The Self-Delusion of Self-Satisfaction

January 5, 2026January 6, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁶I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. ⁷For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

⁸Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! ⁹For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. ¹¹To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, ¹²and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; ¹³when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. – 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 ESV

While some may have preferred the rhetoric of Apollos over that of Paul, there is little doubt that Paul had a way with words. He could craft a sentence with the best of them, choosing his words carefully and cleverly, to see that his point was clearly received. He was adept at using sarcasm if he deemed it necessary to get his message across. And in this passage, he wields his words like a sword to cut his audience down to size, because they had a formidable pride problem.

Multiple times in this letter, he uses the Greek word, φυσιόω (physioō), which means “to be puffed up, to bear one’s self loftily, be proud” (“G5448 – physioō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). The problem within the church in Corinth wasn’t just that they were taking sides by preferring one spiritual leader over another; it was that their motivation was based on pride. They had an inherent desire to see themselves as somehow better or spiritually superior. The very moment they chose to follow a particular leader because they deemed him better than the others, they were guilty of judgment. Any church member who didn’t side with them in their choice of spiritual leader would be viewed as less enlightened. We already know that their factionalism was causing quarrels within the church, so Paul boldly and bluntly confronts their pride problem.

Paul writes, with tongue planted firmly in his cheek, “You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us!” (1 Corinthians 4:8 NLT). He accuses them of acting as if they had already arrived. They had nothing more to learn and no need for any further spiritual growth. Rather than acting as humble servants and stewards, they were pridefully posturing themselves as spiritually superior to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul’s words remind me of those spoken by Jesus against the church in Laodicea: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17 NLT). Jesus went on to tell them, “So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see” (Revelation 3:18 NLT). Like the believers in Corinth, the Laodiceans had a pride problem as well.

Paul goes on to contrast the attitude of the Corinthians with that of the men who had been ministering the gospel to them.

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! – vs 10 (NLT)

We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. – vs 10 (NLT)

Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. vs 11 (NLT)

We are often beaten and have no home. – vs 11 (NLT)

We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. – vs 12 (NLT)

We bless those who curse us. – vs 12 (NLT)

We are patient with those who abuse us. – vs 12 (NLT)

We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment. – vs 13 (NLT)

In a way, the Corinthians were living as if they were already experiencing their future reward in this life. They acted as if they had already arrived spiritually. They saw themselves as wise and powerful and put a high value on honor and esteem. Material things were important to them. Yet Paul paints a very different picture of what the life of a believer should look like. As we follow Christ on this earth, our lives should be marked by humility, service, and even suffering. From his own experience, he had discovered that a relationship with Christ often leads to being despised, rejected, and ridiculed. Those who live in obedience to God and who model their lives after Christ will be misunderstood and misrepresented.

Paul displays a high degree of transparency when he states, “I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike” (1 Corinthians 4:9 NLT). He didn’t see himself marching in triumph at the head of a parade or being lauded as a victorious general, but instead, he viewed himself as a captive prisoner, being dragged in chains and humiliation before the cheers and jeers of the enemy.

…like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike. – 1 Corinthians 4:9 NLT

Following Christ is not about pride and prominence. It should not lead to arrogance and a sense of having arrived. Our journey toward our future glorification will be marked by pain and suffering, even loss. Like Jesus, our glorification will be preceded by humiliation. Suffering isn’t just inevitable; it is unavoidable. But the Corinthians had chosen to reverse the order. They wanted to lead the parade. They desired to be recognized and rewarded now, not later. They were choosing honor over humility, present recognition over future reward, and the praise of men over the praise of God. Which brings us back to the words Jesus spoke against the church in Laodicea:

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” – Revelation 3:15-16 NLT

Their love for God was lukewarm. Their attitude toward their call as followers of Christ was apathetic. Like the Corinthian believers, they had become dangerously satisfied with who they were and how far they had come. But Paul, like Jesus, was not willing to allow them to remain in a state of spiritual complacency marked by misplaced pride. He desired more for them and demanded more of them. Because God was not done with them.

Father, spiritual complacency remains a huge problem in the church today. Paul’s words to the Corinthians are timeless and still apply to the body of Christ in the 21st Century. Despite the warnings of Jesus, Paul, and others, we still run the risk of thinking we have somehow spiritually arrived. We become easily satisfied with our current spiritual condition and begin to compromise our convictions. Pride in our past accomplishments takes precedence over our desire for further spiritual growth. We compare and contrast ourselves with others in a vain attempt to elevate our standing and justify our lack of initiative. Through the power of Your indwelling Spirit, would you light a fire in the hearts of Your people, prompting us to turn our backs on complacency and make spiritual maturity our highest priority. You are far from done with our transformation, so why should we be? Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Please God, Not Men

January 4, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ²Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. – 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ESV

Paul is still concerned with the divisive factions within the body of Christ in Corinth. In his estimation, the believers in Corinth have a faulty view of Christian leadership. Their assessments of those who minister to them are based on worldly criteria. In the end, some chose to follow Paul, some Apollos, and others, Cephas. It was nothing more than a popularity contest. But Paul wanted them to understand that each of these men, himself included, was a servant of Christ. The Greek word Paul uses is ὑπηρέτης (hypēretēs) and it refers to “an underrower or subordinate rower” – one of the slaves who served as a rower in the hold of a ship’s galley (“G5257 – hypēretēs – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). They served under the direction and authority of a superior. This same Greek word was used to describe a servant or “anyone who aids another in any work.”

Paul wanted the Corinthians to see himself and the other men who ministered to them as servants of Christ. He even compares them to household stewards (οἰκονόμος (oikonomos), the manager “to whom the head of the house or proprietor has entrusted the management of his affairs” (“G3623 – oikonomos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible).

