It should be all about JESUS and Him crucified

1 Cor.
{2:1} And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the
testimony of God. {2:2} For I determined not to know any
thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.


The IMPORTANT thing- not excellency in speaking; not excellency in wisdom; not holding a PHD in religion, or in public speaking, or in charisma- but rather KNOWING Jesus Christ and Him crucified.


We tend to give credit to people who are naturally attractive and well poised. We tend to give our attention to those who can make us feel good about ourselves. We look up to people who are sheer genius and go- now why couldn't I have done/thought of that? Our hats go off to those who are accomplished in society. We applaud those who can come across as someone you can trust just by speaking to us. How many people have lost millions of dollars over the years to those who have 'talked them' out of their life savings? These brilliant, captivating people who seemingly have an excellency of speech with a healthy side order of wisdom can bilk hundreds, thousands of people and yet we still are amazed and wowed by those who make us feel good about OURSELVES. A man cannot talk another man into investing thousands of dollars unless they've made the person feel good about what they are doing. The best way to talk a man out of his money is to make it seem like he is doing the SMART thing, the WISE thing, the GOOD thing, the thing that will prove to be right in their own eyes. The more you can convince a man of HIS own genius the more money you can take from him.


Is it any wonder at all that Paul says here - I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the testimony of God. It really is no wonder at all. Paul wasn't a smooth talker, able to sway with his special charasmatic manner or brilliant wisdom as the world knew. Paul was determined to just know Jesus Christ and Him crucified- that's it! To know Christ! To know the wonder of the cross! If more of us would seek the wonder of the cross and get our minds off ourselves and the superficial things how much better off we would be. If instead of looking to Christ to puff ourselves up we looked to Him just to KNOW Him our eyes would be taken off our selves and trained up the only righteousness that exists, Christ's.


I've heard the saying- 'You are making this ALL about YOU.' Have you heard that? Maybe you've had a disagreement with someone and there's a bit of arguing and the retort that is thrown into your face is- 'You are making this ALL about YOU.' Arguments usually result when one person believes they are right and another not quite so right. One person believes their thoughts and such are on the right track, while another's aren't. The last argument you had- think about it if you can, did you want to drive your own opinion, your own beliefs, your own point home? Did you want to get the other person to somehow agree that you are in the right over them? If they'd just stop arguing and listen to... who? You? Yes. If they'd just stop all their fussing and see reason, why they'd surely see your point of view on the matter. Why do they have to be so stubborn?


Don't you see, it's all about US.


When it should be all about JESUS and Him crucified. The power of God is in the cross. Knowing Jesus and Him crucified should be our ONLY concern.


The other saying, 'What would Jesus do?' Is very appropriate in the sense, what would the Lord Jesus have me doing in light of His crucifiction; what would Jesus have me do to glorify Him to point all others and myself solely to Him and the cross? We can't get caught up in this - I know what Jesus would do and bad me, I'm doing just the opposite or I know what Jesus would do and look at me, I'm doing it. Our doing anything other than seeking Him in the wonder of the cross is nothing. We could help fifty old ladies across the street because we believe that's what Jesus would do, but unless we know Jesus as our constant and personal Lord and Savior we could do what Jesus would do forever and still not be known by Him.


May the Lord turn our eyes solely upon Him and His wondrous sacrifice. Make we seek to know Christ and Him crucified first and foremost. That is- KNOW CHRIST, not know ourselves. We must seek to know CHRIST not self even in the light of Christ. Christ first always!


By His mercy, by His grace, by His love and sacrifice we are saved, now and forever.


Amen.