1 Corinthians 1: 1 – 9
You Got A Problem?
Greeting 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
What would be your answer to this question, ‘How many letters did Paul write to the Corinthians?’ Most of you might be thinking ‘duh! There’s two.’ Is this your final answer? Well please turn to chapter 5 and let us see what it says in verse 9, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.”
Hymm! If we are studying 1st Corinthians and then following there is a 2nd Corinthians and we read that Paul previously wrote to the Corinthians, then my friends there were three letters or epistles. This first letter disappeared. Our Precious Holy Spirit didn’t want it included in His Bible. Someday, I would love to know what was in it besides this comment in chapter 5. However, that will have to wait.
So, as we begin I think that it would be beneficial that we did a little preliminary overview.
Corinth was an important city situated on the land bridge between the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf, across which freight was transferred from ship to ship on its way to the world’s trade centers in order to avoid the dangerous and feared Cape Malea on the Peloponnese peninsula. It was thus itself an important trade center and grew rich. It was a pagan headquarters of the worship of Aphrodite which involved a high degree of sexual perversion, such that ‘a Corinthian’ became a byword for loose living. Corinth was famous for its schools where great men came to expound ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’, some of value and much of little value, and people followed their favorite philosophers and spent much time in discussing and arguing their case for their differing views. This was a popular leisure activity. It was also heavily influenced by mystery religions which drew men into exotic experiences.
You have heard of the Olympic Games, well, another type of these types of games was the Isthmian Games to which men came from far afield to partake in serious sporting activity. It was thus considered to be a highly civilized city, especially by its inhabitants. And it was, although very old, in essence a new city, simply because of its recent history. Its inhabitants were mainly without old roots, so that it was not bound by ancient customs.
Paul had already gone on his first missionary journey. Now our Wonderful Holy Spirit placed it in Paul’s mind to go on a 2nd outreach.
After being divinely prohibited from preaching in Asia which we read about in Acts chapter 16 verse 6, “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia,’ Paul, Silas, and Timothy finished up at Troas, where Paul received the ‘Macedonian vision’ which is bought our in verses 9-10, ‘And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
This direction from the Blessed Third Person of The Holy Trinity – The Holy Ghost - brought them to Philippi where a number were converted to Christ and a church was established. From Philippi, Paul and his party went to Thessalonica, then to Berea, and finally to Athens.
After a ministry in Athens, Paul went to Corinth, which was an ancient city of Greece, and the seat of government of the Roman province of Achaia. It was there that he first met up with a Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Like Paul, this man was a tent-maker. He and his wife had fled from Italy because of a command from Claudius that all Jews must leave Rome. Every Sabbath day Paul went to the synagogue, where he sought to evangelize Jews and Greek God-fearers. Eventually he was joined by Silas and Timothy, who had just arrived from Macedonia. They providentially brought a gift from the Macedonians which enabled Paul to fully devote himself to the Word, so that he could give all his efforts to preaching Christ.
As regularly occurred, Paul’s preaching prompted a reaction from the unbelieving Jews, and it was so violent that he deserted the synagogue and began to concentrate on evangelizing Gentiles. We read about these problems in Acts chapter 18 verses 6-7, “But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.”
Paul moved his base of operations to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a Gentile God-fearer who lived next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, became a believer along with the rest of his household, which would not have pleased the Jews, and many others were also converted and submitted to baptism. We find out in verses 9 and 10 that The Lord then appeared to Paul in a vision and assured him that there were many more souls to be saved in that city and that he was not to fear. He was to speak out boldly, rather than to hold back for fear of trouble, “for I Am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
So we see here as a result of this action that Paul extended his ministry in Corinth, staying a total of 18 months, a considerably longer period of ministry than usual, and establishing a flourishing church group.
This first letter to the Corinthians appears to have been inspired by a visit to Paul some few years later by a group from the Corinthian church who were clearly concerned about the behavior of certain church members. The church also had a number of questions that they wished to ask Paul.