Paul, Apollos, and Cephas were nothing more than stewards of the message of the gospel entrusted to them by Jesus, and Paul tells the Corinthians, “This is how one should regard us” (1 Corinthians 4:1a ESV). There was no reason to idolize these men. Paul also wanted the Corinthians to know that he and the others were not their servants; they did not work for them. They were “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1b ESV). As a steward of Christ, Paul knew that he must answer to no one but God. His ministry was being judged by God, and that was all that mattered to him. He was determined to be faithful in the execution of his divine assignment to reveal “the mysteries of God.”

At the heart of the factionalism that existed in the Corinthian church was a spirit of judgment. In order to elevate one man over another, the believers in Corinth were judging their value and worth based on external criteria. They were choosing sides based solely on the merit of things such as speaking skills, charisma, physical appearance, intelligence, persuasiveness, and popularity. They each had their favorite. Some may have preferred Apollos because he was a dynamic speaker. Others might have gravitated to Cephas because he seemed more in touch with the common man. Those who followed Paul had discovered something about him that they liked. But Paul said, “As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority” (1 Corinthians 4:3 NLT).

He didn’t care what they thought about him; he was unconcerned with their evaluation of his abilities. In fact, Paul wasn’t even willing to trust his own judgment of himself. He knew himself to be a lousy judge of his performance or effectiveness. While he might feel free to give himself a high score for effort, he knew his evaluation meant nothing. Which is what led him to say, “My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide” (1 Corinthians 4:4 NLT). Paul followed the advice he had given the believers in Rome.

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. – Romans 12:3 NLT

And even after judging himself soberly and seriously, Paul knew that the only judgment that mattered was what Christ would have to say when He returned. So, he warned the Corinthians believers, “do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes” (1 Corinthians 4:5a ESV). In other words, they were not to pre-judge prematurely. James gives a sobering warning against judging one another.

There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? – James 4:12 ESV

It wasn’t up to the Corinthians to judge the ministry effectiveness of one man over another. It wasn’t their responsibility to determine the worth or value of one of God’s servants based on outward appearances or earthly criteria. They needed to remember that God alone would “bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart” (1 Corinthians 4:5b ESV). God Himself claims, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:10 ESV). And according to that same passage, we are incapable of knowing the condition of our own hearts, let alone the heart of someone else.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

Just as Paul was attempting to be a faithful servant of Christ and a trustworthy steward of the mysteries of God, he called on the Corinthians to faithfully focus their attention on God and not men. They were to see themselves as followers of Christ alone. They were to respect Paul, Cephas, and Apollos as servants of Christ, but not revere and worship them.

Like the believers in Corinth, we have the habit of making much of men. We also tend to judge our leaders based on external, worldly factors. We can be easily swayed by soaring rhetoric and lofty words. We can be taken in by a winsome demeanor and fall prey to the cult of personality. But Paul would have us remain focused on the message, not the messenger. What makes the good news great is its content, not the communicator. Men don’t save, God does. Men don’t change lives; the gospel does. And long after Paul, Cephas, and Apollos disappeared from the scene, the message of salvation through Christ continues to spread. Many messengers have come and gone, but the message remains the same, and the promises of God hold firm.

Father, as a pastor, it can become tempting to think that I work for the congregation I serve. Yet, Paul would remind me that I am Your servant and no one else’s. My job is not to please the flock, it is to feed them. I don’t need to worry about whether they like me or not. Instead, I need to ensure that I am faithful to the call You have placed on my life. I work for You. Your evaluation of me is all that matters. But the praise of men is a powerful drug. The admiration of others is a strong incentive that can lead to ministry drift and spiritual compromise. The church has always wrestled with a spirit of unspiritual judgment, where we either elevate or falsely evaluate others based on ungodly criteria. We can’t see inside anyone’s heart, but You can. And You alone can judge justly and rightly. May we spend more time focusing on Your expections and evaluation of us than we do worrying about what men think about us. Amen

When We Make Much of Men, We End Up With Less of God

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁶Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

¹⁸Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” ²⁰and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. – 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 ESV

Back in chapter one, verse 8, Paul wrote, “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing.” Unbelievers cannot understand the wisdom of God revealed in the death of Christ — namely, that one man’s death could provide eternal life for those who place their faith in Him. Now, Paul states that “the wisdom of this world is folly with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19 ESV). Man’s wisdom doesn’t impress God, and it will never make anyone right with God. If anything, the wisdom of man becomes a barrier to accepting the truth of God’s redemptive plan as revealed in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Human wisdom is futile and incapable of remedying the problem of sin and our state of condemnation before a holy and just God. So Paul questions the logic of making much of men. Why would we create false idols out of men and women, worshiping them for the role they played in our salvation, while overlooking the fact that it was God who sent His Son to die? It was He who gave the message of reconciliation to those He called, and who sent His Spirit to open the hearts of those who heard that message. No man has the right to boast about his usefulness to God, and no one should elevate the messenger over the One who sent the message.

Paul’s real concern has to do with division in the body of Christ. He started out his letter with the plea, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV). He accused them of quarreling and bickering over which man they followed.

…each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 1:12 ESV

Their disunity was causing divisiveness. So Paul reminds them that they are the temple of God, not just as individuals, but as the local body of Christ. He is speaking to the church, not individual believers. How do we know this? Because in the Greek language, the personal pronoun “you” is plural, not singular. Peter confirms the idea that the local church is the temple of God, indwelt by the Spirit of God.

…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 2:5 ESV

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul emphasized the same point.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

As God’s temple, the local church is to be valued and protected. If anyone does anything to harm or destroy the integrity of the body of Christ, they will answer to God. Paul warns them, “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17 ESV). Disunity destroys and damages from within. However, we have been called by God to love one another, not debate and display contempt for one another. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul reminded them of their oneness in Christ.

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all. – Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal, He asked the Father, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21 ESV). He prayed for a spirit of unity and oneness among His followers because it is our unity that displays the reality of the church’s role as God’s temple. God alone can bring together people of every age, from every walk of life, ethnicity, economic strata, and social background, and mold them into one family — all sharing one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.

