Law of Love

Galatians 6. Yesterday we saw how Paul answered the legalist in that Christian liberty does NOT mean a license to do as one pleases, as one lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, in chapter six, Paul tells us that the Christian who walks in the Spirit is free from selfishness and so freed in order to love others unselfishly in the power of the Holy Spirit. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." 6:1-2.

Law of Christ? Wait a minute. I thought we are now under grace. Isn't this Paul's argument, that we are now under grace? We are, but we have to be careful not to set grace up against the law--the Law being only found in the Old Testament and Grace being only found in the New Testament. That is a little misleading because Grace has always been in operation and the Law is still in operation, although a different law is now in force.

What do we mean by that? Jesus Himself said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill." Matt.5:17. So, if the old law was fulfilled, what law is now in operation? The Law of Love. Paul said when we bear one another's burdens that we fulfill the law of Christ 6:2. What is the law of Christ? Look back to Gal.5:13-14: "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

We have now been set free from selfishness for the purpose to love others unselfishly. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He summed it up this way: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart....and love your neighbor as yourself" Matt.22:36-40.

Prayer: "Lord, when I see a fellow Christian overtaken in a sin, help me to be like You and not the legalist, as I help them to get back on the right path. Lord, help me to never feel superior to them and help me to always guard myself against all temptations. Help me to bear the burdens of others, so that I can fulfill Your Law of Love. Thank you Jesus for Your grace and Your love for me. In Your Name I pray, Amen."

Internal -vs- External

Galatians 5. In the first two chapters Paul vindicated his apostleship and message. Then in chapters 3-4 (our reading over the weekend), Paul logically defended the doctrine of justificati0n by faith. Finally in chapters 5-6, he shows that Christian liberty does not mean a license to do as one pleases, but rather Paul shows us that a Christian should live by the power of the Holy Spirit and thus bear spiritual fruit.
The legalist's argument went something like this: "If you take grace instead of the law, then people will just sin more because they've got grace to fall back on." Paul will sharply disagree and argue that the Christian is freed from the external control of the law to the internal control by the Holy Spirit.
Max Anders tells the story of growing up on a farm. He explained how much fun it was to let the yearling calves out of the barn after a long winter. These calves had been born the summer before, so a pen and a barn was the only world they knew. After the harsh Indiana winter, they would open the gates that had separated the calves from the outside world. The calves were free to go into the field. However, the calves didn't know what to do with their new found freedom. They would buck and jump but would not leave the pen. They would run right up to where the gate used to be and then slam on the brakes. They would do this over and over. But eventually they would creep forward until they were out.
And oh how like these calves were the legalist in Paul's day, and in our day too!Legalist prefer the limitations and security of the "do and don't list", rather than the frightening world of walking by faith. Christians hanging around the barn of the law amazed Paul as much as those calves in the barn amazed Max Anders. Why would they want to stay in a barn of legalism when there was a field of grace to gallop in? That is the question Paul asked of the Galatian church. Having been freed from the slavery of the law, under Paul's initial visit, why would they now want to lose their freedom and go back into the bondage of the law? That is the question I ask of you. Why do you want to stay in the barn of legalism when Christ has opened the gate to freedom to "walk in the Spirit [so that] you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." 5:16? Thus you shall bear spiritual fruit -5:22-25. Dear Christian you are free in the power of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit of the Spirit. The control is now internal, not external.

Hypocrisy

Galatians 2. As we saw in chapter one, Paul is astonished by the fact that these Galatians have so easily turned from the true Gospel and turned back to legalism. Not only is Paul astounded, but he is also heartbroken. He's not mad at the Galatian believers, per se; he's mad at the leaders. He's mad at the legalistic leaders and heartbroken for the followers. One of those leaders is the Apostle Peter. In vss.11-14 we have recorded for us the clash between the tentmaker and the fisherman; between the Apostles Paul and Peter. Paul opposed him (v.11). Why? Because he was in the habit of eating meals with the Gentiles, and meat served at that meal would be no problem for Peter. But when the Jews showed up, all of a sudden, Peter became a vegetarian (v12-13). When the Jews showed up it would play out something like this: "Peter, can I pass you the neck bones and rice?" "No thank you, I don't eat meat." Peter lied hoping to make the Jews smile. Paul rebukes Peter for playing the role of a hypocrite (v.14). "Peter, I smell ham on your breath? Have you been eating some pork? Why then, when the no-pork eaters show up, you go back to your kosher ways? Peter you are playing the role of a hypocrite!" And the result of Peter's actions led Barnabas and others away into this sin, into this bondage of legalism. Why would Paul come across so strong, so blunt with Peter? Because people take their cues from their leaders. And there's no room for this kind of leadership in the Body of Christ. Nothing must be allowed to dilute the truth of salvation by grace alone (2:15-21). And note, Peter's hypocrisy was especially surprising, considering his pioneering role in Gentile evangelism (Acts 10).
What this teaches us is that all of us are prone to play the role of the hypocrite, even when it comes to legalism. In our case it may not be a meat/no meat issue, but it could be something else. We may act one way around a certain group of believers, and yet another way around others. We may raise our hands in one church, but not in another. We may clap in one church and not in another. We may sing praise songs in one church and yet condemn it in another. We may ___________________ and yet __________________you fill in the blank.

