Temple Baptist Church - 3-12-2025
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Introduction:
A. Before delving into Practical Sanctification, we must firmly establish the concept of Positional Sanctification. Positional Sanctification is something that God accomplishes, whereas Practical Sanctification is our responsibility. Never confuse the two!
1. Why this message? Simple! God’s people are not perfect and often fail miserably. I am not excusing sinfulness, but the fact is that we are still just sinners saved by grace.
2. We often wonder if God could still love a sinner like us during times of weakness and failure. Or would a saved person really do the things that I have done? The answer to both questions is the same: YES! God still loves us, and we are truly and eternally saved.
3 In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians, Paul wisely chooses a different order than that of 2 Timothy, reprove-rebuke-exhort, because these are all new believers. Here, Paul exhorts before reproving and rebuking. You have to be careful with new believers so as not to choke them on strong meat.
B. The verses of our text show God's faithfulness to His children. The Lord saves, preserves, and affirms or confirms our salvation with a confirming oath in verse 8.
Confirmation – affirmation or validation. In legal terms, it refers to the assurance of title through the conveyance of an estate or right in easement from one person to another, by which a voidable estate is secured, a particular estate is increased, or possession is perfected.
C. Here, we see that God is faithful to His children.
1. It is essential for these carnal Corinthians to understand that their obedience or disobedience to this epistle does not alter the reality of their salvation. It is essential that you and I understand that God’s salvation and great love are not affected by what we do or do not do.
2. Many denominations propagate the false doctrine of "falling from grace," which makes salvation dependent on merit! My question is are they so biblically ignorant that they believe that they are good enough to be saved or to maintain their salvation? This may irritate some, but it is the truth.
3. It is either entirely by work or entirely by grace. Both the books of Galatians and Ephesians resolve that question!
D. The faithfulness of God can be summed up in these verses:
2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: (12) If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (13) If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
E. Let us reiterate what has been said so far, as the foundational truth needs reiteration and affirmation: salvation first, and sanctification second!
1. Our salvation and sanctification:
a. The Salvation Of The Saints
1) A Life Changing Call – “called to be saints…call upon the name”
2) A Universal Call – “all…in every place”
3) A Blessed Call
a) The Blessing Of Grace – vs. 3-4 (Grace comes through faith - Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.)
b) The Blessing Of Spiritual Gifts – vs. 5-7
c) The Blessing Of Testimony – vs. 6
d) The Blessing Of Promise – vs. 7
e) The Blessing Of Confirmation – vs. 8
f) The Blessing Of Faithfulness – vs. 9
b. The Sanctification Of The Saints. Set apart, not sinless! Paul will spend 16 chapters of this epistle correcting the Corinthian believers. In chapters:
1) 1:11 – Divided Yet Sanctified
2) 3:1 – Carnal Yet Sanctified
3) 5:1 – Sinful Yet Sanctified
4) 6:1 – Vindictive Yet Sanctified
5) 12:1 – Ignorant Yet Sanctified
6) Their positional sanctification came from God!
1. The Lord Is Faithful To The Saint In Salvation – vs. 2
a. John 3:16 – “believe…have everlasting life”
b. John 5:24 – Believe…is passed from death to life”
c. John 10:9 – “enter in…shall be saved”
d. Romans 10:13 – “call…shall be saved”
2. The Lord Is Faithful To The Saint In Sanctification – vs. 2
a. He Is Faithful In His Love. God’s love never diminishes.
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
b. He Is Faithful In His Purpose. God’s purpose never changes: to deliver us intact!
Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
c. He Is Faithful In His Relationship with His children. He will not deny, disown, or discard.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
d. He Is Faithful To His Promise to His children. He will not retract His Word.
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
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