Fools for Christ: Embracing the Power of the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Warfare in the Christian Life

In the Christian journey, believers are engaged in a spiritual battle that transcends cultural conflicts. This battle is not just against societal norms but against spiritual forces that challenge faith and conviction. Every believer will face persecution and suffering, which God uses to teach and refine them, providing opportunities for evangelism and witness. These adversities are not without purpose; they are divinely orchestrated to strengthen faith and deepen reliance on God. As Christians navigate these trials, they are reminded of the Apostle Paul's experiences and his encouragement to embrace suffering as a means of spiritual growth and testimony. [06:33]

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a recent challenge or trial in your life. How can you view this situation as an opportunity for spiritual growth and witness?

Day 2: The Gospel as the Foundation of Life

The Gospel is the cornerstone of the Christian life, serving as its foundation, formation, and motivation. It is the power of God for salvation, revealing both His grace and wrath, and stands as the only hope for humanity. This Gospel, though seen as foolishness by the world, embodies the wisdom of God. It calls believers to live counter-culturally, embracing a life that may be deemed foolish by societal standards. The Gospel's transformative power is not just about personal salvation but about living a life that reflects God's righteousness and love to the world. [10:06]

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you allow the Gospel to shape your daily decisions and interactions with others today?

Day 3: Righteousness Imputed Through Faith

The righteousness required for heaven is not something believers can earn; it is imputed to them through faith in Christ. This righteousness is a gift, making believers not only forgiven but also innocent before God. Through Christ, believers are transformed, not by their own merit but by the grace of God. This understanding of righteousness challenges the notion of self-reliance and calls for a deep trust in the redemptive work of Christ. It is a reminder that salvation is not about human effort but about divine grace and mercy. [25:51]

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you struggle with self-reliance. How can you trust more in Christ's righteousness rather than your own efforts?

Day 4: The Inclusive and Exclusive Nature of the Gospel

The Gospel is both inclusive and exclusive. It is inclusive in that it offers salvation to people from every tribe and nation, yet exclusive because it only saves those who believe in Christ. There is no alternative path to salvation outside of Christ. This dual nature of the Gospel emphasizes the universality of God's love and the particularity of faith in Christ as the means of salvation. Believers are called to share this message with urgency and clarity, understanding that it is the only hope for a lost world. [34:22]

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: Consider someone in your life who has not yet embraced the Gospel. How can you share the message of Christ with them in a loving and clear way?

Day 5: The Scandal of the Gospel

The natural man is scandalized by the Gospel, not wanting to hear that he is a sinner in need of a Savior, that he cannot save himself, and that Christ alone can save him. Yet, believers are called to persist in proclaiming this truth, knowing it is the power of God that brings life. The Gospel challenges human pride and self-sufficiency, calling for a humble acknowledgment of one's need for divine intervention. As believers share this message, they must do so with boldness and compassion, trusting in the transformative power of the Gospel. [39:06]

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:25, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when you hesitated to share the Gospel because of fear of rejection or ridicule. How can you find courage in God's wisdom and strength to share His truth today?

Sermon Summary

In these challenging times, we find ourselves not merely in a culture war but in a spiritual war, where the culture is one of the battlefields. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, provides a profound exposition of the Gospel of God, which he claims as his own. This Gospel is not just a message of salvation but a call to live a life that may be deemed foolish by the world. Paul, labeled a "fool for Christ" by the Corinthians, embraces this title, understanding that suffering and persecution are part of the Christian journey. Every Christian, at some point, will face trials for their faith, whether physical, emotional, or verbal. Yet, these adversities are used by God to teach and refine us, providing platforms for evangelism and witness.

The Gospel is the foundation, formation, and motivation of the Christian life. It is the power of God for salvation, revealing both the grace and wrath of God. The world may see it as foolishness, but it is the wisdom of God. Paul is eager and unashamed to preach this Gospel because it is definitive, the power of God, the righteousness of God, inclusive, and exclusive. It is a Trinitarian Gospel, authored by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and applied by the Spirit. It is the only hope for humanity, offering salvation to all who believe, regardless of their background.

The Gospel is not just about forgiveness but about righteousness. Heaven is for the righteous, and through Christ, we are not only forgiven but made righteous. This righteousness is not earned but imputed to us through faith in Christ. The Gospel is inclusive, saving all of God's people from every tribe and nation, yet exclusive, as it only saves those who believe in Christ. There is no plan B; salvation is found in Christ alone.

As we proclaim this Gospel, we must expect to be called fools by the world. Yet, we are called to be fools for Christ, proclaiming the Gospel eagerly and unashamedly. The natural man is scandalized by the Gospel, not wanting to hear that he is a sinner in need of a Savior, that he cannot save himself, and that Christ alone can save him. But we must persist, knowing that it is the power of God that brings people from death to life.

