Age conspires with God to take away our temporal hope. As disciples of Jesus, we want to have a growing and eager sense of anticipation of what we’re going to be like in the new heaven and earth.
Christianity is not so much a religion as it is a romance. It is the story of a God who woos us to Himself and calls us His bride. It is the story of our lives becoming more and more like the life of Christ, learning to love like He loves us.
During Paul’s ministry, he worked as a tentmaker so that the churches he ministered to would not be burdened by him financially. He uses this as an example of how believers should forfeit their rights for the spiritual benefit of others.
Spiritual knowledge by itself will make us arrogant. Truth and love must go together so that truth leads to edification and not stumbling.
First Corinthians is a practical book because in it Paul addresses several specific questions the Corinthian church had about Christian behavior. Not only do many of these questions still arise frequently today, but many of Paul’s answers also run counter to our culture. In chapter 7, Paul addresses the topics of marriage, divorce, celibacy, and remarriage.
The key to living a life of wisdom is to recognize that the things that matter most are the things the world cannot provide.
The Corinthian church stood in need of discipline: the believers were not exhibiting harmony or purity in their relationships with one another. Although Paul loved them, they needed to be reminded of how to live in accordance with Christ.
We’re called not only to know Christ but also to grow in Him. We do this by investing our time, talent, and treasure in what will last—the Word of God and people.
No matter your cultural or ethnic background, the wisdom of the cross is always upside down when compared to the wisdom of the world. The world teaches us to rely on ourselves and on our own knowledge, but the way of the cross teaches us that we must rely on the Spirit.
Losing one’s life to find it, grace, receiving someone else’s righteousness—these things seem like foolishness to the world. But Paul makes the case in 1 Corinthians that the “foolishness of God” is more powerful than any human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25).
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