God Is Faithful
1 Corinthians 1:4-9: "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge - even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you - so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Paul always gave thanks for God's people and for the work God was doing in his people. In that place of gratitude, Paul was faithful to challenge these believers in Corinth to keep growing in the Lord. As time passed since Paul's departure from Corinth, it was easy for these new Christians to forget that it was the Lord working in his church and through his people. The Corinthian church had quickly fallen into some spiritual pride. To rouse them, Paul reminded them that it was God who had given them gifts, it was God who saved them, and it was that same God who would continue to sustain them. The gifts that the Lord entrusted to members of the church were there to build that church up and to build each other up in the Lord.
Paul longed to see his people lay aside their pride and take on the goal of loving each other well. The Father was so generous with his gifts as he longed to bless and build the church. The Father is still so generous with his gifts, and he still longs to bless and build his church. What are we doing with the gifts the Father has entrusted to us? Are we taking pride in them and seeking to build ourselves up with those gifts, or are we faithfully using our gifts to build the church and to edify others within the church?
God's church needs faithful workers today! May we receive the fullness that the Father wants to give us and use each and every gift faithfully until the day Jesus returns or the Lord calls us home.
Reflection:
What is your spiritual gift, and what are you doing with it?
Paul always gave thanks for God's people and for the work God was doing in his people. In that place of gratitude, Paul was faithful to challenge these believers in Corinth to keep growing in the Lord. As time passed since Paul's departure from Corinth, it was easy for these new Christians to forget that it was the Lord working in his church and through his people. The Corinthian church had quickly fallen into some spiritual pride. To rouse them, Paul reminded them that it was God who had given them gifts, it was God who saved them, and it was that same God who would continue to sustain them. The gifts that the Lord entrusted to members of the church were there to build that church up and to build each other up in the Lord.
Paul longed to see his people lay aside their pride and take on the goal of loving each other well. The Father was so generous with his gifts as he longed to bless and build the church. The Father is still so generous with his gifts, and he still longs to bless and build his church. What are we doing with the gifts the Father has entrusted to us? Are we taking pride in them and seeking to build ourselves up with those gifts, or are we faithfully using our gifts to build the church and to edify others within the church?
God's church needs faithful workers today! May we receive the fullness that the Father wants to give us and use each and every gift faithfully until the day Jesus returns or the Lord calls us home.
Reflection:
What is your spiritual gift, and what are you doing with it?
No Comments