God Calls Us to His Presence

4I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 COR 1:4-9)

Thoughts: The Corinthian church was enriched with a fire from the Holy Spirit and gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Paul was thankful for this grace (charis) that evidenced itself in the gifts (charismati) of the Spirit.  They had so many spiritual gifts.
Paul also had a deep awareness of the Lord's coming.  The Corinthians eagerly awaited this end time revelation (apokalyptein).   Paul believed that God would keep them faithful until Jesus came back.  Today, we miss this sense of urgency of God's presence.  We yawn at the thinking of Jesus coming, and do not take it seriously or as if it could possibly be immanent.  The church today has become secondary because we do not sense or seek the presence of the Lord.  We lose hope and a goal because of this.  As we do not seek the presence of God, we lose the presence of God in the form of the Holy Spirit- and the church becomes dry as toast.  Without the Spirit and seeking of God- we are nothing.
    The other thing implied in this passage is that the church is not our creation.  God calls us (vs. 9) into fellowship with Him.  It is not our church alone.  It is God's church.  We have no right to divide it, or ruin it, or manipulate it, or use it, lest we offend the One who is married to the Church God.  God who calls us- calls us to be thankful, united, and to seek His presence.  

Prayer: Lord, your presence I seek.  May I never outlive my love for you.