Jesus is Lord. What does this phrase mean to you? There are those today who see it purely as a title, or a mantra to be repeated. Yes Jesus is Lord, the God of creation and Savior of the world; never forget that fact… but He is also personal, intimate and able to enrich and provide for every area of your life. Some people recoil from this fact, afraid that it will somehow take away from His Lordship.
This misunderstanding of the nature and character of God has held many people in bondage due to them not receiving from Jesus many of the gifts which He desires to give them; and so we will be studying exactly how Jesus fulfills our lives, and we will be letting the Scriptures teach us these things so that there will not be any confusion any longer.
Our scripture text today is going to begin with 1st Corinthians 1:1-3:
“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, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s:
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
First we have the introduction of Paul’s Letter to the church in Corinth. Always remember that there are no insignificant details in the Bible – even something as simple as an introduction of a letter can be used to show us something about Jesus.
We can see in verse 1 that Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ, called to be so by the will of God. These days, men give themselves titles, but a true call of God is always by the will of God… No-one can truly serve in effective ministry without the support and supply of God in their life. A person can not simply decide one day go on a mission from God without the calling being there. Every work is a dead work without God being the author and sustainer of it – and that includes Christian service as well.
In verse 2, we see that the letter is addressed first to the church of God in Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, to those that are called to be saints. Along with all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.
I added emphasis on that last part because there are certain groups today who claim that the letters in the Bible are not for us today but only to those living in Bible times. However this last address makes it clear that this letter is not only for those at the church in Corinth, but to everyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ as their Lord, for He is both their Lord and our Lord. Jesus is Lord of all, not just the Lord of one particular nation or people group. He is not Lord over this denomination or that denomination, but He is Lord over all, and all who call upon His Name shall be saved.
Verse 3 starts the message, and what was of foremost importance? Grace be to you, and peace; and who was this grace and peace from… not Paul, but from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I simply cannot overstate how very important these details are to the believer today. If we could honestly grab hold of the truth that right now, today we have Grace and Peace given to us by God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord, many problems would be solved and many strongholds would be broken. There is a popular but inaccurate image in the minds of many believers that God is a mean judge looking to punish us and Jesus is a defense attorney pleading for mercy to be done on us in the face of the mean judge of God the Father. However as we see here, it is both God the Father and Jesus Christ who gives us both Grace and Peace. Jesus is not there to protect us from the mean judge of God the Father, but Jesus is there to allow us to stand justified in the face of the accuser, who is Satan. Yes… God the Father is the ultimate judge, but let us also remember that He was the one who sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, that we might be justified and not condemned.
Let’s move on now and read verses 4 through 8:
“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
That in every thing you are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Something very interesting in verse 4 is the fact that Paul states that He thanks God for the Grace of God given to them. Paul notes not only that he thanks God, but that he thanks his God, this was not just some general God-figure, but his personal God whom he knew personally… this was his God. Now the reason Paul was so thankful for this Grace follows.
In verse 5 we see another important truth, and this is the key point of our study today, that in everything you are enriched by Him (Jesus Christ) in all utterance, and in all knowledge. I want you to take special notice of the all-encompassing scope of what the scriptures say here…. the word “enriched” used in this verse is the Greek word ploutizō, which means “to make rich and richly furnish”, and this verse along with the previous verse tells us that it is through the Grace given by Jesus Christ that this enriching happens. It is Jesus that brings life to every area of life – without Him even the best that this world has to offer is dead. To illustrate this, there was a time in my life where I was very far from God, and even though I had some rather amazing opportunities in my life, I never really enjoyed any of them. The entire world was dim; the light of Jesus was not in it, and there was no real joy.
Do you know that’s it’s possible to get absolutely everything you want in this world and still be miserable? There was a man who tried it. Hold your place here in 1st Corinthians 1:4 and let’s look for a moment at Ecclesiastes 2:1-17
“I said in my heart, Go to now, I will prove you with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What does it?
I sought in my heart to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that brings forth trees:
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had worked, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has been already done.