Paul reminds the believers in Corinth, “So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 NLT). Paul, Apollos, and Peter had been given to the church by God. They were to be seen as gifts from God, intended to build up the body of Christ. When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he reminded them of the various roles and responsibilities God had assigned to godly leaders who were tasked with ministering to the local church.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT

God gave these gifted individuals to the church so that it might grow and prosper, “until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT). Disunity is destructive. Divisiveness is counterproductive. Boasting in men robs God of glory and the body of Christ of its power. Making celebrities out of God’s servants ends up deifying them and diminishing the effectiveness of the local church. The church may grow in numbers, but it will lack the power of God’s Spirit. When we make much of men, we experience less of God.

Father, we tend to view the local church as a convenient option rather than a necessity. We choose a church like we were selecting a country club or a fitness facility. We check out the ammenities, peruse the staff, evaluate the convenience of the location, and then compare it to all the other options available to us. We even consider the personality of the pastor, the style of music, the decor of the worship center, and the demographic of the congregation. But you designed the church to be an organism, not an organization. It is a living, breathing entity made up of all kinds of people from all walks of life. The pastor is to be a messenger of God’s Word, not a celebrity or entertainer. His job is to build up the body of Christ, not to amass a following and a fawning fan base. Would you protect us from the allure of entertainment disguised as worship, the wisdom of man masquerading as the wisdom of God, and personal satisfaction in place of corporate sanctification. Amen

How Firm a Foundation

January 2, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁰According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. – 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ESV

For Paul, the issue was first, always, and only Christ. Ever since his personal and life-changing encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he had made it his life’s mission to carry the message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone to the world. Here, he refers to Jesus Christ as the foundation, the solid rock on which believers are to build the rest of their lives. It is belief in the gospel message of salvation through Jesus that provides the bedrock upon which a truly worthy life can be built. Paul likely had in mind the parable that Jesus told His disciples.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27 NLT

Our faith in Jesus has a starting and ending point. It begins when we place our faith in Him, but it does not stop there. We are to build our lives with Jesus as the foundation. Paul boldly claimed to have helped lay the proper foundation by preaching Christ and Him crucified. He had given the believers in Corinth the truth regarding salvation through Christ and Him alone, and they had received it. Now it was time for them to do something with their faith; they were to build on it.

Their faith was to produce fruit, tangible, visible, and measurable fruit. Whatever they built on the foundation of their faith would be discernible to all those around them. The value of the construction materials they used would be apparent to all. Speaking metaphorically, Paul says that some would use gold, silver, and precious stones — objects of worth and beauty. But others would choose to use wood, hay, and straw — materials with little value or staying power. The second group illustrates those who cut corners and refuse to invest adequately, either out of laziness or a lack of concern. Their faith means so little to them that they refuse to invest the time and resources it deserves. James describes these two groups well.

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” – James 2:17-18 NLT

Christ crucified is the fundamental basis of our faith, but our actions are to rest on that firm foundation. The actions and attitudes that mark our lives should be built on the reality of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and be visible to all those around us. James refers to these salvation-based behaviors as “good deeds.” They are meant to impact all those around us. They can be seen and experienced by others. And, one day, they will be judged by God.

Paul reminds us, “each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (1 Corinthians 3:13 ESV). In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV). The Greek word Paul uses is βῆμα (bēma). It refers to “the official seat of a judge” (“G968 – bēma – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). The “day” to which Paul refers is that day when all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ – the Bema Seat. On that day, we will have our work judged. This is a reference to all those things we have done since coming to faith in Christ. This is not a judgment to determine righteousness. We will stand before God fully forgiven and completely righteous because of Christ’s death for us on the cross. But each person’s works will be judged as to their value and worth, and they will “receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

What we do with our faith in Christ is essential and has long-term implications. That is why Paul was concerned about the role that teachers played in the spiritual growth of the body of Christ. That is why he warns, “whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful” (1 Corinthians 3:10 NLT). His whole focus in the section of his letter is on the tendency of the Corinthians to put too much stock in their preferred spiritual teacher or mentor. But Paul is trying to get them to realize that good teachers will build on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When we elevate the role of men in our spiritual growth, we risk constructing a life that looks good but fails to reflect the life-transforming power of the gospel. That is what led Paul to say, “no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 NLT). Paul boldly declared, “I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it” ( 1 Corinthians 3:10 ESV). But then he warns, Let each one take care how he builds upon it” (1 Corinthians 3:10 ESV).

That is the whole point of this section. Paul wants his readers to understand that the foundation of their faith is non-negotiable. Christ crucified and resurrected is the key to their salvation, sanctification, and future glorification. And what we or anyone else attempts to build upon our faith in Christ must have lasting value. If we use our faith in Christ to build a life marked by selfishness, greed, materialism, hate, bigotry, pride, and hypocrisy, others will see it, and one day Christ will expose and judge us for it. Those worthless works will be burned up. They will be proven to be of no eternal value because they were done in the flesh, and not in the power of the Spirit of God.

But if we build a life that is marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, others will see it and Christ will one day reward us for it. Those deeds are the fruit of the Spirit. They will last and survive the fire of God’s judgment because, like gold, silver, and precious stones, they are priceless and eternal.

What we build upon our faith in Christ is extremely important and reveals a lot about us. It shows the condition of our hearts and the priorities of our lives. Our salvation provides us with a solid and secure foundation. We have the assurance of our eternal security and no longer have to worry about future condemnation or fear of death. But that should motivate us to live lives that are worthy of our calling. We should desire that our behavior reflects our status as God’s children and the presence of God’s Spirit within us. That is why, in the very next verse, Paul asks, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT).

