1 Corinthians 16
Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 16
We have come to the final chapter of Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. Paul ended off his letter telling the Corinthians to “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
BE ON YOUR GUARD & STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH
As Christians we cannot afford to slacken in our faith. It is an ongoing battle with the devil. The devil prowls around like a lion looking to devour unsuspecting Christians. We need to be watchful and not be swayed by half-truths and eventually stray away from the right path.
BE COURAGEOUS; BE STRONG
Doesn’t this remind you of a famous verse from the book of Joshua?
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Though his enemies were numerous and powerful, Joshua was not discouraged, as God has promised him that He would be with him wherever he go. God has commissioned Joshua a ministry that is very special but difficult, full of challenges and obstacles beyond his abilities. Life for us is filled with challenges and problems that test our faiths most times. To pass this test and emerge victorious, we have to be courageous in the face of difficulty and strong in our faiths.
When faced with difficult situations people tend to run away out of fear or dread. Without God’s strength and courage from our end, we will not be able to enter God’s calling into our lives.
DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE
Another teaching that we are familiar with, but one that is difficult to put into action.
Love involves both care and discipline. When we see brethren who have sinned against God, or are going astray, as fellow church members our basic responsibility is to lead him back to the right path. When we see our loved ones, our parents, children, friends, relatives committing sins against God, we are held accountable if we do not point them back to the right direction.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you gave him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.”
Loving our brethren means steering them back into the right path, even if it means having to step on other peoples’toes and offend them.
May God guide our footsteps on this pathway to righteousness.