God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 WEB
This simple statement is part of Paul’s introduction of his first letter to the church in Corinth. He opens his letter describing the grace of God. Paul discusses salvation in relation to the goodness, generosity and faithfulness of our heavenly Father. Giving thanks and praise to God for calling the Corinthians into fellowship with Jesus, Paul’s introduction leads to his correcting the church for divisions that arose within their ranks.
Disunity in the Church
The Corinthian church suffered disunity because some claimed to follow Paul while others claimed to follow Apollos or Cephas with another group more reasonably asserting that they followed Jesus Christ. Paul addresses these petty rivalries, focussing on fellowship and Jesus Christ.
Christians are not called to follow any apostle or preacher. The Lord accomplished the work of our salvation through his sacrifice on the cross. However, he does not leave us to division and confusion until our arrival into eternity. Rather, God is faithful to lead us in the fellowship of his Son with our brothers and sisters in Christ. As Paul writes in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. WEB”
Our Common Bond Is Christ
Paul’s words emphasize the importance of being of the same mind in our fellowship. There are two points to address here. First, we are in fellowship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ, Next, we are in fellowship with one another. Rather than divided by denomination in relation to who delivered to us the good news of God’s grace, the common bond of our belief in Christ brings us into relationship with one another.
With this simple assertion, Paul corrects the confusion of the Corinthians over who they follow. We do not follow various factions. We do not follow disparate doctrines. In truth, we follow the Lord who is faithful to lead us and complete his good work in us through the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the clarity of your word. Thank you for my salvation in Jesus Christ. Give me wisdom to develop in my relationship with you and my brothers and sisters of faith. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Crown of Life
