Called by God to Be Saints in Christ

Studies in 1 Corinthians Series [2]1 Corinthians 1:1-9

May 4, 2014Pastor Paul K. Kim

TWO ROOT PROBLEMS OF THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH

• Influence of the worldly wisdom and lifestyle Influenced by Greek philosophy that put a

high premium on knowledge, wisdom, and eloquent speech.

Influenced by wanton sexuality widely accepted as a way of life.

• “Over-realized eschatology” Due to the abundance of the miraculous

gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Corinthian church—in which they thought, “Heaven is here already for us to experience it fully.”

Due to the worldly view on spirituality—which says, “Power, glory, and prosperity are the signs of spirituality.”

WHAT FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS DOES PAUL BEGIN WITH IN THIS LETTER?

1) All believers are called by God’s sovereign will and grace.

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus,

and our brother Sosthenes.9 ...by whom you were called into the fellowship

of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (vs. 1, 9b)

Paul’s authority was in this calling by God’s sovereign will to be an apostle—sent by Christ vested with his full authority.

While Paul was called for a special role as an apostle, every believer was also called by God’s sovereign will and grace.

This calling is much more than a mere invitation—it is the saving work of God’s sovereign grace that brings us into the fellowship of Christ through faith.

WHAT FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS DOES PAUL BEGIN WITH IN THIS LETTER?

2) All believers are set apart as “saints” together in Christ Jesus.

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who

in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (vs. 2-3)

To the unruly, immature, unholy Corinthian Christians, Paul begins with this new identity—they were “saints” in Christ.

Sanctification here refers to “positional holiness” by God’s setting them apart as his church, the people of God.

We are also set part as together for the lifelong process of sanctification of “conditional holiness” as saints in Christ.

• Foundational Truths about New Testament Christianity

• Fundamental to New Testament Christianity is this ambiguity of the church. We are living in between times, between the first and second comings of Christ, between what he did when he came and what he will do when he comes again, between kingdom come and kingdom coming, between the ‘now already’ of kingdom inaugurated and the ‘not yet’ of kingdom consummated. It is the key to understanding of 1 Corinthians and of the Christian life. John Newton expressed it well:– I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be,

I am not what I hope to be in another world. But I still am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of GodI am what I am.

• ― John R. W. Stott

WHAT FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS DOES PAUL BEGIN WITH IN THIS LETTER?

3) All believers are given grace for salvation, gifts for the Christian life, and Christ’s work for sustaining sanctification.4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the

grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were

enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—6 even as the testimony

about Christ was confirmed among you—7 so that you are not lacking in any

gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain

you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into

the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (vs. 4-9)

Grace is (1) of God, (2) for the undeserving, and (3) in Christ.

The Corinthian Christians were enriched by gifts of the Spirit, complete in God’s grace yet incomplete until Christ’s coming.

The ultimate certainty of our sanctification (“guiltless/holy”) is God’s faithfulness through Christ’s sustaining work for us.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined

 to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he

might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those

whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called

he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:29-30

 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion

at the day of Jesus Christ.Philippians 1:6

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

1. In what ways does your “positional sanctification” [= set apart as holy] encourage you to pursue “conditional sanctification” [= becoming holy]?

2. What is your response to God’s grace and the Spirit’s gifts that enriched you in every way? What will you do with them?

3. In what ways have you experienced God’s faithfulness in sustaining you to the end? What is your part in this?