1 Corinthians 15: Part 2 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good Tuesday morning.

We’re talking all this week about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that means for us.

We are looking at a chapter in the New Testament, in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. This whole chapter is Paul unpacking what the death and resurrection of Jesus means to us. Yesterday we looked at the opening of the chapter where Paul says:

Here’s the foundational message you need – To hear this is the gospel, the good news, the core of the Christian faith. Jesus died for our sins. He took our place facing God’s judgement and punishment, and that means that that’s done. It’s taken care of. And that means you don’t have to do all sorts of good things, all sorts of religious things to be accepted by God. No, you’re accepted because of what Jesus did. It’s not what you do that will get you to heaven and get you into a right relationship with God. It’s what Jesus has already done.

So our lives become not trying to earn enough goodness to make God accept us. Jesus already did that. Our lives become a life of gratitude, doing what will please God because of what He has done for us.

Paul ends that section saying, I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God.

That was Paul before he became a Christian. Trying to stamp out Christianity, persecuting Christians, dragging them out of their houses, beating them.

I am not worthy to be called an apostle, he says, when I think of all that. But then he continues in verse 10. He says, But by the grace of God I am what I am.

By the grace of God I am what I am.

It’s not me that has made the change in my life. Paul says. I’m not worthy to even be considered someone that God would use, but it’s not about what I’m worthy of. It’s not about how good I am. And maybe even as you’re listening this morning, when you think about coming to God or getting right with God, you think, I’m not worthy of God. There’s too much junk in my life. God doesn’t want to see me. He doesn’t want to know me. I can’t be good enough for God.

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Well, take heart from the apostle Paul. He persecuted the Church of God. He treated Christians so terribly. He dragged people from their homes. He beat them. He sent them to be killed.

This is Paul, and he says, No, I’m not worthy. It’s the grace of God. By the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of the other apostles. Yet it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Here it is again. It’s God’s grace that changed me. Nothing about me that made me worthy. And if you don’t feel worthy, don’t worry. It’s the worthiness of Jesus who died on the cross for you that makes the difference, because of Him. God sees you as so precious, so valuable, and someone that He loves dearly.

And as you put your faith in Jesus you’re forgiven. And then as you try to live the Christian life, here’s the apostle Paul saying, in light of God’s grace, I worked harder than any of the other apostles, but it wasn’t me. The grace of God that was with me enabled me to work that way.

And as you come to faith in Jesus Christ, even then it’s not you who changes your life. You choose to please God. You choose to allow God to direct your life, but it is God who will change you. It is God who will enable you to live that new way of life.

Whether then it was I or those other apostles, Paul says, so we preach, and so you believed. We preached this simple message Christ died for our sins, and He’s alive today to change your life.

And when you believe Jesus does the same thing in you that He did in the apostle Paul, I wonder if today, even while you’re listening, you can simply say to God out loud or in your own mind, God, I need what you have done for me. I can’t change my life, but I know you can, and I come to you and ask your forgiveness and invite you to make my life what you want it to be.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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