“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, “- {1 Cor 1:27-30}.
“CONSIDER”– It is a command… Do this…. Do what? Note, the calling, in particular, the phrase’s, “GOD HAS CHOSEN… GOD HAS CHOSEN… GOD HAS CHOSEN… BY HIS DOING…” Not “the wise,” have chosen, not “the mighty,” not the “noble,” not “the strong” have chosen, not “people” have chosen! “But … GOD!”
Here we see, God is in control, initiating, Sovereign in the decision making and “By His doing…” not anyone else’s, be it the rich, famous, royalty, academic, nation, culture, religious, “BUT GOD…” Maker of Heaven earth…”for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see–such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. “-{Col 1:16 NLT}.
“By GOD’S DOING…” The Heavens, earth, and all its inhabitants were created …and…
“BY GOD’S DOING…YOU are In Christ Jesus…”
God’s Sovereignty in salvation is shown here! God saves us. God initiated our Salvation. God sustains and completes it. -{Read Phil 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5}. It is All of God. Because we could not save ourselves. The law could not save us.“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. “- {Rom 8:3 NLT}. GOD DID IT! “… “God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” -{2 Tim 1:9}. A Supernatural work of God, who raised us up spiritually from the dead-ness of our sin “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves,” – {Col 1:13}. From spiritual darkness to the glorious light of the saving Gospel. The call Paul mentions for them to “consider” is the irresistible call of God to Himself in salvation. He did it! Consider God who called you to Himself, and all that means. Contemplate Him!
GOD SAVED US…. GOD PLACED US “IN CHRIST.” Paul in Galatians 3:26 writes, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,…” To be “In Christ” is the only way we can be a child of God. And there is no other way to be a child of God, outside of Christ. ” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “-{John 14:6} “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”-{Acts 4;12}. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as HE is. ” -{1 John 3:1-3 NLT}
SALVATION IS OF GOD! How wonderful that God would “CHOSE” you and as Paul said, “But God chose me before I was born…” -{Gal 1:15-16}. To the Ephesian believers he would write, “God… who has chosen us before the foundation of the world”-{Eph 1:3-4}. Before birth, before the foundation of the world, God independent of all others, irrespective of all but Himself, set His love upon us, not because of what we could do, but because of who He is and what He did. Not because of what we would become, but because of what He Would make of us. Peter told the believers. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.“-{1 Peter 2:9}. Paul to the Thessalonians, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth “-{2 Thess 2:13.}. “You did not choose Me but I chose you,…”- {John 15:16}. He did it, God did it! God “marked out,”… “selected”…”Called out,” a people for Himself. That He should do that for His enemies is an amazing act of mercy and love.
How wonderful to think GOD CHOSE… YOU. You are not an afterthought or inferior to any other believer past or present! Some believers wrongly believe they are somehow “second class “Christians.” As Peter wrote to the believers then is true now, ” To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ…”-{2 Peter 1:1}.We all are of “equal standing” because we all are recipients “...by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus.” You have the same standing as Paul, Peter or any of the apostles or disciples and like them you to gained access because HE CHOSE You and provided all you need through the righteousness of the LORD Jesus. Don’t believe the lie you are second class, and don’t allow the evil one to inject lies that you embrace that God has not showered you with salvation, He planned by choosing you before the foundation of the WORLD. RENEW YOUR THINKING BY THINKING MUCH ON HIS WORD!
Paul wrote to them and said, “CONSIDER YOUR CALLING…”
Paul uses the word “calling,” to refer to the saving, irresistible call of God.” God is faithful who has CALLED us into fellowship with His Son,”-{1 Cor 1:9}. You know what type of person you were, not many of you were not wise, mighty, noble in the eyes of this world, you were not wealthy, brilliant or intelligent, as society thinks and values, or that you could appeal to Him and offer that as a means to impress and press your case for Him to save you. Paul could point out to them that it was not a persons station in life that gave clout for all are spiritually dead in sins, there is none righteous, no not one. We all need someone without us to do what we cannot do and save us from sin, the wrath of God and satan’s hold. All of them whom Paul writes to were like us at one point, we were dead in sin, rebellious by nature in birth and life against his rule and reign, sinner, helpless, dead spiritually, “But God…” just as He intervened in their lives so God has chosen you! He selected you for Himself, and what moved Him to do so? “ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” -{Eph 2:4-5}! His Choice {Eph 1;4} ; He did so out of Love… according to His Will -{Eph 1;5}… By His grace -{Eph 1:5}…for His Glory {Read Eph 1:6}. and the right response is to “PRAISE/BLESS… GOD…” {Eph 1:3}.
Salvation is…
The Choice of God
By The Will of God
Through The Grace of God
For The Glory of God
Because of The Love of God
Into Fellowship with the Son of God– {1 Cor 1:9}
In Christ Jesus
Wow!
“Consider your calling…”
Consider God’s Choice of you. Consider the Love of Christ and what it meant to make you child of God… Consider and respond as Paul wrote…
“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”-{1 Cor 1:31}.
OUR BOASTING IS TO BE IN THE LORD…Jeremiah records…what the Lord says,…
“This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know Me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord. – {Jer 9:23-24}Paul wrote to the Galatians , “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” -{Gal 6:14 NLT}
We have nothing to boast of in and of ourselves but we have much reason to boast in the Lord who has chosen us, not because we are superior or offer potential more than others, but because of His grace, mercy and love to pity us and save us. It is not meant to puff us up, but humble us and cause us in gratitude to worship Him and seek to be about His business that He may be honored because of Himself and His kindness to sinful, rebellious people. His is truly is a love story for those who despised and crucified His Son, so great our hatred of His Person. No, we now have found a new boast, and we are to boast in this; that we understand and know Him and the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…Consider… Him! Consider How He Saved you! And if you must boast… BOAST IN HIM!!!