Week 14, Day 1: Doors of Opportunity
Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:1-3:18
Some thoughts from Friday’s reading…
In 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, Paul told the Corinthian brethren that he would stay in Ephesus a while longer because a “great and effective door” had been opened up to him. But, he went on to say that there were also many adversaries. There were great opportunities opened up to Paul, but with them came those who were his adversaries–those who tried to keep him from being successful. This was a pattern that we see constantly throughout the New Testament. Almost every place that Paul went, there were people who served as his “adversaries”, working diligently to hinder his work.
How often do we become discouraged because it seems that there are people, or circumstances that seem to keep us from being as successful as we would like to be? The truth is that we will face the same challenges that Paul faced. There is never going to be an opportunity to spread the gospel open up without there being something that will try to hinder it. Why is that? Because Satan will never give up without a fight! He is never going to let anyone go from his kingdom without first trying to do all he can to stop it from happening. So, with every door of opportunity, there will also be challenges, or adversaries that surface!
Paul knew that this was always going to be the case, and yet he continued to serve God and teach others until the very end of his life. How was he able to do that? How did he keep from becoming discouraged? I am sure that there were times that even Paul became discouraged by his adversaries, and yet he always bounced back. I believe he was able to do that because of his focus on the eternal goal. He always knew where he was headed, and that made it possible to get past whatever hindrance might arise. His adversaries could never take away his eternal focus.
We need to have the very same focus that Paul had. We should look for each and every opportunity, and walk through those doors that are opened. But, never be deceived into thinking that the opportunities will come without challenges. There will always be adversaries, and yet they should never be able to make us stop working for the Lord. If we see the doors, and walk through them, we will certainly be effective tools in the Lord’s kingdom. What else would we want to be?
Week 13, Day 5: Evil Companions
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Corinthians 1:24
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
1 Corinthians 15:33 is a passage that is often taken out of context to make a broader point than the immediate context indicates. Paul was discussing in this chapter the resurrection, and making an argument proving the resurrection was indeed going to happen. In the midst of this argument, Paul warned that “Evil company corrupts good habits.” It seems that his warning is focused on those who let the influence of those who did not believe in the resurrection influence their faith and belief. Paul’s warning was against those who would teach something contrary to the revealed word of God, and how their influence could corrupt the actions of those who believed. Consider how much it would change a person’s actions to not believe in the resurrection! What reason would there be to continue living a faithful life, and continue being obedient to God?
This verse does, however, have a much greater application. We can certainly consider how associating with the wrong crowd could lead to corrupted morals. Those that we associate with have a tremendous influence on our actions. If we allow worldly, sinful people to be an influence on us, then we will soon start to act like they act. I know that many Christians believe that they are the strong Christians who will be able to withstand the influence of the wicked, but that is never the case. Remember, just a couple of days ago, we looked at 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 which warned of the need to be careful, and not think too highly of ourselves. There is a famous saying, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.” Unfortunately the opposite of that is not true. One good person will not turn a whole group of worldly people away from their sinful ways.
We have a responsibility to be in this world, but not be a part of it. We need to come out from the world and be separate. That is not something we do physically, but certainly spiritually we should be separate from the rest of the world. When we make worldly people our closest friends, and allow them to have great influence on us, we endanger ourselves. We set ourselves up for “corrupt morals” because we will be tempted by those that we have such close relationships with. We as Christians should do our best to teach the gospel to others. If our “friends” are not interested in spiritual things, and don’t want anything to do with studying with us, then we need to separate ourselves from them. Do not allow those who are “of the world” to be so intertwined with you that they influence you to sin!
Week 13, Day 4: The Greatest of These is Love
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
Much of 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 have to do with spiritual gifts given to the first century church to help it until the word of God was completed (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). But, at the end of chapter 13, Paul tells us that faith, hope and love would endure; and the greatest of these is love. Paul spent most of the chapter establishing what “love” is for us, so that there is no misunderstanding. But, I want you to specifically consider 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
Paul shows us in these verses just how useless all the “good” we can muster would be if we have not love for others. We could be the most eloquent speaker, or the most beautiful singer, but if we do not love those around us it will not do us any good. Even the spiritual gifts were of no use if the one using them did not have love for those around them. And faith? Even faith so great that it could move mountains was useless if one did not have love. All of the good deeds that we can do go for naught if we do not have love for either man or God!
