Fellowshipping With Jesus

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHAINS

FELLOWSHIPPING WITH JESUS

1 Cor 1:4-9

4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

NIV

We can see these words twofold. First, we could be considered if we are at all like Paul in that we always thank God for others believers because of the grace given to them in Christ Jesus. However, secondly we would think that we are the ones who have received grace through Christ Jesus and that we have been enriched in every way which includes the way we speak and all our knowledge regarding Christ and our relationship with him. The fact is that we do not lack any spiritual gift, which Paul will get to outlining all the gifts of the Spirit later in his letter. However, the key here is that as we do not lack any spiritual gift, it is not so much that we think how we use them in our lives, but how we use them as we eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. What does “be revealed” mean? The Greek word is apokalupsis, which is used for an uncovering, such as laying bare. However, it is also used in the sense of appearance or manifestation. Paul uses the same word later to indicate a disclosure of the truth, instruction concerning divine things before unknown. It is certain,within the context, we would have to believe that Paul is saying they eagerly wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judge the world. That is as he is revealed for who he is, in all truth. This is because of the fact that Jesus will keep us strong to the end, which is that day of judgment. He will keep us strong so we will be blameless on that day. Actually, we have already been declared blameless, because time does not work in the same fashion in the kingdom of God as it does in this physical world. Because God was, is and will ever be, everything has already happened, but we still live it out in the here and now, as we consider time. So we look forward eagerly for the end of time, when Jesus will come and judge the world. Although we must wait for it as it is God who determines when that day will be, we still eagerly wait for it. How does that look in our everyday lives? Do we just live out our days trying our best to get by in this world? Do we spend most of our time concerned about matters that are trivial in comparison to spiritual matters? What does eagerly waiting look like? We know that part of it is regarding using the spiritual gifts we are not lacking in. We know part of it is in our speaking and knowledge regarding Jesus Christ. It is a wonder how we can be consumed talking about inconsequential matters, when there is so much we should be saying about spiritual matters of the utmost importance, such as the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ on that day. We know we should be talking about the spiritual gifts we are not lacking in and how we can use them to further the kingdom of God as well for the common good or all believers.  Since we have been called into fellowship with Jesus let us live as though we are fellowshipping with Jesus.