One Gospel

Today we begin the letter to the Galatians. Though Galatians is one of Paul's shorter writings, it is highly esteemed as one of his most influential. Both Romans and Galatians teach the doctrine of justification by faith, and Galatians is sometimes referred to as "a short Romans."
OCCASION:
The infant church was drifting almost unnoticeably toward its first great doctrinal crisis. The Judaizers were attacking the message of grace. Things like observing the Law of Moses and being circumcised were being added to grace, in their teaching. These Jews were imposing rules, dietary laws and other legalistic requirements upon these new Christians. Paul had already encouraged these churches of Galatia "to continue in the grace of God" (see Acts 13:43). But unfortunately, after Paul left this area, a decade and a half ago, these false teachers came in and taught that salvation was by faith in Christ plus keeping the Law. Their message was a mixture of Christianity and Judaism; a mixture of grace and law, Christ and Moses. Then they tried to turn the Galatians away from Paul by saying he was not a genuine apostle of the Lord, and therefore his message was not reliable. This leads to the purpose of why Paul picked up his pen and wrote.
PURPOSE:
Paul's letter to them was a swift and decisive attempt to counter the attacks on his apostleship and message. In the first two chapters Paul attempted to vindicate his apostleship and message. In the next two chapters (3-4), he logically defended the doctrine of justification by faith. And finally in the last two chapters (5-6) he shows that Christian liberty does not mean a license to do as one pleases, but rather he shows that a Christian should live by the power of the Holy Spirit and thus bear spiritual fruit.
Chapter 1:
Paul was blown away of how easily these Galatains were misled into 'another gospel' of which there is no such (v.6-7). There is only one Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet some people will come and knock at your door and claim to know more, claim to be the true church. Don't listen to them. All cults follow this same pattern: the gospel plus something. If it's the gospel plus something, you know it's not the Gospel. This legalism broke Paul's heart and it should break ours. Millions of people are sucked into cults every year and that should break our hearts. But legalism is not just in cults. It sits in our churches and stands behind our pulpits today. "Why is she wearing that to church?", "Why does he raise his hands in church?", "Why is the music so loud?", "Don't they know how to act in God's house?"....and so goes the legalistic remarks. Legalist want to impose their miserable attitudes onto those who are excited about their salvation. Legalist come to church to see who they can rebuke and who they can correct. Legalist have no joy in their salvation. Legalism seeks to add to the pure Gospel, thereby contaminating it. Yes, legalism broke Paul's heart and it should break ours. The question today is, "Are you a legalist or are you at liberty in Christ?"

Take the Test

2 Corinthians 13. Paul now makes a final appeal to these Corinthians. He did not want his third visit to their church to be a another painful experience for them and him. He had opened his heart to them, explained his ministry, answered their accusations, and urged them to submit to the Word of God and obey the Lord. What more could he say or do? So, he closes with a two-fold warning:
1. Prepare Yourselves 13:1-4
2. Examine Yourselves 13:5-8
This paragraph is an application of the word "proof" that Paul used back in v.3. "You've been examining me", wrote Paul, "but why don't you take time to examine yourselves?" It is sad, but so true that those who are quick to examine and condemn others are often guilty of worse sins themselves. So in an effort to make themselves look better, they condemn others. So Paul said that they should examine their own hearts to see if they were really born again and members of the family of God. Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe tells of a church he pastored where they had a teenager who was the center of every problem in the youth group. He was a gifted musician and a member of the church, but nevertheless he was a problem. Then one summer at a Youth Camp, he got saved. His Chrisitian profession up until that time had been counterfeit.
I too have seen this in ministry and heard similar testimonies from other pastors. Often the biggest trouble makers in the church are lost and have never been born again. Paul sensed this to be the case at Corinth, and admonished them to examine themselves to see if they were truly saved or not. In v7 Paul made it clear that he did not want the Corinthians to fail the test just to prove that he was right. Nor did he want them to live godly lives just so he could boast about them. NO. He wanted them to truly be saved and growing in Christ.

