1 Corinthians 15:1-2 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.

I once knew a man who had been baptized five times. What amount of insecurity existed within this man that caused him to confess, repent and be baptized that many times? Paul in the beginning of this chapter of 1^st Corinthians has proclaimed the gospel, proclaimed its receipt, and acknowledged that these believers stood on that sure foundation, Christ our Cornerstone.

For this man, perhaps “unless ye have believed in vain” was enough for him to be insecure in his salvation. Just what did he believe that bred insecurity? If this good intentioned Christian could fall into this cycle of insecurity, what prevents any of us from falling into the same trap?

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 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:

Here are the rudimentary elements of salvation. Is this all you have to believe to be saved? Will God accept you into His rest in your belief in this alone?

What God will or will not accept is totally within the purview of God and I cannot speak for God. I can however speak to the issues of personal insecurity upon which this man suffered.

Key within those three passages about life, death and resurrection are these words which are vital to our understanding. Those words are “according to the scriptures”. Without a thorough investigation of the scriptures and all the truth revealed within them about your personal salvation you cannot have a secure belief.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Reading this quote recently I expected to find it was at least as an indirect quote from Proverbs. If you are not familiar with the verse and heard it without context, you might well assume it was from the book of Proverbs. It is not. It is 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Why it appears there is a matter for another teaching. My point is the quote. Did you know the quote and the author of that line? No? Neither did I until today.

The Greek poet Menander is the author. Since Paul is so well versed in the Old Testament, I assumed poorly. The use of the quote is probably better known to his audience than the proverbs. Secular wisdom often copies or abstracts wisdom from biblical wisdom. In this case it is more likely aligned with Psalm 14 or 53 in reference to the behavior of fools.

Secular wisdom used in the pursuit of Godly ends is not common among Christian witnesses. It can be effective if the audience is familiar with those quotes. A few things need to be aligned to be effective. One, you need to be well read. Two, you must know your audience. Three, you must be aware of when its use is going to have a positive impact.

My point here is that you should be aware of all the tools available to you in witnessing Christ to the lost. Poetry was the tool used here. Could science be used to convince scientist? Could law be used to convince lawyers?

Our usual approach is using sin to reach sinners because it is the most obvious. It is not the only approach and some will reject that approach immediately. Knowing your audience will help you determine your approach.

Sadly this takes us back to the first question asked of God by the first sinner outside the garden. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Who is your brother? How well do you know him?