Lesson 2044

(Lesson 2044)(06-07-17) 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

In today's quote, Paul clearly explained that if a child of God uses his/her "justified" status, or the power of the Holy Spirit, for personal gain, that person's life reward will be burned to nothing in a trial by fire, yet the soul of that person will remain exempt from the final death and an everlasting hell. "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Conversely, if a child of God uses the power of the Holy Spirit in the manner that has been commanded by the doctrine of Jesus Christ, that person will receive untold rewards. I believe that those rewards will come both in our earthly lives as well as in heaven.

NOTE: This lesson proves, once and for all, that the physical works of a saved man or woman has anything to do with whether or not he/she will remained saved and safe from the final death. "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.".

Lesson 2043

(Lesson 2043)(06-06-17) 1 Corinthians 3:8-11

"Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

The essence of today's lesson is that every one of us who work to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ are all, in effect, pulling the same wagon, and that we are all in this together seeking the same outcome. That ultimate desire, for every born again child of God, that every lost soul will find redemption in the amazing grace of God through faith in the perfect sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Corinthians, in order to end the "contentions" among them, Paul's aim was that no man/woman be recognized above his/her station in the church and that ALL praise and glory was/is to be given to God for His amazing saving grace.~

Lesson 2042

(Lesson 2042)(06-05-17) 1 Corinthians 3:1-7

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

In today's lesson Paul left the impression that there were many in Corinth who had not yet received the power of the Holy Ghost and therefore could not fully understand the gospel of Jesus Christ causing the need for him to preach to them as children, "babes", in Christ.

Paul went on the affirm that it is not necessarily just the teacher that is responsible for the understanding of those who follow them, but rather, it is a collection of input that eventually leads to one's full understanding and eternal salvation.

Sadly, still today, there are many so-called preachers, who, out of their own selfishness and pride, and in an attempt to increase the numbers of their followers, try to hand out the power of the Holy Ghost as if it were a free toaster.

It is the duty of the elders of the church to keep preachers in line with the perfect gospel of Jesus Christ and to make sure that every prospective child of God understands that we are just the planters. It is God the Father who will reap the great harvest when His day comes.~

Lesson 2041

(Lesson 2041)(06-04-17) 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

In the first part of today's quote deals with the fact that the children of God have a spiritual insight into the things of God that unbelievers simply don't have. That is because, by being born again in spirit, we are *baptized (*Immersed) into the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, or more literally, we are *immersed into the Holy Triune of God. That *baptism, or *immersion, instills us with the insight and mind power of the Holy Spirit.

(* The use of the terms baptized, baptism or immersion, does NOT in any way refer to the use of water in any manner.)

We are assured of our extra insight by what Paul said in the last sentence of Today's quote; "we have the mind of Christ.". I don't believe there is a more profound statement made in the entirety of the bible. Paul, in essence, said that those of us whom have accepted God's saving grace literally "have the mind of Christ", and therefore, we the born atain, are able to see into spiritual things, (The "mystery" of the doctrine of Jesus Christ) whereas those who reject Jesus Christ, cannot.~

Lesson 2040

(Lesson 2040)(06-03-17) 1 Corinthians 2:1-8

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

In today's quote, Paul, separating himself from the great orators, made the point that though his own manner of speech was coarse, and not so eloquent, with the power and voice of the Holy Spirit to guide, he had preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to perfection.

In the latter part of the quote, Paul provided that the doctrine of Jesus Christ is a "mystery" to those who are outside the Spirit of God. Only those of us who have accepted God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and who have received the power of the Holy Spirit, have the ability to understand the mystery of that doctrine. This was done so that; "your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" rather than in the selfish wisdom of mankind.

In the last part of the quote, Paul says, in essence, that had the Jew actually understood who Jesus was, they would never have crucified Him.~

Lesson 2039

(Lesson 2039)(06-02-17) 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

Today's lesson is a very profound one and should be intently studied to determine its true intent toward all of us.

In the first part of the quote, Paul established that there will be a limited number of souls who are called to the redemption of the gospel provided by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul also established that there will be no room for those who falsely hold themselves in high regard, those who, because of their own over-imagined self import, are intent upon being a part of their own salvation instead of relying fully, by faith, upon the redeeming blood of Christ. Paul also established that those who are called will be made up of the much lower esteemed, those who in their humility, understand that they will NEVER be worthy of eternal salvation.

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence."

This part of the quote deals with how God intended that the sheer simplicity of the gospel would be a confounding factor to those who insist that there must be far more to the redemption of mankind than simple redemption upon request and belief that appears in the affirmed gospel of Jesus Christ.

The over-riding message in today's quote is that, in God's imminent grace, He made total redemption perfectly, and absolutely, free to all who will simply call upon the name of Jesus Christ and wholly believe that He is the ONLY remitter of sins. "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:27-28)~

Lesson 2038

(Lesson 2038)(06-01-17) 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

In today's quote, Paul demonstrated that to those who seek to save themselves by their own earthly rituals, the gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified, is foolishness.

The major stumbling block to those who claim to seek eternal salvation, is now, and always has been their own hypocritical, and false, sense of self importance. In the entirety of Paul's ministry, he preached that everlasting redemption of the human soul comes ONLY from the acceptance of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for all sin. There is NO sin that mankind is capable of justifying within, or by, him/herself. The ONLY remitter of sins is the grace of God through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:23-25)~