What about you? We go to the doctor for checkups. Well it would be wise to go to the best heart doctor I know, Jesus Christ, and have a check up. Are you truly saved? Are you in a genuine relationship with Him? Then are you growing in Him? Are you growing daily in the Word of God? Are you growing in your walk with Him?

Thorns and Grace

Thorns
2 Corinthians 12. This chapter is the climax of Paul's defense of his apostleship and his love for the Corinthians. He was hesitant to write about these personal experiences, but there was no other way to solve the problem. These Corinthians, who kept doubting his apostleship and attacking his character, had backed him into a corner. So Paul reluctantly told them of this heavenly experience he had, and in fact was so restrained that he described it in the third person rather than the first person (12:1-6).
Following his heavenly excursion, a messenger from Satan was sent to keep Paul humble. Think about that. What was the one reason Satan was cast from heaven? Pride. Yet here God used the very pride of Satan to work humility in Paul (12:7). Now what was the thorn in the flesh? Some have suggested it was an eye disease, malaria, an irritating person who followed him around, or a group of people (like the Jews) that followed him around always persecuting him. We don't know for sure what it was. But it is a good thing we don't know, because no matter what our sufferings may be, we are able to apply the lessons Paul learned and get encouragement. If Paul had spelled out what this thorn was, say eye disease, then we would only apply this passage to our lives if we had eye trouble. But since we don't know, we can all apply it to whatever thorns we have in our lives. Your thorn is different from my thorn. And my thorn is different than Paul's thorn. But the lessons gleaned apply to us all. Thank God he left this thorn unnamed.

Grace
Then comes the lesson (12:8-10). Like Paul, we ask for help from the Lord. However, as far as the Lord is concerned, the purpose of prayer is not that He might give help to us, but that He might give HIMSELF to us. The Father says, "You want Me to take away the pain, to solve the problem, to get you out of the situation--but that's not what you need. You need Me. And the very problem you're seeking to get away from is the very one that is causing you to talk to Me, spend time with Me, and depend on Me. You'll be stronger when you're weak because you'll have no other choice than to draw strength from Me. You'll do better when you're weak because you'll have to rely on Me." Bottom Line: You're praying, 'God get me out of this mess" and God is saying, "No, I'm trying to come into your mess so I can walk with you through it." The lesson is very simple but one we'd rather not hear: "Keep the the thorn. Take My grace, for My grace is greater than the thorn." Instead of removing the problem, God gives us Himself and His all sufficient grace to overcome and walk through the problem. Always remember this: If God's grace is sufficient to save us, surely it is sufficient to keep us and strengthen us in our times of suffering. AMEN!

A Father's Heart

2 Corinthians 11. The problem Paul faced as he wrote these cantankerous Corinthians was how to convince them that he really loved and cared for them. If he reminded the people of the work he did among them, they would only reply, "Paul is bragging!" If he said nothing about his ministry there, the Judaizers would say, "See, we told you Paul didn't accomplish anything!" So what did Paul do? He used a beautiful image that was certain to reach their hearts. He compared himself to a "spiritual father" caring for his family. He had used that image earlier in his first letter: "You have ten thousand instructors, but not many fathers..." 1 Cor.4:14-21. They were his beloved spiritual children, and he wanted the best for them. So here in chapter eleven, we see the heart of a father in Paul. We see it in...
1. His Jealousy For Them 11:1-4
2. His Generosity Toward Them 11:5-11
3. His Anxiety About Them 11:12-28
Go back and read each section and see and feel Paul's heart for them. You may even want to read it in The Message to capture the emotion. Paul certainly proved his love for the church. Now the church had to prove its love for Paul. May we never take for granted the sacrifices that others have made so that we might enjoy the blessings of the Gospel today.

Giving

2 Corinthians 8. Paul had been in the process of collecting a love offering for the struggling Jerusalem church. The church at Corinth had promised to contribute to this cause over a year ago. Now here, in ch.8, Paul calls upon them to make good on their promise and teaches them (and us) some valuable principles on giving. He uses the churches of Macedonia as his example. He held them up as his exhibit A. Look how they gave. That's how we're to give. Note:
1. They Gave Personally: "they first gave themselves to the Lord" 8:5
2. They Gave Anonymously: They were only identified as "churches of Macedonia" 8:1
3. They Gave Generously: Out of their "deep poverty" they gave "liberally". 8:2
4. They Gave Proportionately: "according to their ability." 8:3
5. They Gave Sacrificially: They gave even "beyond their ability...free willing." 8:3
6. They Gave Eagerly: "Imploring us", 'begging us to let them give,' Paul said. 8:4
7. They Gave Obediently: "they gave....by the will of God." 8:5

