Episode 160: 1 Corinthians 1

Today's meditation is on 1st Corinthians Chapter 1

I was chosen by you, God, invited to be a member of your family. I have been made pure, set apart. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. 

Father God, you have given me all of your blessings, joyous grace and endless peace of heart and mind are mine continuously through Jesus.

I can never stop thanking you for all the wonderful gifts you have given me, now that I am in Christ. You have given me free and open access to your grace. I have been made extravagantly rich in every way. I have been endowed with a wealth of inspired utterance and the riches that come from my intimate knowledge of Jesus. 

The reality of the truth of Christ is strengthened through my experience of him. What your Word said Christ could do for me has happened. You are faithful to your promises. 

Now I have every grace and blessing. I am not lacking any spiritual gift, for you have supplied the power for doing your will during this time of waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, your Son. You have guaranteed right up to the end that I will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day when he returns. You will keep me steady and strong to the very end, making my character mature so I will be found innocent on that day. God, you are forever faithful. I know you will surely do this for me, for you always do what you say, and you are the one who invited me into this wonderful friendship with your Son, even Christ my Lord.

I do not argue with my brothers and sisters, but promote real harmony between us, living in unity. I put to rest any division that attempts to tear us apart. We are of one mind, united in thought and purpose, living in perfect harmony. There is a consistent choreography among us, having a common perspective and shared values. We are all followers of Christ, and members of his body. 

There is mighty power in the simple message of the cross of Christ, philosophical arguments only empty the cross of its true power. I trust in the all-sufficient cross of Christ alone.

Jesus died to save me. And this simple message, the good news of the gospel, is your mighty power released within me. God, you will destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be, and ignore the best ideas of men, even the most brilliant of them. The wisdom of this world is utter foolishness.

In your wisdom, God, you saw to it that the world would never find you through human brilliance. Then you stepped in and saved me, and all those who believe your message, which the world calls foolish and silly. 

It seems foolish to those who want a miraculous sign as proof that what is preached is true; and it is foolish to those who believe only what agrees with their philosophy and seems wise to them. 

But I preach the crucified Messiah, and they are either offended or say it’s all nonsense. But God, you have opened the eyes of those you called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is your mighty power, your true wisdom, and the Messiah. Christ himself is the center of your wise plan for our salvation. This so-called “foolish” plan of yours is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and in your weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far more strength than in any man.

When you called me, I didn't have a big name or wealth. I wasn't a wise scholar, by human standards, and I wasn't in a position of power. Instead, you deliberately chose to use ideas that the world considers foolish, and the people that are considered to have little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great. God, you chose a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing what the world considers great, so that there would be no place for prideful boasting in your presence.

God, it is from you alone, that I have my life through Christ Jesus. Jesus showed us your plan of salvation; he was the one who made me acceptable to you; he made me pure and holy and gave himself to purchase my salvation. He is my wisdom, my virtue, my holiness and my redemption. If I'm going to boast, I will boast only of what the Lord has done.

Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing. 

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