#DailyDevotion You Can Depend On God
1 Cor. 1:4-9 4“I am always thanking God for you because of His grace which was given to you in Christ Jesus. 5For in Him you have been made rich in every way, in speech and knowledge 6of every kind, as the truth of Christ we spoke was confirmed in you.7And so you don’t lack any gift as you eagerly look for our Lord Jesus Christ to appear again. 8He will strengthen you to the end so that no one can accuse you of anything on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9You can depend on God, Who called you to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Are we sure St. Paul is talking about the Corinthian congregation here? Well, yes he is. Despite all the problems Paul is going to bring up the congregation that they need to fix, despite their divisions, Paul is assuring them and us, what ultimately matters is what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.
First there is the grace the Father has given them and us in Christ Jesus. This grace is the mercy of God which is undeserved favor, help in time of need, the forgiveness of sins, Christ’ life in our death, and the promise of the world to come.
In Christ, they and us have been made rich in every way, in speech and knowledge of every kind, as the truth of Christ was confirmed in all who call upon the name of Jesus. Knowledge of God is knowing the forgiveness, mercy, kindness and love He has shown us in Christ Jesus. Despite our past sinful lives and the sins we still commit today (continuously confessing and repenting of them) the richness of these things is still available to us.
Each congregation of believers does not lack any gift as we await for our LORD Jesus Christ to appear again. We have everything we need to do the ministry of the LORD in our place. We do not have to drum up stuff or make up stuff. We don’t have to look to Harvard Business School for ideas. Jesus through the Holy Spirit gifts us with what we need. We just simply need sometimes to have the courage to use those gifts given us for the purpose of the kingdom. That doesn’t mean we’ll always be successful in the eyes of the world. The LORD Jesus Christ has called us to faithfulness not success in garnering disciples, building bank accounts or even making bigger and better buildings.
He, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, will strengthen us to the end. Strengthen us how? In our faith in his promises. Paul says no one will be able to accuse us of anything on the Day of the LORD. That isn’t because we will have ceased sinning since our conversion. No, it is because we believe Jesus is our atoning sacrifice. We have confidence Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. We trust his promise that he will present us to the Father blameless, holy, and without fault. We have this promise from Paul who speaks by the power of the Holy Spirit, “You can depend on God, Who called you to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.” He strengthens us by placing us in Christ Jesus. We are participants in his life, death, resurrection and ascension through baptism and the LORD’s Supper. It is in the sacraments and the gathering of Christ’s body, the congregation we have the fellowship, the participation, of God’s Son Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, in the midst of our many failures in falling into sin, be merciful to us and remind us of your great mercy, kindness, steadfast-love and forgiveness we have in the participation of the name of Jesus in Word and Sacrament, so we will endure in faith until the end. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.