Words sealed by the Power of God

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

There are times when we feel we just do not have the confidence we ‘should have’ with sharing our faith. However, all we are asked to do is to share what we know with whoever asks. While good theology is important this should never overshadow the more important thing – our relationship with Jesus.

Paul often found himself surrounded by ‘wise and learned’ people but he became convinced that the gospel is about a person. He ‘resolved’ that the only thing worth knowing and Jesus and Him crucified for us.

Could it be that simple?

I think it has to be that simple. You can never argue a person into becoming a Christian. Our testimony must be about who Jesus is for us: what He is like and how He impacts our life (hopefully for the better). This is why it is called ‘good news’ not good thinking. Good news is for the heart while good theology is for the mind.

Someone once said ‘the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart’. Right theology will seldom be the tipping point for a heart to be surrendered to Jesus. A heart and life given over to Jesus is deeply personal. It may be logical to some, however, for most it will be a personal surrender of all that we have and are to Him. It is a giving over of ourselves and finding ourselves swept up into the mercy and grace of God. This is what every human heart longs for but dares not believe in case it becomes disappointed. This is why it takes faith. St Augustine once said: ‘I do not understand in order that I might believe, I believe in order that I might understand.’

I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. Many of us fear the imagined outcome of sharing our faith (e.g. looking stupid, unable to answer a question, losing respect…). Paul did not shy away from the opportunity at Corinth though he was very nervous. But he chose not to use his great learning as a Jewish scholar (Gal1:14). Instead, he relied on the Holy Spirit’s power to move the human heart and build a secure and solid faith.

I first came to Christ through a mental and emotional ascent to the facts of the gospel, but I wasn’t convinced until God has sealed this truth in my heart through a powerful encounter with his Spirit. My spirit met His Spirit and I became a new man utterly convinced that God was real because he broke into my reality. This is what all hearts long for - acceptance, forgiveness and grace in this reality now.

So, as we do our part in making Jesus known, may you see lives transformed by the wonderful and powerful working of the Holy Spirit. May our faith, and those we share with, may not rest on wise words but rest on Jesus and him crucified. This will always be confirmed by the power of the Spirit as a seal upon our heart.

Do what you can and let Him do the rest.

Amen and Amen.

Fraser