Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: December 3, 2023

Bulletin December 3, 2023

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

Grace to you and peace… That’s the way the apostle Paul begins our text today.  Paul wrote 13 books in the New Testament.  He begins all 13 with these twin words – grace and peace.  That’s not accidental or merely coincidental.  These two words are the sum-and-substance of our existence as Christians.  We are saved by GRACE.  God’s love for us sinners that caused him to send his Son to save us.  And this love of God in Christ, this GRACE, results in PEACE.  Objectively, there is peace between God and humanity.  Subjectively, we have and feel peace in our hearts and souls.  The pillars of our faith – grace and peace.

Paul does something very clever and skillful as he begins this letter to the Corinthians.  He bids them “grace” and “peace” as he always does.  But then in the couple sentences he explains more fully the grace and the peace they have while they wait for Jesus to come back.  These are wonderful words for us to hear as we begin another Advent, this season of waiting for Jesus.  For these words remind us that we, too, are Waiting for Jesus…with Grace and Peace.

After wishing them God’s grace and peace, Paul says, I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus.  (v. 4)  You know, gifts always come “in” something.  Gifts come in bags, boxes, and Amazon vans.  Paul says God gave his readers “grace.”  We already said grace is defined as God’s undeserved love for the sinner.  How do you give that gift?  What do you put “grace” in?  A box?  A bag?  Paul says God gave his grace to them in Christ Jesus.  The love of God for sinners came wrapped in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.  Human flesh that bore our sins on the cross and died.  Human flesh that rose from the dead.  Paul is so thankful the Corinthians received that gift from God.  How thankful we can be that we too have received God’s grace, wrapped up in Christ!

This grace of God in Jesus changed the Corinthians.  You were enriched in him in every way, in all your speaking and all your knowledge. (v. 5)  Why does Paul single out speaking and knowledge?  Paul understood his audience.  He was writing to cultured people in a big city.  Corinthian culture valued persuasive public speaking.  Greek culture valued deep-thinking and made heroes of great thinkers.  Paul tells them that faith in Jesus has made them the most eloquent, wisest people in town!  Later, in chapter 12 of this book, Paul will mention how they are able to say, Jesus is Lord (12:3).  What is more eloquent than a confession of faith in Jesus as Savior?  They have come to know Christ crucified, and that is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1:24)

Paul sums up the result of God’s grace in their lives.  As a result you do not lack any gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 7)  Let’s follow Paul’s line of thought.  God has given them – us- the greatest grace-gift of them all.  Jesus Christ!  And if we’ve got the greatest one, we can be sure we won’t be lacking for the lesser grace-gifts that God gives.  Elsewhere Paul said it this way, He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)  This is what we have as we wait!  Grace!  Abundant grace!  Sufficient grace to meet the needs and challenges of every moment.  Notice that Paul has placed this comforting statement in the context of Advent.  This is the comfort we have as we eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 7)

This grace results in a blessed peace.  Paul says, He will also keep you strong to the end. (v. 8)  Do you ever think about how important that promise is?  He, Jesus Christ, will keep you strong to the end.  What if it was up to you?  What if YOU had to keep yourself to the end?  How would that end up?  It would likely end up like all those diets we start and we say we are going to keep ourselves on.  It would likely end up like all those exercise programs we start and we vow, “This time I’m going to keep doing it!”  Our strength is so weak.  Our resolve so flimsy.  I can’t keep on a diet, much less keep myself in the faith!  But Jesus can, and Jesus will!  He who gives you faith will keep you in the faith.  What peace!

And understand what this means!  It means that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 8)  This week I ran across a definition for “blameless” that I had not heard before but really like.  It means “not convictable.”   That means it is impossible to get a conviction on you in God’s court.  How can that be?  We all sin each and every day.  Yet you are “unconvictable” because there is exculpatory evidence that has been introduced in your case.  It is the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.  There is a hymn in which we sing, “Abel’s blood for vengeance, pleaded to the skies; but the blood of Jesus for my pardon cries.”  You cannot be charged and convicted for any of your sins or sins!  You cannot be!  That would be “double jeopardy,” because there has already been a conviction for them.  Jesus was convicted.  Case closed.  You are now “unconvictable” when you stand trusting in Jesus.  What peace to be able to look forward to Judgment Day and be “unconvictable,” for Jesus’ sake!

Paul concludes with one more peaceful reminder.  God is faithful, who called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (v. 9)  You have been called into “fellowship” with Jesus.  You are his and he is yours.  You didn’t initiate this fellowship!  God did it.  God “called” you to it.  God has called you to enjoy a life of grace and peace in Jesus.  And if God has promised these gifts in Jesus, then he will give them!  For he is trustworthy through and through!  What peace is found in the faithfulness of God!

There’s a reason Paul starts all 13 of his letters with the words “grace” and “peace.”  Those words contain all that we could ever want or need as we wait for Jesus.  Those words contain all that we have through faith in Jesus as we await his return!

Amen.