Response of natural man
Key Verses: 2, 7, 10, 12, 14,
Sometimes we are our own worst enemies! I have a tendency to enter a room in such a way that everyone knows I have arrived. The first time my wife saw me I was walking through an auditorium on the tops of the backs of the chairs. There was so much of me showing that there was little space for Christ to shine through. To my shame, people remember my name, often not because of my Christ-like character, but because of the noise I make. I am so thankful that I have had people speak truth into my life on this issue, and now I can say that I am aware of this tendency and actively work against it.
Paul could have come with “Paul”, the eloquent man filled with wisdom, but instead he came proclaiming Christ crucified and God’s power confirmed the truth of the message. People saw Christ, not Paul. That is to be our aim as well. To the degree people see us, that is the degree they don’t see Christ. Paul wanted to showcase Christ!
This is not to say that the Gospel does not contain the greatest wisdom, but that it is a wisdom that can’t be discovered with human strength alone. It is a wisdom that requires God’s Spirit revealing it to us. Someone without the Spirit working in them cannot understand the wisdom of the Gospel, no matter how hard they try.
This can be a hard truth to grasp. We want to be able to share the Truth with others, but we can’t do it on our own. If the Spirit is not working in them, our efforts are wasted. That is why it is so important for us to be sensitive to the presence and moving of the Spirit. When we share with someone in whom the Spirit is working, they are able to respond positively to the message. They can still reject the Truth, but at least they have the possibility of understanding the wisdom contained in the Gospel. They can hear the good news of forgiveness of sins. They can respond positively to the message.
What can happen when we share outside of the Spirit’s action is that we get disappointed and disillusioned about the Gospel. People don’t respond, or they respond but without permanent change. And when we see this we can think that the Gospel has lost its power. And if it has lost power, it is just another belief system that requires human effort, and is devoid of God’s power. It becomes about our efforts to reach God instead of God’s efforts to reach us. It becomes like every other human religious system. But God reached us in Jesus. He made the effort. He bridged the gap. He paid the price.
The Arnold Journey 