1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reflection - God Piles On!
God just piles it on. Yes, God piles on the blessings day after day. Yet being the sinful man that I am, I tend to not see the blessings and see the sin. All of the blessings that God piles on seem to be invisible most of the time. Yes, those blessings are there. The blessings are there every moment of every day, yet what do I see? I see the sin, the illness, the corruption, the sinfulness of this world and focus my attention on these things. I focus on the things that are wrong with this world and don't even notice the blessings that God piles on each moment of every day.
Yes, I see the corruption in the news of people that manipulate and use people. I see how the rich abuse the poor and how the poor take advantage of the rich. I see the violence and the war. I see the illness that can't be cured. I see the pollution and the greed of corporations out for a profit. I see the banking system that abuses the system and the stock market that gets all twisted and turned around through unfair trading and shady deals.
Yet, at the same moment, I miss the laughter of a baby, the unique snowflake, the water that nourishes the earth, the money that buys the groceries, the love of a couple one for the other. I miss the depth of the baptism, the unity of communion, the beauty of the song. I miss the smell of cookies prepared special for someone. I miss the kiss of my wife and the hug of a grandchild. I miss out on the growth of the plants and the taste and smell of the coffee. I miss all of the blessings of life that God graciously grants moment by moment.
In this passage of scripture, I see that Paul recognizes the blessings in other disciples of Jesus. I see that Paul is amazed at the wonderful gifts God has given God's people to use in their call to do the will of God. I see Paul encouraging the use of spiritual gifts of all kinds, all unique, yet all orchestrated together for the good will of God to reach out and bring all people into fellowship with God and in relationship with one another.
Paul has discovered the amazement of the reality of what God has done through Jesus. Paul has discovered the response that we all can have to the death and resurrection of Jesus that we all may be united with Jesus in his Kingdom, now and forever. Paul responds to the grace of God by noticing the blessings of God in this world and in the people that God has given to him to fellowship with and to love. Paul has been turned around by Jesus and lives a life full of the recognition of God's blessings rather than guided by the sinfulness and evil of this world.
Yes, God has turned Paul around, he has turned me around, and turned you around and turned all who believe around to see and focus on Jesus rather than focus on sin. Our focus is on Jesus now that we believe and give ourselves to God as disciples. Our focus is no longer on sin. Yes, we recognize the sinfulness of this world. We see it and we act against it knowing that God has blessed us with salvation from that very sin that we see and commit. Our focus doesn't lie on the sin. We repent of the sin and focus on Jesus. That's the turn God has blessed us with. That's the focus... the focus is on the cross and Jesus wonderful resurrection to life that we too have been granted by God.
Yes, Paul, we have been called. We are called first as a Christian. We are called to be disciples of Jesus. We are called to obey and follow the will of God. We are called to the Church that is God's Church, not our church. This is God's Church and we are called to follow Jesus in that Church of God because we belong to God. We have been set apart and sanctified, not by our works but by God's work. And we notice the gracefulness of God, given to all people in Christ. Jesus is in this Church of God throughout all space and throughout all time.
Yes, Paul we are thankful for what God has done. For Jesus has shown us the truth. And in speech and knowledge of the Truth we take this message, this Gospel message, to all those that God gives to us. We take this message out the door with us every day to speak this Gospel and to live out the Gospel in the presence of those we are sent to each and every day. Yes, Paul, God has transformed his people with Spiritual gifts and God will sustain all his disciples in every action and every moment.
So, turn it around. See the blessings and revel in the action of God through Jesus. Notice the sin but live in the blessings. Repent of the sin but live and respond in the gifts God has given to all of his disciples. Live life so that the world may know the grace and the gospel of God through Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of all!
Prayer
Lord, as I see and hear the news of this world; open my eyes to your blessings and your gifts that I may use them to your glory in all I say and do. Send me into this world, having confessed and repented of my sin to focus on the gracious blessing of eternal life to be lived in your Kingdom that I may tell and act out the wonder and amazing response to what you have done for me and for all people through Jesus Christ... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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