Get Your Pretense On!

Chapter 3: ”There’s Plenty Good Room” • 71

in the world, the Church is called to shine as lights in a dark place (1 Thess. 5.5-6; Phil. 2.15-16), to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28.18-20; Acts 1.8), and to do good, exhibiting the righteousness and justice of the Kingdom wherever an assembly of Christ is planted (2 Cor. 5.18; Gal. 6.10; James 1.27; Rom. 13.12-14). The Church on the earth is to reflect the life and light of the Son of God in heaven (Matt. 5.13-16). What is amazing about this high mission is the reversal intrinsic in her calling. God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom. He has chosen those who are small, unimpressive, and unlovely to be the vehicle through which he will make known the life and light of the Kingdom. “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2.5). God has elected the small, the unimportant, the weak, the broken, and the neglected to do his bidding, to be the vessels of his kingdom life, and to general the forces of his kingdom advance. Contrary to what we may think, God has chosen the small in order that no one can boast in his presence. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; [28] God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, [29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, [31] so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

~ 1 Corinthians 1.26-31