What immediately hit his attention though was the revelation about the church body, especially in relation to divisions among them. They have divided into groups around the teaching of individual Christian teachers and were possibly in danger of forming differing, opposing churches, almost as though they were simply schools of philosophy founded for the discussion of general wisdom and knowledge. The consequence of this major split will be that instead of presenting a united message to the world, they are in danger of turning in on themselves and losing the centrality of Christ crucified. This results in Paul expounding on the importance of the preaching of the cross as the central truth and experience which unites all those who are true to the Gospel. These are the central facts around which they must unite. They must be one in Christ.
Other problems come out as the letter continues which include the fact that some of the Corinthians saw themselves as super-spiritual because they constantly spoke in tongues, which they considered to be the language of angels, and because they believed that they had received knowledge which made them superior to others, including Paul, possibly to such an extent that they believed that they were already living the heavenly life, which would completely come to fulfillment when their bodies dropped away. They were thus spoiling worship for others by their excessive use of tongues. This possibly also went along with a laxity in moral standards and a rejection of the idea of a bodily resurrection.
The letter gives the impression that many in the church were being swayed to follow them, and that therefore Paul’s instruction was urgently required. Things were not as they should be. But it was only when he later visited them that he found out how bad things really were as reflected in the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 2, “But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.”
So, you think today’s times have been tough for the church just look at this young church. In just a short time Paul was faced in dealing with squabbling, rivalries, immorality, lawsuits, and the abuse of gifts and our Lord’s Grace.
We see from the beginning of Paul’s letter how he asserts his authority as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and reminds the Corinthians of their blessings in Christ.
‘Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth.’
People had developed a fear of an ‘apostle’ of our Lord Jesus Christ. An apostle could deal out death, dismissal [excommunication], and disease. Yet, they, the people, also knew that such an ambassador of Christ revealed our Lord’s words, which could revive and restore not only individuals but cities and countries besides.
Paul speaks like this in almost all the introductions to his Epistles, with a view to emphasizing the divine authority with which he writes. Firstly he states that he is ‘called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ’. Then he states that it is ‘through the will of God’.
Notice first the emphasis on his ‘calling’ - ‘Called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ.’ It is quite clear that this is to be seen as God’s calling which came to him in an unusual and emphatic way. He does not use it in the loose way in which we may speak of a man’s calling, but of a specific and demonstrable call in which he was declared to be chosen by Christ as ‘a chosen vessel to Me to carry My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and before the children of Israel’ (Acts 9.3-6, 15-16) which all who knew of it recognized as directly from God. It was a call directly confirmed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13.2), and was a call recognized and acknowledged by the twelve Apostles (see Galatians 1.11-2.21) to such an extent that his epistles were thought of as Scripture (2 Peter 3.16). They confirmed their agreement that he was an ‘Apostle to the Gentiles’.
Look at the statement of Paul when he says the he is, ‘An Apostle of Jesus Christ.’
Are there apostles today? What qualifies a man to be an apostle? To be an apostle these requirements had to be met;
1. Appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ
2. Had directly received revelation from our King and God – our Lord Jesus Christ
3. Were witnesses of the resurrection
Did Paul meet all these requirements – Absolutely! Paul certainly saw it as giving him a recognized authority direct from our Lord Jesus Christ. He saw himself, along with the twelve, as being specifically commissioned by Jesus.
When you review the requirements to be an apostle, then it is easy to answer the question as whether or not there are apostles today. There cannot be any.
Please notice how Paul stresses that he is appointed to his ministry ‘Through the will of God.’ This solemn statement stresses the importance of his office. It is through the sovereign will of the eternal God that he has been so appointed. He is deliberately emphasizing that he was called by the direct will and purpose of God, so underlining that he has been chosen out within God’s purposes. He no doubt intended them to see this as being indicated by his experience on the Road to Damascus. There God had set him apart in a unique way through the appearance to him of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, calling him to a unique ministry among the Gentiles. In other words he wanted them to know that he spoke with maximum authority.
