For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
1 Cor. 4
“What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Cor. 4:7b). Paul is talking about the salvation message, the gospel truth, making the point that the message has nothing to do with the messenger. Like the old saying, “don’t shoot the messenger”, the opposite is also true – don’t put the messenger on a pedestal. Receiving God’s truth from one person versus another does not change God’s truth. We humans have a tendency to want to elevate other humans. We also like to compare one against another. But we need to remember that God is the only standard. He is also the only source of truth. That is why we should boast in Him alone.
I think Paul’s statement has a much broader application, though. God is wholly sovereign, which means that everything we see – and can’t see – belongs to Him. Therefore, everything we have has been given to us by Him. So what do we have that we did not receive? Nothing. I know we want to believe that our hard work, our wisdom, our good decisions, and our strength have earned us what we have. But the truth is, just as with salvation, we have what we have as a gift of God’s abundant grace. Shouldn’t that knowledge knock our pride down at least a few pegs and change our attitude toward life? I believe it should.
Josh. 11-12
“Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.” (Josh. 11:19). To me, this emphasizes the grace that God gave to the Gibeonites. Though the Israelites were slated to destroy the entire land, this one city attempted the humble approach. Granted, seeking peace with Israel was not an advertised option, but the Gibeonites proved it was an option. This verse reinforces that thought. But it required not just the humility to seek a peace treaty, but the willingness to completely subject themselves to Israel and, thus, to God. Which brings me to the other point this verse emphasizes to me. Though God’s grace is available to all, there are few willing to humble themselves in complete subjection to Him in order to receive it.