We live in a world obsessed with superlatives. The biggest, fastest, richest, wisest, most beautiful, and strongest among us are always touted as the definition of success. The ordinary, weak, slow, poor, and average are usually seen as not good enough. Humanity has an obsession with being better than…. someone else. The bible calls that pride. Pride is responsible for both the fall of men and angels. Pride is so deeply ingrained in our human souls, that it takes an even deeper work of the Holy Spirit to set us free, not just from the devil, but from ourselves.
The Apostle Paul is writing to a group of new converts in Corinth, many of them are extremely gifted spiritually, but lack an understanding of the purpose of those gifts. The Corinthian believers have sexual immorality, carnality, idolatry, and serious relationship problems in their congregations. As a true spiritual father, Apostle Paul’s heart for these newly converted souls is evident in every verse. For understanding sake, here’s a quick overview of 1Corinthians Ch 1.
Chapter 1: Paul speaks against division and sectarianism, reminding them that God desires them to be unified and to believe the same things. There were Corinthians who were identifying themselves as disciples of Paul, of Apollos, of Peter, and of Christ… Paul reminds them that Christ is not divided, that they are all 1. In our modern terms, don’t label yourself a Calvinist, an Arminian, a Baptist, a Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran etc… but be Christians! He then goes on to remind them of the type of people they were before God called them and why.
The text: 1 Corinthians 1:23-31 “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.â€
The lesson: The message of the gospel was seen as foolishness by the people of Corinth, it was something that was mocked, ridiculed, and scorned as… in the words of Jon Stewart “religulousâ€. Yet, God chooses to reveal this incredible mystery to ordinary people. The Apostle Paul says “not many of you were wise according to worldly standards†Meaning, you don’t have a Master’s or bachelor degree, perhaps not even a high school diploma, or even a GED, yet YOU ARE CHOSEN. He goes on to say “not many were powerful, or of noble birth†meaning, you were chosen despite your shortcomings. You have no worldly influence, you are poor, you come from a broken home, perhaps you’re a former drug addict, a prostitute, a victim of rape, molestation, an alcoholic, a pornographer, a liar, a cheater, a devil worshiper, YET, you are chosen by God.
The question any logical person might be asking is why? Why would God choose such unqualified, unskilled, worldly failures to be His people? The answer is found in v.29 “So that no human being might boast in the presence of Godâ€. Someone reading this might be doubting themselves feeling they have nothing to offer God and you’re right. You and I have nothing to offer God. Our skills, talents, and abilities are not impressive. So what does God want from us? He wants our “Yesâ€. He wants our trust in Him and in Him alone. God purposely chooses the weakest people to display His ultimate strength in them. This is His wisdom, this is what humanity can’t comprehend. In man’s kingdom going higher is the goal, in God’s kingdom, going lower as a servant, worshiper, and a lover of our enemies is the goal. Again, pure foolishness to the carnal minded man. Rather than pursuing worldly success and looking the part, He calls us to be servants, to go lower, to choose the shadows, the prayer closets, to give in secret, to turn the other cheek, to be wise not according to worldly wisdom but heavenly wisdom. Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being a success, but always remember the words of Jesus: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his soulâ€.
The application: So what does all this mean for you and I? Well, for starters it means that we stop putting confidence in ourselves and placing our trust in Jesus. In v.30 Paul writes that Christ Jesus has become †our righteousness, our sanctification, and redemptionâ€. Meaning that no matter we have or haven’t done right, we are seen as sinless because of the blood of Jesus. Because of the great investment God has made for us in sending His son to die on our behalf, we also have confidence of being sanctified. We will become holy if we simply allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and behavior. Nothing we have done in the past or in the present will cause God to give up on us. We have not only the hope of justification, but of sanctification. So keep going, don’t allow your past to trouble you. See yourself the way God does, as perfect. The bible says, “There is therefore now, NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spiritâ€(Rom 8:1). This is good news for the believers. Lastly, God has called all of His children to join Him in the family business of healing, restoration, and rescuing lost people. If we have truly turned from our sin nature and received Jesus Christ into our lives as our savior and Lord, we are qualified. Nothing from your past or present disqualifies you. God wants you to understand how great His love is toward you. I leave you with these words from scripture.
Psalm 103:12-13 “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Brian
