1 Corinthians 16:13-14 New American Standard Bible
13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 All that you do must be done in love.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Minimal Daily exhortation … In the fullest Presence of God and our neighbors, emphasize our need to live, love and move knowing that Jesus’ return is near.
Minimal Acceptable Standard of Excellence
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Amplified Bible
13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. 14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].
1. Be on guard.
2. Stand firm in the faith.
3. Be courageous.
4. Be strong.
These robust commands urge our readiness for warfare against Satan and his angels of darkness.
The battle is at hand.
We must prepare!
But, were you a little surprised with that fifth command?
5. And do everything with love. motivated and inspired by God’s love for us.
And, notice the command to live with love isn’t just pointed in the direction of the people on “our side”!
Everything we do should be done with love!
Satan, the roaring lion looking to devour people and their eternal futures, is on the prowl.
He is our enemy.
People are not.
Unbelievers are not.
Those who believe in other religious ideologies, other theologies are not.
Unbelievers and those who hate us are the most important target for our love because they don’t have the hope we have.
Notice what Peter said to early believers facing persecution for their faith:
1 Peter 3:13-20 New King James Version
Suffering for Right and Wrong
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But [a]sanctify [b]the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Christ’s Suffering and Ours
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring [c]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, [d]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
Love is our most disarming weapon against our real enemy, Satan.
Our love for God is essential.
Our love for our neighbors is also essential.
And, our love for each other is crucial to our survival and our witness.
So, don’t think that Paul went soft all of a sudden in his list of key preparations to triumph over Satan.
He didn’t.
The battle over lies, hatred, and murder – the key attributes of the evil one -is going to be won by our love.
Specifically, won by our loving relationships with others, whether brothers and sisters in God’s family, neighbors around us who have not come to faith, or too those who hate us, even if they long to see us dead.
Remember, the greatest missionary in the history of Christianity began as a hater of Jesus and his followers.
but his heart was turned by the example of someone he had killed and the grace of a man on his probable hit list who came and shared Christ with him.
All of the preparations and weapons Paul listed are important for us as we face challenging times and battle the hosts of hell.
However, building loving relationships is our greatest weapon against evil and our most remarkable testimony to goodness!
Remember what the apostle Paul said:
1 Corinthians 13:13 Amplified Bible
13 And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.
And, Paul didn’t know this because the Holy Spirit inspired this truth in him.
He had personally experienced this powerful weapon of grace at work in his life from the examples of those he persecuted!
Borrowing from Coach John Wooden’s words, I urge you to care more about your character than your reputation as you invest your energies.
I think strong resolutions will help make that happen.
If we plan to be a positive influence for righteousness in a world losing its way, we cannot wander through these years without a compass of commitment.
I promise to make these my resolutions from now on.
I challenge you to do the same.
To be alert to the presence of evil and the strategy of the adversary.
Our adversary wants nothing more than to demoralize, discourage, discredit every one of us. He is the original murderer, the first deceiver. We cannot afford the luxury of ignorance. We must know our enemy and be alert to his presence.
To stay fervent in prayer.
Let’s fight our best battles on our knees.
Rather than becoming better at debate and more clever in our sarcasm, let’s quickly drop to our knees and do our best work there.
To refuse to retaliate in the energy of the flesh.
Revenge is a dead-end street.
But when we are swung at, the great tendency is to swing back.
What a time-wasting effort. And worst of all, our adversary loves it when we take him on in our own flesh.
Every time we make that mistake, we lose.
To refuse to slacken, surrender, or quit the path of obedience no matter how intense the pressure.
It’s time to embrace strong resolve, encourage all in our family to do the same.
Let’s stop the thinking that says
if it’s uncomfortable, then don’t pursue;
if it might offend someone, then don’t make waves.
Obedience is a lonely path so we need to walk it together.
Finally, To seek to glorify the Lord God and to trust the Word of God, regardless.
The glory of God ultimately becomes the major filter of one’s life.
What a way to live!
No one has a freer conscience than one whose conscience has been cleansed and whose heart has been washed by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 26 Complete Jewish Bible
26 (0) By David:
(1) Vindicate me, Adonai,
for I have lived a blameless life;
unwaveringly I trust in Adonai.
2 Examine me, Adonai, test me,
search my mind and heart.
3 For your grace is there before my eyes,
and I live my life by your truth.
4 I have not sat with worthless folks,
I won’t consort with hypocrites,
5 I hate the company of evildoers,
I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence
and walk around your altar, Adonai,
7 lifting my voice in thanks
and proclaiming all your wonders.
8 Adonai, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory abides.
9 Don’t include me with sinners
or my life with the bloodthirsty.
10 In their hands are evil schemes;
their right hands are full of bribes.
11 As for me, I will live a blameless life.
Redeem me and show me favor.
12 My feet are planted on level ground;
in the assemblies I will bless Adonai.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 