March 31, 2024 • Vlad Burlaka • 1 Corinthians 1:18–25
After laying groundwork for the last two chapters, Paul corrects the Corinthians’ immaturity due to the division they were bringing to the church. Our application will be a bit more broad, focusing on how we grow and how we help others grow. Let’s answer 4 simple questions to help us understand our own spiritual growth, as we ultimately unpack what is happening to the Corinthians. 1. Are we expected to grow? 2. How do we grow? 3. How are others involved in our growth? 4. Do we have the power to grow?
A difficult aspect of Christian living is finding the balance between an individual’s efforts and the empowering work of the Spirit. Many Christians acknowledge the power of the Spirit, yet lack the familiarity of that power’s practical implications in daily living. It is the Holy Spirit that enables people to believe and apply the Gospel, therefore we are to cultivate a healthy dependance on Him. 1. In seeing our limitations, we cultivate a dependance on the Spirit 2. Rejoicing in our access, we cultivate a dependance on the Spirit 3. Called to live lives of discernment, we cultivate a dependence on the Spirit
Apostle Paul corrects the Corinthians for prizing human wisdom, and in doing so, encourages us to approach each day with the mindset of living life by looking through the lens of God’s Wisdom vs the wisdom of the world. What is God’s Wisdom? Three answers: 1. A wisdom not of this world 2. A wisdom decreed & unchanging 3. A wisdom for our glory
