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December 3rd
Today's Bible reading is in 1 Corinthians 15 & 16.
The Apostle Paul finished up his first letter to the young church at Corinth by emphasizing the seriousness and weightiness of the gospel message. There is no other message given under heaven whereby one may be saved from their sins. Therefore, we might struggle with the meanings of the spiritual gifts. We may even debate the best forms of church worship. We can even get sideways with each other over the different views and applications of Biblical church leadership. But we must all agree on the gospel message that saves. That was true in Paul’s mind and it must be true in ours today.
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you..."
Paul preached the good news of God’s forgiveness and adoption and redemption in and through God the Son, Jesus Christ. It wasn't Paul’s gospel. It was God’s...the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.
"which you received," Which many in Corinth received and believed...“in which you stand,”
I'm reminded of a time in my childhood...when my little sister and I stood in mama’s clean kitchen. We were soaking wet. We had been playing in the rain. “Look at you”, mama said with a shy grin and sparkle in her eye. “You're making a puddle on my clean kitchen floor.”
Yes, we were and we were stomping our feet in it and splashing each other with it. We were completely drenched with the water of the rain.
And in Christ, we are completely drenched with the gracious water of the word of God’s gospel of salvation...” in which we stand”....playfully and joyfully and gratefully.
“and by which you are being saved”...from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light in Christ...unless...you believed in vain.”
Sadly, there are so many, even in church, who have changed their minds about religion, but who have never truly desired Jesus from their hearts...