God has provided the foundation. The Spirit provides the fruit. And all we are required to bring to the equation is our faith. But our faith must become tangible and discernible, testifying to the change that has taken place within us. That is what James meant when he wrote, “faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 2:17 NLT). Fruitless faith is baseless faith; it is a dead and lifeless faith. But Paul insists that when one has true, saving faith and builds their life upon it, they will end up displaying behavior that stands out and survives the test of God’s judgment.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Father, You care just as much about our sanctification as You do our salvation. You saved us so that You might transform us into the likeness of Your Son. You redeemed us so that You might continually reform and renew us. It is a process and it takes time. It also requires our participation. We must build on our faith. There is no place for complacency in the life of a believer. You expect ongoing transformation and so should we. But we must be careful how we build on the foundation that Christ provided. What we fill our minds with will have a direct impact on the quality and spirituality of our lives. We can start with a firm foundation of faith, but if we build on it with shoddy materials, we will end up with a “house” of cards that fails to reflect that transformative power of the gospel. Keep us firmly committed to and dependent upon the the reality of Christ crucified for our sins and resurrected for our sanctification. Amen

Spiritual Maturity Is Non-Optional and Impossible Without God

January 1, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. ²I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, ³for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? ⁴For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

⁵What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. ⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 ESV

There is nothing particularly wrong with acting like a child – if you are one. But we all know how awkward it is to be around someone who refuses to act their age. Watching a grown man behave like a teenager is painful and extremely disappointing. It’s obvious to all that something is wrong with his behavior. He has refused to grow up and own up to the responsibilities that come with adulthood, and his immature actions usually end up impacting every area of his life.

The same can be said for spiritual immaturity. It’s not that it’s wrong. Every believer starts out as a spiritual infant in Christ. We begin the journey of faith as metaphorical newborns who require what Paul refers to as the “milk” of God’s Word. This is normal, natural, and to be expected. It was Peter who wrote, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 ESV). There is a time in every believer’s life when their spiritual diet must be simple and easily digestible. But as they grow, they must move on to the “meat” of the Word. They are to grow up into salvation, learning to grasp the depth of God’s love, the significance of His grace, their complete dependence upon His strength, and the full weight of His call to holiness. The author of the book of Hebrews had some strong words to say to the recipients of his letter:

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. – Hebrews 5:12-13 NLT

They were stuck on the basics, the elemental principles of God’s Word. They knew that Jesus was the Son of God and that He had died for their sins. They also understood their complete dependence upon Him for salvation. In placing their faith in Jesus, they believed they would be restored to a right relationship with God the Father. But their knowledge of God’s Word had not gone beyond that point. Their grasp of all that God had done and all that He had in store for them remained limited, and their behavior remained so as well.

Paul gave the Ephesian believers a goal to “be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT). He expected them to grow in Christ-likeness, becoming increasingly more like Him in their daily conduct. The result of this spiritual growth would be clearly evident.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. – Ephesians 4:14-15 NLT

The problem with the believers in Corinth was that their behavior was revealing their spiritual immaturity. They were bickering, boasting, fighting, and fuming over who was more spiritual based on which teacher they followed. Paul exposed the shallow and immature nature of their behavior. “There is jealousy and strife among you,” he wrote, and that was proof that they were “of the flesh and behaving only in a human way” (1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV). They were acting like children, arguing over things that didn’t matter and revealing their lack of understanding of God’s ways.

They were making much of men rather than making much of God. They misunderstood that their spiritual mentors were merely messengers who had been acting on behalf of God. This led Paul to ask, “Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us” (1 Corinthians 3:5 ESV). They were nothing more than instruments in God’s hands. Their value came from God’s decision to use them to accomplish His will. In a subsequent letter to the Corinthians, Paul reemphasized his understanding of his role as a supporting cast member.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. – 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT

Mature believers have a growing awareness that God is the source of all that we enjoy regarding our faith. It was He who called us. It was His Son who died for us. It was His Spirit who opened our eyes so that we could understand the truth of the gospel. It is His Word that provides us with insight into His nature and daily guidance for our journey of faith. And it is God who provides His Church with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 NLT).

Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that he, Cephas, and Apollos were nothing more than “God’s fellow workers” and they were “God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9 ESV). Maturing believers have a growing understanding of and appreciation for God’s work in their lives. Over time, their appreciation for His love and mercy increases as they experience His grace and mercy. They grow in their gratitude for His unfailing forgiveness. They grow in their desire to please Him, not to earn His love, but to express gratitude for His love. They grow in their dependence upon Him. They grow in their desire for Him. They grow in their hunger for His Word. They grow in their trust in His promises. They grow into their salvation. And all this growth shows up in their behavior.

Father, You don’t just expect me to grow, You have provided everything I need to see that it happens. You are the source of everything. You alone have provided the means for my salvation and sanctification, and, one day, You will bring about my future glorification. Your Spirit convicts, comforts, guides, and produces His fruit through me. Through Your Word, You reveal Yourself to me. I owe everything to You., including my capacity to grow up in my salvation. I am completely dependent upon You, and I believe that You will complete what You started in my life. As Paul told the Philippians believers, “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT). Keep me focused on Your faithfulness and totally reliant upon Your goodness, grace, mercy, and love. So that I will continue to grow up and stand out for You. Amen

The Spiritual Versus the Natural

December 31, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁴The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:13-16 ESV

The wisdom of God is foolishness to men. The idea that a divine being sent His Son to live as a man and die on a cross to pay for the sins of humanity is ludicrous to them. It is a delusional fable at best or a diabolical lie at worst. But Paul would argue that the problem lies not with the message or with the intent of the messenger; it is that those to whom the message is shared are incapable of receiving it. They are spiritually unable to comprehend it. It would be like an American trying to understand a message spoken to him in a foreign language. The message and the messenger could both be accurate, but the meaning would be lost because the one to whom the message is being given doesn’t speak the language.