This passage makes me think of the many people in the world who claim that they love God, but then refuse to do what He has commanded them to do. They seem to believe that His love is so blind that they simply have no responsibility toward Him. They think that God, being the gracious and merciful God that He is, will simply turn a blind eye to their disobedience (even if they believe He will judge others.)
We simply do not love God if we are unwilling to be obedient to Him. We should also consider that we don’t love those around us very much if we refuse to be obedient to God. Love would demand that we try to help them in any way possible to avoid the punishment of Hell. Love would demand that we seek what is best both physically and spiritually for those who are around us, whether it be friends, family or other acquaintances.
Let us love not in word only, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18).
Week 13, Day 3: Take Heed Lest You Fall
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-13:13
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
There are a couple of verses found in 1 Corinthians 10 that stand out to me every time that I read through the chapter. They are verses that stand as both a reminder and a comfort concerning our faithfulness before God:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
–1 Corinthians 10:12-13
The first part of this passage tells us that we need to be careful about our attitude toward sin. Sometimes we succumb to sin because we are simply too weak to withstand the temptation. Sometimes, we succumb because we think we are so strong that we decide we don’t have to worry about sin and temptation any longer. Both attitudes cause us to be very vulnerable to the temptations of Satan! The more dangerous may be the latter just because we tend to tune out the temptations as being a problem for us. So, we say things like, “I am strong enough to avoid the temptation to drink…I can go to the bar with my friends.” And we might say, “I can avoid the temptation to use profanity”, and then we surround ourselves with vile communications from the radio and television. Or, we might say, “I can avoid the temptation to commit adultery or fornication”, so we put ourselves in circumstances that are not wise. Paul’s warning should be a red flag to us–when we think we are strong enough to overcome all temptation all by ourselves, that is when Satan will strike us. When we think we are strong, that is perhaps when we are the weakest!
The second part of this passage relates to us the fact that God is there for us. He is watching out for us, and like Job, will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. He makes sure that we are able to overcome, and that the way of escape is present. That doesn’t mean that we always see the way of escape. And, it certainly does not mean that we always take the way of escape. But, we should find comfort in the fact that it is there! Often, when we have given in to temptation and sinned, we can look back on the situation and clearly see that God did indeed provide a way to escape without giving in. It may have been difficult to see at the moment, but it gives us confidence to look even harder for it the next time. Perhaps, we don’t see the way of escape on many occasions just because we are not looking for it. We have to open our eyes, trusting in the Lord, and we will find that way of escape. But, we have to want it.
If we keep this passage in mind, it can serve as a great comfort to us. We know, as we live life day by day, that we will face various trials, tribulations and temptations. But, if we put our faith and confidence in God, we know that He will take care of us, providing the escape for all temptations. We know we do not have to give in. We know that He is watching over us, and that He has promised to give us this help.
So, as you go about your daily activities, remember God’s promise. And, remember that God cannot lie. He said there is an escape. Open your eyes, and look for what God has provided!
Week 13, Day 2: The Arrogance of Knowledge
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:33
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
Paul began his address in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians by telling us that “knowledge puffs up” or makes one to be arrogant. In many ways, we pursue knowledge, and with the right attitude, that can be a very good thing. We want to know as much as we possibly can about God and His word, and that is attained through study. We are accumulating knowledge about God through a study of the Bible. But, often we see people become very arrogant because they have attained a small amount of knowledge. Let’s face it, no matter how much we cram into our finite brains, it is only a small amount of what is available! And yet, many begin to think of themselves as being superior to others because of the amount of knowledge they have accumulated.