Today we can also measure people who really should be in the ministry. I like to use the terms ‘went’ and ‘sent’. Some men have been sent but never went. Some went but were never sent. And lastly you have those who were sent and they actually went.
We also see this added comment by Paul - ‘And Sosthenes the brother.’ This is quite probably the Sosthenes who had been a ruler of the Jewish synagogue at Corinth, whom Luke mentions in Acts 18.17. He was probably also the leader of the group that had come from Corinth with questions for Paul (16.17-18). His name was added here in order to stress his agreement with what Paul was saying, and to honor him in the eyes of the Corinthian church. Paul wants them to know that he and Sosthenes are at one. He could have described him as ‘your elder’ but he wants to emphasize that Sosthenes is ‘brother’ both to them and to Paul.
Not to just be overlooked, take a gander at Paul’s audience - ‘To the church (’ekklesia) of God which is at Corinth.’ The term was taken over by Christians to refer to the gathering together of Christians in a particular place, and became the technical term to refer to Christians, either as a whole, or as represented in any particular city or town, e.g. Corinth. It would in this latter case include a number of such gatherings, small churches in various areas, but seen as ‘one church’ of that particular city or town, ruled over by one group of elders, for not all would easily be able to meet together. But they would be united by having the same leadership.
Thus here Paul is speaking to all Christians who worshipped in Corinth, stressing that they are to see themselves as one whole, whose representatives have come to Paul and are now returning, and as part of one larger whole. Please remember that the major issue was a ‘divided church’
Paul emphasizes - ‘The church of God.’ The church was God’s. There was no room for separate churches. Each smaller group was a part of ‘the church’ (all believers) in the town or city, which in turn belonged to the whole worldwide church. That is what the creeds meant when they spoke of the ‘Catholic’, that is to say ‘the universal’ church. But there was no hierarchy. Each church was watched over by elders appointed by other elders, who were identified by their faithfulness to the teaching of Christ and the Apostles. Any external authority was merely an authority of love. This was so even of the Apostles. They spoke with God’s authority, they showed the churches the right way, but they did not attempt to enforce their will on the churches except on those grounds.
Their basis of faith was found in the Old Testament and the Testimony of Jesus, the carefully memorized oral tradition of Jesus’ life and teaching (now found in the Gospels), later expanded by the letters of Peter, Paul and John, until finally the New Testament was established, formed of all books which the church considered to have Apostolic authority.
The later establishing of a hierarchy ruling all churches was similar to Israel desiring a king. It was not part of God’s purpose and demonstrated a lack of trust in Him. The church ceased being the church of God and became the church of each particular hierarchy. And it produced the same inevitable result, the church became political and was made to fit into the pattern laid down by the hierarchies, and when the hierarchies went astray the church went astray too. But fortunately there were always those who sought to bring the church back to Apostolic truth.
Today as a result of history we may be in many denominations, but we should still see ourselves as the one church of Christ, not ruled by men but as ruled by God, and as united in faith with all who believe the Apostolic teaching as found in the New Testament. That is the one true catholic church, the true ‘church of God’.
‘Sanctified in Christ Jesus, called sanctified ones (saints) with all those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in every place, theirs and ours.’
Please take note of the important statement -‘Sanctified in Christ Jesus.’ The tense of the verse is perfect passive signifying something done in the past the benefit of which continues into the present, thus literally ‘have been and therefore are sanctified’. It is noteworthy that the members of this church, with all their failings, are described by Paul as ‘sanctified in Christ Jesus’. To be sanctified means to be ‘set apart for God for a holy purpose’, and that holy purpose is the perfecting of them that they may be presented before Him irreproachable, holy and without blemish because they are in Christ. Their being ‘in Christ’ both guarantees their acceptance because they are acceptable in Him, and the process of transformation that will take place because being ‘in Him’ can only result in such transformation.
