And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 1 Corinthians 4:6-8

Human pride is one of the biggest issues in our walk with Christ, it’s also one of the biggest issues in the Church. When we experience some of Gods glory or goodness, it’s easy for us to become “puffed up” , thinking that we are better than our fellow brethren, however we are all part of the body of Christ , nobody is greater or more important than anyone else. This is a lesson many of us have to learn, sometimes learned the hard way

As Paul says here “that you might learn not to think of men above that which is written, that noone of you be puffed up for one against another” The Apostle Paul experienced some amazing things by God, not only was his conversion itself amazing, but Paul got to partake in miracles and revivals. Some thought Paul was a god himself,(Acts 14:12) because of the power of the Holy Spirit

This is why Paul had to keep reminding the Church that he was a wretched man (Romans 7:24), the chief of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) Paul was nothing special, he was a vessel used by God to fulfill His Kingdom. Just the same as none of us are “special” we all deserve Hell,(Romans 3:23) however because of Gods love and grace, we are who we are today

For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 1 Corinthians 4:9

All the Apostles , except for the Apostle John, ended up dying for their faith in Christ. And historians believe the Romans attempted to kill the Apostle John, however he was delivered by God so he can write down the book of Revelation. Even though the Apostles experienced many miracles and lived closely with our Lord Jesus Christ, did any of them believe they were greater than the rest of the Church? No

As Paul says “the apostles last, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle unto the world” Were the Apostles “puffed up” when they were persecuted and killed for their faith in Christ? Of course not, they were being obedient to their calling in Christ, even to the point of death, Amen

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 1 Corinthians 4:1-4

We as Christians adhere to a higher standard, while most people have their issues and conflicts resolved in the human court system, there is a higher authority that judges us as Chrstians, that’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords , Jesus Christ

If you ever had to go through the legal system, it becomes very obvious that its a corrupted and unjust system. This should come as now surprise to us, as it was written and practiced by flawed people. There is going to be deception, there is going to be the twisting of interpreting laws, there are going to be loop-holes that the high priced lawyer will find, even if the person is guilty or not

However, regardless of what happens in the human court of law, there is going to be a real trial that everyone will face when they die, that’s the judgement of God. There is not going to be any crooked lawyers that will get you off on a technicality, there wont be any false witnesses to support your unfounded claims, there won’t be any flawed judges who show prejudice to one side or the other. You are going to stand before God Almighty and give an account of every deed and every word you spoke, there won’t be anything missed or unaccounted for. As the Apostle Paul says here “He that judges me is The Lord”

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Corinthians 4:5

Many of us are crying out for justice, and when The Lord Jesus Christ comes, true justice will be served. As Paul says here “Until The Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness” Anyone who thinks they got away with something, is severely wrong. God knows all things, and all the evil that is currently hidden in the darkness , will be revealed by the Light of the World, Jesus Christ

Christ will also “manifest or reveal the counsels of the hearts” Jesus is going to expose all the evil deeds from everyone and everyone who is not washed by the blood of Christ, will pay for their sins. There will be no getting off on a human technicality with God

So the battle and trial belongs to The Lord Jesus , Christ will make every path straight, the nations will rest on his shoulders and Christ will rule with a rod of Iron, Amen!

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

What is wrong with the world today? This is the question many people are asking, and the answer is actually very simple. The world is deceived! If you don’t believe me, all you have to do is take a look around the world, men believe they are now women, women now believe they are men, we normalized the killing of unborn children. How did the world get to this position? Because the world is deceived

Look at what the Apostle Paul says here “Let no man deceive himself, if any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool” Where does true wisdom come from? Sure wisdom can be obtained from the world but is that wisdom actually true? This is the mistake most people make when searching for wisdom, they think if they go to the right school or read the correct books, they will obtain wisdom. However as the old saying goes “garbage in and garbage out” If your source of truth is corrupted, you are not obtaining true wisdom

Truth can only be found in God. Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6) this is why the world hates him and killed him. Because without the source of truth, you can make anything become “your truth. This is why the world rejects the Bible, because it’s the written Word of God. If the world can eliminate the Bible, the truth, then it can make up its own subjective truth. And this is why we see the insanity in the world today, the world has rejected God, has rejected Christ, has rejected the Bible, therefore it’s left to its own depravity (Romans 1)

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23

When people hear a great preacher , immediately they give him credit. They say this guy is really insightful or on point, but all glory and credit goes to God, right? That’s what Paul says here “therefor let no man glory or boast in men, for all things are yours (God)” We can not do anything on our own accord, we can’t be full of any wisdom without God. It’s only by the Holy Spirit that I can even write these words, I can’t take any credit for this, so why are you giving me any credit? All glory goes to God alone and not ourselves

It’s a humbling thing to understand this concept, but it should be our thought and direction in everything we do in life. True wisdom comes only from God alone, the wisdom of this world is foolishness. If you want true wisdom seek Jesus Christ , and the door shall be opened, Amen!

