The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Intro: Paul opens his letter to a messy church with a word you might not expect. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:2, 5 (KJV) "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints... That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge." Lesson: Paul writes to the church at Corinth and calls them "sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (v.2). Yet this same letter later confronts immorality (ch.5) and calls them "babes in Christ" (3:1). How can both be true? Because sainthood is not earned by maturity — it is a position given "in Christ Jesus." The Corinthians were set apart the moment they believed, before they had grown. And v.5 shows God's grace did not leave them empty: they were "enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge." Position and provision come first; the correction that follows is a Father dealing with His own. Your st...

From a ‘positional’ (heavenly) standing, we are freed from the law by the cross of Christ. Rom.7:4-6 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. From a ‘practical’ (earthly) standing, the law will always apply, but as we grow in obedience to the Word of God, through walking in the spirit, we learn to mortify the deeds of the flesh, Rom.8:13, and thus the law diminishes in proportion to obedience because the law is made for the transgressor, as Paul says, 1Tim.1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for ...