Our PRINCIPLE ASSETS-VII—1Corinthians 1:8-9(:1-9)
ATTENTION:(Business idea/Better mousetrap)
‘Smartphones’ have changed the way we live our lives.
In 1994—IBM released the ‘Simon Personal Communicator’(SPC) for public purchase. The SPC was the first handheld touchscreen ‘Personal Data Assistant’ with analog telephone capability. The SPC could send & receive emails & faxes. It had a calendar, an address book, & an appointment scheduler, & stylus-compatible screen keyboards. Just what businessmen needed.
June 2007—Apple Debued the first iPhone. It was & remains an extremely successful product. But why?
•The iPhone appealed to the public rather than to businessmen only. It was the first device that offered the ability to browse the web just as you would on a desktop computer. It offered digital telephone capability & a more ‘elegant’ & simplified touchscreen interface. It offered multiple individual ‘apps’(applications), which were simpler for businesses to write, & were also simple to add &/or delete for the consumer. Apple also had a solid reputation for not only innovation, but for a robust product. It was & is a ‘telephone’ for the times!
And those Principle Assets made the iPhone noteworthy & successful.
*And in the same manner, the Church has Principle Assets, that are essential for the Church to succeed, in eternal matters regarding the Kingdom of God! God’s Church is a Church for the times!
NEED:
God’s Church globally, & therefore our church, must administer ‘The Good News’/‘The Gospel’ in this world!
And God has blessed us with Assets to make that work possible. So, IF we disregard those God-ordered Assets, we cannot fulfill our God-ordained mission!
An ASSET— ‘A useful or valuable thing, person, or quality’; ‘An advantage or A resource.’
Paul & Sosthenes opened their letter to the Corinthian church by informing them of their most important spiritual assets.
You...the local(our) church, has important spiritual assets.
We will attempt to answer the question:
‘?What are some of our church’s most important spiritual assets?’
In previous weeks we’ve discovered, that some principle assets of the Christian church are...
1. APPROPRIATE APOSTLES(:1)
2. SANCTIFIED SAINTS(:2)...
&
3. GOD’s GRACE & PEACE(:3)
4. GOD’s ENRICHMENT(:4-7a)
5-A. A CARRYING CONFIRMATION-A(:7b-9)...
That God’s people are to be “eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today we’ll continue to examine the fact that...
5-B—A Principle Asset of the Christian church is...
A CARRYING CONFIRMATION-B(:7b-9)
:8—“who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
:8a—“who will also confirm you to the end,”...
Your being absolutely “confirmed” as one who bears the “testimony of Christ”(:6), & as one who is “sanctified in Christ”(:2) NOW, ensures that your certainty(“confirmation”) continues thru “to the end.”
•“The end” speaks of that future(near or far) time, when God’s ‘final judgment’ will take place. Those final determinations of God will take place immediately before He replaces the old heaven & earth, with the ‘new heaven’ & ‘new earth.’(Rev. 20:11-15; Rev. 21:1-8).
Rev. 20:11-15—“Then I saw a great white throne & Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth & the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small & great, standing before God, & books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, & Death & Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death & Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Rev. 21:1-8—“Now I saw a new heaven & a new earth, for the first heaven & the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, & He will dwell with them, & they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them & be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true & faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, & I will be his God & he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, & all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire & brimstone, which is the second death.”
:8b—“that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The “testimony of Christ”(:6) being “confirmed”(‘made certain’) “in you”—in the Christian, in the believer, in God’s people—carries an unquestionably positive result & benefit for your life!...
•The MAJOR ‘benefit’ being, that God expects those same believers who are “confirmed” in the “testimony of Christ”(:6), to meet their FULL POTENTIAL as God’s people, by their being considered/reckoned by God to be “blameless” of “in the day of our Lord.”
The apostle Paul claimed to be “blameless” in relation “to the righteousness” that “is in the law.” That is, Paul obediently followed the ‘behavioral directives’ of the Jewish Law.
