The Powerful Truth That Gives You Unshakable Biblical Hope
Even in Life’s Messiest Moments
The Secret to Unshakable Faith and Hope—What the Apostle Paul Knew
If you’ve ever felt like your life is too big a mess for God to clean up or you have a loved one who never seems to get free, the following passages of Scripture should give you GREAT hope…especially when you realize who they were written to.
I’m going to give you 5 verses in their entirety and I encourage you to read all of them, even though it’s a little long.
“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son Christ Jesus.”
Those are some powerful words of praise, both to God and to these believers.
In everything enriched in Him, in all speech and knowledge
The testimony of Christ confirmed in you.
Not lacking in any gift
Christ is going to confirm you, blameless to the day He comes
God is faithful to finish what He started
You have been called into fellowship with Jesus Himself
This sounds like a group of people. Believers who are spiritually strong, living God pleasing lives, with a great, great God-given future.
But if you’re a Bible reader, you probably recognize that the author wrote these rich words to the church in Corinth. As you read through the rest of this letter, starting in chapter 3, you see that Paul has to address some really big problems, one after another.
This was a church that
Had divisions based on who their favorite preacher or teacher was. They were focusing more on the messenger than the Savior; and it was causing all kinds of tension. (chapter 3–4)
They had an awful immorality problem. Corinth gained notoriety for its immorality with over 1,000 “prostitutes/priests” engaging in sexual acts as part of their pagan worship. Some of the church members had not yet dealt with those practices in their lives.
Not only that, this church had a member who was having sexual relations with his step-mother and the church didn’t address it. (Chapter 5)
They were taking each other to court to handle disagreements.(Chapter 6)
Some had gotten the intimacy issue in marriage all messed up.(Chapter 7)
Others were still battling very clear idolatry(8–10)
At the common meal they shared in celebrating the Lord’s supper, some had a lot of food while others went hungry. Some of them even got drunk at the service. (chapter 10–11)
Some were using the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit in such wild ways that it would cause non-believer or the unfamiliar to think Christians are bat crazy.(Chapter 11–12, 14)
Some had such little biblical discernment that they had to be told,” if someone says, “Jesus is accursed” that message WAS NOT being inspired by the Holy Spirit. (Chapter 12:3)
They had some very unbiblical views regarding the resurrection from the dead that led to all kinds of weird behaviors. (Chapter 15).
Paul’s Possible Responses
How would you have responded to all these messes? Paul had spent 18 months teaching and ministering in Corinth. This community of believers spent 18 months with the greatest apostle, the greatest theologian in history.
Still, they had all these crazy beliefs and practices.
He could have felt really discouraged about the lack of results. He gave his best to a group of people and yet they were still a church filled with so many major issues and problems.
He could have let his emotions get the better of him and simply “let them have it”.
But He didn’t.
Paul knew about all these problems, He knew about these major messes, BEFORE he wrote this letter..
But even with all these series issues, he still starts on a super positive note. He writes those rich, encouraging, even complimentary words about what God had done in them and what He was going to do in them and through them.
What Did Paul Understand and Believe About God’s Work in Our Lives?
He understood God has the power and the patience to work with the most messed up people and turn them into examples of His grace.
He deeply believed that what Jesus had already accomplished and what they had received in the spiritual realm at salvation had the power to transform them….over time.
His faith was in God, that God would work in them to make them who they already were in Christ.
They really could become who they already were through their union with Jesus.
Faith in God
Later, in 1 Corinthians 1:26–31, NASB, he wrote God loves to choose those the world considers foolish, weak, or despised “ so that no man may boast before God. But BY HIS DOING you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Paul’s faith was not in how disciplined or noble or successful people were or were not before Christ. He made the revolutionary heart and mind shift, that God was the One who had started this and God would finish it.
All the glory would go to God and to not to prideful people. No one is going to boast that it was their great effort, brilliance, or discipline that made them a child of God or a fruitful disciple.
We will all say, “Every good thing I have become and done is a result of God’s work in my life. To Him goes all the glory.”
Yes, we have a role to play. Our responses to God and His word really do matter. But Paul had such faith in God and what He had already done through Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension that he saw what they could be in Christ before they lived that way.
Your Situation is Probably Not That Bad
You are probably not getting drunk at church. You’re probably not saying, “Jesus is cursed” and thinking those are Holy Spirit inspired words. You’re probably not having sex with your step-mom.
So how much more can you have hope and faith that God is going to keep working in your life to liberate you, empower you, and make you more and more like Jesus?
But even if you are doing those things, or if you’re still trapped in worse behaviors; take heart. Do like Paul and focus on God’s power and faithfulness to help you become who His word says you already are in Christ.
Keep filling your mind with the truths of who the Bible says you are as a New Creation in Christ.(2 Corinthians 5:17). Keep filling your heart, mind, and prayers with those “who you are in Christ” Scriptures.
Paul Understood the Gap
Paul understood the gap between who we are in Christ through salvation and the weaknesses, sins, and beliefs that still need to change. And he had the conviction that God would faithfully complete what He had begun. (Philippians 1:6, NASB)
Keep putting your focus on what HE can do. Trust Him He wants to continue to do His wonderful work today in you.
Put your faith in Him. Fill your mind with His words and thoughts found in Scripture. Take steps of obedience and watch God do miracles!
My goal is to help busy believers experience God more deeply, grow consistently—both spiritually and personally—and confidently live out their unique purpose.