“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence
or superior 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…. 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 men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 4-5).
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and
holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be
saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
These two texts bring us back to first priorities: preaching
the cross and praying for kings. Both of these texts have to do with the
salvation of men. God in his wisdom decided that proclaiming and praying was
our partnership in the Gospel. It is easy to get side-tracked to things like
constitutional amendments on abortion or a balanced budget and a Christian
government. Paul did not have that luxury; neither does most of the world
today. These things are important, but they will not have a lasting effect if they are done on their own apart from the real solution. Let’s get our focus back on that real solution, the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Let us change the nation by proclaiming and praying.
Written November 1992.
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.