•I Corinthians 1:26-31
•Boast in the Lord
•The Wide World
•Corinth
•26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
(I Corinthians 1:26-31, ESV)
•For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
(I Corinthians 1:26, ESV)
•But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
(I Corinthians 1:27, ESV)
•God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
(I Corinthians 1:28, ESV)
•so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
(I Corinthians 1:29, ESV)
•And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
(I Corinthians 1:30, ESV)
•so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
(I Corinthians 1:31, ESV)
•Main Point
•These verses present an argument against the rhetorical wisdom in Corinth
•God has brought salvation not by human ingenuity
•Instead He has done it through what is considered foolish and weak…the cross of Christ
•God has accomplished what was not even possible for the best of humanity to achieve
•Application Points
•Boast in the Lord
•Paul reminds us of the foundation for our salvation
•Yet we want to be cautious even now
•For some salvation is summarized as accepting Jesus into your heart
•The fullness of the Gospel is far more than a mental acceptance
•It is finding satisfaction not in ourselves…but in Jesus Christ who redeems
•The world will say you are nothing without…your riches…your affluence…your power…
•The Gospel says it is not in yourself you boast
•The Gospel says it alone has the power to save
•
•Application Points
•Boast in the Lord (2)
•It is through the Gospel, then, that such radical transformation can occur, because it is the power of God Himself in us
•It is through Him we are capable of being Salt and Light
•To call the Gospel refreshing is an almost natural way to describe it
•It can transform
•There is no one so awful who is outside the scope of salvation
•We can believe that because we have found salvation we are better than others
•We should be a people who are most humble
•It is by God’s grace we are saved
•We are reminded we are the “nothings” described in this text
•
•Application Points
•Boast in the Lord (3)
•How many of us can say that we’ve been rich? Wise? Influential?
•Can any of us say that we have had it fully “made”?
•We’re not well known, we’re not well off
•It is important for us to see exactly where we are and who are according to this world
•Yet what else do we consider?
•It is to a people like us the Gospel has made itself most known
•It has taken those who know themselves and recognize with humility exactly who they are
•
•Application Points
•Boast in the Lord (4)
•He does what is impossible for us to accomplish
•He transforms “nothings” into “somethings”
•He takes us and bestows upon us His wisdom, His righteousness, His sanctification, His redemption, and says “You are nothing no more”
•He shapes us and transforms us by His very power
•This is what true faith realizes
•Realizing that it is through us that the glory of God is being revealed
•Even if we were influential…powerful…wise…
•We would still need salvation, and that salvation is still possible for us
•All are welcome, all can receive the gift
•
•Application Points
•Boast in the Lord (5)
•Our hope is not in ourselves
•Our hope is in the power of God
•He is able to change us and this causes us to not boast in ourselves, but boast in the person Jesus Christ
•He has accomplished our redemption, and now offers that redemption to us freely
•Remain humble, then, before God
•Know that we have no reason to boast in ourselves, but to boast in the One who is worthy, to boast in the Lord who saves
•
•Application Points
•The Gospel of Christ
•Origins
•Where it begins
•Fall
•What went wrong
•Redemption
•How it is fixed
•Glorification
•Where it at leads
