You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Did you know that Christians weren't always called "Christians"?

It's true. For a while believers said they were members of an organization which they called, "The Way." It was in ancient Antioch that Christians first got their name. It is a name which should be worn with pride ... maybe with as much pride as that shown by the North Korean women's Olympic soccer team.

You may have heard what happened. The North Korean team was playing at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. As they were being introduced, the pictures of the women were flashed up on a screen in the stadium. Alongside those faces a person in the control booth put a picture of South Korea's flag.

That was bad and upsetting to the North Koreans. Since North Korea and South Korea have never signed a peace treaty, they are still officially at war. This explains why the North Korean soccer players were outraged and walked off the field.

Even though North Korea is one of the five top countries which persecute Christians, I can still sympathize with those ladies. They had worked hard at representing their country, and they didn't want to see their victory or their country minimized in any way.

Applying that line of thinking to our faith, I feel comfortable in saying: we have a Savior who worked hard at saving our souls. Indeed, He gave up His life, so we might have forgiveness of our sins and an eternal life in heaven. Because of what Jesus has done, we Christians should be proud of our Savior and do all we can to make sure Jesus' victory over sin, death and devil are not diminished in any way.

This, of course, is exactly the point St. Paul was trying to drive home in our text above. He wanted those Christians he knew and those who would come after him to remember that if they were going to boast, their boasting should center on

• God's wisdom, as it comes to us through Jesus;

• the righteousness we receive;

• the sanctification we are given;

• the redemption, which has saved us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we sinners have no quality of which we can boast. Even so, may we boast in our Savior and give thanks for all He has done for us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 136, 146    1 Corinthians 3

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