Daily Encouragement

April 26, 2009 - Confirmed To The End

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul to correct the many problems in the church of Corinth. They had divisions, immorality, law suit, questions of worship and question of spiritual gifts and etc. But the amazing thing was that Paul still said that Christ would also confirm them to the end, that they might be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 8) In other word, they would be sustained by the grace of God and would be saved for eternity.

What gave Paul the confidence to say the above? Verse nine gave the answer. "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (NKJV) The faithfulness of God will make sure that his calling upon Christians will be carried out to the end to accomplish the purpose of His call.

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness though sometime we may be unfaithful. For He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13) Though the Corinthian Christians had lots of problem and was ignorant of many things, God still called them saints. (v. 2) And they were taught and expected to live like a saint.

May we all rejoice in the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption we have in Jesus Christ. (v. 30)

April 27, 2009 - Understanding The Things Of God

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2:9 is the favorite verse of my wife and I. We made bookmarks with this verse as a gift to all our wedding guests. It says, "But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."" (NKJV)

God has prepared many wonderful things for those who trust in Jesus and love Him. The most important thing God has prepared for us is salvation. But no one would be able to understand salvation and receive it unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to the person because salvation is a thing of God. Therefore it can only be understood by our spirit which is illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

So men's wisdom cannot portray God's things including salvation. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us to understand the things of God that are recorded in His word. When we witness to our friends, we should depend on the Holy Spirit to open the heart of man to understand salvation or other spiritual matter.

May God help us not to rely on human skill and wisdom but on the Holy Spirit to share Jesus.

April 28, 2009 - God's Warning Against Faction In The Local Church

Meditation on 1 Corinthian 3

God considers Christians who cause divisions, strife, and envy in the local church as carnal. People like to identify themselves to a certain leader thereby looking down upon others in the body of Christ. But Paul shows us that all leaders are used by God to serve the church in different positions as instrument for planting and growth. Actually, it is God who gives the increase. So none of the leaders should be exalted above others. (v. 1-7) Neither should anyone in the church considers himself wiser than others. Let none should boast in man. (v. 18-21)

If anyone defiles the local church which is holy by disrupting its unity, God will destroy him. (v. 16-17) All leaders and things belong to all of us in the church even include the things to come. And all of us belong to Christ who belongs to God. We should never be divided. (v. 22-23)

God will test all of us by fire in the Day of His judgment. Those who build their lives by the materials which are burnable are those who serve the church with self interest and human wisdom. Their works are divisive and therefore will not stand. They will be saved. But they will not receive any reward. (v. 8-15)

How are you building your church today, with solid gold of unity or burnable straw of party spirit?

April 29, 2009 – Understanding Your Pastor

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 4

The apostle Paul was pouring his heart out for the Corinthians as the pastor-founder of their church. First of all, he understood his role as a servant of God who should be a faithful to what God had entrusted to him as a steward. (v. 1-2)

Then he wished that no one should judge him and compare him with someone else. For all would be judged by God who would know the unknown. (v. 3-5)

Paul frankly shared the sufferings and mistreatment he had had. But he hinted that he humbly endured them for the sake of the Gospel and raising the Corinthians up as his spiritual children. (v. 6-15)

He urged the Corinthians to imitate him and learn of his ways in Christ. (v. 16-17)

He reminded them that he could discipline them as a loving father. (v. 18-21)

It seemed that the Corinthians thought that they could do better than Paul or other preachers were better than Paul. Are you one of them?

April 30, 2009 - The Boundary Of Christian Association

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 5

In the days which are full of immorality similar to the first century in the city of Corinth, our church must watch who we are associating with in the works of Christ. God's Word demands us to reach out to the unsaved who may be immoral and give them the saving message of Christ. But those who claim to be Christians but are openly engaging in immoral behaviors, or continuing to be covetous, using terribly abusive language, or worshiping idols, or a drunkard, or one who keeps on cheating people in business practices should be "fired" from the church. (v. 11)

If not, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough," Paul warned. (v. 6 NASB) Therefore we must clean out the old leaven so that we may be a new lump. For Christ has sacrificed for us so that we may be unleavened and new with sincerity and truth. (v. 7-8)

Those who are practicing immorality should not be allowed to take communion with us.

God will judge those who are outside our church. But our church should remove the wicked man from among ourselves. (v. 13)

If our churches are taking such stand today, I believe that not only our churches will be more powerful but also we will have much more influence in the society indeed.

May 1, 2009 - Glorify God In Spiritual Body And Physical Body

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 6

There are two grave issues Paul deals with here in this chapter. First, Christians are to settle their differences among themselves in the church. Secondly, Christians are not to commit sexual sins. Both have to do with our honor as Christians.

It is a shame for a believer to go to court against another believer. (v. 5) There should be wise believers in the church to judge between them. Some days, Christians should be able to judge the world and the angels. (v. 2-5) Why should we dishonor ourselves by suing one another before the unbelievers? We should protect our relationship with God and with one another. Don't follow the way of the unrighteous who will not to able to inherit the kingdom of God. (v. 9-10)

Christians should not commit sin against his own body by having illicit relationship. But rather we should confine our sexual relationship within a marital bliss. For our body is brought by the blood of Christ and raised from dead by God spiritually. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (v. 19) "Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (v. 20b NKJV)

May 2, 2009 - To Be Married Or Single?

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 7

There are many Christians who remain single today. Some cultures may consider them unfulfilled and not ideal. The parents may try all kind of means to get their children married somehow. Some Christian parents would have no problem to push their Christian son or daughter who has way past their flower age to get married with a non-Christian as long as the prospect is wealthy and healthy. The result then may be tragic. Seldom will there be happiness in such home. However divorce is not the solution. Paul counsels the believers who have married to non-believers to remain in the same condition. Perhaps the unsaved partner may become a Christian through the testimony of the believing spouse. (v. 12-16 cf. 1 Peter 3:1-2)

To be single is not a failure. It can be good as Paul said. (v. 1) But each Christian has his own calling and gift. Some are to be married and some do have the gift of celibacy. (v. 6-7) Those who can devote their whole life and passion to the Lord and His work in single state like Paul are to be commended. But those who need to be married and partner with a spouse to serve the Lord are just as good in fulfilling the Lord's command to multiply and complement each other. (Genesis 2:18-25) In fact God's Word encourages the husband and wife to fulfill each other in their physical relationship. (v. 3-5)

In Paul's days, he was sensing the difficult days ahead for Christians who would suffer tremendous persecution in the Roman Empire. Therefore he counseled them to remain single in order to avoid more distress. But he did not think that marriage is no good at all. Whether it was the father or the fiancé who was making the decision regarding the marriage for a virgin, they can have freedom to determine their own status. But certainly all Christians or widows/widowers who want to marry should marry a believer. (v. 25-40)

There are a lot more to comprehend in this long chapter. It is best for you to read it carefully and secure a thorough commentary by an evangelical scholar from your church library to help you.