REGARDING GOD-II—1Corinthians 1:26-31
Attention:
Nice 1 Percenter Boyfriend
One night a teenage girl(Barbara) brought her new boyfriend home to meet her parents, & they were appalled by his appearance: drove up on a trashed out Harley, which they could hear thruout the neighborhood long before he arrived. He sported a WWI style German army helmet complete with a spike on top & a German ‘iron cross’ emblazoned on the front & back. He had two Swastika tattoos, one on each forearm, & a chain attached to his ear on one side & connected to the same side of his nose. He gets off the Harley hangs his helmet on the three pronged ‘devil’s pitchfork’ backrest. Without introducing himself, & with a smug attitude & tone, he says, ‘I’m here for Barb, will you tell her I’m here?’
Later, the parents pulled their daughter aside & confessed their concern. "Dear," said the mother diplomatically, "he doesn't seem very nice."
"Oh please, Mom," replied the daughter, "if he wasn't nice, why would he be doing 500 hours of community service?"
We must have a proper regard for the reality of our situation!
Also read the 'Church Covenant'—
—We can mimic behaviors without regarding God!
To Glory=To take great pride or pleasure in.
Paul guided the Corinthian church to properly ascribe glory to God.
Paul guided the Corinthian church in their regard for God.
Only the church properly ascribes glory to God.
Only the church has a proper regard for God.
*When is God properly regarded?
How is God properly regarded?
5 recognitions properly regarding God.
Previously we had found that one’s,
Regard for God is resolved thru validating Our...
1. COMPANY We Keep(:26)
2. POWER We Wield(:27-28)
3—Regard for God is resolved thru validating...
Our FLESH(:29)
Explanation:(:29)Place/Presence/Powerless
:29—“that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
Thru such Divine nullification of flesh-driven reality, there remains absolutely “no flesh” which can boast in God’s “presence.”
Seeing as the world’s cleverly devised & confusing ‘salvations’ are actually discounted by God, there is no possibility that they will be able to stand boldly before God if they remain in them & reject the salvation of God.
Whereas the believer/Christian, even in his/her flesh, can & is encouraged to approach God boldly!
Heb. 4:15-16—“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
“Glory/Boast”(See :31)—kaucaomai—1) To glory (whether with reason or without); 2) To glory on account of a thing; 3) To glory in a thing. Strong—from some (obsolete)base akin to that of aucew(to boast) & eucomai[to wish]; To vaunt(in a good or a bad sense).
Eph. 2:8-9—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast[kaucaomai].”
“Presence”—enwpion—Prep.—1) In the presence of, before. Strong—In the face of(literally or figuratively).
Argumentation:
*Rom. 8:5-11—“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
*1Cor. 2:14—“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
*Eph. 2:1-10—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Rom. 3:20-28—“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
*Rom. 7:20-8:1—“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, & bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Heb. 4:1-2—“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”
Heb. 13:8-10—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, & forever. Do not be carried about with various & strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.”
Gal. 5:1-6—“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, & do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”
*Col. 2:16-23—“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility & worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, & not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished & knit together by joints & ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations-- “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments & doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, & neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
Illustration:
2013—Commercials for a drug which transforms older men to better than their former glory/Shows 65+ year-old men with ripped muscles, washboard abs & giant ‘guns’(biceps)—My wife & I looked at each other & simultaneously said, “Steroids!”/Our FLESH
*We can convince ourselves of our own goodness if we are not careful with the truth....
?Can you enter space(outside earth’s atmosphere)?
?Can you walk thru fire without getting burned?
God has absolutely no trouble with these but all humanity does!/Our FLESH
Application:
?You Validate your Christian FLESH?
?You have a proper regard for God?
4—Regard for God is resolved thru validating...
Our STANDING(:30)
Explanation:(:30)
:30—“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption--”
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus”
We(Christians) are the result of God’s choosing & thus we are of/from Him. Due to God’s choice of us(by faith), we are “in Christ Jesus.”
This Jesus, who is the “Christ,” minimally “became” the source of “wisdom” “for” His people(“us”). How did He become this? By sending His Holy Spirit our fleshly lives have been upended by a new & better way & means.
