Simplicity
God loves me. The Father loves me, Jesus loves me, and the Holy Spirit loves me. I am convinced of this. Someone might ask me why I am convinced, and I would simply answer that they went to the greatest lengths to save me from my sin and self and give me eternal life and hope in Jesus.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
That is simply stated, and I believe it. I love that it is direct and clear. It is uncluttered by high-sounding nonsense.
Simplicity - the quality or condition of being easy to understand or do: for the sake of simplicity, this chapter will concentrate on one theory.
There is a certain beauty to simplicity. This is indeed true in the context of the gospel.
The gospel is simple. It does not require a degree to understand or apply it; it simply calls on faith.
I will say, though, that getting it right, getting it in, and then getting out matters.
2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Wait a minute, did you see what the Holy Spirit moved Paul to say here?
The serpent used craftiness to deceive Eve; Paul feared craftiness would dupe the Corinthians from being content with the simplicity that is in Christ.
I hear some preaching and teaching, and think to myself that what I just heard was anything but simple when it comes to Christ. It comes across as if one must go to college and study for four years before one can truly grasp what there is to know about what is ours in Christ.
Jesus turned ignorant and unlearned men into fishers of men.
1 Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
When simplicity is no longer enough, a darkened plot is likely involved, intending to deceive and possibly even manipulate those listening to it. Many think that was complex and took brilliance to deduce, so I should listen and take heed. No! You should beware, because the gospel was never meant to be complicated. Studying to show oneself approved is not an invitation to become complicated. Please keep it simple.