Thus they are seen as set apart for a holy purpose, and that is described as not through any merit of their own, but because they are ‘in Christ Jesus’. By becoming one with Him through faith, evidenced by the Spirit’s work among them and in baptism, they share His holiness and His holy purpose. He is made to them their sanctification, and this work is to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. They are sanctified because they are in Him the sanctified One. Thus God looks at them through the perfect sanctification of Christ, the One Who was totally in accordance with the Father’s will. ‘In Him’ they are totally acceptable in God’s sight. This is then to be carried out into practice in holy living because it is an original act followed by the working of His power.
Please take note the order - ‘Christ Jesus’. His emphasis here is on the separateness of Jesus Christ from the world. He is ‘the Christ’ Jesus, the One set apart by God, and they have been set apart in Him.
Here then Paul is calling the attention of the Corinthian church to their holy calling, preparatory to seeking to set right much that is wrong among them. He is reminding them that they are now sanctified in Christ, and holy in Him, separated from the world in Him, and therefore now needing to become holy in practice. In that great city of Corinth, city of immorality and philosophical speculation, Jesus Christ through Paul had set a colony of Heaven, set apart to God and in process of being made perfect.
Paul then brings up the point - ‘Called sanctified ones (saints). With all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place’ The title of ‘saint’ is true of all who are ‘sanctified in Christ’. It does not therefore ever in Scripture refer to a select few Christians, who are dead and get voted in, for it does not so much refer to practical holiness as to holiness imputed and imparted in Christ. They are Temples of God through the ‘Holy’ Spirit Who is in them. All who are His are thus ‘saints’ (holy ones), those who are set apart in holiness to be made holy. They are be seen as set apart to God with the intention of their becoming God-like. They are ‘holy ones’, chosen out and awaiting their full potential, being changed from glory into glory by the Spirit.
Paul now takes up the matter of some of the Corinthians thinking too highly of themselves. Here he stresses that all who belong to Christ and call on His name are called ‘saints’. Thus Paul ensures that the Corinthian recognize that they are not superior to others in this, and yet share with all other Christians this wonderful privilege. To ‘call on the name’ means that they have cried to Him for forgiveness and mercy, have claimed the benefit of His name and what He is, and what He has done for them, and now worship Him. Thus they have been ‘made holy’, set apart for God by His Spirit, with a view to being made perfect in holiness.
Even Paul’s comment ‘In every place’ has great significance. This phrase in this kind of context is unique to this epistle. Paul is thus especially stressing his and their unity with all Christians worldwide. He is concerned lest they fail to recognize that they belong to one worldwide gathering of God’s people, and see themselves as but a group of ‘wisdom societies’ in Corinth. He wants them to know that he himself too has no limited vision, but acknowledges all, and is at one with all, and sees them all as one. He wants them to see that they are part of one whole worldwide body.
‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’
‘Grace’ and ‘peace’ were the two terms used in greetings in Paul’s world, the former by Gentiles the latter by Jews. But Paul, while taking them over, imbues them with new meaning. It is noteworthy that with him ‘grace’ always precedes ‘peace’, for peace results from God’s ‘freely shown favor’.
‘Grace to you.’ Nothing can be more desirable than to have God looking on us and acting towards us in undeserved love and favor, and this is what is signified by grace. It is God acting towards us in continual saving power in spite of our undeserving. Thus Paul wants the Corinthians to know that he desires for them only that they enjoy the continued experience of the grace of God.
‘And peace.’ Peace results from grace, but this kind of peace is also God’s gift, flowing from Him to us. Once we know that we are right with God, and experience His graciousness towards us, we have peace with God and enjoy such peace, prosperity and success of spirit that our hearts can only overflow. For however things may seem to smile on us, if God is not pleased with us, we cannot fully know peace. The very foundation then of peace in our hearts is the favor of God, by which we enjoy true and genuine prosperity of spirit through the work of His Spirit, and find the peace of God which passes all understanding guarding our thoughts and hearts. And this is what Paul wished for, and prayed for, for the Corinthians.
