Thankful for God's Grace

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4, 9

When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he had a lot to worry him about their behavior and their attitudes. That was a pretty wild church—one full of fighting and factions, with their priorities all messed up—full of pride, sexual immorality, greed, and false teaching. You can practically see Paul throw up his hands in horror as he thinks about the state they’re in!

And I’m afraid that every pastor and missionary has had times when they’ve been similarly discouraged—because people are sinners, and even in the church, that fact becomes clear. When you work (as my family does) among people who have suffered greatly from war and life as refugees, you see the effects of the damage done to them—and it isn’t pretty. Traumatized people tend to have spectacular breakdowns—whether it is moral, physical, or mental. They aren’t greater sinners than anyone else—they just have a harder time hiding it.

Still, it’s painful for a church leader to see! And yet—and yet, in spite of everything Paul knows about these people he cares for, Paul can still honestly start his letter by writing, “I give thanks to my God always for you.” Why? How can he thank God for such people? “Because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.”

Even the Corinthians, wild as they were, have been cleansed—have been forgiven—are in the process of being made new by the work of the Holy Spirit. How? Because Jesus, God’s own Son, has given his life for them. Because Jesus has suffered and died and risen from the dead, all to make them his own. And he will bring that work to completion. Nothing will stop him.

Thank God for his wonderful gracious love in Jesus, our Savior. Whether our sins are spectacular or hidden, Jesus is for us. How can you help someone you know learn about him?

By Dr. Kari Vo