"god Is Faithful Who Called You..."

“GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO CALLED YOU…” (Outline)

January 15, 2023 – Epiphany 2 – 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9

INTRO: “God is faithful…” Powerful words in our text this morning. Our encouraging theme today. Especially when we consider God’s faithfulness and ours. We are not always faithful. At times we are faithless. Our sins are acts of unfaithfulness. God remains faithful! “If we are faithless, he (God) remains faithful, because he cannot deny himself” (2 TIMOTHY 2:13). Adam and Eve sinned. Unfaithful. God remained faithful. Promised a Savior (Genesis 3:15). The Lord who promises faithfully fulfills every promise made. “GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO CALLED...” I. …with grace. II. …into Christ.

I. GOD CALLS BELIEVERS WITH GRACE, UNDESERVED LOVE.

A. Verse 1. Paul was called by God’s will. Called as an apostle by God when on his way to Damascus.

1. Paul saw Jesus when called (Acts 9:3-5). Sosthenes, a brother in the faith, is with Paul.

2. Paul is rightly called an apostle. Paul is the inspired author of this letter to believers.

B. Verse 2. Letter addressed to the church of God in Corinth.

1. These are believers made holy (sanctified) by the Holy Spirit. Also called believers (saints).

2. God’s message for “for all in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

a. For all believers everywhere. b. All generations. c. All who call on Jesus’ name.

C. Verse 3. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!”

1. Grace is God’s undeserved love. Peace with God comes from sins forgiven. Blessings.

2. Verse 4a. Paul always thankful for believers who have been given God’s grace. Faith.

D. Our eternal welfare is vitally important for each and everyone of us. It is so important that our loving, heavenly Father places the responsibility for inheriting heaven solely upon himself. God is faithful. Even in the midst of our faithlessness. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot earn heaven. We cannot buy our way into eternity. Certainly, none of us deserve to live forever. In perfection. With God. God is faithful. His undeserved love saves us. Grace alone. We are saved by grace, not be works. We cannot boast. “But God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!” (EPHESIANS 2:5). Once dead cannot do a thing. We were dead in sin. We are made alive by grace. Saved!

E. God is faithful. Day after day he showers his undeserved love on us. This is grace. Grace is one of those divine concepts almost beyond human understanding. In this world our lives are tainted by sin. God calls us by grace. Calls out of darkness into his light. Freely saves us. Scripture helps us understand the depth of God’s great love for us. For all believers. Christ-followers. “At one time you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. At one time you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy” (1 PETER 2:10). There are millions of different tribes, languages, and nations. By grace God has called us out of them into his kingdom. He calls us to be his people. God is faithful.

F. As the people of God, we belong to him. Our loving, heavenly Father does not stop there. There is more, much more to the love of our faithful God. Yes, we are now God’s people. We have been shown mercy. God’s grace is even greater. “See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! The world does not know us, because it did not know him” (1 JOHN 3:1). There is a special relationship in families. Parents and children have a love for each other beyond description. We are God’s children. The Lord makes us members of his family. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers, sisters, and family. Think on that powerful truth. God’s grace = undeserved love!

“GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO CALLED YOU…” Our faithful God calls us by grace, undeserved love.

II. GOD CALLS BELIEVERS INTO CHRIST, OUR SAVIOR.

A. Verse 4. Paul always thankful: God’s grace given in Christ Jesus. Believers saved by Christ.

1. Verse 5. Believers were made rich in speaking and wisdom of God through Christ.

2. Verse 6. Their faith was now founded on Christ alone. He was their Rock. Strength.

B. Verse 7. The believers did not lack any gift as they looked forward to Jesus’ return on the Last Day.

1. They eagerly waited for Judgment Day. They had God’s divine gifts to joyfully watch.