‘From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’ What a combined source of power and grace. I do not know about you but I have a question, ‘how come The Holy Spirit Is not mentioned?’ Well, my thought to this point is that our Lord Jesus Christ, so we would not be alone, The Holy Ghost, to abide with us until He came again. So, my reasoning is that we already have the Holy Spirit living in us. The other Two Great Holy Ones are now telling us that they also are in agreement and One with what is being done in our lives.
‘ I thank God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in him, in all utterance and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you came behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Now here is a convicting point brought up by Paul. How often do you pray for others? In all honesty Paul acknowledges that these Corinthians are always on his heart and in his prayers. He now instances how greatly God’s grace has already been revealed towards them, and wishes them to know that he continually thanks God on their behalf because of it. Thus does he desire that they recognize his concern and his well-wishing towards them, and of his certainty that they are the chosen of God to receive His blessings. Although he may have many harsh things to say to them he does not want them to think that he sees the church as a whole as devoid of the grace of God active on their behalf. For indeed he knows that it is only when they experience the grace of God that his words can be effective. [‘For the grace of God which was given to you -- that in everything you were enriched in Him.’] Here the ‘grace of God’ refers to that grace (unmerited favor) revealed in the giving of gracious gifts, the gift of Christ Himself, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual gifts that result from this. He wants them to recognize that he is aware of the spiritual gifts and spiritual awareness that they have enjoyed, gifts given by the grace of God so that they are spiritually enriched.
It should be recorded in our minds that no benefit can flow from God except ‘in Christ Jesus’, for His gracious activity can only flow once atonement and reconciliation has been made. Again the order of the words emphasizes His Christhood. Having been revealed as the Christ Jesus He can pour out His gifts on men, and especially the gift of His Holy Spirit. It is through Christ’s merit that the Corinthians, and we too, may enjoy His gifts, for they are not deserved. It is also because we are ‘in Him’, being made a part of what He is, united with Him in His body, which body is Christ.
The Corinthian church as a whole had experienced over-all blessings, coming short in nothing of what God would bestow. Their spiritual experience had been second to none. Elsewhere in Corinth men strove to find wisdom and knowledge of an inferior kind, but God had enriched His church with His own wisdom and knowledge, superior to any the world could have. It was wisdom and knowledge that was deep and true and covered all aspects of life, and especially of spiritual life. They did not need to be ashamed of how God had treated them and of what He had given them. Rather the lack lay in the behavior and response of many individuals within the church in the light of those gifts. Perhaps they had begun well, but now things were not going so well. We need to be constantly on the alert so that our Christian lives do not languish.
Our Great El Shddai - God Almighty - had spoken to them through His word, and had given them spiritual understanding, and teachers who could lead them rightly. They had not lacked the means of grace through His word and His Spirit. Indeed they had been blessed with many spiritual gifts, including ‘the word of knowledge, by which His word had been communicated to them. And these were given to them as one church.
All this revealed to the Corinthian church how much God had given them, and how much Paul appreciated them, bringing them a warm glow within, but it was preparatory to the criticisms that were to come which would severely test whether they would now accept such utterance and knowledge. Great gifts bring great responsibility, and he was now to bring home their responsibility.
Paul adds ‘Even as the testimony (witness) of Christ was confirmed in you.’ In context we must see this as including Christ’s testimony during His lifetime, testimony from Christ to them through His life and words, communicated through those who had heard and seen Him. This was part of the depth of wisdom and knowledge that they had received which were wisdom and knowledge coming from the source of all wisdom and all knowledge.
As they had heard this testimony it had worked in their hearts producing a change of heart and life. It includes what He had imparted to them by His Spirit as they heard those words and meditated on them. They have received illumination and specific confirmation from the Spirit Who has given them understanding of the words and person and significance of Christ, testified to by witnesses who had themselves heard them from the lips of Christ.
