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).
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).
posted by Royce Hendry at
5:34 AM
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