Php. 3:4-6—the apostle Paul—“...If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”
So Paul was a ‘piously devout legalist’ before he was saved. He “paid meticulous attention to the requirements” & keeping of the Jewish Law. Keeping the Jewish Law fooled “him into thinking that he was right with God”(John MacArthur in MNTC). The Law instead does not & cannot save anyone. In actuality, the Law can only make a person aware of their sinfulness.
Gal. 3:22-25—the apostle Paul—“But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
*?So, What does it mean to be “blameless” in 1Corinthians 1:8?...
•“Blameless” means, to be ‘rendered’, declared or considered as innocent of wrongdoing within God’s righteous standard of judgment involving Christ Jesus. It is to be accepted as ‘guiltless’, & To be “above or beyond reproach”(Col. 1:21-23) &/or “Without fault”(Jude :24-25) in God’s presence.
Col. 1:21-23—the apostle Paul to the church,—“And you, who once were alienated & enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, & blameless, & above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded & steadfast, & are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
Jude 1:24-25—“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory & majesty, Dominion & power, Both now & forever. Amen.
•A person who takes God’s promise of their declared “blamelessness” to heart, unashamedly chooses to live-out a godly example in relationship with his/her fellow man.
*To be without “blame” before God & men, does NOT mean that the “blameless” person or people are ‘WITHOUT SIN’!
•“Blamelessness” is a reflection of the transforming work of God's grace in you for salvation & sanctification.
•“Blameless” people are God’s people—‘blood-bought’ by Jesus—upon whom no accusation can ‘truthfully’ be laid. No ‘accusation’ can ‘truly’ be laid upon you, so that any accusing ‘fault’ will not ‘stick’ to you, or be true of you, no matter what may be said about you. ‘False’ accusations become just that...False!...So that your reputation in Christ remains intact.
•A truly “blameless” person is of godly moral integrity, so living their life in alignment with Christ, so as to bring neither shame nor disgrace to the Church or to the name of Jesus.
•To be “Blameless” means that the person who has been saved by God’s grace thru faith in Christ, has given Jesus Lordship over their lives. And as a result, their lives are lived for Him, by Him, to Him, & thru Him. Such Christ-honoring people are openly recognized by others as people of Christ-honoring integrity. Their every aim is to live-up to the promise of God thru Christ Jesus. They are “blameless” living within the confines of the ‘perfect law of liberty’ which is in Christ Jesus alone(Js. 1:25).
Php. 2:12-13—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure.”
“in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”...
•1Thess. 3:12-13—“And may the Lord make you increase & abound in love to one another & to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God & Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
•1Thess. 5:23—“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; & may your whole spirit, soul, & body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
*In our 1Cor. 1:8 context, “the day” signals the time of “the end.” And “the end” encompasses MANY EVENTS along a timeline to it’s fulfillment.
•However, “the day” should ALSO call ‘YOUR’ attention to the “end” of ‘YOUR’ life-time here on earth, in this mortal body of flesh, that is prone to sin & wickedness.
**CONCLUDING the discussion of :8 then...
*Paul’s prayer & desire for the people of God to be “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”, echos his desire & prayer for God’s people to be properly prepared to stand fearlessly & firmly before “our Lord Jesus Christ” in His eagerly-anticipated “day”(:7).
1Jn. 4:17-19—“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
**In “the end”, “in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”, at His coming, ?Will you stand before God, by your own merits, OR because your name is in the ‘Book of Life’ by God’s grace thru faith in Jesus Christ?
“Blameless/Unimpeachable”—anegklhtov—Adj.—1)That cannot be called into account, unreproveable, unaccused, blameless. Anegklhtov designates one against whom there is no accusation, implying not acquittal of a charge, but that no charge has been made. Strong—Unaccused, i.e. by implication--Irreproachable. Used 5X.?From—A(as a negative particle)—& a derivative of—egkalew—1) To come forward as accuser against, bring charge against; 2) To be accused.
:9—“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“God is faithful,”
“The time of waiting is placed under the shield of God’s faithfulness.”—David Garland in BECNT.....
“God” is ultimately “faithful” in EVERYTHING He is & does.
•1Thess. 5:24—“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”
•Num. 23:19—“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, & will He not do? Or has He spoken, & will He not make it good?”
•Deut. 7:9-10—“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant & mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him & keep His commandments; & He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.”
•2Tim. 2:11-13—“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
•1Cor. 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Heb. 10:23—“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
YOU & all God’s people, were “called” “by” “God”, thru His “faithful” will to provide. God provides THE ONLY way/means/avenue to salvation from sin & sanctification to Him, to all who will be His people.
:9—“into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
YOU & all God’s people, “were called” to be a vital part of “the fellowship” that is “of” the “Son” of “God.”
?What does it mean to be “called” & encompassed within “the fellowship of His Son”?
•“Fellowship” involves ‘Oneness’, Being of the same mind(Php. 2:3-5), Seeking the same goals, & Being driven to fully participate in those goals as “fellowship” might require, etc.
•Heb. 3:12-15—“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”[Israel’s wilderness wandering, wherein that particular generation died due to unfaithfulness-Heb. 16-19]
•1Cor. 2:16—“For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
?Do you share an intimate “fellowship” with “Jesus Christ” as your “Lord”?
“Jesus” IS the “Christ”(‘the anointed’ One of God), AND “Jesus” is the “Son” of “God.”
*And so, “Jesus” is “our Lord.” “Jesus” is the One by, to, & thru whom, we answer to “God”, both as individuals & as a part of the body of Christ, His church.
Argumentation:
Dan. 12:9-13—“And he[the angel] said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words[of his prophecy] are closed up & sealed till the time of the end.”..... “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, & will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.””
Ps. 119:33—“...Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.”
Mat. 24:13—““But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
Mat. 28:20—Jesus promised saying,—““... & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
Eternal security is Guaranteed for all with the Holy Spirit:
2Cor. 1:21-22—“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ & has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us & given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Eph. 1:13-14—“In Him[Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
2Cor. 5:5-9—“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body & to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”
Php. 1:3-6—“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
Php. 2:12-16—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining & disputing, that you may become blameless & harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked & perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
2Pet. 3:11-18—“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness, looking for & hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, & the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless; & consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught & unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now & forever. Amen.”
Illustration:
I have in my wallet, a laminated card that states:
“Pfeiffer College confers upon Byron Keith Sherman the degree of Bachelor of Arts together with all the rights, privileges, responsibilities and honors thereto appertaining. Given under the seal of the College at Meisenheimer, North Carolina, this fourth day of May in the year of our Lord, Nineteen hundred and eighty.”
The statement is signed by the four officials of the college as pertinent witnesses. That card is ‘A CARRYING CONFIRMATION’ of a portion of my educational pursuits.
Grade School. At the Minimum it’s an intense commitment to a 12-year journey toward civic responsibility & adulthood. Completion of those grades is A CARRYING CONFIRMATION that you are ready for a career choice &/or further education.
Application:
?Is A CARRYING CONFIRMATION in Christ Jesus, an Asset for YOU?
?Do YOU live by God’s CARRYING CONFIRMATION?
?Are YOU an Asset to the Christian Church?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
As the iPhone has many Principle Assets....
*So, the Church has many Principle Assets, that are centered in Christ Jesus, & essential for the Church’s eternal success, in matters of God’s Kingdom!
?Have YOU put the God-ordained Assets of His Church to use?
Action:
A Principle Asset of the Christian Church is...
5. A CARRYING CONFIRMATION(:7b-9)
As well as:
1. APPROPRIATE APOSTLES(:1)
2. SANCTIFIED SAINTS(:2)
3. GOD’s GRACE & PEACE(:3)
4. GOD’s ENRICHMENT(:4-7a)
Pt# 5, :8-9 presented 08/20/2023am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC, 29512
Pts. 1-5 presented 07/21/2013pm to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave.
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-5 Presented 03/01/1998pm to:
Penia Baptist Church
3738 Old Penia Rd.
Cordele, GA 31015
