In 1 Corinthians 3.16-23 the Apostle Paul continues his teaching of Jesus being our old foundation. Back in verse 11 he said— “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus is that one and only foundation for those who would claim Him as their Lord and Savior. The lesson Paul gives that church is relevant for us today in every way. One that speaks most to me in this moment is the text of verses 16-23. This point of teaching outlines what I see happening at record pace today among believers who truly desire to follow God, but seem to fall short. In most cases it simply looks like the same ol’ same ol’ way they have always lived.
Focusing on 3.18— “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” Some synonyms for “deceive” are: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, and trick. Then there are words that are not necessarily synonyms, but are ‘related’ to “deceive”, like: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, and swindle. I also found it interesting that there are such things as ‘synonymous phrases’ associated with “deceive”: do a number on, lead one down the garden path, lead one up the garden path, pull one’s leg, and pull the wool over one’s eyes. Ouch! This makes it clear, you and I do not want to be labeled “deceived”, do we?
Don’t kid yourself. We think way more of ourselves than we ought. Pride blinds, so worse, you won’t even know it until it’s too late. That’s what the antonyms for “deceive” indicate: expose, reveal, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil. That is exactly what the word of God does. It exposes truth and reality unlike our arrogant minds do. God help us. We are, by all indication of the scripture, in the end-times. Having said that, it’s obvious that believers can be deceived. Do you think this is happening now in your midst? Do you think it could be happening to you?
The text actually says— “deceive himself”. We are self-deceived when we think our thoughts, feelings, and ideas come close to God’s blueprints. In verse 16-17 we find it is a serious thing to be a part of the building of God’s church. Are those blueprints what we think, or what the world thinks, or is it what Jesus thinks in the scripture? What is that building? Verse 9 says it as a “church”. In fact 9 and 17 are both written in 2nd person plural indicating a collection of individuals— a church. We are warned that if we “defile” it by using cheap materials, God will destroy it. This does not mean eternally damned, because 15 just said you could not lose your salvation, just your rewards. I have watched those who have ‘had their way’ and seen the curse on their family, business, friends, and their church; it is laid waste or “destroyed”. The Corinthians were man-worshipping. They were giving glory to men and being divided by their internal focus. They had carnally led and followed. They forgot that their efforts are vain without God. They thought their ideas and their divisive notions are superior to someone else’s. The Corinthians forgot thatwebelong to each other, together (verses 21-23). Death, Life, Our future, etc all belongs to us collectively. That is the context, although many want to divide it and make it personal… it is not. It is written to the church as a whole, and therefore we are responsible for each other. The building-up of the body of every church, is the responsibility of every member collectively! The actual building, as in adding to, is the responsibility of Christ Himself. He saves, we tell and train.
Verse 14 says— “For the body is not one member, but many.” No lone rangers and no rogue players. Unity is essential or the structure will collapse. The materials used are essential too… as referenced in verse 12. We are self-deceived not only when we think that our plans are good blueprints, but when we think the materials used are sufficient as well. We need spiritual elements, not carnal. Note that the materials contrasted were: Wood Hay and Stubble, then: Gold Silver Precious Stones. Wood Hay and Stubble are all easily collected on the surface, but Gold Silver Precious Stones all require laborious digging. They are hid until discovered. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking this is easy. This requires dedication and focus. You could say they have to be: expose, reveal, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveiled… in other words, they are the opposite of deceived! Man’s wisdom and actions only allow for surface solutions. God’s wisdom is to be: sought out, unearthed, discovered, disclosed by the Spirit, and unveiled, before us. Why would we want to mingle man’s temporary thoughts and ambitions in the mortar of God’s great design?
When we choose to build with shoddy materials in a shoddy way; you should expect the owner to be very upset with the work done, because it won’t last. That is why 16-19 is written.
Last, 23 says— “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” This is possessive. Contextually, he is saying that, we together, belong to Christ. A possession doesn’t get much of a choice. We are to submit to God and each other. Jesus exampled this for us in the same verse… Christ is God’s. Did He not demonstrate for us how to submit with a good attitude and trust the Father’s work and timing? Did He not choose spiritual materials and kingdom focus to build His original church? Did He not emphasize the need for unity and dedication? Did He not say that Truth is principle in combating deception? Jesus is the example.
Don’t mislead yourself— God has never failed and He is never late.