Bible League: Living His Word So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don't let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.— 1 Corinthians 15:58 ERV Given the glorious future that Christians can look forward to, a future that includes nothing less than the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-56), there are at least three things that we should do. First, we should stand strong and confident in the faith. Even though there will be trials, troubles, temptations, and persecutions, we should stand strong. Even though there will be times when our faith seems pointless and fruitless, we should still stand strong. Second, we should not let anything change us. That is, we should not let anyone or anything turn us aside from the faith, especially our faith in the glorious future that awaits us. "You must remain strong and sure in your faith. You must not let anything cause you to give up the hope that became yours when you heard the Good News" (Colossians 1:23). Although there may be friends that try to turn us back to our old way of life, although there may be false teachers that try to turn us aside to heretical beliefs, we should not let them change us. Third, we should always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. What is the "work of the Lord"? It is not only ministry in a local church or missionary work. It is everything the Lord requires of us in every area of life. It is every duty and every virtue that is required of us in Christ's kingdom. We should do everything we are called to do to advance the kingdom and we should do everything we are called to do to manifest the life of the kingdom. Further, we should do all this "fully." That is, we should do it diligently and with excellence. Our verse for today tells us that doing these three things will not be a meaningless waste of time. Why not? It's because there will be rewards in the present era and in the future. If we stand strong, we will experience all the good things of God's great salvation, now and forevermore. "We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 4, 5, 6 Isaiah 4 -- A Remnant in Zion NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 5 -- Song of the Vineyard; Woe to the Wicked NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 6 -- Isaiah's Vision and Commission NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Galatians 3 Galatians 3 -- Abraham's Faith Credited as Righteousness; Purpose of the Law NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.Insight Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that they were a unified assembly. They were not to see themselves as a collection of competing interests or independent individuals. Paul was emphasizing the intent of Jesus' prayer in John 17:21-23 that believers be unified in God. Challenge What actions can you take this week to strengthen your ties to fellow Christians in the church of Jesus Christ? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Corinthians 1:30 Who of God is made unto us wisdom.Man's intellect seeks after rest, and by nature seeks it apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Men of education are apt, even when converted, to look upon the simplicities of the cross of Christ with an eye too little reverent and loving. They are snared in the old net in which the Grecians were taken, and have a hankering to mix philosophy with revelation. The temptation with a man of refined thought and high education is to depart from the simple truth of Christ crucified, and to invent, as the term is, a more intellectual doctrine. This led the early Christian churches into Gnosticism, and bewitched them with all sorts of heresies. This is the root of Neology, and the other fine things which in days gone by were so fashionable in Germany, and are now so ensnaring to certain classes of divines. Whoever you are, good reader, and whatever your education may be, if you be the Lord's, be assured you will find no rest in philosophizing divinity. You may receive this dogma of one great thinker, or that dream of another profound reasoner, but what the chaff is to the wheat, that will these be to the pure word of God. All that reason, when best guided, can find out is but the A B C of truth, and even that lacks certainty, while in Christ Jesus there is treasured up all the fulness of wisdom and knowledge. All attempts on the part of Christians to be content with systems such as Unitarian and Broad-church thinkers would approve of, must fail; true heirs of heaven must come back to the grandly simple reality which makes the ploughboy's eye flash with joy, and gladens the pious pauper's heart--"Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." Jesus satisfies the most elevated intellect when he is believingly received, but apart from him the mind of the regenerate discovers no rest. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." "A good understanding have all they that do his commandments." Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 2:16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. John 5:22,27 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, • and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Revelation 2:18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: Psalm 73:11 They say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?" Psalm 50:21 "These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes. Luke 12:2 "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Psalm 38:9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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