Dwell in the Word 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Think on these questions as you dwell in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:

1. How does Martin Luther's distinction between the "theology of glory" and "theology of the cross" help us understand the message of the cross in the context of human weakness and God's glory? How does this perspective shape our understanding of salvation?

2. According to the passage, why does God choose to work through what is considered low and despised in the world? How does this contrast with the world's standards of wisdom, power, and nobility? What is the purpose behind God's choice in this matter?

3. The passage emphasizes that boasting in the presence of God is impossible for humans, as it is through God's grace and mercy that we are saved. How does recognizing our own inability to save ourselves lead to a genuine boasting in the Lord? How can we effectively share this message with others in our daily lives?

Transcript:

 What we have read today continues some of the thoughts from what we read on Wednesday. But I want us to take a look at where this is all leading. Look at that last line in verse 31. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

All of this idea that Paul is putting forward here is this idea that God is taking those who can't do for themselves and he is doing for them and he is raising them up to be his people. And so, I'm drawn back to an idea that Martin Luther taught. The idea of the theology of the cross versus Theology of glory.

Now for us, we sort of get confused with that language, but the idea that Martin Luther is teaching is that there's a theology of glory and he means like the glory of people, the glory of man. And so, the idea is that we conquer. We're the ones who are great. We will do this on our own. We will be glorified.

Let's go.  But then there is actually the theology of the cross. The idea that God is glorified in weakness. That God takes the foolish and makes them wise. That he takes those who are seen as low in the world and raises them up. That is what God does for us in the cross. And we see this in the cross itself, right?

The cross was a scandal. The cross was shameful. But it's how God saved his people. It's how he created this people for himself. That he might be glorified. And so, we see this idea here. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. None of you had glory in and of yourself. Not many were powerful.

Not many were of noble birth. Not many started out this life at the top of the heap, right? But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God is taking that which is low and bringing it up because he is a God who builds people up through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and he brings them to salvation.

We have to be low to be saved. Because we have to understand that we can't save ourself. We have to understand that we are incapable. We have to understand this. Because otherwise we will think that we can somehow save ourselves. And so, we read in verse 28 that God chose what is low and despised in the world.

Things such as the cross. Even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are. Those things that are, that are low and have nothing of value within themselves. Those things that are despised.  Those are the things that are going to bring to  nothing those things that are high and exalted in the world.

And why is that? So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  In the presence of God, we are incapable of boasting because we cannot save ourselves. We are sinners. We need his grace. We need his mercy. We need that theology of the cross. We need God coming down to us and pulling us out of the mire and bringing us up to himself.

That is what we so desperately need. And again, all this comes to the point that we have no place to boast. And so, at the end, what do we do? If we're going to boast, we're going to boast in the Lord, because He is the one who has rescued us. He is the one who has saved us. And so, as we think about what this passage means for us, it's important that we always remember that we come from lowly stock, that we come as sinners who were dead in trespasses and sins, and God comes down to us and rescues us, because then we will remember.

That we boast in the Lord and we can proclaim the gospel saying we were weak, but God has made us strong  And so may we step out into the world daily Remembering that we were weak in and of ourselves and God has made us strong that we might proclaim that we might boast in the Lord That others might hear this amazing news that we have been rescued by his grace We've been saved from our sin and we have salvation and the forgiveness of sins.