The message of the cross is heavenly in nature; it is a spiritually based message that requires interpretation by the Spirit of God. Natural man, as Paul describes him, cannot understand the words and wisdom of God. Paul refers to him as “natural” simply to say that he is not spiritual or of the spirit. Anyone who has not placed their faith in Christ is a natural man or woman; they lack the presence of the indwelling Spirit of God. And as Paul writes, “people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT). The Spirit of God makes the wisdom and mind of God discernible to human beings. Without His assistance, we would be unable to comprehend the mysterious ways of God.

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV

It is impossible for natural man, under the control of his own sinful nature, to discern God’s mind. Even those who placed their faith in Christ as their Savior had to have help from God’s Spirit just to believe. Their eyes had to be opened and their hearts regenerated by the Spirit to comprehend the life-changing nature of the gospel message.

“The natural person can, of course, understand the gospel and experience salvation but only because the Holy Spirit illuminates his or her understanding.” – Robert A. Pyne, “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Conversion,” Bibliotheca Sacra 150:598 (April-June 1993):204-5).

The moment the Spirit opens the eyes of the natural person so that they can see and accept the wonderful message of God’s gracious gift of salvation through Christ, He comes to dwell within them. They go from being natural to spiritual. The word Paul uses is πνευματικός (pneumatikos) and it means “one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God” (“G4152 – pneumatikos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible).

Because of the Spirit’s presence within them, Christ-followers have the capacity to understand the things of the Spirit, or, as Paul refers to them, spiritual truths. It is not the wisdom or eloquence of men that makes the things of God accessible and understandable; it is the Spirit of God. Human wisdom cannot make spiritual truths discernible to men; it requires the Holy Spirit. Even Paul admits, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths” (1 Corinthians 2:13 NLT).

Even if a spiritual person attempts to speak spiritual truth without the Spirit’s help, they will end up relying upon human wisdom, and their message will fall on deaf ears. It will lack power because it will be devoid of truth. It may be eloquent, impressive, and even well-received, but it will not communicate the wisdom of God or contain the power of God.

One of the primary benefits of having the Spirit of God within us is the ability He provides to discern and evaluate all things. We have been given the Word of God and the Spirit of God so that we might understand the will of God. Jesus told His disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 NLT). With the Spirit’s help, we can accurately evaluate and determine God’s will for any given circumstance. The Spirit guides and directs, comforts and consoles, and provides strength when needed and patience when waiting is necessary.

We have a supernatural source of wisdom that allows us to know the mind of God. In fact, Paul states, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b ESV). With the Spirit’s help, we have access to divine knowledge. We can see life through the eyes of Christ and live as He did. In other words, we have the divine capacity to live Christ-like lives even in our fallen state. We have the capacity to live holy, righteous lives even though we still have our old sin natures and exist in a sin-filled world.

The world will not understand us because natural men and women are incapable of discerning our ways. They will misunderstand and misjudge us. Our lives will make them uncomfortable. Our desire for and pursuit of holiness will leave them confused. Our attempt to live set-apart lives will make them feel judged, and so they will judge us in return. Since they are natural and not spiritual, they will never be able to understand what motivates us. Our love for the Word of God will make no sense to them. Our trust in the will of God will seem naive to them. Our hope in our future salvation by God will come across as little more than wishful thinking to them. But we have the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ, so the inexplicable has become understandable. The indiscernible has become comprehensible and believable. So we believe, wait, and live with hope because the Spirit of God has made the promises of God real and reliable.

Father, thank You for providing Your Spirit so that we can discern Your will and Your ways. Without Him, we would remain hopelessly blind to the reality of salvation made possible through the death and resurrection of Your Son. Your Spirit opened our eyes to see and accept the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. We didn’t earn it and we could not have comprehended it without the Spirit’s assistance. And now, we live in this world with the help of the Spirit’s presence and power. As Peter wrote, Your “divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 BSB). And we are grateful.
Amen

Wisdom From Above

December 30, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁶Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. ⁷But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. – 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 ESV

Earlier in this same chapter, when Paul wrote, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV), he was stating that the knowledge of and belief in Christ and His death was all he needed to know. The very wisdom of God was revealed to men through the crucifixion of Jesus and was sufficient to restore men to a right relationship with Him. It was a secret and hidden wisdom that had been unknowable until the point that God revealed it to men through His Spirit. Paul claimed that if the rulers in power when Jesus was alive had understood this wisdom, they would not have crucified Him. But in their limited human wisdom, they had no way of knowing that Jesus really was the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

From Pontius Pilate and Herod the king to the high priest of Israel, none of them were able to recognize who Jesus was and what God was doing through Him. Their human wisdom proved insufficient. And while they believed they were doing the right thing by eliminating Jesus as a threat to their way of life, they were actually accomplishing the divine will of God. Peter made this point clear in his prayer after having been released from arrest by the high priest for preaching the resurrection of Jesus.

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” – Acts 4:27-28 ESV

Only those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ and acknowledged Him as the Son of God who died on the cross in their place can recognize the wisdom of God in this seemingly hopeless event. Only the Spirit of God can make sense of the wisdom behind Jesus’ death. It was not until the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples at Pentecost that they were able to recognize the wisdom behind God’s plan of redemption. Jesus had to die. Without His death, there would have been no means for men to be restored to a right relationship with God. As the writer of Hebrews states, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

In the days immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion, His death made no sense to His disciples. In their minds, the whole cause for which they had signed up had been an abysmal failure. Their long-awaited Messiah had been murdered, and all hopes tied to His kingdom died with Him. His death meant the death of their dreams.

But they had been wrong. Their disappointment in Jesus’ unexpected death would be replaced with delight and joy. They would soon learn that God’s ways are not our ways. His wisdom is greater than our own. His Son’s death, viewed as a tragedy from the perspective of the disciples, was actually a victory over sin and death. In facing death on the cross, Jesus was not a helpless victim, but He was actually a conquering King. As Paul states later on in this letter:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV

Quoting from the prophet, Isaiah, Paul states, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV). The death of Jesus was part of God’s divine redemptive plan long before the creation of the world. Even before sin entered the world, God had ordained that His Son would die for the sins of mankind. And our ability to see and comprehend this truth is made possible by the Spirit of God. It is only with the help of the Spirit of God that man can understand the wisdom of God. Otherwise, it all sounds like foolishness. As Paul stated earlier, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24 ESV).

