Thursday, April 01, 2010

I am Gladly a Fool for Christ

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. Psalm 14:1
Today I turn 50...and all my life people have had fun with the idea that my birthday is April Fool's Day. I have had times in my life when my foolishness would fit that above, maybe not such that I would have said that there was no God, but in living like there was none. But God reached down into my foolish heart and gave me a better kind of foolishness...He made me realize that apart from Him I have no wisdom that can help me escape the penalty for my sin...that I am foolish and weak. So, He has brought me to acknowledge that I need Him, that in Jesus Christ I have found forgiveness that is His gift to me, not because I have earned it in any way. Not because of any human will, or strength, or wisdom, but because of His grace. As it says in 1 Corinthians 4:10, we are fools for Christ's sake...and that sounds as if it were undesirable, but in fact it is desirable. It is the best thing to be, the only kind of fool that can be lifted out of our incapable and helpless circumstance of being sinful creatures. It is like we were sheep, lost, stuck in a muddy mire, caked and dirty, with no way to get ourselves out. And the Chief Shepherd came along and found us there and in His strength pulled us out, and is cleaning us up...training us...and promising us a bright future with Him. That foolishness that knows its need is not so foolish after all...because God has come alongside us and helped us, and with His help we are adequate for every good work, we are equipped, we have the mind of Christ. Fools for Christ are no fools at all with God's help, ...because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men, 1 Corinthians 1:25.
So if being a fool means I have to acknowledge that I am incapable of saving myself, and I need God, may I never cease to be that fool! If you think that is some poverty, think about how you would save yourself. Are you sure it will work? No, I can't imagine that you have that assurance. Look to Christ, who alone can save you. His promises are true, and He is mighty to save. As missionary Jim Elliot said, who gave his life to seek to save the lost, "
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

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