“Those Sanctified in Christ Jesus”

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

BIBLE READING: 1 Corinthians 1

There is no such thing as a perfect church and that is glaringly evident with a church like that in Corinth.  From the get-go we learn about prideful rivalries, sexual immorality between members, issues with marriage and divorce… There is a laundry list of issues here that needed attention. And yet Paul addressed them as “the church of God that is in Corinth… Those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together” (1 Corinthians 1.2).

Before getting to these issues, Paul put Jesus front and center as the basis for his plea to this church. 9 times in the first 9 verses, Paul invokes the name of Jesus. He recounts the benefits in Christ, the sufficiency of Christ, and the fellowship they share together in Christ. They are lacking in nothing because Christ was preached, and gifts were given to equip them for their new life in Christ (1 Corinthians 1.6-7). While the issues he had to discuss were important, Paul reminded them that loyalty to Jesus is the fundamental basis for fellowship.

Now with that comes expectation. He doesn’t tell them to simply avoid or ignore their present issues. On the contrary, this letter emphasizes the critical nature of practicing faith according to God’s expectations. Paul plainly states that unholy behavior is inconsistent and unacceptable for those who wear the name of Jesus (1 Corinthians 5.11-13). Hence why he calls them to make judgments, hold one another accountable, and deal with each other in humility (see 1 Corinthians 5.9-13; 8.8-13). Paul’s boldness has nothing to do with elevating himself, but rather elevating Jesus through the lives of his fellow believers.

Allegiance to Christ constrains the actions of believers (Titus 2.11-12). It forces us to examine ourselves more closely and hold one another to a higher standard. But it should also create humility as we understand our limitations and see our sinfulness.

Loyalty to Jesus must be the motivating factor in everything we do. We may not always agree at first, but a commitment to obey and follow Jesus will always bring us closer. We must not forget this fundamental truth. The calling of God is through Christ. The forgiveness of sins is because of Christ. The hope we have is in the sufficiency of Christ. We have no grounds to boast of ourselves except for what Christ has done for me, even while I was an enemy of his (Romans 5.6-9).

There is nothing about our faith and fellowship that can exclude the example, teaching and saving power of Jesus Christ for me. Especially when we find ourselves at odds with others, we must recommit ourselves to unity by promoting a sincere commitment to obey and honor King Jesus.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5.21)

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