We must remember that at the time there were no Gospels. Knowledge of the words and life of Christ was passed on by those who had personally heard and seen Him and then by those who had received the information from others and learned it by heart, although some had no doubt been committed to writing. This utterance and knowledge had been theirs in abundance.
Note his emphasis that this word and knowledge comes from Christ and concerns Christ. It is not from or about Paul, nor from or about Apollos, nor from or about Peter, but from and about Christ Himself.
Then having responded to that illumination confirmation was given to them, and they had been sealed as His by the Spirit of God, Who had confirmed His testimony to their hearts, resulting in spiritual worship and spiritual gifts.
In addition to the Corinthians we also need to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom they are sanctified, and from Whom and concerning Whom they have received the word and wisdom, will imminently be revealed and is the One for Whom they are eagerly waiting. All God’s gifts are to be exercised in the light of His coming, when Christ is revealed as what He is, and all that is in part will pass away.
The expectation of the early church assisted greatly in enabling them to recognize that, as ‘the church’, separated from ‘the world’, they as one body awaited the final summation of all things. This is expanded in chapter 15 when the hope of the coming resurrection of all His people is stressed. It drew their attention constantly to the spiritual future, away from the pull of the world, and their oneness in the light of that spiritual future.
‘Who will also confirm you to the end, unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.’
Please take note here the promise that they will experience this because they will be ‘confirmed’ to the end. This verb is used as a legal term to indicate guaranteeing security.
Just as the testimony of Jesus Christ was ‘confirmed’ in them by the Holy Spirit as He ‘sealed them unto the day of redemption’, guaranteeing their security (verse 6), so now we also learn that either God Himself guarantees their security, ‘confirming’ them to the end, and guaranteeing that they will be unreproveable in that day. Thus Paul can speak of as he did in the book of Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 , ‘Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ’.
So the true people of God are seen as being safe and secure in His hands. They can rely on the faithfulness of God.
The One Who has called us into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is totally faithful. This is the final guarantee of what has gone before. The Spirit has sealed us, and Christ and God The Father will ‘confirm’ us, for all rests, not on our faithfulness, but on the faithfulness of God. And none is able to pluck us from His hand.
A good question often asked is, ‘If Christians are so secure in Christ, how do we explain those who fall away?’ The answer is one of two, either that such people never genuinely committed themselves to Christ from the heart, never really trusted in the saving work of the cross, whatever the outward appearance, were never really in Him. It is that they were converted to an idea, or the friendship of the church, or because someone they loved was a Christian, or because they liked some part of the message which suited their particular viewpoint, or for some other similar reason, and not to true submission to the living Christ. Or alternatively that while being marked off as His, they are being allowed to stray for a while, but can be sure that the Shepherd will seek them until He finds them (Luke 15.4). He will not let them finally stay away. All stray at some point, for every deliberate sin is a straying, but some take longer to be returned than others. Yet, if they are His, returned they will be, for His reputation as a Savior is at stake.
‘How then,’ it may be asked, ‘can we have assurance that we are His?’ And the answer is, by the genuineness of our response to Christ and the assurance of the Spirit within. This is revealed in our genuine awareness of sin, by our genuine recognition that only through His finished work on the cross can we find forgiveness and salvation, by our genuine response to Him on this basis, by our desire to please Him (not the church or people within the church or Paul or Apollos or Peter or any other outstanding personality, but Him) and our desire therefore to do always what is pleasing to Him. In the end it is final perseverance which is the proof of salvation, for Christ does not fail in His work, but our confidence should be, not in that final perseverance, but in the Savior in Whose hands we are and Who will bring it about. We may fail, but if we are His He will pick us up again and set us on the right way.
Wow! How’s this for only 9 verses? The Word of God Is truly Amazing!