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

One of the concepts Born Again Christians need to understand is we are the Temple of God, because the Holy Spirit lives inside of us! How often do we hear Christians say “God feels far away from me”, if you are Born Again, God is living inside of you, God is with you always!

This is why sanctification is a natural process of being Born Again. As the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you will continually grow in Christ to be conformed to his image. Sin no longer becomes desirable for you, you yearn to seek God and learn more about his ways. 

Since your body is the Temple of God, we should start treating our bodies as the Temple of God, correct? When you are in a “Church” building, you behave a certain way, right? You wouldn’t curse inside a Church or get drunk or watch inappropriate movies, right? Well then why would you allow this same behavior in your Temple? If the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, why defile your Temple with sin?

When we understand the concept , that as a Born Again Christian, your body is a sacred space for God, you will start living as this. WIth everything we do, including what we eat, or what we drink, or what we watch, everything should be to glorify God and not defile our Temple

As the Apostle Paul says here “For the Temple of God is holy” the word Holy in the Bible means set apart. We are to be set apart from the sins of the world, are you keeping your Temple clean? Don’t allow your Temple to become defiled by this world, keep yourself set apart from this world

Many might view this as a radical perspective of Christianity, however this is the process of becoming Born Again, when the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you are the Temple of God, Amen!

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

What do you spend all your time on? This seems like a simple question, but it’s very important. What we spend our time on will determine our future. This comes back to what kind of mindsight you have, do you have an eternal or temporary perspective? When we focus on God’s Kingdom, it keeps us focused on serving Christ and our eternal futures.

Let’s take a look at the Apostle Paul’s teaching here “Every man’s work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire” What is Paul talking about here? When your time is up and you are called to be with The Lord, Jesus wants to know what you have been working on. 

This is like when Jesus taught on the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-26, When the Master gave his servants “talents” and went away, eventually He came back to see what his servants did with those talents. Some used them and multiplied them for the Kingdom, while others buried their talents and did nothing. The ones who did nothing with their talent, the Master replied “You wicked and slothful servant”

Jesus was trying to teach us that God expects us to do his work for the Kingdom. All of us have been given gifts by the Holy Spirit, and we should used those gifts in union with other believers , to serve The Lord and expand his Kingdom. 

The Apostle Paul also says “It shall be revealed by fire” meaning works that are for this temporary world , will be just that temporary and not stand the test of time. However “works” that are revealed by the fire, are eternal works for God’s Kingdom that will never fade away.

It’s an exciting thing as a Born Again Christian, to know that everything you do for God, is eternal work. When you serve The Lord , you are doing work that will stand in the fire, because its results are eternal. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, don’t waste your life on works that will fade away , devote your time to building Gods Kingdom, Amen!

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

What foundation is your life built upon? When life is going good, people don’t believe they have any need for God. When people have their health, or lots of money, or a big family, why do they need God right? But then the storms of life come crashing in, their health goes south, their finances take a crash, maybe their is a divorce or tragedy in the family, where do they turn in times of trouble?

This is why the foundation of our life needs to be built on Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul says “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” The Lord is our Chief Cornerstone, when you build your life upon the Rock, Christ, then when the storms of life come crashing in, you can endure till the end

Jesus taught us this parable in Matthew 7, Christ said “Therefor everyone who does hear these words of mine, and acts on them, is like the wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24) When you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, doesn’t matter what happens to you in this world, your soul belongs to Jesus!

But Jesus also said “Everyone who hears my words and doesn’t put them into practice, is like the foolish man who built on the sand” (Matthew 7:26) What happens when build your house on sand? It collapses, right? It’s the same with your life, if your life is not grounded and rooted in Jesus Christ, your life will eventually collapse!

There is only one foundation that can sustain your life through the storms, build your life upon the Rock of Ages, our Foundation Jesus Christ, Amen!

