Tuesday 5 February 2008

You are Christ’s

Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. - 1Corinthians 3v21-23

Paul continues to address the issue of carnal divisions. In this section he writes, “let no one boast in men.” One of our problems is that we have established to many “Christian heroes.” When we do this we are following the wisdom of the world. We elevate sinful men to some kind of status that sets them above all the rest. I have seen crowds of Christians almost fall over in adoration when certain name preachers walk into the room. There are two videos that stick out in my mind. In one, a noted preacher walks into a large room and the assembled crowd jumps to their feet screaming and applauding. In another a chapel at a Christian school has a cut-out cardboard figure of a noted political leader and the teachers lead the students in what amounts to a virtual worship session of this man. .

Indeed, boasting in men has become part and parcel of what so any segments of the church have become. Yet, here we are warned against such action.

Why bother? All things, as part our eternal inheritance with Christ, are already ours. All the men we seek to honour are not their own. We are all one in Christ. He owns us all. He is our only hero. He is the only one to be lifted up and exalted.

Let me include a little disclaimer here. We should be grateful for people that God has used in our lives. We should be willing to be grateful to those who faithfully serve the Lord, but earlier Paul said that none of us are anything. We are all nobodies in His service. Why would we boast about nobodies?

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