This is, in turn, illustrated thru four possessions(three if fleshing out “wisdom”—per Fee, Garland) of the despised(:28) believer. Each of these possessions is a gift arising from God’s love “for us.”
“Of Him/By His doing/Because of Him”—ex autou de—ex—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).
“You”—umeiv—Plural—irregular plural of su.
“who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption--”
“Wisdom” is also seen as one of four aspects of what Christ has “become for us”...
1)Rather than the “wisdom” which is of & from the world, we have Jesus, who is Himself the embodiment of God’s “wisdom.” God’s “wisdom” by Christ involves a different grasp of reality than that which the world holds to. We are not “wise” of ourselves as it were. We are only possessors of “wisdom” by means of Christ alone & thus from outside our own power to effect it. Without the “wisdom” found “in Christ Jesus,” there is no “wisdom.”
2)Christ Jesus is also the Christian’s “righteousness.” God’s “wisdom” by Christ involves a different grasp of “righteousness” than that which the world holds to. We are not “righteous” of ourselves as it were. We are only “righteous” by means of Christ alone & thus from outside our own power to effect it. “Righteousness” is simply doing that which is determined as ‘right’ by God. Apart from Jesus’ “righteousness,” we have none because sin keeps us estranged from God’s desire.
3) Christ Jesus is also the Christian’s “sanctification.” God’s “wisdom” by Christ involves a different grasp of “sanctification” than that which the world holds to. We are not “sanctifiers” of ourselves as it were. We are only “sanctified” by means of Christ alone & thus from outside our own power to effect it. We have no “sanctification” apart from that which is attained to “in Christ Jesus.” This is because personal holiness is only possible thru Christ.
4) Christ Jesus is also the Christian’s “redemption.” God’s “wisdom” by Christ involves a different grasp of “redemption” than that which the world holds to. We are not “redeemers” of ourselves as it were. We are “redeemed” by means of Christ alone & from outside our own power to effect it. We have no “redemption” apart from Christ. We are purchased back from(“redeemed”) our former lives of control by sin. Likewise we are purchased back in order to surrender control to God.
“Became”—ginomai—1) To become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. to come to pass, happen; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage; 4) To be made, finished; 5) To become, be made. Strong—To cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
“Wisdom/Cleverness”(See :20, 21, 22, 24, 30)—sofia—1) Wisdom, broad & full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters. Sofia denotes wisdom as exhibited in action, gnwsiv applies chiefly to the apprehension of truths, sofia adds the power of reasoning about them & tracing their relationships. Sofia is properly wisdom. It denotes mental excellence in the highest & fullest sense, expressing an attitude as well as an act of the mind. It comprehends knowledge & implies goodness, including the striving after the highest ends, as well as the using of the best means for their attainment. It is never ascribed to any one but God & good men, except in a plainly ironical sense. Strong—Wisdom(higher or lower, worldly or spiritual).
“Righteousness”—dikaiosunh—1) in a broad sense: State of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God; 2) in a narrower sense, Justice or the virtue which gives each his due. Strong—Equity(of character or act); specially(Christian)--Justification.
“Sanctification”—agiasmov—1) Consecration, purification; 2) The effect of consecration. Strong—properly--Purification, i.e. (the state)Purity; concretely(by Hebraism)--A purifier. Used 10X.
From—agiov—1) Most holy thing, a saint. Strong—Sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated).
“Redemption”—apolutrwsiv—1) A releasing effected by payment of ransom. Strong—the act--Ransom in full, i.e. figuratively--Riddance, or specially--Christian salvation. Used 10X.
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near) &—lutron—Something to loose with, i.e. A redemption price (figuratively, atonement).
Argumentation:
Rom. 5:1-2—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Jn. 15:1-11—““I am the true vine, & My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; & every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, & I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch & is withered; & they gather them & throw them into the fire, & they are burned. If you abide in Me, & My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, & it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments & abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, & that your joy may be full.”
Rom. 8:5—“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
Living assumes constancy or at least consistency.
