Totally Amazing Grace

Totally Amazing Grace
Words of Faith 4-28-25
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2025
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Corinthians 1
[26] Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. [28] He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, [29] so that no one may boast before him. [30] 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. [31] Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

It is interesting to observe sometimes how people who are saved by grace start to boast. It is amazing, really.
It is strange, at times, how those of us who were lifted from the mire of sin, will sometimes stake a claim of being better than others who are also lifted from the mire of sin, almost as if to suggest that there are levels in the mire pit and "I came from a much better grade of mire." Odd. But this was the situation in Corinth.
Were the situation in Corinth not so grievous, one could almost imagine a wry smile of incredulity on Paul's face as he urged the Corinthians to take a survey of themselves. Take a look at yourselves and where you came from. Even from a human point of view, these folks were in short supply in terms of wisdom, influence, and high breeding.
If God had chosen based on such criteria, He would have passed them by. But when God called His Ekklesia (church) out, He turned the world's standards upside down and chose the ordinary rather than the outstanding so that no one might boast before Him unless they were boasting in the Lord and only in the Lord.
Paul clearly states that Christ alone personified God's wisdom and that the Corinthians experienced righteousness, holiness, and redemption in Him. In God's wisdom, the plan of salvation was accomplished by a crucified Christ hidden from the wise and learned but revealed to simple believers. Jesus foretold this, saying, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."
Our problem is that our sinful nature is still with us, and pride easily creeps in. Once God has cleaned us up a bit, we begin to think that God got a pretty good deal when He recruited us for His team. But there is no place for boasting in the economy of God's grace. We bring nothing to the table. He pays the whole bill. Our only boasting is in the Lord.
The righteousness we have was won and declared by Jesus on the cross. The holiness we enjoy is being worked into us by the Holy Spirit. The redemption that makes this possible was paid for by the Lord God, who gave His only Son.
So what about today? Where do we hear boasting these days?
The most common boasting is probably in the masks we wear as Christians. It is very easy to put on our Sunday best, pretend that we have never had any problems, and deny that God lifted us from the mire. When people struggle and hurt, it is easier to be silent and, in our silence, judge those who are exactly where we were at one time.
In such a Christian culture, we might rewrite the favorite hymn: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a fine Christian me. I once was a free agent, but now I'm with God. What a great find He has in me."
There is also boasting about the accomplishments of our churches and organizations. Growing ministries are a wonderful thing, as they represent people being reached with the Gospel, but it is easy to start boasting about these accomplishments as if we had something to do with them.
Boasting about being "in" hundreds of countries or having the most broadcast stations, the most members, the biggest attendance, or the largest arena in town is ultimately arrogance before the Lord. When all is said and done, the greatest gift in the eye of the Lord is still a widow's mite. Everything we accomplish is only a gift from God and not our own making. All that we enjoy in buildings and ministries will fade away. There is nothing that we accomplish that is not through His gracious provision.
There is also the boasting of our personal walk with God. It is a precarious thing to boast in our personal victories, our triumph over sin, or our days of purity or sobriety-- except that we boast in the Lord and His mercy. Every one of us is but a breath away from disastrous sin except that the Lord keeps His watch over us. No one among us can pass judgment over a fallen brother or sister for, indeed, "There, but for the grace of God go I.”
When all our facades are stripped away, God has chosen the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He has chosen the lowly things of this world, the despised things, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are. No one may boast before him. It is because of Him that we are in Christ Jesus.

Father, forgive my arrogance. Forgive me the times that I have put on the facade of the "good Christian" and denied that I am saved by grace. Forgive me the boasting done over the achievements of men, in denial of Your overwhelming grace. Forgive me the times I have judged others or claimed a victory that was not mine but Yours. I resolve to boast only in You. I will glory only in You and Your totally amazing grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.