When Christ Jesus gave up His life to be lifted up upon the cross he cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. So powerful was the cross. Christ’s amazing love on the cross prompts Paul elsewhere to say (Romans 8:34-39) It then should astound us to think that Paul would say that ANYTHING could empty the cross of its power! How can this be? It is not that Christ’s work is powerless – nor even the proclamation of it – but instead its the false or perverted presentation of it. We need to give our utmost attention to Paul here because Paul is not talking about the problem of false teachers as much as he is the churches actions and schisms. We need to be united but only the Gospel can unify and when outside gospel unity the lavish gifts of grace are emptied of their power. What Paul wants to bring home here is that anything short of unity in the church is a lie about Jesus! (and there is no power in a lie)
Pastor Drew is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He got his Masters of Divinity in 2010 and has been planting Omega OPC in Williamsport PA, since then. Check out some sermons by Pastor Drew Adcock Related Sermons Called What? (1 Corinthians 1:1-3) August 7, 2016 Lying About Christ (1 Corinthians 1:4-17) August 14, 2016 Wisdom that is Not wise (1 Corinthians 1:18-31) August 21, 2016 Mesmerized by Christ Crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) August 29, 2016 Babies and Builder (1 Corinthians 3:1-15) September 11, 2016 All Things are Your’s! (1 Corinthians 3:16-23) September 18, 2016 The Kingdom Not in Talk (1 Corinthians 4:1-21) September 25, 2016 Purge the Evil (1 Corinthians 5:1-13) October 2, 2016 Otherworldly Etiquette (1 Corinthians 6:1-11) October 9, 2016 Conquest of Our Bodies (1 Corinthians 6:12-20) October 17, 2016 Super-Spiritual Misconceptions (1 Corinthians 7:1-16) October 23, 2016 Otherworldly… (read more)