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

Becoming a Born Again Christian is a lifetime journey, its a daily walk with continual learning and discernment. It’s not a one time event, where you say a few magic words and you’re saved. It’s a transformation of becoming conformed in the image of Christ our Lord. (Romans 8:29)

One of the mistakes “new” Christians make is trying to digest doctrine that is more advanced or takes many years of study to fully comprehend. The Apostle Paul says this “Even as unto babes in Christ, I have fed you with milk, not with meat” For new Born Again Christians Paul fed them milk, meaning simpler doctrine, such as the gospel of Christ. Paul didn’t teach new Christians, the meat, more advanced doctrine, because they were not at a spiritual maturity to understand it

We see many new Christians make this mistake with themselves also, they are on fire for The Lord, which is good, but they haven’t taken the time to be disciplined in their study of the Bible. So they go out and preach on doctrines that are totally misunderstood or interpreted by themselves, they didn’t take the time to learn by the Holy Spirit. Even Paul when first called by Christ, spent three years learning the scriptures , until he went forth with his ministry (Galatians 1:11-20)

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

Another mistake immature babes in Christ make, is giving themselves glory instead of God. As Paul says here , “One says I am of Paul, and another says I am or Apollos” then Paul asks the question “Who is Paul” and “Who is Apollos”? We are all vessels for God, none of us are more important or greater than any other Christian, as Paul says here “I have planted, and Apollos waters, but God gave the increase”

Yes we are “Workers for Christ” we are faithful and obedient to his calling, however the glory is all Gods, we don’t accept any of the credit for the work we do. Everything we do is for the Glory of God, not for ourselves. As Paul ends it here “We are laborers or workers for God” Christ is our Lord and we are his servants, Amen!

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16

When you tell the unregenerated person that you are Born Again, they will look at you like you have three heads. Why? Because as the Apostle Paul says here “the natural man doesn’t receive or accept the things from God. Even though Jesus said “You must be Born Again” (John 3:3) The majority of Christians have no idea what that means, why? Because they don’t have the Holy Spirit

This is why when you try to explain the Bible or share scripture with an atheist or non-believer, they believe its foolishness. Because without the Holy Spirit they can’t comprehend God or his Word.This is why the world hates the Bible so much, because it has wisdom that they can’t refute or understand, it’s wisdom that only comes from God Almighty.

As a Born Again Christian you have the ability to discern what is good and evil, what is truth and a lie. This is why the world so easily falls for the deceptions of Satan, because the world doesn’t have spiritual discernment. I remember before I became saved, I fell for all the traps of the world, just like everyone else. However now with the Holy Spirit living inside of me, I see the world through totally different eyes. 

The Apostle Paul makes another awesome statement here “But We have the mind of Christ” wow, think about that! With the Holy Spirit living inside of you,we have the mind of Christ. We are the body of Christ, the hands and feet, to do His will here on Earth and in Heaven, the unsaved person doesn’t understand this relationship we have to abide in Christ, only the Born Again can comprehend this

So when we evangelize to people , understand this concept, the unsaved can’t comprehend the wisdom of God.  Your not going to be able to logic and reason with them about spiritual things, give them the gospel, because it was supernaturally given by God. You can never go wrong quoting scripture, because scripture is the Word of God, it’s supernatural seeds that will be planted into someones heart

We understand the things of God, because we have become Born Again in Jesus Christ, Amen!

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:6-9

We as Born Again Christians don’t speak the wisdom of this world, because this world is controlled by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) that’s why this world believes in such depravity and illogical theories, because it is deceived by the great deceiver. But we as Christians, listen to the truth, which only comes by God through the Holy Spirit. The world can’t understand the truth of God because this world doesn’t know Him and hates God

If the world understood their depravity, they wouldn’t have crucified the Son of God, Jesus Christ. But the world is so enslaved to their sin, that they make their own god in their own image. But there is only One true God, who took away the sins of the world and can give us salvation. As Paul says here “For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory”

Most of us, before we became Born Again in Christ , were lost in this world. We were slaves to sin, and our lives might have seemed hopeless at times. However Christ can transform anyone’s life, and make them a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) As Paul says here “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, the things God has prepared for them that love him” God will totally transform your life and bring you to things that you never thought would have been possible, I can attest to this!

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10

God reveals these things to us by the Holy Spirit, you will be sealed and baptized by the Holy Spirit, you will be sanctified and conformed to the image of Christ. God will restore your life and your soul, and take you places you never thought would have been possible

You are not too far gone for God to restore, nothing is impossible for God. Listen to the revelation of God , given to you by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, in Jesus name Amen!