Then Paul uses the greatest example of all: Our Savior Jesus Christ.
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." 8:9.
Outside of God mandating that we bring all our tithes and offerings to the storehouse of God, why do I give? I give because He gave His all for me. What about you? Do you give to God in tithes and offerings on a weekly basis? Do you give back proportionately, sacrificially and all of the other principles above, and do you give consistently? What happens when you miss a Sunday or two? Do you just scratch those offerings off, or do you, when you return to God's house, bring ALL the tithes to God? If you are a cheerful giver (9:7), you will give consistently and eagerly. Let's be like the Macedonians, and give our all unto God!

Repentance

What is repentance? 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." Repentance is a word that simply means 'to change direction', to turn around and go the other way. It is a change of mind and action. Contrary to popular belief, repentance is not an emotion. It's an action. Most people think repentance means feeling bad. But to repent simply means to change the direction of your life.
With that being said, Paul identifies two kinds of sorrow--worldly sorrow that leads one to be hung up with guilt, and godly sorrow that leads to repentance. These two types of sorrow can best be illustrated by Judas and Peter. There is a remarkable parallel between Judas and Peter. Both were called devils by Jesus. Of Judas, Jesus said, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil." John 6:70. And to Peter He said, "Get thee behind me Satan...." Matthew 16:23. Jesus warned both Judas and Peter they would fail: Concerning Judas He said, "He who dips his bread with Me will betray Me." Matt.26:23. And of Peter He said, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Matt.26:34. Both Judas and Peter repented: Judas repented in himself, "Then Judas...seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders." Matt.27:3. And Peter: "Peter remembered the word of Jesus...so he went out and wept bitterly." Matt.26:75. It is here where the parallel ends. Judas' repentance was the sorrow of the world that says, "Look at the mess I'm in." Peter, on the other hand, repented to the Lord and changed direction of his life. Godly sorrow works repentance. And repentance brings salvation. Judas went down to hell. Peter went on to greatness. Both repented. One felt bad because of the mess he was in. But the other turned his back on his failure, determined to walk in a totally new direction.
Godly sorrow works repentance, which brings salvation never to be regretted. Peter knew this. Paul knew this, and he's trying to get the Corinthians to understand this. The question is, do you?

Separation

2 Corinthians 6. Recall the setting of Corinth--It was a port city, filled with prostitutes and pagan temples. It was a place where one could easily become defiled. Paul dealt with this in his first letter (see 1 Cor.6, Sept.1 blog). There he reminded them that their bodies were the temples of the Holy Spirit. God does not dwell in temples made with hands, but rather in your body (Acts 17:24), therefore be holy for I Am holy, says the Lord (1 Peter 1:16; Lev.11:44). Well, Paul takes up this subject once again in his second letter. "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, 'I will dwell in them, and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people'; Therefore, 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord...'" (6:16-17),
"Be separate" implies a definite act on our part. We are to intentionally separate ourselves from a defiled world. Christians are not to be bound together with non-Christians in any spiritual enterprise or relationship that would be detrimental to our testimony within the Body of Christ. But it means so much more. Scofield list this summary in his study Bible:

1. Separation in Scripture is twofold: (a) from whatever is contrary to the mind of God; and (b) to God Himself.

2. Separation from evil implies (a) separation in desire, motive, and act, from the world, in the ethically bad sense of this present world system and (b) separation from false teachers....

3. Separation is not from contact with evil in the world or the church, but from complicity with and conformity to it (vv.14-18; compare John 17:15; Gal.6:1). [We are commanded to be separate from the world, but this does not mean we should end all associations with unbelievers; that would defy the purpose for which God saved us in the first place and left us on earth to witness to the lost (Matt.28:19-20; 1 Cor.9:19-23). Remember, Jesus was called a Friend of Sinners (Luke 7:34), and He went to places that would make the modern day, self-righteous church goer cringe. In fact it made the self righteous church goer in His day cringe--the Pharisees. They couldn't stomach Him going to places where the drunks and prostitutes hung out. What's the point? As believers we're to be INSULATED but not ISOLATED. As Scofield pointed out, 'Separation is NOT from contact with the evil world...., but from complicity with and conformity to it.' It's okay for the boat to be in the water, but it's not okay for the water to be in the boat. Our boats must come in contact with the water--that's the Great Comission. But we must never take on the water and become like the world. But we also must never dry dock the boat. That's what I'm afraid many churches have done--dry docked the boat--and have absolutely no influence over the community in which it resides. ]
Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I want You to live in my body, Your temple, because You said, "I will dwell in my people just as I dwelt in the Old Testament Temple." Lord help me to be separate in my desires, motives and actions from that of the world. Lord help me to be insulated but not isolated. Help me to be in the world but not of the world as You prayed in John 17. Help me to be pure and holy before You. Help me to be a shining light in this dark world. Help me to be a godly influence upon my friends, co-workers and family. And may they see You in me. Jesus, in Your name I pray, Amen."
Point to Ponder:
When Jesus cried out His last words on the cross, the Roman centurion said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39) When this centurion looked in and upon Jesus' life and death, He saw that He was the Son of God. Question: When people see you, do they see Jesus in you?

