" . . . And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were bap-
tized."
What a beautiful phrase this is (above). People in Corinth were noto-
riously immoral and corrupt, (much like our own culture today). And yet God saved "many" of them. Note the lovely progression: they "heard" the gospel of grace in the Lord Jesus Christ; they "believed" it; and then they were "baptized" into Christ and His church.
Is there hope for the nations of the world today--including ours? Of course there is. But this exact pattern (as above) must be followed: preaching, hearing, faith, baptism, and church membership and life.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Joy, courage, and zeal, being smiled upon by faith, are made invincible and unconquerable." --Thomas Brooks, in, "Heaven on Earth"]
