“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:27 – 31
First, one must understand that God is Sovereign in all things, that means God is totally independent in everything. God does not need mankind; mankind needs God in everything. God said, “…no flesh should glory in his presence.” This means even Christians have nothing to glory of because every good and perfect work is from God. God said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 Every good and compete work a Christian is a gift from God, therefore it is all by God’s wonderful grace. God is Omniscient meaning God knows everything, God is Omnipotent which means God is all powerful, God is Omnipresent, which means God is everywhere at one time, God is Omni holy, which means He is all Holy, and so on and so on... God is completely full on everything to the point He does not change. God said of Himself, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” The meaning of these two words, variableness, and shadow of turning which means that God does not change, nor does God turn nor has any darkness of error. If God is perfect and truly Sovereign, then noting can be added to God. Paul was truly a great man of God, I’m almost certain that he was probably one of the most dedicated men of his time to God. The Holy Spirit used him to pen more books of the bible than any other person, he was used of God to be that Apostle to the Gentiles and the churches. But with all Paul did he never claimed glory, nor did he believe he added anything to God. God said this about our accomplishments as Christians, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20 – 21 Absolutely no glory to man at all, we do nothing pleasing to God or brings glory to God except it is given to us in and through Jesus Christ. Paul said of all his beautiful and glorious works on this earth, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 – 11 He was giving God all Glory because Paul know everything he did for God was a gift of grace and sovereignty and not him. In verse 11 Paul said God could have used anyone to accomplish His will not just me. Paul knew that he coming from an evil past of persecuting the church that he deserved never to be used of God to be the Apostle to the church age, but see God know Paul would be perfect to carry out His will to the church age.
God said, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to
every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every
man the measure of faith.” Romans
12:3 because “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain
also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:28 This tells us that in Christ: we
live in him, move in him, and are in him. Without him we not only can do
nothing, but without him we are nothing. God gives us grace and that grace is
returned to Him in glory, “And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist.” Colossians 1:17 Please
never be under the illusion that you are special, or smarter, or better, or
that you have blessed God, because without God’s gift of grace and power of
accomplishment we could never please God, ever!