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happens to them all.
Then said I in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dies the wise man? as the fool.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is worked under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit”
In verses 1 through 16, Solomon tries everything under the sun, experiencing everything the world has to offer, wine, women, drink and every pleasure known to men. And what was the result of all of this pleasure? Solomon says in verse 17, Therefore I hated life.
When a man does not have God, his heart is beating but he is dead spiritually. Like a walking zombie with no life. The symbol for Christian believers is a fish, and dead fish only float – they follow the currents and turbulent passions of the world; live fish can swim against the current of the world. The currents of the world will always try to push you to this thing or that thing. To this pleasure or that feeling. When a man has forgotten God and his thoughts are only “under the sun”, and he does everything he wants to gratify his flesh, in the end he will say this “I hated life”. Solomon, a man who did not withhold from his eyes everything he desired and did not withhold from his heart any pleasure it craved at the end said “I hated my life”. And I can’t even convey how many people I have met who want to go into the world and try wine and women and every pleasure only to find at the end that person concludes “I hate my life”. There are people who are rich, who are powerful, who are beautiful, who take their life, or they ruin themselves on the many pleasure of this world and find themselves empty at the end. Down through history we see people who seem to have everything, but they hate their life. People who try everything, relationships, sex, alcohol, drugs and pleasures of every sort, thinking that it would satisfy their heart, only to find in the end that none of it satisfies. Those whom I have met have all said the same thing: “I hate life” or they don’t say it, but they are depressed and suicidal. They feel that life is empty or has no meaning any longer. What causes a person with many friends, and perhaps even many lovers to wake up one morning, look in the mirror and say “I’m lonely and empty.” having worldly relationships doesn’t solve it, the need is not for people, it is for God. The devil will try to say that without all these things in your life you are missing out, but the real need is not for things or for people, but for God.
Now back to 1st Corinthians 1:5, we see that it is Jesus Christ that enriches all things, He is the one that richly furnishes every area of life, and without Him all things are dead.
Furthermore, we see in verse 5, that it is Jesus that enriches every utterance, and also all knowledge. The word for “utterance” used there is logos as in “words or speech” and the word for “knowledge” in this verse is gnosis, meaning “understanding”. It is the Grace of Jesus that gives true knowledge and understanding of scripture, because true understanding of scripture will be in the light of the finished work of Jesus. You can always tell a preacher who is devoid of this enrichment, because their message will be devoid of Grace and a dead word. It may contain lots of scripture, but it will be missing the life of Christ.
We see in verse 6 that even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed, so too will this enrichment be confirmed. Now we know from Matthew 7:16 that a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit, and Jesus says that is how you recognize character. Likewise with this enrichment of Christ, it will show in your life, it will be unmistakable and beyond all doubt.
Next in verse 7, we see that another benefit of this enriching is that you will come behind in no gift. This word “gift” is kharisma, referring to the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians 12:8-10. These gifts will naturally and effortlessly flow out of us as we are simply focused on Jesus and allowing Him to work through us. So many people try to force the gifts or work them as they will… they end up seeking after and worshiping the gifts rather than the Giver of the gifts. However we see from this verse here that the gifts will flow abundantly for those who simply receive the Grace of God. The phrase “come behind” used in this verse is the word hustereō which means “to lack; be in want and destitute”. You will have each of the gifts at the right time, you will never be in lack, or need of them.
Finally we have verse 8. The same Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and the giver of all good gifts; the one who enriches our lives… He is the one who will also confirm us to the end – blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only do we have present joy in Jesus Christ, but future hope on top of it all. For us the future is not a thing to be feared, but a confident expectation of eternal rest and peace in Heaven. The world fears tomorrow and pronounces doom, and they are right. We have confidence in Jesus and an eternity of joy with Him, and we are also right. So having divine light on our present day and condition in Jesus, and also knowing the goodness of our future, we see that our life in Christ is not only blessed, but richly furnished, lacking nothing in Him. It’s all through Christ, and so it is absolutely sure.
No responses yet