This year I thought that I would spend some time working through a book of the Bible called First Corinthians. I am not going to be able to comment on all of the amazing truth that is in this book but I will try to pull out some simple yet insightful studies that you can apply in you life as you work and live in 2008. I may spend more time in one chapter than another as I work through this but I would encourage you to read through the book of First Corinthians this spring with me and make it part of your regular routine. I encourage you to write in questions and comments and if there is something that you would like to discuss further then let me know and I will help to foster and facilitate that discussion here on NRT.

First Corinthians can be a very encouraging book of the Bible to read because it gives us some insight into the fact that we are flawed. The church in Corinth is probably the most messed up church in all of the New Testament. They are trying to live out their faith in a godly manor but miss the mark and in some areas they miss the target completely. Paul has both words of encouragement and rebuke for this body of believers. Thankfully hindsight is 20/20 so we can take a look at this church and see where we need to make some adjustments in our own lives.

One thing that I would like to note right off the bat is that even though this church has got some major issues that Paul is going to try and correct, he addresses the letter to "those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy" (NIV). For those that may not understand the word "sanctified" it is a word that simply means set apart or free from sin. In some translations the word "Saints" is used, yet this church or body of believers was anything but free from sin, as we will see in our study of this book.

This is very curious because it would seem that these would not be people who I would consider to be holy or set apart for God. But what we need to understand is that Paul is not saying that they are holy because of their actions or their conduct, he is declaring that they are holy because of their relationship to and with Christ. These people had some major maturing to do, but as anyone who comes to Christ, we are not expected to get our lives together first before we come to know Jesus. Instead we are to come to Jesus so that with his help we can get our lives together.
If God had expected us to first become saints as a pre-requisite to knowing him we would all be lost and have no hope of a future with him in heaven. In essence every single person who has ever lived would have a death sentence and our only future would be that of an eternity in Hell and a separation from God. Romans 3:23 reminds us of this when Paul (the same man who wrote 1st Corinthians) says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully man was the only person to live a perfect life here on earth which is why his death on our behalf gives us the opportunity to live as sanctified, holy, and set apart people.

In my Sunday school class this last week I learned that according the Hebrew calendar, 2008 is the year of new beginnings. This week reflect on what great things God has done in your life and spend some time in prayer thanking him for those things. But also spend some time thinking about the fact that because of the sacrifice of Christ we have been given the opportunity to have a relationship with God and we have been given the title of sanctified. You have been set apart for the glory of God and made holy because of Christ.

If this concept is something new for you I would encourage you to take some time to think about your life. If you would like to have a relationship with Christ and would like to know the God who created you and desires to make you holy then I would encourage you to make 2008 the true year of new beginnings and ask Christ to be in your life. This is as simple as a conversation with a friend. Ask God to forgive you for the ways you have sinned against him and brought separation between you and him. That is all that sin is--separation from God. Then ask that He would come into your life and be the Lord and savior that you need.