It is a sad thing indeed when we see Christians who become arrogant in their knowledge or intelligence. Recently, I saw the writings of a man who commented on how difficult it is to communicate with others because he was far more intelligent than those he tried to speak with. Again, recently, I received an email in which the author purports to explain the deep intricacies of a difficult subject because he knows the original biblical languages. How often are we told that we simply don’t understand the Bible because we aren’t smart enough to understand Hebrew or Greek? This sounds very similar to the denominational concept that we cannot understand the Bible for ourselves, and must have the elite “Clergy” class relate it to us. Only in the church, it is not always the “clergy”, but rather the “educated.” A little knowledge can cause a lot of problems (and misunderstandings) in the interpretation of God’s word. We need to try to learn, but let us never exude the arrogance that indicates that we have all the answers and cannot be taught!
Let me relate to you a personal (and embarrassing) example. When I was in college, I was visiting on a farm in rural Georgia. The man we were staying with had a couple of black Labradors. I, being the young and brilliant man that I was (and having a Labrador at home) began to “train” one of these dogs for retrieving. Before long, I had the dog sitting and staying. I had the dog retrieving to hand. I knew what I was doing! I casually told the owner, that with a little work, this dog could be a great hunting dog. The owner then told me that the dog was a field champion. You see, the dog already knew everything that I had “trained” him to do. He had been taught by one far more skillful and knowledgeable than me! I was quite embarrassed to have made such a fool of myself!
This is how we sometimes handle the word of God too. It is far more damaging when we are teaching His word than when we are teaching some dog to do tricks! But, we become convinced that we are smarter than anyone else, and we are going to set them all straight. If your experience is like mine, that doesn’t work out too well. Unfortunately, I fear that there are many who are, in their arrogance, oblivious to the fact that they are making fools of themselves. May that never be the case with us. Do not let knowledge puff you up. Whatever the case, remember James’ admonition:
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
–James 1:19-20
Let us be swift to hear what others have to say. Who knows, we may have made a mistake when we came to a conclusion on a passage, or a topic. If we are arrogant, we will never allow ourselves to be corrected by those who have found the truth. We must decide whether it is more important to be right, or to have truth. If the former, we will never accept truth. If the latter, we will humbly make changes when others are able to show us the truth from scripture. After all, that is the only place to find it!
Week 13, Day 1: Inheriting the Kingdom of God
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-9:27
Some thoughts from Friday’s reading…
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul tells the Corinthians that the “unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Following that statement, Paul told them that they should not be deceived. This should make us pay attention to Paul’s instructions, because he is relating to us the fact that we can be deceived by others. There are certainly many around us that will try to deceive us into believing that we can and will be saved, even if we are not obedient. Many of the examples that Paul gave in this passage are things that people think of being “not too bad” in today’s society. And yet, Paul teaches that those who are guilty of these sins cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
But, the good thing about what Paul wrote in this passage is that it shows that we can be forgiven! There were some among the Corinthians that were guilty of the sins that Paul condemned. He said, “Such were some of you…” But, they had been washed, sanctified and justified. In the same way we can be washed, sanctified and justified today. No matter what sin we may be guilty of, God will forgive. When He forgives, He also forgets. So, if we have violated his will in any way, we can turn back to Him and be welcomed.
There are many people who feel like they have sinned in such a great way that they cannot possibly be forgiven. Looking at this passage, and seeing what sins God had forgiven among the Corinthians should make it clear that God can forgive us. But, if that is not great enough, consider the fact that God was willing to forgive the very people who were responsible (directly) for killing His son. In Acts 2, when Peter was preaching the gospel message, he was speaking to many who were present when Jesus was crucified! And yet, God was willing to forgive all who would be obedient.
It should be our greatest desire to “inherit the kingdom of God.” To accomplish that, we must be willing to turn from sin, and be obedient to God’s will. We also should praise God for His great love, that He is willing to forgive us even when we have acted contrary to His will.
Week 12, Day 5: Judged to Be Good Stewards
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:1-7:40
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
Any passage that talks about judging, or not judging, draws a lot of attention when it comes to religious discussions. Recently, when I was called to jury duty, there was a woman who objected to being on the jury because she “was a Christian, and the Bible tells Christians not to judge.” I believe that this is a misinterpretation of scripture, and yet there are many who believe the Bible condemns any type of judgment on our part. A passage that can be similarly used to make such an argument is found in 1 Corinthians 4.
