GOD REVEALED – A New Testament Journey (PART 6)Sample

1 Corinthians – Heaven’s Gold

People fight for it. Live for it. Die for it. The quest for gold never ceases. Yet how many enjoy it? For how long?

Investors maximize profit on investments. Paul introduces to us a long-term investment which can never be taken away: heaven’s gold. If not already invested, we risk losing permanent gains for the sake of temporary gains (1 Cor 3:12-15).

In Paul’s time, Corinth’s boomtown atmosphere attracted freed slaves, veterans, merchants, and trades­men. [2] He contrasts:
- Investors (in “heaven’s gold”)
- Detractors
- Destroyers

During the study of Romans, “The Transformation Journey,” we asked ourselves: have we really changed? This book covers levels of transformation (1 Corinthians 3).

Investors have faith on God’s sovereignty but fully leverage man’s responsibility to proactively:
- Build foundation – ch 3
- Remove evil – ch 4
- Flee sexual immorality – ch 6
- Run to win – ch 9
- Pursue love – ch 2, 13
- Overcome temptation – ch 8, 10
- Labor steadfastly – ch 14, 15
And much more…..

Investors
- Are in constant contact with God through the word of God and prayer
- Make daily choices with eternal perspectives
- Discipline spirit, mind, and body to get rid of sin
- Focus on long-term spiritual seeds

Detractors get too lazy and rely largely on God’s sovereignty including:

- Revelation – ch 1, 2
- Inspiration – ch 11
- Commission – ch 6, 7
- Sanctification – ch 10, 11, 12
- Unification – ch 12, 14

How many of us can say, like Paul, “I worked harder than all the rest”? (15:10)

Detractors:
- Are satisfied with Sunday rituals and occasional meetings
- Live for the day
- Are weak in discipline, particularly mental
- Pursue happiness over holiness
- Focus on events, activities, and mislead others as well

Investors maintain a balance between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. They receive an eternal reward (3:14).
Detractors swing very high on God’s sovereignty. Their effort is misdirected. They just manage to scrape through to heaven (3:15).
Destroyers swing completely onto man’s responsibility, as they do not have a personal relationship with Christ (1 Cor 2:14).

Where do we stand?

How do we know what are the right investments and not diversions? How can we handle detractors in the church? In what ways do we tend to take God’s grace and sovereignty for granted?

What steps/actions do we need to take to make better investments in ourselves and others?