Hello, in these difficult times, we must talk about the essential things, I will
tell you about the cross, Jesus Christ crucified and risen. The message of the cross is
for simple people. The apostle Paul said that there is no need for miracles or
the wisdom of language to understand it, it is enough to be thirsty and to have faith. It is certainly the most difficult for men, because faith requires self-denial.

In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul and brother Sosthenes write to the Corinthians. They were arguing among them, they were dividing. It is written in 1Corinthines 1 verse 12 ““Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ"

"Everyone thought, no doubt, better than the other, thinking to be so-and-so of. Isn't that what we're living in our different denominations.
Anyway this is what I was, I thought my denomination better than others.

As the Corinthians were dividing Paul asks them to come back to basics.

Paul writes to them in verses 17 and 18 of 1 Cor;

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

When we read: «proclaim the Gospel ... lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."».

It is well understood that the cross of Christ is the basis of the Gospel. There is no Gospel without the preaching of the cross which is foolishness for those who perish; but for us who are saved, it is the power of God. We also understand that so that the cross of Christ is not made in vain, as the apostle Paul says, it is better to proclaim the Gospel without the wisdom of language. One can be captivated by the wisdom of language and miss the message of the cross. Jesus also spoke in parables and those with hardened and callous hearts could not understand. (See Math 13) We don't need fine speeches filled with human wisdom or intelligent sermons for the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts. It is enough to be thirsty. Jesus told us in Revelation 21; 6:

" I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

So if you are thirsty, you can listen or read the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will speak to your hearts, without the wisdom of the language and the cross of Christ will not be made in vain for you. You will receive in your hearts the conviction that by the cross of Christ you are, by faith, crucified with Christ and by the resurrection of Christ you have been raised with Him and in Him. It is because we are resurrected with Christ that it is a power of God for the salvation of anyone who believes. As it is written in this same passage. “but unto us which are saved it (the

preaching of the cross) is a power of God.
"When we speak about God's power, men think immediately of miracles, of wonders, Of extraordinary things, it is true that Jesus did many miracles and that we can still see today seeing miracles performed by God, but there are also and there will be miracles done by false Christs and false prophets, as he writes in Matthew 24; 24 or Mark 13, 22. These passages which refer to the time that we live, the end of time. As for the preaching of the cross, the apostle Paul tells us that it is not a question of miracles, nor of the wisdom of language.

Continuing 1Cor 1 Paul wrote in verses 22 to 24.

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

In Romans 1:16 the apostle Paul writes: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is a power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, of the Jew first, then of the Greek,"

Those who do not not believe the message of the cross, will never see the power of God and the wisdom of God. They will miss out on the Gospel.

In 1 Cor 1 the next verse 25, Paul writes: “For the folly of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. "

And in verse 27 and 28:" But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: »

So we should not expect to beautiful talkers, great miracles or intelligent speeches, to know the wisdom of God, we need to simply listen to the Spirit of God, to know his wisdom. The power and wisdom of God, which is foolishness for men, is to give us faith in the power of the cross, faith in something insignificant and incomprehensible in the eyes of the world.

In 1 Cor 2 Paul continues his message by saying that when he came to the Corinthians he was in a state of weakness, fear and great trembling. (1Cor 2: 3)
1 Cor2 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Paul was not with wisdom of words, but he did not teach anything other than Jesus Christ crucified. Why ? Because Jesus Christ crucified is the basis and the power of the Gospel which is the preaching of the cross.

1Cor 2; 4 and 5: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

"What was this demonstration of the Spirit and of power? And what does Jesus Christ crucified mean?

After having written on many subjects in the Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle returns to the Gospel which he had announced to the Corinthians,

in chapter 15, in verse 1 he writes:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye

have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”

Many think that saved one day is always saved, but that is not what the apostle Paul says, he says, "By which also you are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.»

(1 Cor 15 verse 1 to 8.)

Jesus Christ died for our sins. Sins are the fruits of our old nature descending from the first Adam which is also called the body of sin or sin. We know that the Hebrews had their sins forgiven through animal sacrifices which were a shadow of things to come, which is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but sin, as an old nature, was not taken away. The Hebrews were yet in sin. (Heb 10: 1 to 10).

By the crucifixion of Jesus, there was no longer any need for animal sacrifice to have one's sins forgiven. But Jesus went much further: He took away sin. John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus: “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29 ) Hebrews 9; 26: " he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

And Hebrews 10; 6 and 7: “You did not accept burnt offerings or sin sacrifices. So I said: Behold, I come (In the scroll of the book it is about me) To do, O God, your will ”(Hebrews 10; 6 and 7) And Romans 6: 6:“ Knowing that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed ”(Romans 6: 6).

The apostle Paul warns us, in this passage of 1 Cor 15 quoted above, that we must retain the Gospel as he announced it to us; otherwise we would have believed in vain. Then Paul insists that Jesus is risen. So why does Paul insist on the resurrection of Jesus? saying that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at a time, most of whom are still alive and a few of whom are dead. Then he appeared to Jacques then to Paul who qualifies himself as the runt because he had persecuted, the Church of God.