Judgment

As Paul continues to defend his ministry to these Corinthians in 2 Cor.5, he details for them what motivates him. Paul said that his aim, his goal, his main motivation was to be well pleasing to the Lord (5:9). And contributing to this goal was Paul's knowledge that one day he would be evaluated by the Judge, Jesus Christ the Lord (5:10). This Judgment Seat of Christ is the judgment of believer's works. As Christians, you and I will stand before Christ, immediately following the Rapture, to have all of our works evaluated by Christ (cf. Rom.14:10-12). Salvation is not the issue here. As believers, our sins have already been judged on the cross. This is a reward judgment of our deeds issuing from our faith. It's here that we desire to hear those words "Well done My good and faithful servant." Therefore like Paul, we should not live for ourselves, but for the One who died for us (5:14-15). Dear Christian, who or what are you living for? Who do you aim to please? Yourself? Someone else? Or Jesus?
Prayer:
"Lord, I am not afraid to die, because when this body dies, I'll go immediately to Your presence in Heaven. Therefore, my aim is to please You in everything, whether I'm in an earthly body or a heavenly body. I know one day I'll stand before You to be judged, and everything I've done will be examined. And I'll get what my actions and thoughts deserve, for the good or bad deeds I've done. So Lord my aim is to live for You, because You died for me. Help me today, in the words of Oswald Chambers, to be 'my utmost for Your highest, my best for Your glory!' Jesus, in Your name I pray, Amen."

Discernment

2 Corinthians 4. Here Paul continues to defend his apostleship as he condemns those who twist God's Word. As often the case, the very thing these Corinthians were guilty of [twisting God's Word], they were accusing Paul of. But Paul exposes their craftiness and defends his ministry by saying "we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord..." (v.5). Paul says in verse two that "he had renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully..." That word "craftiness" comes from the Greek word "panourgia", a compound word that comes from two root words "pas" [pan] which means "all" and "ergon" which means "work" yielding the meaning "capable of all work" or as Aristotle viewed it, "an unprincipled [capability] to do anything." That is the false teacher. He will do anything, go to any extent, stoop to any level needed to manipulate error, to make something look like truth and thereby deliberately mislead folks from the truth.
Many false teachers today claim to base their doctrine on the Word of God, but false teachers handle God's Word in deceptive ways. You can prove anything by the Bible, provided you twist the Scriptures out of context and make it say what you want it to say. That's what the false teachers and preachers do. And tragically, and almost daily, so-called Christians books hit the shelves--books that do not handle the Scripture rightly, but twist it to say what the writer wants it to say.
Our challenge: Be Careful! Be Discerning! Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and search the Scriptures daily so that you can discern the truth. We need to investigate, question, scrutinize, and sift through every aspect of what is being taught and written. And we do so by using the Word of God. So my friends, be careful, be discerning and "study to show thyself approved." (2Tim.2:15).

Comfort

2 Corinthians 1. Paul had experienced many trials and tribulations and especially while at Ephesus (Acts 19) where the revival had led into a riot. Paul had to leave town and head back to Philippi. There he met up with Titus who gave him a report on the Corinthian church, and it was at this time Paul penned the second letter to the Corinthians. And in these first eleven verses Paul's topic is "comfort". Paul wanted them to know that the "God of all comfort" is the One who was comforting him at that time after he was run out of Ephesus. And that He is the same God of all comfort who will comfort them in their trials and tribulations.
There are three things I want you to see in these first eleven verses. 1) A Principle 2) A Purpose 3) Prayer. First the principle.

1) Principle: 1:8-9
Many times I hear people say "God won't put more on you than you can stand." Paul will tell you here that is absolutely untrue. Paul said we were to the point of death and had no where to turn but God. He had put more on Paul than Paul could stand, so much so that Paul had to fully rely upon the Lord. Instead of trusting in his own wits, he had to totally trust in God. Will God put more on you than you can stand? Absolutely. Why? So that you will totally rely on Him-v.9.

