Christ First

To the ancient Jesus gathering that met in the city of Corinth, Paul writes: “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ.” It isn’t many lines later in his letter that Paul writes: “it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.” And here’s what Paul is hearing about the Corinth community: “Some of you say ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.'” The Grace-filled community is struggling with the eternal issue of disunity, favoritism, confused allegiances. So, Paul is quick to remind them: You belong to Christ, and Christ alone. You, Corinthians, gave up your former identity when you became Christ followers. Now you have one identify: Christ! and Christ alone.

It seems to me that it’s about time we took Paul’s Corinthian reminder very personally. Our angry, divisive time calls for it. Taken seriously, Paul’s statement would mean this for me: I am not a Texan who is a Christian; not an American who is a Christian; not a Democrat/Republican who is a Christian; not a husband/father/grandfather/retired male/nature lover/blog writer…who is a Christian. More than once in the 20 years I spent on active duty as a U.S. Navy Chaplain, I had to decide: Am I a Naval Officer who is a Christian, or am I a Christian who is a Naval Officer? I encourage you today to hear Paul’s words to the Corinth church and apply them to your own experience. Where is my first allegiance? Do I think and act as a “……-Christ” person or is Christ first in every aspect of my life? This moment in time begs each of us to be authentic, honest and honorable; to identify our reference points, the standards by which we define life. We don’t belong to a variety of different identifies plus Christ. Christ defines everything else. This is who we are…or should be.