The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 1:26-31, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many

wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has

chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

28 and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that

are not, that He might nullify the things that are,

29 that no man should boast before God.

30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and

righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

31 that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”

The careful reader will quickly discover that this passage from Paul teaches that the LORD delights in showing how much He can do, using base and weak things. He delights in using us! To use those with wealth and power simply exaggerates their self-adulation. What would keep them, for example, from exerting even greater pride over their own accomplishments? It would then appear that they alone had accomplished a fete no one else could accomplish.

But, the LORD uses the poor, the weak, the unpretentious souls, whom no one would expect to accomplish anything. He uses them (us!) to demonstrate His power! And in such demonstration, He shames those who have deceived themselves into thinking that the accomplishments were theirs alone.

Make no mistake about it: “wisdom, righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” are the LORD’s doings alone! We are neither righteous nor holy; yet He declares us such when we turn from sin and embrace His Son, Jesus, as our LORD and Savior! The world does not understand, for it has none of His wisdom.

Are we then to engage in boasting? Yes, provided our boasting focuses on Christ and His accomplishments. When we think we are something, we are nothing! When we reason that in ourselves we are worthless, He makes us something; and He is glorified in the process! Yes, we must boast –but only of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”