1 Corinthians 1:18-21 (RSV)
"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe."

As human beings, we almost always find it difficult to accept something from another without wondering what the ulterior motive is on the part of the other. We often read advertisements in the newspaper or hear commercials on television. The printed words, the catchy images, and cajoling voice all offer something free. But there is always a catch. Something that usually involves parting us from some of our money.

On a barely conscious level, sometimes we treat God's gift of salvation with a little suspicion. After all, surely there is something we must do in order to receive eternal life. A fundamental "truth" of life is "never something for nothing". This is the standard wisdom of the day. But God takes this standard "wisdom" and turns it upside down, and in the process confounds our understanding.

To those who do not respond to God's saving grace, the Gospel is a foolish concept. It makes no sense at all. It is a joke. As Christians, we must take care not to drift into this way of thinking. We should remember that God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are far beyond ours. If He tells us in His word that salvation is a gift given totally by His grace, then we need to believe Him. We must have that childlike faith in Christ in order to experience the power of the Gospel in our lives.

May the Lord help us to truly rest in His salvation, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring forth His power in our lives, so that we may live for Him.