The only way we can comprehend the wisdom of God displayed in Christ’s death on the cross is through the insight provided by the Spirit of God. He is the one who helps us “understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV). As the Spirit of God, He alone understands the thoughts and ways of God and reveals to us the wisdom of God, “interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13 ESV).

Paul’s use of the phrase “those who are spiritual” is not a reference to those who happen to be spiritually more mature or further along in their faith. He is referring to all those who have placed their faith in Christ and in whom God has placed His Spirit. It is the presence of God’s Spirit within us that makes us spiritual. He provides us with the capacity to understand the mind of God and “searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets” (1 Corinthians 2:10b NLT). It is the Spirit of God who helps us comprehend the wisdom behind the cross of Christ. With His assistance, we can understand how death brought about life, how tragedy resulted in victory, how our condemnation has turned into a guarantee of our future glorification, and how we can enjoy God’s unfailing love rather than His inescapable wrath.

God reminds us that His wisdom and ways are incomprehensible and incomparable.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV

But the Spirit’s indwelling presence provides us with the capacity to know and understand God. His infinite wisdom makes sense to us because His Spirit interprets His thoughts and instructs us in His ways.

Father, without Your Spirit, none of this would make sense. When we share the good news of Jesus Christ to others, they often respond with doubt and even disdain. The idea of a Jewish Rabbi dying on a cross and then being restored to life sounds illogical and fanciful. To them, the thought of this man’s death and resurrection providing eternal life to all those who believe sounds like a fairytale. But to me, it makes all the sense in the world. I not only believe it, but I am counting on it. Your Spirit has given me the ability to comprehend and believe in the mystery of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. While the news of Jesus’ crucifixion is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23 BSB), it is the source of my strength and the cause of my hope. But without Your Spirit’s help, I would be unable to understand the wisdom of Your ways revealed in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Thank You! Amen

The Power of God

December 29, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ²For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV

As followers of Christ, we can be easily impressed and fall prey to persuasive words and convincing arguments. We find ourselves becoming fans of various teachers, preachers, and religious leaders. Style and charisma can become the primary criteria by which we judge a speaker. If we’re not careful, we can allow entertainment value to become the primary factor by which we critique a sermon, trumping biblical accuracy and spiritual efficacy. We can become fans of men rather than followers of Christ and elevate our desire for comfort over our need for conviction. Paul had warned his protegé Timothy, that the day was coming when this mindset would be de rigueur.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. – 2 Timothy 4:3 NLT

The situation in Corinth had probably not reached this point, but Paul saw a disturbing trend taking place. The believers there had allowed their personal preferences to become a point of division within the church. Some were claiming to be followers of Paul, while others sided with Cephas or Apollos. Evidently, the primary criteria behind their particular preferences had more to do with the messenger’s style than the content of their message. So Paul attempts to remind his readers that his initial ministry among them had been anything but impressive. He reflected back on that occasion, recalling that “my message and my preaching were very plain” (1 Corinthians 2:4a NLT).

Rather than delivering cleverly crafted sermons and powerfully persuasive arguments, Paul exhibited weakness, fear, and trembling. His oratory skills had been anything but impressive, but he had left an impression. His less-than-memorable delivery had made an impact because he kept the main thing the main thing. He states, “I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2 NLT). Paul wasn’t interested in fame or recognition, and he wasn’t out to build a personal following or win a popularity contest. He had gone to Corinth to share the testimony of God concerning His Son, Jesus Christ. And the message he shared had powerfully impacted the lives of the people of Corinth, but it had nothing to do with his powers of persuasion or way with words.

What happened in Corinth had been the work of the Spirit of God. In fact, Paul admits that he “relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:4b NLT) when delivering the message Jesus had given him. Paul refused to take any credit for their salvation, but chose instead to promote the life-transforming power of the cross and the regenerating work of the Spirit of God. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul declared, “We are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority” (2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT). Paul’s primary goal was to preach Christ and the message of His crucifixion and resurrection. Later on in this same letter, Paul outlines exactly what he preached to them:

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 NLT

It was this message and their acceptance of it that had changed their lives. Their radical transformation had nothing to do with lofty speech or human wisdom because the message of the gospel was not man-made, but God-ordained. The power of the gospel lies not in the oratory skills of the messenger, but in the simple, life-altering truth of the message about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel doesn’t need to be tricked out, spiced up, or improved upon. It doesn’t require bright lights, an impressive band, the latest technology, or an entertaining delivery to make it effective.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with presenting the gospel with excellence. A well-prepared sermon delivered engagingly can be an effective tool in delivering the good news about Jesus. It was Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, who once said, “We believe it is sinful to bore kids with the gospel. Christ is the strongest, grandest, most attractive personality to ever grace the earth. But a careless messenger with the wrong method can reduce all this magnificence to the level of boredom …. It is a crime to bore anyone with the gospel.”

There is no doubt that a poorly prepared sermon can obscure the message of the gospel. But at the same time, an overly produced, entertainment-driven worship service can also overwhelm the simplicity of the life-altering message of salvation in Christ alone. It seems that Paul would have preferred the power of the Spirit of God over his own powers of persuasion. He had seen the life-impacting nature of the good news of Jesus Christ firsthand. For him, the faith of believers needed to rest “not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5 NLT). The power of the gospel resides in the simple message of Christ crucified, not in the wisdom and eloquence of men.

Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24 ESV). There will always be those who balk at the message of the cross; they will see it as foolish and nonsensical. But there will also be those who find its message impactful and life-altering, and their transformed lives will give ample evidence that its power comes from God, not men.

