2022 Lent Devotional – Day 14

The Cross-centered Life

1 Corinthians 2:2 – For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Apostle Paul continues to talk about the cross of Christ which he first mentions in 1:17. He says that instead of depending on rhetoric, he focused on the message of the cross. He did this so that the Corinthian believers would put their faith in Christ rather than human wisdom. In 2:6-16, Paul writes that the gospel is the hidden wisdom of God which is revealed by the Spirit.

Some churches are entertainment-oriented. They constantly seek to keep their members happy by not mentioning or condemning sin. They teach personality development lessons from the pulpit, but there is hardly any mention of the cross. As in Paul’s day, even today, the message of the cross is a stumbling block to people. That’s why many preachers avoid talking about it.But Paul constantly preached the message of the cross.

The major theme of Paul’s preaching was the cross of Christ because forgiveness is possible only through Christ’s sacrifice. What about us? Do we emphasize the cross adequately? We must sing about the cross. We must preach the cross. Also, we must carry the cross and follow Jesus. During this Lent, let’s make a commitment to live cross-centered lives.

Prayer: Dear Father, grant me your grace to live a cross-centered life and bring glory to your name.

Rev. Dr. David Mende