*paradox, fear, trembling, and real living as those who ARE BEING SAVED

I Cor 1:18-25


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. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.


Living as those who have been saved plunges us headlong into the mystery of paradoxical living. How is it that we can be saved by God’s own doing but still find ourselves in a world (and often a life) that seems so broken? Does this world really look like it has been saved? Do I really look like I have been saved? It must be that either I am not saved, or the whole Christ saving the world thing is a cruel joke?

The scripture above speaks of those who have heard (and proclaim) the gospel as people who are in the process of being saved. That, which has been done to us, and for us, in Christ, sets us free on a journey of Spirit-led determined discovery, eye opening experience, and transformational living. Through what Christ has done, we enter into a life of becoming and being.

As we live this paradoxical existence of having been saved (in past tense) and being saved (in the present tense), the Apostle Paul tells us that we are to work out or salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2).

And all the while we stake our lives on the absurdity that God would allow himself to be mocked, tortured, and crucified by humanity. “Foolishness, certainly an all powerful God would never allow that to happen” the wise say. “Oh but in the end Jesus will have the last laugh and plunge the last sword” the devout rage.

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

real living

with fear and trembling

for all

of

us