Nothing except Christ

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and
him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

This is an absolutely astounding statement. It seems as if the only thing
that captured the aposotle Paul's heart was the knowledge of Christ and,
within that, the knowledge of Christ's crucifixion.

Today, so much of the Church seems to be interested in how to "grow" the
Church. We have evangelism seminars, discipleship seminars, even seminars
on how to run seminars! What about seminars on Christ? What about seminars
on the meaning of Christ's crucifixion? What about the meaning of our lives
because of the crucifixion of Christ?

So many Christians' lives - mine included - are full of "things." Our
curiosities and passions take us off in directions that, while seemingly
good, lead us away from the knowledge of Christ and him crucified. Michael
W. Smith has written a song, the lyrics of which represent the need of the
vast majority of the Church in America to confess, repent and pray:

I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again

And then the refrain

Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me

If we are going to know the joy and peace of Christ in a truly radical way
we must come to "know nothing... except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Church leaders must give themselves to studying and meditating on Christ
himself - not methods, not strategies, not vision casting, not marketing.

The love of God is a radical love. It calls us to what will appear to many
as a radical way of life. Our job as Christians is not to convince anyone
of its validity or necessity, only to love God totally with every ounce of
our being and to love others as love ourselves. This is possible only if we
make our purpose and goal in life to love God as he has shown us in Christ what that means and to love others, again, as he has shown us in Christ. Everything else must be abandoned.

Are we willing to abandon everything we have gained according to this world
for the sake of Christ? Are we willing to turn off our TVs, put down our
magazines and newspapers and isolate ourselves for even just 5 or 10 minutes
a few times a week to purposely meditate on Christ's crucifixion? Are we
willing to take a first step towards that? Are we willing to at least cry
out to God to make us willing?

If we truly want to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection," then we
must be willing and even deliberate to embrace "the fellowship of sharing in
his sufferings" even to the point of "becoming like him in his death." That doesn't
necessarily mean we must literally be physically crucified like Christ was but it
does mean that we will probably have to die to many of our dreams, desires,
and hopes in order to "fix our eyes on Jesus."

Lord, have mercy... on me.