FEAR NOT THE PARADOX! [Part 1]

A sister in a church I attended many years ago was famous for exclaiming ‘Make it PLAIN!’ whenever the preacher effectively expounded upon some biblical principle—which was, thankfully, every Sunday. There seemed to be no troubling quandaries in her mind over biblical paradoxes. A paradox is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement..” These show up in the Bible—the New Testament, in particular, and leave many people perplexed and content to just abandon any further reading of the Holy Scriptures. Others simply use the Bible’s seeming contradictions to shore up what is often their prejudicial notion that the Bible contradicts itself.

Scriptural paradoxes, dear one, are not designed to frustrate our understanding, but to stimulate and promote a broader, deeper understanding of our Savior’s divine perspectives and instructions to us. You’ve come across them--- precepts about true wealth and true poverty, about those who lay up [earthly] treasure for themselves, but lack a rich relationship with God, [Luke 12:20, 21]. A related passage, Proverbs 13:7, declares that “There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.” Examine Matthew 10:39 and Luke 9:23-25, which should seriously expand our considerations of what constitutes saving and losing one’s life: “He who FINDS his life will LOSE it, and he who loses his life for My sake will FIND it.”

Finally, Christ followers, don’t you just love the Spirit’s statements about divine foolishness and
mortal wisdom, found in 1 Corinthians 1:25---“…the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the
weakness of God is stronger than men.” Here’s another scriptural paradox that will drive you to God’s throne, pleading for the spiritual wherewithal to beneficially APPLY it as often as necessary. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak,THEN I am strong.” Talk about the inherent power of paradoxes--we can draw strength from our weakness!! Saints, we need like never before to extract all the power from such truths as our Savior has made available! Don’t evade the paradoxes—rather, prayerfully explore them and incorporate them into your practical (and biblical) world view.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please open our eyes to behold wondrous things from Your law, that we might be further inspired to obey Your word wholeheartedly and without compromise. Thank You, Father, in Christ’s dear name. Amen.
By Sis. Denise Diggs