THURSDAY, APRIL 6
1 Corinthians 1:4-9
1 Corinthians 3:21-23

"…ye are enriched by him..."

ENRICHED BY GOD

The city of Corinth was a thriving business centre. Many were made rich by trade. Materialism, greed and avarice were common in the city.

The Corinthian Christians were also rich. However, Paul was not referring to material possessions but to spiritual treasures of God. God Himself in Christ Jesus has made Christians spiritually rich far beyond all measure, for they are richly endowed in every aspect by the grace-gifts of the Holy Spirit!

Verse 5 mentions two ways in which God has enriched all Christians:

1. Enriched in spiritual understanding. God has given to us the Bible that we may know His will. Every Christian is also indwelt by the Holy Spirit which allows him to understand the spiritual words of God (John 16:13; 1 Cor 2:12-16). Indeed, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ Jesus (Col 2:3).

2. Enriched in speech. This refers to how the Lord by His Spirit will lead Christians to testify of the truth. Consider the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 12:11-12: "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."

From the corporate perspective, God has also blessed the Corinthian church with men who can faithfully preach and teach God’s Word. This is a means of grace from God for the Corinthian Christians to understand His will. We must be thankful to God when He has blessed us with biblically sound preaching in these perilous times!

THOUGHT: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Ps 23:1).
PRAYER: Help me to seek heavenly riches, O Lord!