In Christ Jesus
1 Cor. 1:30-31
Introduction
Today we will be talking about what blessings we get after receiving Christ as our personal Saviour.
We learned last week that He calls all people for salvation. After salvation, we are called to serve to
glorify Him. Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wants us to know four things that we get the
moment we are saved. There’s a lot more because if we are in Christ, we have everything, but I will
mention only four this time because it’s what our text is telling us. I will try to explain them all to
you one by one in this message.
I. Wisdom
A. What we are talking here is spiritual wisdom not worldly wisdom which we can only
have if Christ is in us.
B. Wisdom is defined as the knowledge and fear of the Lord which results in a hatred of
sin and a love for truth and righteousness (Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Pr. 1:7; 2:10-13;
9:10; 15:33).
C. There is what we call natural wisdom which is:
a. Foolishness with God. 1 Cor. 3:19.
b. Not to be trusted. 1 Cor. 2:5.
D. Wisdom is the principal thing in life and more valuable than all precious
commodities (Job 28:12-19; Pr. 4:7; 8:11; 16:16).
E. Sources of wisdom:
a. God (Ex. 28:3; Deut. 34:9; 1Kings 4:29; Job 28:12-28; 32:7-8; 38:36; Ps. 51:6; Pr.
2:7; Dan. 2:20-23; Acts 6:3; 2Pet. 3:15).
b. The Scriptures (Deut. 4:6; Pr. 1:1-6; Co. l 3:16).
c. Prayer (Eph. 1:17; Col. 1:9; Jas. 1:5).
d. Teaching and warning (Col. 1:28).
F. Wisdom is practical holy living (Pr. 1:2-4).
G. Wisdom must be diligently sought (Pr. 2:1-9; 8:33-36).
H. Those who reject God’s Word have no wisdom in them (Jer. 8:9).
I. Pride corrupts wisdom (Ezek. 28:17).
J. The wisdom of God is the gospel of Jesus Christ (1Cor. 1:20-24).
K. All treasures of wisdom are hid in Jesus Christ (Col. 2:3).
L. True wisdom will show itself in meekness and holiness (Jas. 3:13-17).
M. Wisdom of Proverbs 8-9. The wisdom of Pr. 8-9 is a poetic reference to Jesus Christ.
We can see this by comparing the two. (1) Zeal in seeking men (Pr. 8:1-5; Lk. 19:10).
(2) Righteous, pure words (Pr. 8:6-9; Jn. 1:14; 7:46; 1Pet. 2:22). (3) The source of
wisdom (Pr. 8:14; Col. 2:3). (4) The source of authority (Pr. 8:15-16; Mt. 28:19). (5)
Eternal (Pr. 8:23; Jn. 1:1). (6) Special relationship with the Father (Pr. 8:30; Jn.
17:5,24). (7) Life (Pr. 8:35; Jn. 1:4). (8) Salvation (Pr. 8:35; 1Cor. 1:30).
Illustration: A Solomonic Story from Thrace
The event which made Solomon famous was his judgment between the two mothers. There have
been a few stories similar to it. For example, the story of Arisphanes of Thrace and the three young
men who claimed to be sons of the King of the Cimmerians.
Arisphanes ordered that each one hurl a javelin at the father’s corpse. Two of the young men at once
obeyed. The third refused to do so, and him Arisphanes declared to be the true son and the
successor to his father. Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
II. Righteousness
A. “Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, is nearly equivalent to holiness,
comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life, to the
divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty, and virtue, with holy affections; in
short, it is true religion” (Webster).
B. Three kinds of Righteousness:
a. The righteousness of man. This is the morality and religious aspirations of the
natural, fallen man. In God’s holy eyes this impure righteousness is as filthy rags
(Isa. 64:6). Sinful man’s attempts at good works are unacceptable, being entirely
tainted with the fallen self.
b. The righteousness of the law (Rom. 2:26). This is the righteousness of obeying
God’s laws. Since no man can keep God’s law perfectly, it is impossible to be
justified through it (Rom. 3:19-20; Gal. 3:10-11).
c. The righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17), referring to God’s moral and spiritual
perfection.
