Mystery #4 mystery of faith in the power of God (for the receiving the imperishable crown)​

1 Corinthians 4: 1-2 

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

 

Introduction:

 

In every great Olympic event, each athlete goes into strict training. This training required the tools necessary for the athlete’s particular challenge. It is no different than in this spiritual race. The tool given to us to compete and complete is grace.

 

Paul’s message to the Corinthians is the message of the cross. He himself says that he decided to know nothing among them but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Corinthians were steeped in the sins of the flesh but throughout his message Paul declares that we have crucified our flesh and that it is Christ who now lives in us through the power of the Spirit of God through faith. He is exhorting the Corinthians to leave their pagan ways in following their flesh and bringing corruption into the body Christ which is presented as leaven. Paul calls the carnal Christians babes in Christ. “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” (1 Corinthains 3) Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to run this race and to not be disqualified. This is the central message given to this church that had adopted the ways of Corinth.

 

The central question presented by Paul to the church at Corinth is “Will they receive the imperishable prize? Or will they be disqualified?”

 

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the mystery of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified…and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God…But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory…Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” If you love Me, you will obey Me!…

 

**(DO WE WANT TO START THE SCRIPTURE HERE?) But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified…Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful…For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea…Nevertheless, with most God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play…And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, i am nothing…it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth...But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with with me…If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power…Do not be deceived: “bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame…There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for stars differs from star in glory…But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual...I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but shall all be changed…But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain…If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!…For we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God…Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain…Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you…Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God…For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough…For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish-that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced…Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!…For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.”

 

Conclusion:

 

Paul was challenging the Corinthian church when he tested their faithfulness in the area of exposing sin in their midst saying that a little leaven leavens the whole batch. 

Paul called out the church’s unfaithfulness because they were allowing sin into the body of Christ. They then proved their faithfulness by expelling the sin in their midst and proving that they had a Godly sorrow that lead to repentance. “For Godly sorrow leads to repentance not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

 

God tests our faith. When we remain faithful to the end of our race, we are finished and we get entrance into the Kingdom. This is the mystery of faithfulness. Paul tested the church’s faith to see if it was genuine which is the same way God will test our faith. God tests and refines our faith in order to prepare His people for the Kingdom. This is a continuing, active faith.

 

Faith is knowing that God will come through and He can slay any dragon that is in our path. It is overcoming fear and trials. Faith is this idea of encouraging one another to keep going, trust in God….regardless of how difficult it gets. God gives a spirit of understanding to those who are mature and listening and following by faith the word of God.

 

Paul is after perfection in Christ. When Christ comes again we don’t have to be perfect but we need to be pursuing perfection! You have to pursue being perfected and when we fall short He tells us how to get back. It is only when we refuse to repent and get back into the race that we miss out on the promises of reward and rest and must continue this race that gets more intense as the race drags on! This is the teaching! 

 

It is this author’s hope that by the end of this writing, you will see the evidence that those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit won’t necessarily finish this race during life on earth but if they do there is great reward. This is why Paul is so intent on fighting the good fight and finishing the race and was concerned that at the end of his earthly life, he might not be able to enter his rest.

 

The good news is that you have the chance to win the trophy. Why are you behaving in a way as to not win it? Run in such a way that you will win the prize. Why are you remaining carnal as there is a risk and a reward to not running the race. Paul is coaching the church, all of those who profess Jesus Christ. He is saying to them I have some good news for you, there is a trophy/reward for you at the end of this race, I want you to be partakers! Finish the race! This should be the biggest incentive to the Body of Christ! 

 

The mystery of this wisdom is the glory that would be received by those who love Him and our faith has to be proven in both word and deed the bible says. God will ultimately judge who is faithful and who is not. To be a steward is to be found faithful and to bear fruit. This is the whole purpose of the parable of the talents in which those who were faithful got to enter the joy of their Lord and were given double portion inheritance and greater responsibility. But to him who proved unfaithful, what he had been given was taken away. His master called him “disheartening and an unprepared servant, wicked and lazy” (in other words refusing to run) and was denied entrance into the kingdom being cast outside. 

 

1 Corinthians 5 supports this message with the church allowing leaven into its body. In Chapter 6 Paul says that anyone practicing sin will not inherit the Kingdom. Paul saw the signs that the Corinthian church was being unloving and were boasting in each other’s sin, not keeping leaven out of the body of Christ and dividing over the wisdom of men….they were focusing on superficial things (gifts, talents, speaking abilities). Love is obeying the commands of God and helping others do the same! How many times have we used this chapter in the opposite definition of what love is. Love is the purpose of conforming to God and pleasing Him. Agape love means to sacrificially please God. We use the love chapter too often to condone sin. This love chapter comes after Paul says to kick out the one in the church who sinned.

 

(See Key to Rest; Key to Love; Key to the Living Temple)