Saint YOU Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Saint YOU------------------------------------------- Date: 6/6/2003 Keywords: "saint" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: 1 Cor. 1:1-9* 1. Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2. to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4. I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5. that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6. even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7. so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8. who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Questions 1. What do you know about the Christians in the church at Corinth, based on what Paul says in these first three verses of 1 Corinthians?   2. In what ways were the Christians in the church at Corinth blessed by God (vv. 4-9)?   Practical help Paul calls these folks "saints." He says that they have been "sanctified." He tells us that they are in lock step with others who call on the name of Jesus, the Lord and Savior. They have been enriched in all speech and knowledge. Then, in this sixteen chapter letter, Paul addresses problems that have erupted in the church at Corinth. Problems? How about: Christians involved with sexual immorality Christians suing each other Christians getting drunk at the Lord’s Supper Christians violating their liberty and offending others’ consciences Christians abusing spiritual gifts and parading them around like peacocks, rather than as servants Christians in marriage defrauding each other. Christians taking sides and forming cliques and factions. Not a pretty sight. Yet these are the Christians Paul calls "saints." These Christians have been enriched in speech, knowledge, and spiritual giftedness. There is a great disconnect between who these believers are and the way they are behaving. The thrust of the letter, then, is to urge the Corinthians to act consistent with who they are. "Christians, act like Christians!" It only makes sense to urge a person to change IF he/she is capable of that change. Sort of reminds me of a scene in Robin Williams’ movie, "Hook." Robin has grown up to be a corporate raider, forgetting that he used to be Peter Pan. He is an "all-business" father who looks at his ten year old son early in the movie and says, "Quit acting like a kid!" To which his son replies, "But I am a kid!" Exactly! Paul can tell the Corinthians to quit acting like unsaved people and to start acting like redeemed, sanctified people precisely because they really are redeemed and sanctified! He would say the same thing to you and me today. Assuming that you have placed your trust in Jesus for salvation, you, like the Corinthians, are sanctified, are a saint, have received God’s grace, and have been given a spiritual gift. (If you have not yet trusted Christ for salvation, click here to find out what it means to be a Christian). So — act like it! Quit messing around with porn and other stuff like it. It has no place in the life of a glorious saint like you! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2003 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." ---