C. The righteousness of God is the theme of Paul’s epistle to the Romans. The question
raised and answered in this epistle is this: How can sinful, unrighteous man attain
God’s righteousness? The answer is twofold:
a. First, God gives the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ to those who trust
Him (Rom. 3:21-25). Jesus died and paid the punishment for man’s sins, and He
rose from the dead. Because of this payment, God puts perfect righteousness to
the account of the sinner who believes on Christ (2Cor. 5:21). This results in the
believer standing in a new position before God-no longer a condemned outcast,
but now a blessed child of God (Rom. 5:1-2).
b. Secondly, God gives the imparted righteousness of Jesus to believers that they
might grow in conformity to Jesus Christ in practice as well as position (Rom.
8:1-14). The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer to reproduce the life of Jesus Christ
in him. Paul spoke of these two aspects of salvation-imputation and impartationin
Gal. 2:20. He said, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live…” This is
imputed salvation. Paul’s sin was imputed to Jesus, and Jesus’ righteousness was
imputed to Paul. Next he said, “…yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me.” This refers to imparted righteousness whereby Paul
became a new man in his earthly life.
Illustration: Right Standing
Right standing, specifically before God. Among the Greeks, righteousness was an ethical virtue.
Among the Hebrews it was a legal concept; the righteous man was the one who got the verdict of
acceptability when tried at the bar of God’s justice. Christ’s death took away our sins and made it
possible for sinners to have “the righteousness of God,” i.e., right standing before God (Rom. 1:16-
17; 3:22; 5:17). That gift of righteousness is to be followed by upright living (Rom. 6:13-14).
The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook
III. Sanctification
A. “Sanctify,” “holy,” and “saint” are translated from the same Greek words. They mean
to be set apart for special service. In the Bible many things other than people are
said to be sanctified-the Tabernacle furniture (Ex. 40:10-11,13); a mountain (Ex.
19:23); food (1Tim. 4:5). It is even possible for a believer to sanctify God in his heart
(1Pet. 3:15). Thus, to sanctify, or to make holy, does not mean to purify or to make
sinless, but to set apart something for God and for His service.
B. In relation to the Christian, sanctification or holiness refers to being set apart to God
from sin. There are three distinctly different aspects of this sanctification: past,
present, and future. Every Christian can say, “I have been sanctified; I am being
sanctified; I will yet be sanctified.
a. Past Sanctification means the believer is already positionally set apart in Christ
(Acts. 20:32; 1Cor. 1:2,30; 6:9-11; Heb. 10:10,14). At the new birth, every
believer is eternally sanctified in Christ, is brought from the power of the devil
into the family of God (Jn. 1:14; Gal. 4:4-6), from the devil’s kingdom into
Christ’s kingdom (Col. 1:12-13); from the old creation into the new creation
(2Cor. 5:17). This sanctification is an eternal reality, and is based on a new
spiritual position the Christian has in Jesus Christ. The Corinthian believers were
far from sinless, yet they were called saints and were said to have been
sanctified (1Cor. 1:2,30). In this sense, the Christian can say, “I am sanctified in
Christ.”
b. Present Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit gradually changes
the believer’s life to give victory over sin. This is practical sanctification. This is
Christian growth, putting away sin and putting on godliness (Rom. 6:19,22;
1Thess. 4:3-4; 1Pet. 1:14-16). This present process of sanctification never ends
in this life (1Jn. 1:8-10). The Christian must resist sin until he is taken from this
world at death or at the return of Christ. In this sense, the Christian can say, “I
am BEING sanctified by God’s power.”
c. Future Sanctification is the perfection the believer will enjoy at the resurrection
(1Thess. 5:23). At Christ’s coming, every believer will receive a new body that
will have no sin. The Christian will no longer have to resist sin within or to grow
toward perfection. His sanctification will be complete. He will be wholly and
forever set apart to God from sin.
C. We must be careful not to confuse these different aspects of sanctification or
holiness.
Illustration: Developing Holiness
The process of developing holiness. God said to Israel, “Be holy, because I am holy” (Lev. 11:44-45).
