if they want to be argumentative with me, I won't even talk to them. I will not do that. I won't waste my time.

And it's really important that we do have the message of the cross is not by our preaching but by our living that people will come to Christ. Check this out, verse 22: "For the Jew is always requesting what? A sign. The Greeks are always seeking after what? Wisdom, the knowledge of this world." Notice that.

In verse 23: "But we," the Christians, "preach Christ crucified to the Jew, a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, foolishness." Notice that. The cross of Jesus Christ is what we preach. We preach Christ crucified to the Jew. What? A stumbling block. And to the Greeks, notice, foolishness. They were so hung up in knowledge, so much hung up, and the Jews were so hung up in their laws and regulations.

In verse 24, he says, "But to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and wisdom of God." That word power is in reference to the redemption of Jesus Christ, His blood. When he went to the cross and he died on the cross, when he pierced his side, remember the water and the blood came forth? He died of a broken heart for you and for me. That's how much Jesus Christ loved each one of us individually. He loved us so much that he was not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Then why is it that people get so negative and so defensive when you talk to them about the cross of Jesus Christ? And yet everybody, men in the world, likes to wear a cross. And yet they don't believe in the power of the cross. Nobody should wear a cross unless you believe in the power of Jesus Christ. The cross of Jesus Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation that is given to us.

And so Paul was kind of frustrated with the Greeks and the Jews because they always were asking for signs. Now in chapter 1 again, verse 25 now, he says, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Notice how beautiful that is. You see, actually, there is neither foolishness nor weakness with God. There's not. It is the power of God unto salvation.

But the Apostle Paul is saying that what seems to be foolishness of God to the world, to us it is the power of God unto salvation. You see? Totally different. The world can't accept by faith the power of God through the cross of Jesus Christ. It is stupidity to them. Verse 26: "For you see your calling now, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called."

This verse 26, if you want to mark it, this is the scripture that Calvary Chapel uses for all pastors in the ministry because God did not call smart people in the Jesus movement. He called like Greg Laurie, he called Jeff Johnson, Jon Courson, he called all these guys and all of us together, and he called us by the cross of Jesus Christ to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And then we couldn't even preach or teach and God did the work that he wanted to do. It's so cool, without going to seminary.

But you know what? It's because the power of God, the power of God unto salvation is not by your piece of paper hanging on the wall, it's by being born again of the Holy Spirit that God will empower you, and God will use you. And you don't ever have to go to college. You don't ever have to go to college. I did it because everywhere you go in the world as a pastor they're always asking for doors to be open to go into a college or to go into different places. They want to know if you graduated from a college because that's the status of the world, but not with Jesus.

So don't ever feel intimidated by people that have education. Don't feel intimidated. It's the power of God that brings us to the place where God wants us to be. See, to the world preaching is foolishness, to us it's the power of God unto salvation.

That's why Paul says here, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Watch verse 26 again. "For you see your calling, Calvary, notice that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty nor noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty."

Isn't that amazing? The power of God, notice that. The power of God. Think of how the Book of Acts started with the 120 in the upper room. Peter, a fisherman. Paul the Apostle was the only educated one. I mean, he was really educated. A Roman citizen, a Jew, taught under the foot of Gamaliel. And at the same time, think of Peter, James, John, which they were fishermen, Andrew. And at the same time, God chose them.

And here's Peter, he writes two letters in the best Greek you could ever have in the manuscript, 1 and 2 Peter. James the brother of Jesus writes the Epistle of James. Paul the Apostle, the theologian and apostle of Christ, gives us 14 letters, Romans to Hebrews. And then the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Matthew was a tax collector. A Jew. He writes his Gospel to the Jews, "King of the Jews," Jesus Christ. Mark. Mark was writing his Gospel, notice his uncle was Barnabas. He writes the Gospel to the Romans, to the Roman Gentiles, "The Son of Man." And then check this out and you go to the Gospel of Luke. Luke wasn't even an apostle. He was a Greek doctor. And he came into the picture and what did he write? He wrote the Gospel of Luke. And he writes it in the best Greek you could ever have it in. He was a Greek and he gives us the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And then John the beloved, he gives us the Gospel of John as Jesus Christ being deity, the Son of God. No, deity, God's Son. And he wrote also 1, 2, 3 John and the Book of Revelation. John the beloved brother of Andrew. Imagine that. And it's incredible how people look at that and they don't even see it. The power of God, the way it works.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. When people look at you they say, man, how did you get in that position? It's the Lord. The Lord puts up one, the Lord puts up the other. He does whatever he wants to do in our lives fully and completely.

Guest (Male): Well, the world may feel that God's salvation through Christ is foolishness, but as Christians, we know that Jesus' cross is our hope and salvation, a gift given to us in perfect wisdom. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson was titled "God's Wisdom Repudiates Division."

To get an unedited copy for a donation of $5 or more, just call us at 800-634-9165. To equip you with guidance for grounding your life in spiritual understanding, we'd like to tell you about a four-lesson series from Raul. It's simply titled "Wisdom," and it's available on both CD and flash drive.

As you explore the rich benefits of seeking the Lord's counsel for your life, you'll be inspired to spend more personal time in scripture and in prayer. You can purchase Raul's four-part "Wisdom" series by visiting somebodylovesyou.com or by calling 800-634-9165. We'll send you the CD set for $18 or the thumb drive for just $10. That's 800-634-9165. Our mailing address is Somebody Loves You Radio, P.O. Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

We're a listener-supported ministry and we're thankful for your partnership. Every contribution helps us keep sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Next time on Somebody Loves You Radio, you'll find that while it's easy to grow complacent in your spiritual life, God desires more for you and will richly bless you when you continually seek His face. Now here's Raul with a closing thought.

Raul Ries: Check this out verse 30. He says, "But of Jesus Christ you are in Christ Jesus." You see that word in, circle it. You know why? That's your position in Christ. It's not outside of Christ, I'm in Christ. My position is in Christ. And then he says what? "Who became for us wisdom from God." And notice, "and righteousness," how's that? Through faith. "And sanctification," positionally. And thirdly, "redemption."

Three things, notice that. The verse here is emphasizing again righteousness that comes only by faith in Jesus Christ, and then sanctification, my position separated to Jesus Christ, sanctified. And then thirdly the redemption that I receive in my life by the blood of Jesus Christ, washing and cleansing me from all of my sins. Not guilty ever again. The cross of Jesus Christ. He's the only one that can forgive sins like that.

And notice he quotes now again, that it is written: "He who glories," who does he glory in? "He glories in the Lord." In the Lord. Who gets the glory? Jesus.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.