NO MAN MAY BOAST

The most recent scandal of the month involved a burial in ground sacred to the secular state. At first, the very notion that it was possible called forth a massive groan that such things could even happen. Then after a thorough investigation it was discovered that at least one person had broken the ninth commandment to gain entrance to Arlington Cemetery. Should we be shocked as a nation? Really if the truth be known, we should have to dig up the entire cemetery if we wished to cleanse it from liars, thieves, murderers and any who had ever violated even one of the ten commandments. In the grand scheme of things, there is no one worthy of any sacred ground. There is too great a mutitude of actions which have been accomplished whereby mere men have been praised beyond measure for worldly deeds that were shady at best or even down right crooked at worst. The book of Hebrews, in chapter eleven recites a long testimony of deeds that please the God of heaven, but they are all done in light of the faith once given to the saints. Here is celebrated the blood of the martyrs and given the awe inspiring litany we can better appreciate the grace of the Lord who made their lives count for His greater glory and praise. At the end of that chapter, we read that:

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us wuld they be made perfect.

Look again at our passage in 1st Corinthians to get the right measure of yourself. We are not to break our arms patting ourselves on the back because if salvation was by worldly merit, the high and mighty, the rich and powerful, the members of the right clubs would keep it all to themselves. There are no first families in Christ's Church even as the Puritan descendants show us in their now unitarian and universalist organizations. Where would each of you be today if that is how the system of election really worked? To whom has the good news of the Christ come? Remember the first Incarnation season? There was no room in the inn for the poor couple Joseph and Mary, so they were given space in a stable. And who were the ones who came to visit the Lord of the universe born to the virgin Mary? It was the Shepherds who came in from the fields. Only some time later did the wise men from the east finally arrive. Yes, some of the rich and famous belong to our Lord, but the call of election comes first to those who are humble and do not think too highly of themselves.

I am reminded of a great congregation in another city that started on the wrong side of the tracks, collected God's chosen people and taught them to live a life worthy of His calling. In time, that teaching created prosperity for those who diligently obeyed the biblical principles of life and the church moved uptown. Now a generation later, the children of the original members are moving into positions of responsibility within the city and the opportunities for their witness have been magnified beyond the imagination of the handful who first gathered together so many years ago.

So it was with the shepherds who first came and the fishermen and tax gatherer who came later. Only after the ressurection did there come a theologian and members of the priestly class. And it is that humble theologian who speaks to us through his letter to the Corinthians today. He was a man who was broken in spirit, then retrained by more humble men so that he might take his place in the kingdom and do the work of his far greater Master. God does things His way so that no man may boast of what he has accomplished in the Lord's service. Remember you were not saved because of any thing you were or even hoped to be. You were saved by God's grace alone and He it is that will build up His own Church. Try as hard as we might, we cannot raise up a congregation pleasing to Him by our own will and purpose alone.

God will have His church, His own way and those called into the holy fellowship must learn to depend completely upon Jesus Christ. In verse thirty, there are three lessons that we should consider before we close our meditation this morning. Paul writes that:

it is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

If we would understand history in this way and comprehend the true nature of mankind, then must come to only one conclusion. We all need the righteousness of someone greater to cover over our own short comings. Having humbled ourselves in the receiving of salvation, we must joyfully go on to improve our condition as the Spirit gives us purpose and power. This life long process is called sanctification. It that process which is truly part of our salvation, we must learn to measure our thoughts, words and deeds against the holy standards of scripture. Then we must go on and do what is necessary to live a life pleasing to our God so that He may receive the glory due His Name. Finally we must count on Christ's redemption to free us from the power of death so that we may spend eternity in His presence. It is Jesus, who being obedient even unto death, that destroyed Satan's greatest ally, death. And only in Christ may we have a hope of heaven. The best hope of the worldly is that they might cease to exist. The twin realities of heaven and hell are never talked about in our time because too many people would rather invent their own permanent demise. Sadly they do not think about it because we do not ask them to?