2) Purpose 1:3-4
Here Paul says that God comes alongside of us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can comfort them and be there for them just as God was for us. Here's the purpose: God does not comfort us to make us comfortable; He comforts us to make us comforters!

3) Prayer 1:11
Paul tells the Corinthians that their prayers were part of the process God used to deliver them. "You and your prayers were a vital part to our rescue operations...", Paul was saying. The same still occurs today. Have you ever wrestled with something or been discouraged by something when suddenly you felt an infusion of peace and life and joy, and you knew someone was praying for you? That's what Paul was saying here, "When we were despairing even of life itself, you helped us by praying for us...you played a crucial part in our rescue."

In the trials of life understand the principle, understand the purpose and exercise prayer.

"The God who washed away our sins,
will also wipe away our tears!" --a quote from tomorrow's Our Daily Bread.

Be...

I Corinthians 16. Today Paul closes out his first letter to the Corinthians. In vss.13-14 he gives them a final exhortation that would be good for us to note. Here we find 5 charges in this exhortation.
1. Be Alert: "Watch" means to be awake, alert, and constantly on guard. We are to be alert against Satan, against temptation, against apathy, indifference, false teachers...stay alert and pray.

2. Be Firm: "stand fast in the faith" means do not listen or give heed to false teachers and false doctrine. Don't be carried about by every wind and doctrine...STAND FIRM!

3. Be Mature: "be brave", the KJV says "quit you like men". This phrase means to quit living like immature men. GROW UP! Grow up and live like courageous men of God. Quit being babes and grow up!

4. Be Strong: This denotes inner spiritual growth. The verb is in the passive voice, and literally means "be strengthened". We cannot strengthen ourselves; that is the Lord's work. Our part is to submit ourselves to Him in order that He can strengthen us. (see Eph.3:16; Phil.4:13).

5. Be Loving: "Let all that you do be done with love." The word "with" could be translated "in"..."in love". The believer is to live in love and do all in love. Remember the 'love' chapter, chapter 13? The greatest answer to the division, and the other problems there at Corinth, was love. Love must prevail in our hearts, in our motivation, and in our actions. Be loving. Love puts a balance on everything. It keeps our firmness from becoming to hard. It keeps our strength from becoming too domineering. It keeps our maturity gentle, humble and considerate. It keeps our right doctrine from becoming dogmatism and our right living from becoming smug self righteousness. Love is what the Corinthians needed most, and it's what we need most too. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). And we are only able to love because He first loved us (I John 4:19).

Grace

I Corinthians 15. This chapter is the most significant chapter of the Bible on resurrection. The first half of the chapter talks about Christ Resurrection [15:1-28]. The last half of the chapter speaks of the Believer's Resurrection [15:29-58]. Embedded in this great chapter is a verse on grace -15:10. Paul says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain;..." Some people have what they call a "life verse", and this would qualify for my "life verse", because I am what I am by the grace of God.
Now let's unpack that in order to see all that is there. First of all, God met Paul's undeserving, unmerited position with His grace. Paul was the Pharisee of Pharisees, but when he was met by the grace of God, he turned from persecutor of the church to the preacher of the church and now occupied the office of an apostle--all by the grace of God!
Then notice those words, "and His grace toward me was not in vain..." God's grace did not turn out to be vain or empty in Paul's life. The word "vain" means "something without content or substance" and can also mean "something without result, effect or purpose." In other words, grace did not produce a fruitless ministry in Paul's life.
It has to be a heartbreaking thing for God to give His grace for nothing. God's grace makes it incumbent upon us to offer back sacrificially great service. Some Christians live their lives "in vain" never lifting a finger for God who died for them. What a tragedy! They live their lives without purpose or meaning, when the very grace of God has given them purpose and meaning if they would just be willing to serve God in whatever capacity He calls them. But the key word there is "willing". Most are willing to do nothing but sit in a pew and do nothing for the One who has done everything for them. This verse may well have been a life verse for Paul. He understood God's grace and never took it for granted. How do I know? Look at 2 Cor.5:15, "and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." What is Paul saying? He is saying, "He died for me, now I'm going to live for Him!" That's my goal; that's my aim; that's my purpose. Is it yours?

