April 19, 2018 - - I Corinthians 1:2-3 The path to peace
/To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those in every place who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 1:2-3 ESV
It is easy to rush past these powerful words. It is helpful to know something about the people of the church in Corinth. Paul is writing to a people who are divided, allowing sexual immorality among the membership, who are failing in their faith and have compromised their faith in order to fit in with their culture.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Sounds like people in any number of Christian churches.
These people are sanctified in Christ Jesus and being sanctified by His Spirit. (To be sanctified means to be set apart, to be made holy by God.) Sinners who call on our Lord Jesus lose all their guilty stains. They are declared to be free from the punishment of sin because Jesus Christ has taken their place at the cross. He was crushed and put to death in the place of His people for the sins of His people. Staggering isn't it?!
If you are aware of your stumblings, it is the Spirit Who will lift you up in Christ. If you are aware of your failures and can not bear to look to God know this: Jesus' death is life for ruined, lost sinners who cry out Jesus.
The letter to the people of God in Corinth speaks harshly against sins, failures, divisions and compromises with the culture for this reason: God has supplied His grace so that sin should not master His people! Those who are sanctified and being sanctified (being made holy) in Christ Jesus will have their sins pointed out to them and will run to from this sin to the Saviour Who brings forgiveness and the strength to live in the way the Bible instructs. The way of life and peace.
Faithful Father, sustain Your people. We are so aware of our failures. Keenly knowing the good we should do and don't. We can identify with the believers in Corinth: divided, immoral, compromised and longing for something more, something pure, something different. Thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, in Whose Name we are made guiltless. Thank You for the Spirit poured out Who guards us in Your grace and peace. We often feel too unworthy even to pray, unsure of how You will hear us or receive us--thank You for the blessing of this passage this morning and the assurance of Your grace and peace. Amen.