Father, it is difficult to admit this, but You don’t really need our help. The power of the gospel lies not in our ability to deliver it persuasively and impactfully. We can’t argue anyone into the Kingdom of God. It is not our oratory skills that make the gospel attractive and acceptable; it is the life-transforming power of the Spirit of God. He alone can open blind eyes and soften hardened hearts. The power to transform lives comes from the message of Christ, not the messenger. Yet, You use our faltering speech and unimpressive delivery to carry the good news concerning Jesus to a lost and dying world. You allow us to present the gospel in all its simplicity, then the Spirit takes our inadequate words and uses them to turn sinners into saints. Salvation isn’t the result of human wisdom, clever arguments, or a persuasive presentation; it is Your work from beginning to end. Yet, You allow us to play a role in Your divine redemptive process. Help us remain faithful to play our part without feeling the need to take credit for the results. Amen

Boast in the Lord

December 28, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁶For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ESV

The division taking place within the church at Corinth was based on pride. They were boastfully claiming, “‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ’” (1 Corinthians 1:12 ESV). They each saw themselves as somehow better or more spiritual because of their choice of leader. They were even bragging about who had baptized them, claiming to have been baptized in their name. This led Paul to declare, “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name” (1 Corinthians 1:14-15 ESV). Even those who were claiming to follow Christ were emphasizing His teaching more than His role as Messiah. They had become followers of men and adherents of their particular teachings, rather than followers of the very one whose death had made their salvation possible.

So Paul felt compelled to remind them of their pre-conversion state. For the most part, none of them had been wise, wealthy, or powerful. They were not from the upper crust of society or recognized for their intelligence and erudition. Their influence and power had been minimal. In fact, Paul flatly states that they had been foolish, weak, and despised. Not exactly a flattering assessment. But Paul’s seeming put-down was intended to get them to see the “foolish” nature of their salvation, not stroke their egos. There was nothing about them that warranted what God had done for them. Even from a worldly perspective, they had been undeserving of God’s amazing grace and mercy. They were not the brightest and best, the richest and wisest, or the movers and shakers of society.

When Jesus ministered on the earth, He did not choose His disciples from among the wealthy, wise, and powerful. Those 12 men had been lowly fishermen, tax collectors, and commoners. Those who had followed Him during His three years of earthly ministry had been, for the most part, from the peasant class, and this trend continued long after Christ’s resurrection. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28 NLT).

None of them had cause for boasting, and they had done nothing to deserve their salvation. Their pride was misplaced because their spiritual status in God’s eyes had nothing to do with who baptized or taught them. Those men were nothing more than instruments in the hands of God. They were His messengers, but not the Messiah.

Later in this same letter, Paul writes, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV). It was only as Paul displayed the character of Christ that he was to be considered someone to model their lives after. His life was meaningless unless it emulated that of Christ. Paul’s ministry was never meant to be about him, but, instead, it was intended to point to the life-transforming nature of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Paul wanted them to remember that their status as children of God had been the work of God. It was He who had called them, which is why Paul tells them, “consider your calling.” The Greek word Paul used was βλέπω (blepō) and it means, “to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine” (“G991 – blepō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). Paul wanted them to take a long, hard look at their calling by God. So he reminds them three times:

God chose what is foolish…

God chose what is weak…

God chose what is low and despised…

God chose. In other words, it was His doing and was not based on any merit or worth of the ones chosen. It was solely based on God’s divine mercy and grace. That is why Paul reminds them that it was “because of him [God] you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV), not because of themselves and due to the efforts of Paul, Cephas, or Apollos. Those men had been used by God to carry the gospel to the Corinthians, but they were simply messengers. It had been God who had made it possible for the believers in Corinth to have a relationship with Jesus, and it had been Jesus who had revealed to them God’s wisdom. By His death on the cross, Jesus opened a way for men to receive righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. With His death on the cross, Jesus took on the sins of mankind, and those who placed their faith in Christ had their sins imputed to Him and received His righteousness in exchange. They now stood before God as righteous because of the work of Christ, and they are going through the process of sanctification, their ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Ultimately, they would enjoy their final redemption or release from the power of sin in their lives when God glorifies them.

No man can make these things possible. No human teacher can provide us with righteousness before God. No pastor can transform us into the likeness of Christ. No evangelist or theologian can make our glorification possible. These things are all the work of God, just as our salvation was. He called, chose, justified, sanctifies, and will one day redeem. So if we are going to boast, we need to boast in God; we need to brag about all that He has done, is currently doing, and will accomplish in the future. He made our salvation possible, He has made our daily sanctification obtainable, and He will one day accomplish the seemingly impossible: our glorification. We owe it all to Him.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die. – Rock of Ages, Augustus Toplady

Father, we are a prideful people. Even those of us who have received Your undeserved mercy and grace tend to find ways to make it all about us. We can become overconfident about our spiritual status and convince ourselves that we somehow deserved to be chosen by You. We have a habit of forgetting our sinful past and failing to recall just how desperate we were before we heard the good news of Jesus Christ. But as Augustus Toplady reminds us, we bring nothing to our salvation other than our sin, shame, and a need for a Savior. Our wisdom and wealth play no part. Our accomplishments are of no value. But You accept us based on nothing more than our faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. May we never forget our inadequacy and His all-sufficiency. Amen

God Doesn’t Need Our Help

December 27, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ESV

The concept of death by crucifixion, while not invented by the Romans, was certainly perfected by them. It was a horrific means of death, intended as much for crime prevention as it was for punishment. To those living under Roman jurisdiction, crucifixion was viewed as a hideous way to die, reserved for the vilest of criminals and the scum of the earth. Yet, Paul reminds his readers, it was the God-ordained means of death for Jesus Christ. The death of Christ on the cross was at the heart of the gospel message preached by Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. Paul insisted, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23a ESV). What made that message even more “foolish” to the ears of those who heard it was the fact that Christ’s death was followed by His resurrection. It was His death, followed by His miraculous Spirit-empowered resurrection, that made the message “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23b ESV).

