THE ONE RELATIONSHIP FOUNDATIONAL TO ALL OTHERS
1 Corinthians1:1-9 - Part 2 (10-25-06)

II. Your relationship must be BASED on His grace (1:4-8)
A. Because the Grace of God empowers you. (v4)
1. Present tense "is given you" - saved 38 years ago by grace, but I am empowered today by the same grace
a. Grace defined… God's power made available to me by God.

B. The grace of God enriches you (v5) (the heart of the study)
1. To give utterance= to open our mouths & proclaim the WOG
2. To know the WOG

C. The grace of God established you (v6)
1. "Confirmed"- lived out as a title deed

D. The grace of God engages your spiritual gifts (v7)
* Paul will spend a lot of time in chapters 12-14 about spiritual gifts, but NOW Paul is saying, "If you would lay hold of the grace of God you would come behind in no spiritual gift.
* This is why some Christians leave solid churches for the more "demonstrative" churches- because they don't sense the gifts at work because they don't understand the grace of God.

E. The grace of God ensures your victory before the Lord (v8)
* He does it all- His righteousness

Application: (1:9)
1. Your relationship to God MUST be bound to the FELLOWSHIP of His son Jesus Christ.
- "God is faithful" - you are not; the Corinthians were not…
God always is & always will be - that is GRACE.
- God calls us out to a "fellowship" not to isolation.
KEY: Any relationship that is long term - MUST be bound to this fellowship.
Why lonely Christians seek out other lonely Christians - bars, internet (e-harmony) to find fellowship.
(See 1 John 1:3-4)
Why so many Christians don't have any joy, or happiness- they don't have the right relationship with God- the FOUNDATIONAL relationship to all relationships. (Vertical right- horizontal right)

Note: "Fellowship of…" only 3 times:
1. 2 Cor. 8:4 "the fellowship of the Ministering to the saints" (minister together)
- True fellowship occurs when we minister the word of God. (Minister=serve)
- Always going to be "something" missing when you don't serve others (joy).
2. Eph. 3:9 "mystery of the one body"- as we preach that there is a fellowship- as we go out together & preach the gospel there is a fellowship. (preach together)
3. Phil 3:10 "fellowship of his suffering" as we suffer together when we preach this gospel - there is a fellowship. (suffer together)
* The Christian life is not an easy life, but when we suffer together there is a bond that is built that lasts.