Paul's Hobby Horse by Charles Spurgeon

1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 2 I resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

The world is full of distractions, and even within the church countless voices clamor for attention. But Paul, that faithful minister of the gospel, had one great theme that eclipsed all othersâ€"Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This was not a passing interest or occasional emphasis. It was his constant, unwavering focus.

If Paul had a hobby horse, it was Christ crucified. He rode it in every letter, proclaimed it in every sermon, and treasured it at all times. Paul had deep theological knowledge, an unmatched intellect, and a rich grasp of Old Testament scriptures. Yet when he came to Corinth, a city dazzled by eloquence and puffed up with human wisdom, he deliberately laid aside every other topic. He determined, he resolved, to make the cross of Christ his singular subject.

Why? because the cross reveals both the vileness of human sin and the marvelous grace of God in salvation. The cross manifests the sinfulness of man, exalts the glory of God, and unveils the only way of redemption. To preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, is to proclaim the eternal plan of God, the willing sacrifice of the Son, and the effectual power of the Spirit in saving those for whom Jesus died. It is to declare that totally depraved and spiritually dead sinners can be reconciled to the holy and righteous God only through the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus.

No philosophy or moral reform can accomplish this. Only the blood of the Lamb can cleanse and justify ungodly sinners. In a world of theological fads and spiritual shallowness, we need more men like Paul. Men who will refuse to drift from the centrality of the cross. The cross must not be reduced to a mere entry point of the Christian life. It is the very heart of the gospel. the foundation of all doctrine, and the fuel for sanctification.

As believers, we never outgrow our need to hear again and again of our Savior who loved us and gave himself for us. Let Paul's holy obsession be ours. Let Christ crucified be our boast, our theme, our delight, and our message.

May we too resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians chapter 6, verse 14.