Because God wants us to become like him, it is necessary that his people be a special kind of people,
holy men and women. The basic idea in sanctification is “being set apart for God”; those thus set
apart live in a way that is pleasing to God. They have no power of their own to do that, but God
enables them (2 Cor. 3:17-18). Sanctification is not an option. God requires it of all his people (1
Thess. 4:3). The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook
IV. Redemption:
A. Redemption means bought and released, describing the act of buying a slave from
the market in order to give him freedom. There are three Greek words translated
“redemption” which give a wonderful picture of our salvation in Christ:
a. Agorazo means to purchase in a market. This word is used in a general sense in
Mt. 13:44,46; 27:7; Lk. 14:18-19. In reference to salvation, agorazo is used in
1Cor. 6:20; 7:23; 2Pet. 2:1; Rev. 5:9 and Rev. 14:2-3. Agorazo pictures the Lord
Jesus Christ paying the awful price required by our sin. Jesus Christ came into
the slave market of this fallen world and paid the full price to redeem men by
His blood and death.
b. Excagorazo means to buy out of the market. This is the word agorazo
compounded with the Greek preposition ex, meaning out from. Jesus not only
paid the purchase price; He completely removed the believing sinner from the
position of condemnation and from Satan’s dominion.
c. Lutroo means to loose, to set free. The emphasis of this word is that God gives
to the believer day-to-day victory over sin, Satan, and the world. We are
purchased, brought out, and released to a life of spiritual freedom in Christ.
Lutroo is used in Tit. 2:14; 1Pet. 1:18 and Heb. 9:12.
B. What is the price of Redemption? We are redeemed through Christ’s blood (Col.
1:14; Heb. 9:12; 1Pet. 1:18-19). Those who say the blood of Christ is only symbolic
for death are wrong. The blood of the O.T. animal sacrifices was symbolic, typifying
the blood of Christ, but the blood was real and was required by the law of God (Lev.
17:11; Heb. 9:22). To change the word “blood” to “death” as some modern versions
do is wickedness and is a denial of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
C. How permanent is redemption? It is eternal! “…having obtained eternal redemption
for us” (Heb. 9:12).
D. What does redemption involve? The term “redemption” is used interchangeably
with “salvation.” It refers to the fullness of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Redemption
involves forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7); justification (Ro 3:24); eternal inheritance
(Heb. 9:15); resurrection (Rom. 8:23).
E. Three aspects of redemption
a. Past (Gal. 3:13). We have been redeemed from the condemnation of sin and
the dominion of Satan.
b. Present (Tit. 2:14). We are being redeemed from the power of sin and Satan in
our daily lives.
c. Future (Rom. 8:23). We shall be redeemed from the very presence of sin when
Christ returns and we receive resurrection bodies.
Illustration: Winston Churchill
A wealthy English family once invited friends to spend some time at their beautiful estate. The happy
gathering was almost plunged into a terrible tragedy on the first day. When the children went
swimming, one of them got into deep water and was drowning. Fortunately, the gardener heard the
others screaming and plunged into the pool to rescue the helpless victim. That youngster was
Winston Churchill. His parents, deeply grateful to the gardener, asked what they could do to reward
him. He hesitated, then said, “I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor.”
“We’ll pay his way,” replied Churchill’s parents.
Years later when Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia.
Greatly concerned, the king summoned the best physician who could be found to the bedside of the
ailing leader. That doctor was Sir Alexander Fleming, the developer of penicillin. He was also the son
of that gardener who had saved Winston from drowning as a boy! Later Churchill said, “Rarely has
one man owed his life twice to the same person.”
What was rare in the case of that great English statesman is in a much deeper sense a wonderful
reality for every believer in Christ. The Heavenly Father has given us the gift of physical life, and then
through His Son, the Great Physician, He has imparted to us eternal life.
May the awareness that we are doubly indebted to God as our Creator and Redeemer motivate us to
present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him. Our Daily Bread, April 29
V. Glory to God
A. God has given the above great things upon us in Christ that we may not claim any
merit to ourselves, that we may not be proud, that may give Christ all the praise,
glory, honor, thanksgiving, etc., forever and ever. As it is written in Jeremiah 9:24
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I
am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the
earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
VI. Conclusion:
In Christ Jesus we have so much that we can tell we have everything. We have salvation,
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. We have nothing to boast or be
proud of but Christ alone. Will you come to Christ now for your salvation?
Note: The meaning of the terms wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption
were all taken from Way of Life Encyclopedia by David Cloud.