Tongues

I Corinthians 14. If you will recall, back in chapter one, there were four cliques in the Corinthian church. (Some were of Paul, some were of Apollos, some of Peter and some of Christ. 1:12) Each little group had their favorite preacher. Well that "I am of Christ" group is who Paul is addressing here in ch.14. This was a "super-spiritual" bunch who thought they were more mature than anyone else, and they fluantingly paraded their spiritual gifts, especially the gift of tongues. Paul has already shown them in ch.13 that love is the supreme gift. In essence, Paul is saying to them, "If you want a ranking of the gifts it goes like this: The gift of love is number one. The gift of prophecy (preaching) is number two. All the other spiritual gifts after that and at the bottom of the list is tongues." Paul is not saying that the gift of tongues shall cease (see v.39), as some of my Baptist brothers teach, but he is saying that it goes to the bottom of the list. Allow me to outline this chapter for you. Reread the chapter and follow this teaching outline to get a better understanding on this controversial subject.

I. Priority of Prophecy 14:1-5
Prophecy (synonymous with preaching) is priority for 3 reasons.
1) Tongues Are Addressed To God -v.2
2) Tongues Edify Self Only -v.3-4 (but preaching edifies the whole church)
3) Prophecy-preaching is of value to the whole church -v.5
Everyone needs to pay close attention to this verse: both the ones that over emphasize the gift of tongues and the ones that minimize the gift of tongues. (Paul said, 'I wish you all spoke with tongues...but I wish you would understand the priority here...')

II. Problem With Tongues 14:6-19
It's not clear communication. You "amen" (v.16) and don't even know what you're 'amening'. Paul goes on to say that it would be better to speak five words that you could understand than to speak 10,000 words in a tongue -v.19.

III. Purpose of Tongues 14:20-25
v.20- Paul calls them (and us) to maturity. God wants us to mature in our faith, but be babes (that is, be naive) when it comes to evil.
v.21-22- Purpose of Tongues: It's a sign for unbelievers.
v.24-25- Prophesy is the best. Three things happen when the Word of God is preached. 1) One is convicted. 2) One is judged. 3) Secrets of self disclosed. My friend, nothing can compete with the Word of God. Tongues can't convict a heart and transform a life. Only the preaching of the Word of God can do that.

IV. Restrictions on Tongues 14:26-33
v.26 is the guiding principle and then 4 restrictions:
1) Speaking in tongues is limited -v.27
2) Speak one at a time
3) Somebody interpret
4) No interpretation... then sit down and shut up -v.28. Why? Because God is not the author of confusion-v.33.

V. Role of Women in Worship 14:34-35
Paul brings up the women here because they are most likely the ones abusing the gift of tongues there at Corinth.

Conclusion: 14:37-40
Paul says do not forbid tongues. It is a valid gift. But it goes to the bottom of the list in terms of priority. Preaching the Gospel goes to the top of the list.

(reread the chapter carefully following this outline in order to get a good grip on this controversial subject.)

Agape

I Corinthians 13. There are over 1300 different interpretations of love when you include poets, their poetry, and all other writers of literature. When Scriptures were written there were only four different words for love. 1) Eros: This is the sensual, sexual love from where we get our word 'erotic'. 2) Storge: Storge love was the love between a parent and child (a family type love). 3) Then there's Phileo: the brotherly love. 4) Agape: Unconditional love. This is the word Paul uses here. It is a sacrificial love. It's the same Greek word for love found in John 3:16 "For God so loved (agape) the world..." Agape love is an unconditional, selfless type love. Agape says, "I'm going to do good for you, regardless of what you do for me" because agape love expects nothing in return. And it's this kind of love that is the medicine for our sick world. The world's definition of love is selfish (what can you do for me type of love), but not 'agape'. Agape is unconditional, unselfish, selfless, and sacrificial.
This troubled church at Corinth made a big deal about spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts for them was a pride issue "Look at me...look what I can do...I can speak in tongues" etc. Paul has just finished discussing spiritual gifts and the oneness of the body of Christ in ch.12. Now he says here's the greatest one. Here's what you should desire: agape. Note the breakdown of this chapter.

1. The Necessity of Love v.1-3
Notice the "though's and the "all" but do not have love, I am nothing... God does not give a flip about our gifts if there's no love. Love is prerequisite. And notice the progression: "I am becoming sounding brass (nothing)-v.1...I am nothing-v2...I will profit nothing-v3." You must have love-agape.

2. The Action of Love v.4-7
Here, Paul gives us, not so much a definition, but rather a description of what love does and does not do. Love is not mere words. It's action. Paul begins with two godly actions: patience and kindness. Next he continues with 8 characteristics which love does not have, does not do: 1) envy 2) boasting 3) pride 4) rudeness 5) self-seeking 6) easy anger 7) record of wrongs 8) delight in evil. Paul concluded here by describing love with four positive actions: 1) It protects 2) It trusts 3) It hopes 4) It perseveres.

