Sanctified And Set Apart For God

I Corinthians 1:1-9

Our New Testament reading for this first week of Advent brings us to the first chapter in the First Letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.  Paul had started this church in the bustling harbor city of Corinth several years prior to the writing of this letter, and already there were some major problems going on among that group of believers.  There was sectarianism and disunity, lawsuits between fellow believers, and gross sexual immorality going on, just to name a few of their problems.

Even though there are these major transgressions occuring in Corinth, Paul calls the believers there “saints” (vs. 2).   Shouldn't he have called them hypocrites?  We, like the Corinthians, fail God and frequently fall in the mud.  Yet when we confess and repent, God forgives us and sees us as sanctified in His Son.  The Lord is continually moulding us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29; II Corinthians 3:18).  The more we yield ourselves to God, the more He is slowly chipping away our old nature, making us more like Jesus.  The Corinthian believers were a work in progress, though at this time it might not have looked like it.

When we become believers and followers of the Lord Jesus we are sanctified, which means set apart for God’s use (vs. 2).  We are not set apart for the devil’s use or the world’s use, but for God’s use.  We need to watch out that we aren’t letting either the devil or the world control our actions and behavior.  We belong to God.  We are called to be saints.  God calls or invites us to be His children, to be a part of His family.  It is only through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, that we can be brought into His Kingdom and family.  Jesus is the only One who can remove our sins and sanctify us.

In verse 3 we read that God has given us both grace and peace.  Grace is God’s free gift of salvation, given to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.  We do not deserve salvation.  We deserve eternal damnation. Yet God, in His grace, has given salvation to everyone who accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior.  By receiving His grace, He will bring us peace.  Everyone is searching for peace, both peace among nations, between people, and also inner peace within themselves.  True peace, though, can only be found in Jesus, which He gives us when we become His children (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7).

When we are saved, we receive all that we need to live the Christian life (vs. 5 - 7).  The Corinthian church did not lack any spiritual gifts. However, they were not using those gifts, nor were they living for the Lord.  What gifts and abilities has the Lord given you to help spread His Good News and to help build up His Church, both locally and worldwide?  We need to use our gifts to live for Jesus, to witness for Him, and to stand against sin and the devil.

As Paul concludes this passage for today, he reminds us that God is faithful (vs. 9).  This is something that I need to frequently remind myself of.  Believers are called into faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and we can trust Him.  When problems arise in your life, your finances are so tight, almost nonexistent, and the devil whispers in your ear that you might soon be out on the street, remember that God is faithful.  When sickness and pain comes, and you don’t think you’ll ever get better, remember that God is faithful.   When the marriage is crumbling, the children are out of control, the job is a mess, remember that God is faithful.   God is not a liar, nor does He ever change.  What He has promised, He will do, and He is 100% reliable.  God didn’t wash His hands of the Corinthian Church, and He won’t with us, either.