1 Corinthians 1:27-31 (New International Version)
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
God is in the business of nullifying the things that are, so that this things do not boast of themselves before Him. How can one created by Him boast of itself before Him? How does He bring about this nullifying? By using the lowly and despised things of this world.
How can God the Father nullify the self-exalting Herod? By bringing His only begotten Son into the world born in a humble manger! How can God nullify the proud and arrogant chief priests and pharisees? By bringing in the humble and despised Son of God to reveal Him as The Way,the Truth and The Life and that no man can go to God except by believing and accepting Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.It only takes a 'broken' or a contrite man or woman of God to come to Christ.
God does not despise the poor but He resists the proud and arrogant. God has no share in their pride and arrogance but Satan is the cause for this pride. Pride and arrogance originated from Satan's nature. Only the poor boast in the Lord.The proud and arrogant boast in their possessions and pride attached to it.
The proud and arrogant reject the poor.By rejecting the poor they have rejected God.
What do the proud and arrogant boast about? About themselves or anything they own in this world.
1 Peter 2:4-8 (New International Version)
As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
The arrogant can never get near God.What more if they approach Christ with arrogance. They will never see or experience Christ in their lives. The proud and arrogant are disobedient beings.
God puts the despised things in the path of the proud and arrogant.They will consider themselves to be the wisest beings in this world because of their ability to acquire wealth and possessions.They will put themselves above the poor in their own minds and boast about their achievements to their own kind.
Not for long, though! Their 'day of stumbling' ordained by the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly. They will realize then that the rejected 'poor' has become the capstone because Christ has been formed in them.
You cannot build a house or a building without a capstone.You cannot build a relationhip with God the Father without Christ. You cannot go to God without accepting 'the stumbling rock' that God has put on your way. If you are too arrogant and reject what God has shown you on your way, you will miss God himself. Thats the greatest loss to anyone.
Matthew 25:40-46(NIV)
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punisment, but the righteous to eternal life."
This will be the poor state of those who reject what He has chosen to represent Him on earth. These foolish things of this world will be placed before their eyes to test them to see if they are genuinely His.If they are genuinely His,they will accept the poor and protect them just as God does.
Hebrews 1:3 (New International Version)
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
God is in the business of nullifying the things that are, so that this things do not boast of themselves before Him. How can one created by Him boast of itself before Him? How does He bring about this nullifying? By using the lowly and despised things of this world.
How can God the Father nullify the self-exalting Herod? By bringing His only begotten Son into the world born in a humble manger! How can God nullify the proud and arrogant chief priests and pharisees? By bringing in the humble and despised Son of God to reveal Him as The Way,the Truth and The Life and that no man can go to God except by believing and accepting Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.It only takes a 'broken' or a contrite man or woman of God to come to Christ.
God does not despise the poor but He resists the proud and arrogant. God has no share in their pride and arrogance but Satan is the cause for this pride. Pride and arrogance originated from Satan's nature. Only the poor boast in the Lord.The proud and arrogant boast in their possessions and pride attached to it.
The proud and arrogant reject the poor.By rejecting the poor they have rejected God.
What do the proud and arrogant boast about? About themselves or anything they own in this world.
1 Peter 2:4-8 (New International Version)
As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
The arrogant can never get near God.What more if they approach Christ with arrogance. They will never see or experience Christ in their lives. The proud and arrogant are disobedient beings.
God puts the despised things in the path of the proud and arrogant.They will consider themselves to be the wisest beings in this world because of their ability to acquire wealth and possessions.They will put themselves above the poor in their own minds and boast about their achievements to their own kind.
Not for long, though! Their 'day of stumbling' ordained by the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly. They will realize then that the rejected 'poor' has become the capstone because Christ has been formed in them.
You cannot build a house or a building without a capstone.You cannot build a relationhip with God the Father without Christ. You cannot go to God without accepting 'the stumbling rock' that God has put on your way. If you are too arrogant and reject what God has shown you on your way, you will miss God himself. Thats the greatest loss to anyone.
Matthew 25:40-46(NIV)
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punisment, but the righteous to eternal life."
This will be the poor state of those who reject what He has chosen to represent Him on earth. These foolish things of this world will be placed before their eyes to test them to see if they are genuinely His.If they are genuinely His,they will accept the poor and protect them just as God does.
Hebrews 1:3 (New International Version)
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
