IT IS FROM HIM! (And the award goes to…)

1 Corinthians 1:30-31: “It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us our righteousness,  sanctification,  and redemption in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” CSB

OBSERVATION: Have you ever felt sorry for yourself? Have you felt unappreciated, unrecognized, unseen? Today, there is a big push to be seen and heard. We watch the world as they celebrate each other. The Hollywood elite gather several times yearly to praise and celebrate their accomplishments. It is tempting to want this kind of attention. Yet, before I am tempted to boast or before I seek the praise and adulation of others, I must remember…

IT IS FROM HIM!

These are four words that center my life. They remind me of the awesome power of the Cross. They direct all the glory to God for anything I can do or accomplish in this life. We frame the words of faith many times in the things that we do. I -accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I – have decided to follow Jesus. I – choose to serve the Lord in full-time ministry. I – am growing and maturing in Christ. Yet, when we look at the reality of these statements, we must humble ourselves and say…

IT IS FROM HIM!

Martin Luther was the father of the Protestant Reformation. Trying to follow Jesus Christ, Luther punished himself and tried to atone for his sin. He was trusting in his works and his merit, only to realize how miserably he fell short of God’s calling. Then, one day, he read – “…And the just shall live by faith!” This transformed Luther’s life. He realized that he did not have the ability to follow Jesus within himself. His standing before God was not based on what he did. It was based solely on the gift of grace through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Everything that Luther tried to accomplish in his strength, he realized…

IT IS FROM HIM!

Paul reminds the believers in Corinth how complete the grace of God is in our lives. We cannot even come to Christ for salvation unless the Holy Spirit draws us. It is grace that brings us to Christ and grace that enables us to place our faith in Jesus Christ. We did nothing to purchase our salvation. Salvation is a gift of grace from start to finish.

IT IS ALL FROM HIM!

“It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us our righteousness,  sanctification,  and redemption…”

When God lifts the scales from our eyes and we see the truth of the completed work of Christ on the Cross, the wisdom of God, IT IS FROM HIM!

When we stand before the Father, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not because of anything we have done but solely through the sinless life that Jesus has lived, by grace through faith, IT IS FROM HIM!

When we grow in Christ. When we begin to experience the fruit of the Spirit growing in our hearts. When we are empowered to obey His commands and walk in the newness of life, being changed from one degree of glory to the next, IT IS FROM HIM!

And, one day, when we hear the trumpet call, when our bodies are resurrected from the dead, when we are joined together in the fullness of Christ’s redemption and stand before the Throne, offering praises to the One Who Is, Who Was, and Who Is to come…

IT IS ALL FROM HIM!

Jesus Christ is our wisdom, salvation, sanctification, and our redemption. His work on the Cross is a complete work. It saves to the uttermost. There is not one element of this life that is not a gift of His grace. So, Paul concludes this life-changing thought with these words.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

As I read these words, I realize that the very air I breathe as I type these thoughts is a gift of grace. I am drawn to my knees in both humility and praise. I am humbled by the awesome grace of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I cast all my earthly crowns before His Throne and cry out with all the saints from present and times past…

Revelation 4:11: “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.”CSB

Lord, thank you for reminding me today…

AND, THE AWARD GOES TO…JESUS CHRIST THE LORD!

In Jesus’ Name!