I'm leaving 1 Corinthians after today's post. Some of you may be wondering why I glossed over the "in the twinkling of an eye" passage (15:51-52). The reason is that I dealt with that teaching in an earlier blog post on 1 Thessalonians 4, called "Archangel Thunder", several months ago. If you want to re-visit it, here is the link:
http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2015/02/archangel-thunder.html
Chapter 16 is mostly logistical. Paul urged the Corinthians to treat servants of God well who visit their congregation. He shared greetings from those with him in Ephesus. He exhorted them to support the spread of the gospel by periodically "taking up a collection" (a Southern USA euphemism, ripe with redundancy). In his final words of this book (16:13-14), he reminded the Corinthians to
Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.
Everything you do should be done in love.
For much of 1 Corinthians, Paul has been correcting this group of new believers, getting them headed in the right direction. Beginning his final challenge, he reminds them that they must be watchful of Satan's schemes, to anticipate them even. Elsewhere, the apostle Peter states that the adversary is like a prowling lion.
Be diligent and proactive so that you don't get eaten up by the devil and his temptations/traps.
What are the best steps we can take to do this, to avoid the "mole holes" along the spiritual walk?
The psalmist said that taking God's Word into our spirit is the best defense.
Paul calls the Scriptures, the Word of God, his spiritual sword, a proactive weapon (Ephesians 6:17).
By meditating on God's Word daily, those truths get sown into your spirit, your heart, so that you can call upon them to counter the satanic arguments of the evil one.
When we do see a trap coming or even when one catches us unawares, we must stand firm courageously against it. Where do we get the power to do this? From the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, of course! There is precious little of this type of spiritual courage today. Frankly, it does no good to see the evil coming and then to lie down so that it rolls over us upon arrival! Considering Paul's example, he did not let the Corinthians continue on in their errant ways. He firmly, but lovingly, corrected them.
And, that is Paul's last point. Everything we do should be motivated by, and wrapped in, love. There are times that "love must be tough" for the good of the recipient; but, there are never times when love is unkind or self-seeking. Nor is love only about mere correction; ultimately, its goal is reconciliation, of brother to brother, of sinners to the one, true God.
Today is my 400th blog post. I hope that, in sharing my devotional time thoughts with you, my love for you, my brothers and sisters, has shone through. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share the Word with you, several days a week, and hope that I'll be able to do so for many years to come.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Father, may we each live this day as if it is our last! May all we do be done for Your glory, with our feet firmly planted on Your Word ... our hearts filled with that supernatural love which originates only from You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
Be diligent and proactive so that you don't get eaten up by the devil and his temptations/traps.
What are the best steps we can take to do this, to avoid the "mole holes" along the spiritual walk?
The psalmist said that taking God's Word into our spirit is the best defense.
In my heart I store up your words,
so I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11
By meditating on God's Word daily, those truths get sown into your spirit, your heart, so that you can call upon them to counter the satanic arguments of the evil one.
When we do see a trap coming or even when one catches us unawares, we must stand firm courageously against it. Where do we get the power to do this? From the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, of course! There is precious little of this type of spiritual courage today. Frankly, it does no good to see the evil coming and then to lie down so that it rolls over us upon arrival! Considering Paul's example, he did not let the Corinthians continue on in their errant ways. He firmly, but lovingly, corrected them.
And, that is Paul's last point. Everything we do should be motivated by, and wrapped in, love. There are times that "love must be tough" for the good of the recipient; but, there are never times when love is unkind or self-seeking. Nor is love only about mere correction; ultimately, its goal is reconciliation, of brother to brother, of sinners to the one, true God.
Today is my 400th blog post. I hope that, in sharing my devotional time thoughts with you, my love for you, my brothers and sisters, has shone through. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share the Word with you, several days a week, and hope that I'll be able to do so for many years to come.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Father, may we each live this day as if it is our last! May all we do be done for Your glory, with our feet firmly planted on Your Word ... our hearts filled with that supernatural love which originates only from You. In Jesus' name, amen.
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