The apostle Paul wants to demonstrate, with all his strength, that Jesus is truly risen, he writes in verses 12 to 14 of 1Cor 15:

" Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there

is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

Our faith is in vain if we do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, it means that Christ is not risen, it is as if we do not believe in the resurrection of Christ. You could tell me that Christians today believe that Jesus Christ is risen, that's right, there are even non-Christians who believe it. When I was young, I was not at all converted and yet I believed in the resurrection of the dead and I believed that Jesus Christ had risen, yet my faith was in vain. In fact, we can very well believe in the risen Jesus Christ while having vain faith, if we do not see the demonstration of the Spirit and of power that this resurrection brings into our lives.

Following 1 Cor15 in verses 16-18, Paul writes: “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

It is clear that the apostle Paul is writing this, because some Corinthians said that there is no resurrection of the dead. But, there is a common denominator between these Corinthians and those, Christians or not, who believe that Jesus Christ is risen, but who do not live this resurrection in their life. It is: "you are yet in your sins".

When we are or when we were in the world, it is clear that we are or were sinners, we are or were yet in our sins. As Romans 3:23 says:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

"Today we hear, too many Christians call themselves sinners, I even heard a preacher say: " we were sinners and we are still sinners. »
However, you must not beat around the bush, If you are sinners it is because you are yet in your sins is not it? Even if they are just small sins.

There is therefore a contradiction between the teaching of some Christians and the teaching of the apostle Paul who wrote at the beginning of 1 Cor 15 that we must remember the Gospel as he announced it to us; otherwise we would have believed in vain.
He writes: “And if Christ be no raised, your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins, and therefore also those who died in Christ are lost. According to what the apostle Paul wrote, we can say: "If you are yet in your sins your faith is vain and you are lost. Jesus said in Mat 7:23 "Then I will tell them openly: “I never knew you, depart from me, you who do iniquity".

In fact these people of Mat 7 confessed Jesus Christ, prayed in his name, performed miracles in his name, but they committed iniquity, because they were yet in their sins, their faith was in vain. As written above in 1 Cor 15; 17

When we don't believe in the power of the resurrected Christ in our lives, we don't see what the power of the resurrected Christ has brought into our lives, we are yet in our sins. It is important to be thirsty in order to see what the power of Christ's resurrection has accomplished in our lives.

In Colossians 2 verses 11 and 12 Paul writes:

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

To believe Jesus was crucified as Paul announced in the beginning of 1 Corinthians, it is believed that we were crucified with Him and in Him. It is believing that: "we have been circumcised by the circumcision of Christ" it is written in the past tense, it is accomplished on the cross in Him and through Him, through Jesus Christ crucified, our body of flesh has been stripped, you were buried with Him, by baptism, and you were raised up in Him and with Him, by faith in the power of God. This is what makes us new, whole new creatures. This is why Paul did not have the thought of knowing among the Corinthians anything other than Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ crucified. (1 Cor 2 verse 2)

If you are yet in your sins, your faith is vain because, you do not believe that when Christ died you, your old nature died and when he was resurrected you were fully resurrected with Him and in Him, by faith.
Not half resuscitated, not resurrected only in spirit, as we sometimes hear it, but totally and fully resurrected, by faith. You are a whole new creature, old things are passed away. (2Corinthians 5:17)

Luke 5; 38: “the new wine must be put in new wineskins.”
You are new wineskins. We have to shout it from the rooftops that Jesus is risen and that we too are risen in him and with him by faith in the power of God. Do you believe in the power of God?
The cross is the demonstration of the Spirit and the power of God.
Descendant of the first Adam, Sinners that we were, God, in his goodness, made of us new creatures, entirely new in the image of our elder brother Jesus-Christ without sin, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ .

Romans 8; 29 and 30
“For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that

he might be the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

In the beginning the first man Adam was created in the image of God and was sinless, then Adam sinned and all creation was corrupted. God in Jesus Christ creates a new creation, like the image of his son, without sin. 1 Cor 6; 11:
“And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

Born again like his image, washed, sanctified, justified, glorified, our share is growing every day to be more like him.

To be like Him when we see Him. (1John 3; 2) it is already necessary in this world to be in the faith that we are already as He is. We are born again, cleansed, sanctified, sinless, like our elder brother Jesus Christ was when he first came into this world, and we are growing every day transformed from glory to glory by the Lord the Spirit (2Corinthians 3; 18)

“because as he is, even so are we in this world.” (1 John 4; 17)

1Cor 15: 20: "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep"
Paul writes on the resurrection of the dead to come, but to live what Paul writes, tomorrow, we must already live it, today, by faith.

“and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this? »Says Jesus (John 11; 26)

Why, will we never die? if not because we are already dead and risen, by faith, thanks to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (1cor 15; 21)

By faith we are entirely dead, our old man inherited from the first man, Adam, died and we are already resurrected in Christ and with Christ.
We cannot become a new creature other than through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, being crucified with Him and in Him by faith. When we are crucified with Him and in Him, then the world is crucified for us as we are for the world! (Gal 6; 14 and 15) There is no other way.

Before I came to accept the power of the preaching of the cross in my own life, God, in his goodness, led me to recognize my uselessness and my inability to follow and obey him, I no longer had any solution. if I wanted to continue to serve him, if not to accept my death with Christ on the cross ..

It is the Holy Spirit who acted in my heart so that I would be convinced by the message of the cross. The power of God stepped in. I knew for sure that it was the truth, I was, my old nature, crucified with Christ on the cross. As it is written in Romans 6: 6 to 8:

“Knowing this that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him”

So if we are crucified with him, we are also raised with him. Glory be to Jesus Christ.
Amen

I hope this video has been profitable for you, May the Lord bless you Amen.