On A Hill Far Away: The Power of the Cross in 1 Corinthians 1:17-18

 In a world obsessed with flashy programs, polished rhetoric, and feel-good messages, the Apostle Paul reminds us of a truth that cuts straight to the heart of the gospel. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 in your King James Bible:

“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.”

This passage isn’t just ancient history—it’s a battle cry for every fundamentalist Christian who refuses to compromise the old-time gospel. Paul wasn’t writing from a comfortable study; he was confronting the sophisticated, idol-filled city of Corinth, where Greek philosophers prized human wisdom above all else. Yet God called him to one simple, unchanging task: preach the cross. No frills. No fancy words. Just the blood-stained truth of Calvary.

I want to take you this morning—right here in this blog post—to that same place the world has tried to forget. A hill far away. Not a majestic mountain or a golden palace, but a barren, skull-shaped outcrop called Golgotha, just outside Jerusalem’s walls. There, two thousand years ago, stood the old rugged cross. And on that cross hung the sinless Son of God, bleeding and dying for sinners like you and me.

The world calls it foolishness. Modern intellectuals mock it. Even some churches today try to soften it—trading the bloody cross for self-help seminars or prosperity promises. But Paul declares it plainly: to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness. They want a gospel that fits their lifestyle, not one that demands repentance and faith in a crucified Savior.

Yet to us who are saved—praise the Lord!—it is the power of God.

Why Paul Refused “Wisdom of Words”

Paul had the credentials. A Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, fluent in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman culture. He could have dazzled the Corinthians with eloquent speeches that would make TED Talks look amateur. But Christ sent him with a laser-focused commission: preach the gospel plainly. Why? “Lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

If Paul had dressed up the message to appeal to the cultured crowd, he would have stripped the cross of its power. That danger is alive and well today. Churches chase attendance with concert-style worship and sermons that avoid the offense of the cross. They talk about “your best life now” instead of the blood that cleanses from all sin. But the Bible is clear: there is no salvation apart from the cross.

The preaching of the cross offends because it exposes our helplessness. It declares that no amount of good works, baptism, or religious effort can save us. Only the finished work of Jesus Christ on that hill far away can.

The Day the Power Touched My Soul

I remember the moment it happened for me. I was a lost sinner, running from God just like so many of you once were. I had chased the world’s empty promises—success, pleasure, self-improvement. Nothing filled the void. Then, one day, the Holy Ghost opened my blind eyes, and I saw that hill far away. I saw Jesus hanging there in *my* place. His precious blood—poured out for my sins—washed over my guilty soul.

In that instant, the power of God rushed in. Not by wisdom. Not by works. By the cross alone. I was born again, forgiven, and set free. That same power is available to every reader today.

 Standing Firm in a Drifting World

Fundamentalist believers, this is no time to soften our message. The world is perishing faster than ever. False gospels flood our screens and pulpits. But the old rugged cross still stands as the only hope.

That hill is far away in miles and years, yet its power is as near as your next breath. The same cross that broke Paul’s heart still breaks chains of addiction, still opens blind eyes, still raises the spiritually dead. It still saves to the uttermost.

Are you still preaching it unashamedly in your home, your church, your daily walk? Or has the fear of man crept in, making the cross of none effect in your life?

If you’ve drifted even a little, come back today. Come back to the old-time religion of the blood and the cross. Let the world laugh and call it foolishness. We know the truth because we’ve *felt* its power. We’ve been washed in its blood. We’ve been redeemed by its grace.

A Closing Hymn and a Call to You

One day soon, the trumpet will sound, and Jesus will return. We’ll lay our crowns at His feet and sing with the redeemed of all ages:

> “In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,  

> A wondrous beauty I see;  

> For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,  

> To pardon and sanctify me.”

Until then, let us keep lifting high the cross. Let us keep declaring that on a hill far away, the power of God was put on display for the whole world to see.

**To every sinner reading this who has never trusted Christ:** That same blood that flowed on Golgotha can wash you white as snow *right now*. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

If this message stirred your heart, share it with a friend. Leave a comment below. And above all, stand firm on the hill far away.

Amen and amen.

DMMC