The Foolishness of God!

God delights in saving the weak and helpless. The Old Testament preoccupation with that fact points to the importance of imputed righteousness by faith.

In sinful man there is nothing pleasing to God, no righteousness at all. In that sense, there is profound weakness, even though sinners are often proud of their good works. When we understand God's holiness and our falling short of God's Glory, we discover our weakness. But God steps in and applies the Righteousness of Christ and saves the helpless sinner.

Indeed, Paul says we're worse than weak - we are dead! But God can only save dead men - and thereby shows His mercy and grace, and gets all the glory!

God often places a weakness upon His children to compel us to trust in His power. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was left by God so that Paul would not trust in his own power, but only in God's. Because of Paul's weakness, all the glorious work done through Paul was only to God's glory.

The paradox, of course, is that God uses what the world considers weakness and foolishness to show His mighty power: a death upon the cross, the means of preaching, and the poor weak people who are His.

Here is a triple weakness by which God has determined to demonstrate saving power to the uttermost!

What the world judges as weakness and foolishness just goes to show how great is our God! He can use the weakest most foolish means, and still save His people and destroy the works of the Devil!

We can only conclude that we are saved by the supernatural power of God, and by nothing in ourselves.

By proceeding through methods the world rejects as weakness, our God's goodness and power and glory are highlighted!