“And because of him (God) you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”—1 Corinthians 1:30-31
When we think about Christ’s relationship with us, we immediately think of what He did for us as our substitute, bearing our sin on the cross. But He is not only our sin-bearer, He also embodies all that we need for our continuing spiritual growth and strength to face all of life. In other words, the better we see Jesus, the better we will strive to be all that we can be for His glory. Larry Crabb said it well, “Unbelievers do not see Christ as their greatest treasure. Neither do most believers. …More is available to us in Christ than we dare imagine. We settle for so much less. We taste Him so little” (quoted in Bryant, Christ is All, p.19).
Let’s meditate on the four blessings Paul mentions here.
Do you need wisdom for discernment and knowing God’s will? We can be sure that if we seek Christ in His fullness we will have that wisdom; we will especially have the wisdom to better understand the glory of the Gospel and the riches we have stored up for us.
Have you sunk into discouragement because you have sinned—again? Remember that Jesus is still your righteousness before the Father, and He represents you in heaven.
Are you discouraged at the lack of personal victory in your walk with God? In Christ, we are set apart, we are made holy; He is our sanctifier who is constantly working out our salvation both through trials and through the application of His Word.
And finally, are you feeling as if you don’t count, and that you’re of no value to anyone? Christ is our redemption; He purchased us for the Father at great personal cost. Thanks to His undeserved mercy toward us, He redeemed us with His own blood and sees us as His inheritance (Ephesians 1:18). No matter how we devalue ourselves, in God’s sight we are highly honored and accepted in Jesus, His Beloved One.
Let us ask God to quicken our minds so that we might catch a glimpse the wonder of who Christ is and the blessings He brings to us.
Let Us Pray
Father, I pray that You might help us to understand that we need Jesus more than we need food and drink and a place to sleep. We need Him more than life itself. Help us to see Him as our very life; we pray that giving Him honor might be our greatest desire. May the blessed Holy Spirit show us the practical application of these wonderful truths.
I pray for ______ that they might see Jesus as more compelling than the allurement of sin; I pray that they’ll see that Jesus gives us eternal realities; that He is to us what we need every moment. I pray that all of us might have a greater passion for Him than we have to sin. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption…cause us to better understand what is entailed in these blessings and how they should impact us each day.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.