Eph. 1:7-13—“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven & which are on earth--in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
2Cor. 5:17-21—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, & has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, & has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
This reconciliation is not a fleeting thing..It is a Standing/Remaining thing.
Rom. 1:16-17—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.””
1Cor. 6:9-11—“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus & by the Spirit of our God.”
Illustration:
RC boats, cars, helicopters/Their operation revolves around the operator/Without the operator there is no logical use for the toy/Also, once the toy exceeds the range of the control, it quickly crashes/Our STANDING
Outside of our STANDING within God’s control, we necessarily ‘crash.’ Praise be to God that He is always there to pick us up, repair & put us back to work.
A Scarecrow/It has no power to frighten birds or other varmints unless it is propped up or hung on a wire/No power in itself!/If it tears & the support fails then its effectiveness is lost/A scarecrow won’t fight back—Unfortunately real people do!/We must willingly allow ourselves to be supported, enabled, & effective by God’s grace/Our STANDING
Application:
?You Validate your Christian STANDING?
?You have a proper regard for God?
5—Regard for God is resolved thru validating...
Our PRAISE(:31)
Explanation:(:31)Source
:31—“that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.””
The above statements(:26-30) declare a truth which all human activities were intended to encompass, that is, that any ‘boasting/glorying’ on the part of man must be solely centered in lifting up God above ourselves. If we truly give credit where credit is due, it is to first be given to God!
Thus verse 29 is reinforced, in that God’s intention for men is that they should “glory” in God rather than in themselves. Men who “glory” in themselves(achievements/possessions/looks) have no “glory” in God’s eyes nor in the eyes of those who “glory” in God.
*Jer. 9:23-24—“Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands & knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, & righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.”
Jn. 3:28-31—““You yourselves bear me[John the Baptist] witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands & hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly & speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
Praise is not so much a way of doing but is rather an attitude of the heart borne of one’s love for God in Christ.
“Glories/Boasts”2X(See :29)—kaucaomai—1) To glory(whether with reason or without); 2) To glory on account of a thing; 3) To glory in a thing. Strong—from some (obsolete)base akin to that of aucew(to boast) & eucomai[to wish]; To vaunt(in a good or a bad sense).
Argumentation:
Ps. 22:3—“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
Ps. 105(1Chron. 16:7-11)—“Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD & His strength; Seek His face evermore!”
Why do so many Psalms praise God’s name? They are songs proclaiming the joy of the heart!
Rev. 5:6-14—“And I looked, & behold, in the midst of the throne & of the four living creatures, & in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns & seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came & took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures & the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, & golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe & tongue & people & nation, And have made us kings & priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, & I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, & the elders; & the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, & thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power & riches & wisdom, And strength & honor & glory & blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven & on the earth & under the earth & such as are in the sea, & all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing & honor & glory & power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever & ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down & worshiped Him who lives forever & ever.”
Lam. 3:21-26—“This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope & wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.”
Illustration:
Fisherman’s insight for locating & catching fish/Borne of research, trial & error, heeding experts, old-timers, etc./A commitment of resources, time & energies/But is he Praising(crediting) God in the pursuit?/Our PRAISE
Hunter’s ability to bag deer, turkey, doves, boars, bears, etc./Uses dogs, bows, rifles, vehicles, Arrows, Bullets, etc./A commitment of resources, time & energies/But is he Praising(crediting) God in the pursuit?/Our PRAISE
Women who build their lives around their own physical beauty & that of others/Whether from low self-esteem or high-mindedness, are generally found to be very shallow selfish people/Why?—They are locked into praising themselves rather than praising God & receiving His praise for them!/Our PRAISE
Application:
?You Validate your Christian PRAISE?
?You have a proper regard for God?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
1 percenter boyfriend—"If he wasn't nice, why would he be doing 500 hours of community service?"
Action:
Regard for God is resolved thru validating Our...
3. FLESH(:29)
4. STANDING(:30)
5. PRAISE(:31)
1. COMPANY(:26)
2. POWER(:27-28)
Presented 01/12/2014pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
