Glory Only in the Lord

I Corinthians 1:26–31
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It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “God must have loved the common people, since He made so many of them.” I would modify that to say, “God must have loved the common people, since He made the way of salvation plain enough to be grasped by all.” From the human viewpoint, wisdom, and people with influential background were scarce. Paul did not say “not any”, but he did say “not many were chosen” (v. 26). Generally speaking, God has chosen His servants from those the world calls “foolish” (vv. 27-28). It seems that he often takes those whom the world considers “nobodies“ and works in their lives in such a manner as to produce heroes of faith. The reason He does this is so “no flesh should glory in His presence"(v. 29).

The Corinthians tended to be “puffed up” with pride (vv. 4-6; 5:20). If the Lord chose many who were highly intelligent and very successful in life, they might begin to think that it was by their own power that the work was being accomplished. By using “nobodies“ God proves that wisdom and power are entirely His own (v. 30). Therefore, the Christian who boasts should never boast of himself but rather glory in the Lord (v. 31). We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of knowledge, or of experience – all of that is of no avail. The only thing of value is the compelling purpose of God and being made one of His.

Paul has very clearly emphasized that the way to receive salvation is so simple that anyone who wants to can understand it. Works and wisdom do not get a person into God’s heaven. It is only by simple faith in the finished work of Christ, and no one can boast that his or her achievements helped him or her secure eternal life. 

Application

What situations can you think of where God used the weak, lowly, and despised to build His kingdom in our day? I want to be thinking of ways He has used me in the past and ways He wants to use me in the future, not because of my ability but because of my availability.