Scripture

He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Observation

This is the opening section of 1 Corinthians.

Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Christ, chosen by God. He is writing to the church in Corinth. They have been made holy through Christ, something they share with all who call on the name of Jesus.

Paul thanks God for these people. God has enriched them in every way. They have every spiritual gift, and Jesus will keep them strong to the end. God is faithful and He always does what He says.

Application

“He will keep you strong to the end.” This is a very powerful promise from the Holy Spirit.

If you ever struggle with doubt, or just trying to stay faithful to the call of God on your life, then know that God will keep you strong to the end.

I used to worry about whether I would fall away from God, but now I just trust in His faithfulness. He will keep me strong.

I have to do my part, of course. I cannot just do what I want to do, sinning in every way and then trusting Him to forgive me. This is about my relationship with God. I have to take that relationship with Him as seriously as He does.

The means that He uses to keep us strong are the Bible, prayer, sacraments, corporate worship. To avoid these things means that my spirit will become weak. When I actively pursue Him, He makes me strong in my spirit.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for this awesome promise. As long as I keep seeking you, you will hold me firm in the palm of your hand and make me stronger in you. Amen.

Scripture

You are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are still controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

Observation

Paul says that when he was with the people in Corinth, he could not talk to them as to spiritual people. They were too worldly.

The church was divided into factions- one group following Paul, another Apollos. This, he says, is worldliness, sinfulness. The heroes they are following are just doing the work the Lord gave to them to do. It is God’s work. One may plant a seed, and another water it, but it is God who makes the plant grow.

Application

The sin of denominationalism was present in the early church.

Wherever people gather, there is a tendency to group into cliques of similar interest. The problem arises when we allow these smaller groups to become our focus.

These people who claimed to follow Apollos or Paul were not claiming to follow Jesus. They had truly lost the plot.

Today many people take pride in the label at the door of their church building. “I am Anglican”, “I am Catholic” and so on.

If the denominational affiliation of our congregation is our focus, then we are not looking to Jesus. We will never go beyond the most basic of teaching because we are not open to the spiritual things.

Churches, pastors, leaders, and in fact every member of a church, must always remember that while denominations are a convenient tag, Jesus must always come first.

To build up “my” church at the expense of Christ is idolatry. The Church belongs to Jesus, and He will build it in His way.

I am thankful for the variety of flavours of church (worship styles, governance etc) in my town. I am thankful for the other pastors who have gifts and callings that I don’t have. I rejoice when they are blessed, and I feel their hurt when they are set back.

There is only one church. We follow Jesus.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for your church. May I always be faithful to Christ, seeking unity in the faith. Amen.

Scripture

The temptations in your life are no different fro what other people experience. God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure.

Observation

Paul reminds us of the experiences of the ancestors in the wilderness. They were guided by the cloud and passed through the water. They were tempted in various ways, and some of them yielded to the temptation.

The temptations in our life are no different to those faced by others. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can stand, and He will provide a way out.

Application

Sometimes we may feel that we are going through unique temptations and that we commit sins that nobody else ever did. This isn’t true. Our temptations are common to all people.

The good news is that if we truly surrender to God, He will provide us with the strength to overcome every temptation.

I have found in my life that every temptation is a questioning of God’s love for me or His willingness to supply my needs. In the heat of battle I forget who I am in Christ- a beloved son of God.

The solution to temptation is not to work up the strength to overcome it in my own ability. Nor is it to pray for the strength from God.

The solution is to go back to who I am. I spend time in worshipping and praising God. I meditate on His love and His character.

In losing myself in God, I find my true identity in Him. Then the temptations go away because the tempter is no longer able to touch me.

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you always provide a way out of temptation. Help me to keep my focus on you and dwell in your presence always. Amen.

Scripture

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last for ever.

Observation

We can have all the spiritual gifts in the world, but without love it is nothing- a noisy gong or a clashing cymbal.

Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous, boastful, proud, rude, demanding or irritable.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit such as prophecy will pass away because in heaven they will no longer be needed. Love lasts for ever.

We see things imperfectly now, but in eternity we will see clearly.

Application

This chapter is famously called the “Love Chapter.” It is sandwiched between two sections of Paul’s most extensive teaching on the spiritual gifts.

Some people try to contrast love and gifts. They claim that Paul is saying that love is better than prophecy or speaking in tongues. But he is not giving us a choice of one or the other. He is saying that anything we do in the name of Christ has to be done with love. If we don’t love the people around us, the actions we produce clash with the motives of our heart, rendering them useless.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit will not be needed in eternity. They are needed in this life because our relationships with God and with each other are marred by sin. People are hurting because of sin. The gifts will not be needed in heaven where everything is made perfect. This does not mean we should ignore them in this life.

Some people argue that now we have the complete New Testament, the perfect revelation of God’s will, then the partial things are now useless. There is no place in Scripture that says the gifts will cease.

We must pursue the fullness of the Holy Spirit- love and prophecy, the fruit and the gifts. In this way Christ is glorified in us and through us.

Prayer

Fill me Holy Spirit. Let every gift and all love be expressed in me. Amen.

Scripture

I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

Observation

In this passage, Paul explores the area of spiritual gifts. He says that nobody can curse Jesus if they are speaking by God’s Spirit.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them all. God works in each person in different ways, but He is still the same God.

God gives His gifts to help us serve one another. These gifts include words of wisdom and knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

The gifts all come from one God and are given as He determines.

Application

Back in the 1970’s during the charismatic revival, spiritual gifts were controversial. Not so much today, in most parts of the church.

Back then there were people who claimed to be “tongue testers”. They could tell whether a person was speaking in tongues by the Holy Spirit or some other spirit. So they were using the gift of discernment of spirits to prove their point that the gifts of the Spirit are fake.

Here is the good news about spiritual gifts, and tongues in particular. Nobody curses Jesus while speaking in tongues. If you love the Lord you will want to please Him. These gifts, even the ones we cannot rationally understand, will glorify Jesus.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to all who love the Lord. They are there to help us minister to one another and to glorify God.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for the Holy Spirit. Please help me to understand how to flow in the gifts of the Spirit so that the Name of Jesus is lifted up through me. Amen.