Key Takeaways

1. The Christian life is inherently a spiritual battle, not just a cultural one. Every believer will face persecution and suffering, which God uses to teach and refine us, providing opportunities for evangelism and witness. [06:33]
2. The Gospel is the foundation, formation, and motivation of the Christian life. It is the power of God for salvation, revealing both grace and wrath, and is the only hope for humanity. [10:06]
3. The righteousness required for heaven is not our own but is imputed to us through faith in Christ. This righteousness is not earned but given, making us not only forgiven but also innocent before God. [25:51]
4. The Gospel is inclusive, saving people from every tribe and nation, yet exclusive, as it only saves those who believe in Christ. There is no alternative path to salvation outside of Christ. [34:22]
5. The natural man is scandalized by the Gospel, not wanting to hear that he is a sinner in need of a Savior, that he cannot save himself, and that Christ alone can save him. Yet, we must persist in proclaiming this truth, knowing it is the power of God that brings life. [39:06]
** [39:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Spiritual War, Not Culture War
[00:39] - Introduction to Romans 1
[01:25] - Fools for Christ
[02:48] - Paul's Response to Criticism
[04:21] - Suffering for Christ
[06:33] - God's Use of Adversity
[09:19] - The Gospel as Foolishness
[11:10] - The Power of the Gospel
[14:36] - The Death Spiral of Sin
[18:08] - Reasons for Eagerness and Lack of Shame
[22:16] - The Power of God in the Gospel
[25:20] - The Righteousness of God
[32:45] - The Inclusivity and Exclusivity of the Gospel
[38:47] - The Scandal of the Gospel
[44:28] - The Power Plant of the Gospel

Sermon Clips

If you are a Christian, vitally personally redeemed of the Lord, committed to the Lord, and are attempting in all of your imperfections to live for the Lord by the grace of God to enjoy God and glorify God, if that's true of you, then those New Testament writers, following the statements of Jesus, have assured you that every Christian to some degree at some time in some way is going to suffer for Christ. [00:04:21]

In the life of a Christian, when you are serving Christ, do not be surprised at suffering and persecution and how a sovereign God is going to use that in your life, use that for the work of the Kingdom, providing platforms for evangelism, providing platforms for witness while all the time working on your life using adversaries of Christ who can't get at him so they get after you. [00:06:33]

The gospel is the foundation of the Christian Life, it is the formation of the Christian Life, and it is one of and contains multiple motivations for the Christian Life. It's the foundation, it's the formation. Why in the world would Paul say I'm eager to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome whom you've just described as the elect? [00:09:19]

I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for Faith as it is written the righteous shall live by faith. [00:11:10]

Heaven is not for the forgiven. Heaven is for the righteous. My forgiveness gets me out of hell. It's only righteousness that gets me to heaven, and my righteousness is like filthy rags. But praise God, I have a righteousness that is impeccable, and the same God who imputed my sin to Christ and he paid for it is the same God who imputed Christ's righteousness to me. [00:25:20]

The gospel of God is inclusive. It saves all of his people. Father, all whom you've given me I lose not one, and it's declared here all who receive that Sovereign work of God's grace to savingly believe in Jesus. I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. [00:32:45]

The gospel of God is exclusive. It saves all who believe and none of his elector loss, but it only saves his people who believe in him. There is no plan B. There is no plan B. You can't be saved by your church, you can't be saved by ritual, you can't be saved by baptism, you can't be saved by sincerity. [00:34:22]

Apart from the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the natural man is scandalized by the gospel of God because he does not want to be told or hear that he's a sinner and in need of a savior. That is a scandal. It's called foolishness, but actually it is utterly hated. [00:39:06]

The world is scandalized. What, you believe in an atoning death? What foolishness. No, no, no, no, that's not foolishness. That's the wisdom of God. That's that when there was no way, God made a way, and that way is his son Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. That's the wisdom of God. [00:43:28]

The world calls the gospel foolishness and marks it, but you got a power plant. All we got to do is be unashamed, raise the hood, just look under the hood, the power of God, the righteousness of God to save all of his people from all of their sins for all of eternity. [00:44:28]

We are called fools for Christ, but our commitment is to proclaim the gospel of God in Christ eagerly and unashamedly by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we falter, he's ready to forgive us and to help us grow through it. But now when you go out of here for Christ to Proclaim his gospel and believe me, you got to Proclaim it. [00:49:33]

Be eager, be unashamed, expect and anticipate to be called a fool because it's determined that the gospel is a foolishness and scandalness by the world, but you keep preaching it. Be willing to bear that moniker that you're a fool, just make sure it's for Christ that we are fools for Christ, not because we're acting foolishly under the cover of Christ. [00:51:00]

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