And yet, the message of the cross revealed the very wisdom of God. It was His chosen means of providing justification for sinful men and women. It was through the “foolishness” of the cross that sinners could be restored to a right relationship with a holy God. But as Paul points out, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV). There is nothing about the message of the cross that makes sense to sinful men; it sounds ludicrous, far-fetched, and unbelievable. Many write it off as a fable or myth. Others laugh it off as nothing more than the wishful thinking of the uneducated. But Paul insists that it is the very “power of God.” As Paul wrote in his letter to the believers in Rome, “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 ESV). And God was using this message to “destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent” (1 Corinthians 1:19 NLT).

By arguing over who was a follower of Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, and which leader was more impressive than the other, the Corinthian believers were diminishing the true message of the gospel. They were making the wisdom of man more important than the wisdom of God. They were elevating eloquent speech and impressive oratory skills over the simple yet profound message of Christ crucified. The ability to debate theology or impress others with your knowledge of the Scriptures means nothing without the cross. Which is what led Paul to ask, “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?” (1 Corinthians 1:20 ESV). The wise and religious didn’t come up with the idea of the cross; God did. The Jewish scholars didn’t recognize the prophecies concerning the suffering Savior. In fact, Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40 ESV).

They were unable to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, because He didn’t appear as the kind of Messiah they were expecting. They had been looking for a conquering king, not a suffering servant. The crown they envisioned Him wearing was made of gold, not thorns. They expected Him to free them from bondage to Roman rule, not sin.

The “wisdom of the world” to which Paul refers has little to do with intellect or book knowledge. He is speaking of the philosophical insights men use to explain the world and our place in it. It is man’s attempt to understand and explain the presence of evil, suffering, and pain, as well as to present an acceptable, rational path to hope and happiness. But nothing man has come up with has worked. Materialism, religion, hedonism, pacifism, pleasure, wealth, love; mankind has tried it all. Yet, as Solomon so succinctly put it: “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT).

As believers, we are to be followers of Christ, not men. We are to place our hope in the cross, not the clever arguments or convincing messages of this world. Like Paul, we are to believe that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25 ESV). Our salvation was the result of the cross, not the words of men. Our sanctification or ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ is based on the message of the cross, not human wisdom. And it is the cross that will make possible our ultimate glorification, the resurrection of our bodies, and our final transformation into the image of Christ.

To some, it all sounds like foolishness. To others, it acts as a stumbling block, preventing them from embracing the good news of Jesus Christ and experiencing the power and wisdom of God found in His Son, Jesus Christ. For Paul, the message of the cross was more than enough. He didn’t feel compelled to trick it up, tone it down, make it more palatable, or gloss it over with clever-sounding words or sophisticated philosophical arguments. As he told the Corinthians later in his letter, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NLT). For Paul, the message of the cross of Christ was enough, because it revealed the wisdom and the power of God. If the simplicity of the cross was good enough for God, it was good enough for Paul.

After warning the Corinthians about the danger of division within the body of Christ, Paul reminded them that the work of salvation had nothing to do with man. Paul, Apollos, and Peter were nothing more than messengers of the Good News. Their role was to tell what God had done through Christ’s death on the cross. Paul made this point quite emphatically when he wrote, “Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!” (1 Corinthians 1:13 NLT).

Salvation was God’s idea, not man’s. Mankind had not been able to come up with a way to restore its relationship with God. No amount of good works, sacrifices, worship, or religious rituals had ever fixed the problem created by the sin of mankind. So God came up with His own plan, and it appeared as nothing less than foolish from man’s perspective. God chose to send His holy and righteous Son to die on a cross for the sins of mankind. But to those who are lost, “The message of the cross is foolish” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT). To the philosophers, scholars, and brilliant debaters of this world, the message of the cross sounds like superstitious nonsense; the creation of pathetically simpleminded people.

“But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24 NLT). To those who humbly accept the message of Christ’s substitionary death on the cross as real and life-transforming, the power of God is self-evident and non-debatable. The work of salvation is the work of God from beginning to end. Man has nothing to do with it. God chooses, calls, and unites us with Christ, and it is Christ who makes sinful men right with a holy God. Through the atoning work of Christ, we are made pure and holy. It is He who frees us from sin, not Paul, Apollos, or Peter. So there is no reason for anyone to boast, either in themselves or any other human being.

Salvation is God’s work, and He accomplished it through the death of His own Son. The only role we play is that of the foolish, powerless, helpless, despised, and sin-enslaved human being. We bring nothing of value to the table. We have no worth or merit in God’s eyes. He doesn’t look down from heaven and select the best and the brightest. He doesn’t choose the rich, famous, or successful ones. He isn’t impressed with anyone’s talents, efforts, resume, or attempts at self-righteousness. In God’s eyes, all men are sinners and stand separated from Him. All men are deserving of His wrath and destined to spend eternity being punished for their rebellion against Him. But God had a plan and a solution to man’s problem that didn’t involve man at all. It was His work, and it required the death of His Son. It was His plan and “this foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human reason” (1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT).

So there is nothing for us to boast about, except in the fact that God has chosen us. We need to boast about God. We need to brag about Him. We need to constantly remind one another that, without His plan of salvation, as foolish as it may sound, none of us would have any hope.

Father, thank You for Your incredible plan of salvation. Without it, I would have no hope. I would have no future. But because You sent Your Son to die on a cross in my place, and You chose to open my eyes so that I could see the futility of my situation and the reality of salvation made available through His death, I now stand as holy and righteous before You. I have nothing to boast about, except You. Don’t ever allow me to make it about me again. Don’t let me to make more of anyone than I do of you. Amen

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

1 Corinthians