Troy SDA Church

THURSDAY, JULY 09
Christ, the Power and Wisdom of God

In 1 Corinthians 1:19, 20, 30, and 31, Paul talks about how God’s wisdom and human wisdom are incredibly different and, thus, mutually exclusive. Notice that Paul does not reject wisdom as such, but he rejects the kind of human wisdom that tries to compete with God. Human wisdom is incapable of freeing men from sin. Only Christ, the wisdom of God, can perform this work.

- but to us who are being saved [the message of the Cross] is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18, NKJV)
- but to those who are called Christ [is] the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24, NKJV)

Both 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 1 Corinthians 1:24 show that Christ is the power of God, in the sense that He has the power to save people from their sins. Indeed, “it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21, NKJV). The phrases “us who are being saved” (1 Cor. 1:18, NKJV), “those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21, NKJV), and “those who are called” (1 Cor. 1:24, NKJV) refer to the same group, namely, people living the experience of salvation through faith. “The gospel of Christ . . . is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16, NKJV).

Christ is not only the power but also the wisdom of God. This means that through Him God faced and solved the problem of sin, a problem that human wisdom was powerless to solve. The wisdom of this world is unable to make people know God (1 Cor. 1:21). Conversely, through Christ we become wise for salvation (2 Tim. 3:15).

Read 1 Corinthians 1:24–29. Notice the words there, such as “foolishness,” “weak,” “power,” and “wise.” What point is he making?

In reading 1 Corinthians 1:24–29, one should also notice the terms foolish (or foolishness) and weak (or weakness). The point is that human wisdom may consider the message of the Cross to be foolishness and weakness. However, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25, ESV). This doesn’t mean that God is weak or foolish; it’s merely an expression showing how God’s power and wisdom far exceed anything human.

Dwell on the words “that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Cor. 1:26, NKJV). What message is there for us?

To read today’s full lesson see link in bio or download the free Sabbath School App.
https://adventech.io/sabbath-school/

WEDNESDAY, JULY 08
A Messiah Crucified

Paul wrote that the “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:22, ESV). The Cross—the idea of God, the Messiah, being crucified—was not a sign that the Jews had expected. Nor was it the kind of wisdom that the Greeks wanted. It went against everyone’s expectations.

In fact, all one has to do is read how the disciples reacted to the idea of Jesus being crucified (see Mark 8:31, 32; Mark 9:30–32; and Mark 10:32–34) to begin to see how alien, and repulsive, the whole notion was, especially to the Jews. As said before, the Jews expected the Messiah to conquer the Romans; that is not what happened, at least not in the worldly military sense of “conquer.”

For centuries, the cross has been, for Christians, a symbol of faith. It is hard for twenty-first-century Christians to understand how crazy the idea of a crucified God was for the first-century mindset.

However, it is precisely because this was such a shocking message that makes it worthy of our most profound reflections. The portrait of a crucified Messiah makes it entirely clear to the whole universe how far God was willing to go to complete the plan of redemption. The idea of the cross itself, and of the Lord’s dying on the cross, is astonishing enough to us, sinners here on earth. (Imagine, though, what it must have meant to the sinless beings who knew, and worshiped, the Lord Jesus in heaven!)

Read Acts 13:16–47 (especially verses 26, 38, and 47). What does this passage teach us about the meaning of the Cross?

Paul says Christ sent him to preach the gospel. And so Paul preaches the message of a crucified Messiah (1 Cor. 1:23). He resumes these ideas in 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. The apostle was faithful to Christ’s commission. In proclaiming the gospel, he didn’t employ “lofty speech or wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1, ESV); instead, he focused only on “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2, ESV). His speech and message “were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4, ESV) because, in fact, “the wisdom of men” stands in visible contrast with “the power of God” (2 Cor. 2:5, ESV).

A crucified Messiah was something completely unexpected by the Jews and the Greeks. What does this tell us about the fact that God does not always act the way we expect? Why is this an important concept to grasp, especially when things don’t go as we have expected?

To read today’s full lesson see link in bio or download the free Sabbath School App.
https://adventech.io/sabbath-school/

Forgiveness begins with a heart willing to repent—and a heart willing to forgive. 💛

🌅 Daily Devotional | July 8
Let Repentant Ones Be Forgiven

📖 Scripture
"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." — Luke 6:37

✨ Reflection
God never turns away the sincere soul who comes to Him in repentance. His mercy is always available to those who humbly confess their sins and seek His forgiveness.

As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect that same grace. When someone genuinely repents, our response should not be judgment or suspicion, but compassion, restoration, and forgiveness.

Jesus welcomed sinners, offered hope to the broken, and reminded us that mercy triumphs over condemnation. The forgiveness we extend to others is a testimony of the forgiveness we have received from Him.

💛 Encouragement
Is there someone who has asked for forgiveness? Ask the Lord to give you a heart that mirrors His—quick to forgive, eager to restore, and overflowing with grace.

🙏 Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your unfailing forgiveness. Create in me a humble heart that is quick to repent and just as willing to forgive others as You have forgiven me. Help me to extend mercy, restore those who turn back to You, and reflect the love of Christ in every relationship. Amen.

📚 Source
Ellen G. White — Reflecting Christ