Paul, as he addresses the way in which the Corinthian Christians were addressing the teachings of the various evangelists, tells them in verses 1-2 that they as messengers had to be trustworthy. But, trustworthy to what? They had to be found trustworthy enough to deliver the message of the gospel to them! To do that, they had to be beyond reproach. They had to be beyond corruption. They had to teach what was revealed by God, regardless of how it might be received by their audiences. In the midst of establishing the need to be trustworthy, Paul tells the Corinthians that it is a “very small thing to be judged by you…” (1 Corinthians 4:3)
Some may consider Paul’s words to indicate that it was wrong for them to judge him. But, that is not the subject of his instructions. Paul is pointing out that he had to be faithful to the revelation of God, even if they didn’t want to accept it as such. They could judge that Paul’s message was something other than what had been revealed, or they could doubt Paul’s honesty and sincerity in the delivering of the message. But, in the end, their judgment wouldn’t really mean anything to him. He was dedicated to teaching the truth because he knew that in the end, it would be Christ that would be judging him, and it would be that judgment that counted. How could he teach something contrary to God’s will?
Interestingly enough, Paul stated that he would not even judge himself in this matter. He said that he could think of nothing against himself, but even in that he could not declare himself to be innocent. It was not his own judgment against himself that mattered. It was the judgment that came from the Lord that was of the greatest importance.
The lesson that we can learn from these verses is that we cannot rely upon the judgment of others, or even our own judgment to determine if we are doing and teaching what is right. Others may judge that we are doing well, or not doing well. However they may not have enough information to determine that accurately. Sometimes we rely upon our own judgment, really based upon our own emotions (how we feel) to determine if we are acting correctly or teaching the right things. But, the answers cannot come from “within ourselves.” We have to turn to the word of God and allow it to identify what is pure, what is holy, what is right, and what is good.
If we are going to be judged to be good stewards of the mysteries of God, then we must be trustworthy. We must restrict ourselves to the pure gospel message, neither adding to, or taking away from what God has revealed. We cannot be influenced to change the gospel message because of those that would think it too harsh, or because we are not converting as many people as we would like. We must continue to teach what has been revealed, trusting God to provide the increase.
Week 12, Day 4: The Revelation of God’s Mind
Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5:13
Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…
For us to have any idea what God wants of us, He had to reveal His mind to us. We can certainly understand this principle when we are talking about people. I cannot possibly know what you are thinking, or what you would like for me to do, if you are not willing to reveal your mind. God has determined, according to 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, to use the Holy Spirit to reveal His mind, which would be recorded in the pages of the New Testament so that people of all generations would be able to know how to act in obedience to God.
This passage should make us realize just how important the revelation of God is. If God, in all of His power and might, has decided to record for us His mind, we should pay attention. We should realize that He has not recorded anything that is not important for our understanding, for our ability to conduct ourselves with “life and godliness.” There is nothing that we can or should ignore in the pages of His word!
This should also make us recognize that we are limited in action to what God has revealed. How can we read the revelation of the mind of God Himself and then think that maybe he forgot something that He meant to give to us? When He tells us Himself that He gave His revelation once for all, it should make us realize that He made sure to provide whatever was necessary for us to be able to be obedient to Him. If I restrict my practices to only those things that He revealed, then I know that I am not violating His will. If I go beyond what is written, I have no idea whether it is something that God approves of. In fact, I think it is much safer to assume that if God has not told us to participate in an action, then it is not something He approves of!
We need to stay on the straight and narrow path. It should not be an option to stray off to the side. This is an idea that was expressed even under the Old Testament covenant. God demanded that His people not turn to the “right hand or the left”, and neither should we today!
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
–Joshua 1:7Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,
–Joshua 23:6
It is not our responsibility to follow the law of Moses as Joshua was commanded to do. But, we should follow the New Law in the same manner. Do not turn to the right hand or to the left.