1 Corinthians 1:4-9 - Enriched in Every Way

Chad Werkhoven
Oct 15
4 min read

God's grace is the gift that keeps on giving!

Pile of dirty rags on a brown surface. Text overlay: "All of our righteous acts are like filthy rags... Isaiah 64:6." — Bible.com

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 (NIV)

⁴I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—⁶God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Canons of Dordt

Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election

Point 2 - Limited Atonement

Point 3 - Total Depravity

Point 4 - Irresistible Grace

Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints

Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted

Because of
- these remnants of sin dwelling in them
- and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan,
- those who have been converted
  - could not remain standing in this grace
  - if left to their own resources.
But God is faithful,
- mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them
- and powerfully preserving them in it to the end.

Summary

It's easy to have a limited understanding of grace which keeps it relegated to the realm of the undeserved forgiveness and justification we've been given in lieu of the wrath and punishment our sins deserve. This is the amazing grace we sing of, that saved a wretch like me. Certainly this is the primary aspect of grace, and even if it were the only aspect of grace we'd still owe our God an eternity of gratitude for giving it to us.

But there's so much more to the grace given you in Christ Jesus that Paul always thanks God for. Not only has this grace forgiven your sins, but it has enriched you in every way. In other words, God's grace permeates into every part of your life, enabling you to glorify God in everything you do. Your worship, therefore, extends past the Lord's Day as you experience and live into God's gift of grace in your work, relationships and even your recreation.

But Paul keys in on two particular ways God's grace has enriched you: with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge. Commentator David Prior notes, "The two words here are logos and gnōsis, both bundles of dynamite in the early church... On the speaking side he would have included... any use of the gift of speech which contributes to the building up of the church. As far as knowledge is concerned, the church as a body has access to all the wisdom, insight, discernment and truth which it needs: it needs no special gurus to bring it to them."

So it is that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. Unfortunately, it's likely the case that, as much as you value God's grace in your life, you don't really think this verse applies to you. You probably think that somehow you got left out of the spiritual gift distribution.

But you were not left out! Yet you do need to do the hard work (which we read about last Wednesday and Thursday) of discovering and developing God's gracious gifts in your life.

Dig Deeper

The Canons make it clear that those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But, praise God, you haven't been left to stand on your own!

Paul assures you that our Lord Jesus Christ will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of those words so rich in meaning that there's more than one way to translate into English. Christ will sustain you (ESV), strengthen you (NET) and confirm you to the end (LSB).

The Canons go on to give you comfort and confidence by using language directly lifted from today's passage: God is faithful, mercifully strengthening you in the grace once conferred on you and powerfully preserving you in it to the end. Once again you're reminded that God's grace, which has enriched you in every way, is stronger than you are.

AAA Prayer (About)

ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who will keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire to discover and develop all of the gifts our Father has graciously given to you;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: