1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of him ye are in Christ Jesus, who of God is create us [wisdom], [righteousness], and [sanctification], and [redemption].” Commentary: When we are in Christ Jesus in relationship with us he gives us the gifts we need to navigate life here on earth! We need to look at the four words I have bracketed above. The first word is wisdom! The Greek word is Sophia. Wisdom comes from above! Wisdom is not something we can acquire by our own efforts but is a gift from God given to us in relationship to him! Solomon asked God for wisdom not silver or gold! Wisdom brings prudence in our relationships and enables us to properly navigate our circumstances! Joseph in Egypt used wisdom of God to benefit the Jews living there and the Pharaoh and the Egyptians! Job lost everything and his wife told him to curse God and die! Job knew better and ended up with much more than he lost! The fear or reverence of God is the beginning of wisdom! A fool has said in his heart there is no God! Wisdom and fools are opposite each other! Our second word righteousness is probably the most misunderstood word in your Bible! Most people think well this action is on me? The Greek word is Dikalosume. We get our English word justice from this word. Lately we hear the word social justice all the time! To the world this word means rioting, stealing, burning down buildings through criminal activity to right another crime! It is not the justice of men that makes us righteous for all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God but it is the justice of God that makes us righteous! Justice is a claim on a higher authority in which we adopt as our own! Justice had to be meeted out on one for us all for all have sinned! God took the penalty of death for our sin upon himself on the Cross! When we embrace his justice then we are forgiven and justified before him and our righteousness is based on what he has done for us! Not based on our own merit but on his eternal love! We do not deserve it or earn it but a gift from God! Our next word is sanctification. The Greek word is Hagiasmos. The word means to be separated unto God Holy recognizing the rights of God are on my life! Recognizing my life is not my own rendering ownership unto my creator! This is why Darwin and his theory of evolution gets it so wrong! The lies of Darwin saying we are getting better with time when history proves him wrong! That we are evolving into a better species that history refutes! Men without Christ are always getting worse! To their own destruction! When we recognize our rights come from God then our responsibility to God and men is paramount! We belong to God by virtue of creation itself! We are not our own but bought with a price! If we are to be made better then it is by the actions or influence of God over our submitted lives to him! The covenant is God first recognizing you and you recognizing him and his exclusive authority over your life! God makes us holy because he is holy! The unholy cannot make anyone holy! Sanctification benefits those who are also separated unto God abstaining from sin! You benefit others who are sanctified! This is the importance of the Body of Christ! The world will think your holiness is a weakness and you are a fool! They will benefit very little from your good works for they will mock you! Consider all the good works Jesus did while on earth and what did they do with him? They will do the same to you! Ask his 12 disciples! The last word is redemption! The Greek word is Apolutrosis. We get our word ransomed from this word. That is a price was paid by God to free you from your sin! He gave his own life on a cruel instrument of death called the Cross! To give these four words of hope and power to live a victorious life! God sent Jesus into the earth to redeem lost men! We receive him by faith and not by any of our works! The work of God is eternal! To receive this gift we have to receive him! Receive what God has done for you today! Time is running out for all of us! Heaven and Hell weighs in the balance! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com