Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.
--1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on June 6, 2013 of Psalm 105:23-36; 1 Corinthians 16; 1 Kings 2-3:15.
Paul had just written a quite stern and severe letter to the members of the church in Corinth, rebuking them for turning from his teachings and allowing the culture in which they lived to influence the practices of their church. Yet here, in today's focus verses, we get the impression that maybe Paul thought they were really trying to stay faithful and were doing the best they could given the circumstances of their environment. He had just spent fifteen chapters trying to correct some of their aberrant and even sinful behavior as well as offering advice on how to improve some of the things they weren't necessarily doing wrong but that could be done better. At times harsh and accusing, other times pleading for obedience, Paul seemed almost like a father speaking to his children throughout this letter, even more so in the latter half of this concluding chapter.
But everything Paul told the church in Corinth rings true for us today. God is speaking to us, through Paul, as His children. While we may not all participate in every practice and behavior Paul rebuked the Corinthians for, one could find every one of these faults in our churches across America. We live in a culture that is becoming increasingly immoral. Because they are so pervasive in the environment around us, some of the philosophies and trends of the popular culture are making their way into our churches, being accepted and adopted by our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every Christian church across our land should closely study this letter to the church in Corinth. We need to heed its warnings and remove the culture from our worship while we can.
We should also take to heart Paul's closing exhortations, for they too were given to us as well as the warnings. We must keep a close and vigilant watch for Christ's second coming and not grow lax in our practices, thinking it couldn't possibly come in our time. We must remain firm and strong in our faith, being brave enough to stand up for Jesus against the culture that would ridicule and persecute us for that belief. And above all else, everything we do must be done with love in our hearts, the same love we have for ourselves, a love like Christ Jesus has for us. When we rebuke another, we must do so kindly and with love, just as Paul did in this letter. When we disagree within our churches on whatever issue comes to hand, we must keep our anger in check, not make it personal, always remembering to love one another as Jesus instructed us. This is what God our Father would have us do. Amen.
Loving Father, thank You so much for the words You give us through Paul the Apostle of Jesus our Christ. He rebukes us to abandon behavior that You would find displeasing. Yet he does so with love, showing us by example the love You and Jesus have for us. Forgive us, Lord, when we stray from the path Jesus laid for us to follow, and help us regain our footing when we stumble. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
But everything Paul told the church in Corinth rings true for us today. God is speaking to us, through Paul, as His children. While we may not all participate in every practice and behavior Paul rebuked the Corinthians for, one could find every one of these faults in our churches across America. We live in a culture that is becoming increasingly immoral. Because they are so pervasive in the environment around us, some of the philosophies and trends of the popular culture are making their way into our churches, being accepted and adopted by our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every Christian church across our land should closely study this letter to the church in Corinth. We need to heed its warnings and remove the culture from our worship while we can.
We should also take to heart Paul's closing exhortations, for they too were given to us as well as the warnings. We must keep a close and vigilant watch for Christ's second coming and not grow lax in our practices, thinking it couldn't possibly come in our time. We must remain firm and strong in our faith, being brave enough to stand up for Jesus against the culture that would ridicule and persecute us for that belief. And above all else, everything we do must be done with love in our hearts, the same love we have for ourselves, a love like Christ Jesus has for us. When we rebuke another, we must do so kindly and with love, just as Paul did in this letter. When we disagree within our churches on whatever issue comes to hand, we must keep our anger in check, not make it personal, always remembering to love one another as Jesus instructed us. This is what God our Father would have us do. Amen.
Loving Father, thank You so much for the words You give us through Paul the Apostle of Jesus our Christ. He rebukes us to abandon behavior that You would find displeasing. Yet he does so with love, showing us by example the love You and Jesus have for us. Forgive us, Lord, when we stray from the path Jesus laid for us to follow, and help us regain our footing when we stumble. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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