We Already Have It

“So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:21-23‬ ‭

Paul writes 1 Corinthians in part to address the division that is occurring within the church. People are bickering with one another, angry and jealous and comparing. They have lost sight of the unity they have in Christ and are instead seeing one another as rivals and competitors. The prize seems to be being “right,” maybe more spiritually healthy. They argue about who they follow- Paul, Apollos, Cephas- which reflects how correct or purely they are following God. 

But the Deceiver has twisted truth from the very beginning, and he led these early converts to exchange the truth for a lie. They began to operate again in the flesh as they tried to outdo one another in spiritual life. The very thing Jesus had rescued them from is what they ran back to in their attempts to keep walking with him. They weren’t keeping in step with the Spirit and remembering that life is found in Christ alone. The ancient lie that God was holding out on them was recirculating again. They thought they needed to rely on their human wisdom to be the most righteous, and Paul wrote to remind them of God’s upside-down Kingdom. 

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:25‬ ‭‬‬

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:27-31‬ ‭

“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:18-20‬ ‭

The truth that these struggling brothers and sisters needed to be reminded of is the same we desperately need today: we get to rest on the finished work of Christ! We already have all we need, because we have him. We are his. We get to stop grasping. We get to breathe deeply and remember who God is and the purpose he has given us as the foundation of our lives.