3. The Endless Nature of Love v.8-13
Love never fails. It never folds, even under the most severe pressure. It continues through death into eternity. Love outlasts the popular gifts of the Corinthians: tongues, prophecy and knowledge. Paul stresses that the spiritual gifts are only for the church age--they are not eternal. But love is eternal. In heaven, we won't need the spiritual gifts, but we will still have love. Even faith and hope will end, because then we are with Jesus. Our journey of faith and hope is completed. We will then sit at Jesus' feet, but we'll still have love. Love is endless.

Paul says the supreme gift is love (agape). The church cannot function without this kind of love. We are commanded to love some 55 times in the New Testament. Our problem is we take the world's definitions of love and try to exercise them in the church. And guess what? It won't work. Why? Because all of the world's definitions are of a selfish type of love. So let's love each other with this agape, Christ-like love. "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'" I Peter 4:8.

Back On The Air

To use old terminology "We're back on the air." I realize that's not computer language, but that was the language of my generation with a rotary dial, black and white TV, with aluminum foil wrapped around the rabbit ears. My, how things have changed. Anyway, the reason we've been "off the air" for a few days is because I am downsizing my office here at home and upsizing my office at church as we move closer to completion of our new church facilities. In the future, I will be spending more time there, than here. So thank you for bearing with me. I've been stripping book cases and desk and repainting etc. One note of interest: my desk at my home study is nothing but a cut down sheet of plywood with 2 x4 legs. Actually, this was a work table/bench that I used to rebuild carburetors on and tweak race carburetors for all my race buddies. I cut the legs down to make it lower and into a desk, and now for the last 15+ years I've been building and tweaking sermons on it. That's why it's special. It reminds me everyday that God has changed my calling. I can still see the nicks and gouges in this wood, reminding me of those times when maybe a screwdriver slipped and dug into this table top. Though I've sanded and smoothed out most of these, there are still some left to remind me of my calling today.
So for all you that enjoy the daily devotions, I apologize for my absence. This weekend's reading will continue in I Corinthians 11-12. Pay attention to ch.11, because in it you find Paul's instruction around the Lord's Table/ Lord's Supper. We will be observing the Lord's Supper this Sunday. And by Monday, I'll be back to the devotions. For now, I better get to building a sermon on this old carburetor work bench. See ya Sunday! God bless!
Bro. Royce

Marriage Mess

I Corinthians 7. Remember in this port city, these Corinthians were surrounded by sexual immorality. They were so confused as to what and how it was supposed to be. So they sat down and wrote Paul a letter to ask him. According to 16:17 three men: Stephanus, Fortunatas, and Achaicus, brought the letter to Paul. Marriage was a mess in Corinth. Adultery was common practice. Slaves could be forced to marry. Daughters could be sold like merchandise. There were common law marriages like we have in our country today, and there was a growing feminist movement, which we shall see in ch.11. So with marriage in a mess, some were saying 'just forget it.' They figured the best way to deal with this problem was just don't marry. People do the same today. They say marriage has so many problems...we'll just live together (or they just have a 'one night stand' when it's convenient). Some began to elevate the idea of celibacy, believing that was the highest form of Christian life. Singles in the Corinthian church even began persuading the married people to divorce their spouses and become celibate. So in this chapter, Paul screams "TIME OUT!" as he addresses all of these issues. Now armed with some background go back and reread the chapter and see how Paul handles all of these issues.

The Holy Place

I Corinthians 6. In this chapter Paul deals with disputes in the courts and defilement in the world. Paul wants to know why they are taking Christian brothers to court...to a court outside the church and it being made up of people who don't even believe in God! It would be far better for Christians to settle their matters within the church, rather than before a pagan, lost court.
And Paul takes up the subject of defilement in the world. Remember, Corinth was a sexually charged place, a sailor city, a place of promiscuity and sexual immorality. The charge: Do not defile your body, for it is not your own, it belongs to God. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that was bought with the high price of Christ's shed blood. God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24), He dwells in your body; therefore be holy for I am holy, (1 Pet.1:16; Lev.11:44) thus says the Lord. If Christians would put forth the same effort at guarding the holiness of their own lives as they do guarding the holiness of a building, there would be much less sin in the church today.
Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I understand that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I yield myself and fully surrender now to the Holy Spirit so that He may be manifested in my body. I understand that my body does not belong to me. It belongs to You Jesus, for you have bought me from sin and paid for me with Your own shed blood. Therefore, I will use my body to glorify You. In Your Name I pray, Amen."