“Will you let go?” is a question we all have to answer as Christians. Will we hold on to our comfort, security, and safety? Or will we risk it all by putting Jesus—and everyone else—first?
This week we’re going to look at why we should let go. We talk a lot about why following Jesus is worth it. But sometimes we only talk about the things that will someday come—eternity with him, resurrection, innocence on judgment day. But what kind of difference does it make in our lives today?
So far in 1 Corinthians, Paul has been setting up two ways of going about the Christian life. The Corinthians were trying to be just like the world while also trying to be Christians. Their eyes turned inward. Their immaturity caused division in the church. Paul proposes a different way—a risk-filled life of choosing to look foolish, of putting other people before yourself, of letting go of cultural comforts.
This week, we’re going to look at the difference between the worldly way of approaching the Christian life and the way Paul describes it. Choosing the “risky” life led by the Spirit might look crazy to the world, but it’s worth it because we’re never alone and we’re free from judgment from other people.
Have you ever looked like a complete fool? Maybe you’ve spilled coffee on your lap before a meeting or you’ve had a laughing fit in the middle of a serious movie. We’ve all been there. We’ve all done something embarrassing—something against the societal norm.
We’ve already talked about the risk of the selfless life Paul advocates in 1 Corinthians. Here Paul continued to explain the difference between living for yourself— the way the world lives—and living for Christ and His church. He said the living-for-others life looks absolutely foolish to the world.
Perhaps you should get a journal and take a few minutes to write about what could make choosing the risky, Jesus-and-others- centered life feel foolish. Maybe it could mean stopping a complete stranger to pray for them or giving away your paycheck to a family in need. Why do you think those things might feel foolish? How might other people react?
The life we’ve been called into—and the life Paul’s talking about in this section of 1 Corinthians— looks backward to outsiders. But we’re going to see through this section of Paul’s letter that it’s worth choosing.
Read through 1 Corinthians 2 and 3. As you read, look for evidence that the Corinthians had chosen the familiar path paved by the world.
1 Corinthians 2–3 (NLT)
1When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. 6Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 4When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? 5After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. 10Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 16Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” 20And again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.” 21So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—22whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
The Corinthians had chosen Christ but they were trying to live the Christian life on their own terms. Instead of operating in the power of the Spirit, they held on to the way they lived before Paul showed up in Corinth with the gospel.
The Corinthian version of Christianity was safe. Their lives looked like everyone else’s, with a little bit of Jesus sprinkled here and there. Paul pits their way of life against his own to show how choosing the foolish way instead of the easy way is worth it.
Before we go any further, pause and reflect on your life as a Christian. When have you been more like the Corinthians who believed in Jesus but lived like everyone else? Or when have you lived the upside-down life Paul talks about? Where do you see yourself now? Spend a few minutes praying through your answers to these questions. Thank God for the journey he’s taken you on so far and pray for continued growth with him moving forward.
Whether you feel more like Paul or the Corinthians, we’re going to keep asking the same question we posed in session one: Will you let go? Will you let go of the safe, familiar life? Will you choose a risky life? Have you ever made any decision following God’s way and appeared to be foolish according to human wisdom?
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
As a Christian, we have chosen to follow Jesus’ footsteps, not follow the world. We are supposed to forget everything this world has taught us and learn everything the Lord has offered us. For me, what I have learn from the world is deeply rooted in me. It will be challenging for me and some of us to forget the way of this world. However, we are not alone on this journey and Christ is always walking with us as long as we believe in Him. As I was reading the passage, I thought of myself just like the Corinthians who are trying to fit into the world which we do not belong to, but we belong to the kingdom of God. Why should I follow anyone else other than Jesus if I am trying to be better? Why should I chase money when I’m poor in God’s Kingdom. This Bible challenge is one of the best way to start separate myself from the world and equipping myself with the word of God. I pray that when we participate this reading challenge, Lord will help us to learn more about Him and forget the way of the world.
I want to let go of the safe, familiar life. I want to choose a risky life if that’s what it means to follow Christ. I know following Christ is not an easy path but I truly believe it is worth more than anything else in this world. I am so thankful to know even the slightest bit of His wondrous goodness, amazing grace, & unconditional love. I can’t even imagine how awesome it would be to know God completely. I don’t even fully know Him but He’s already so cool! Sometimes when we quarrel with our brothers & sisters, we may be quick to roast them but that may be foolish. Instead it may be more wise to be to slow to speak or to do so in love.
Living the life that God desires and Paul talks to the Corinthians about is a very difficult road indeed. I remember early in my Christian walk when I began tithing I had a dilemma that I faced. I was let go from my internship because I had graduated and at the same time, I had learned that due to some unfortunate circumstances, I was in a bit of a financial situation as well. I remember going to church and wondering if I should still tithe in my current situation but after much consideration and prayer I decided to trust God no matter my circumstance and to continue tithing. God was faithful in that situation and eventually He was able to pull me out of that difficult circumstance. Now, I try to remember everyday all of the good that God has done in my life. But the temptation is constantly there to do the “worldly wise” thing…that is why I always try to remind myself why I follow God so that I do not forget and lose sight of Him.