April 23, 2006

1 Corinthians 13:13
Basic Christianity: A Solid Foundation

When all is said and done, you can boil Christianity into three basic principles that are the solid foundation of life. These are Paul’s “three-legged stool.” For Paul, theological truth lead to them and they in turn became the compass of life. You may have your belief system correct but if you do not have your life systems in line with these then your belief system is worthless.

(Ill.) "This is a football."

I. Faith is the future lived now.
[1 Corinthians 15:1 – 11]

A. Faith brings salvation: “Christ died for sins...” (v 3)

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. [1 Timothy 3:15]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. [John 3:16 – 18]
Who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. [Galatians 1:4]

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. [1 Peter 2:24]

B. Faith brings power: “that He was raised on the third day.” (v 4)

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. [Philippians 3:10]

C. Faith changes relationships: “His death... was not in vain.” (v 10)

II. Hope is confidence changing now.

A. Hope brings endurance.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. [Romans 5:3 – 5]

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Thessalonians 1:3]

B. Hope brings encouragement.

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. [Thessalonians 4:13]

C. Hope motivates moral excellence.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [3] Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. [1 John 3:2 – 3]

III. Love is living the Christ-life now.

A. God’s love for us claims our loyalty.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [Romans 5:8]
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:35 – 39 ]

Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." [Matthew 22:23 – 40]

B. Our love for God is lived through obedience.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [2] This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. [3] This is love for God: to obey his commands. [1 John 5:1 – 3a]

C. Our love for God is demonstrated in relationship to others.

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. [1 John 3:11]
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. [1 John 3:18]
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God [1 John 4:7]

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. [1 John 4:11 – 12]

(Ill.) "This is a football."