Jealous. Ever been jealous, feeling like you might be losing importance or even replaced by a rival? Paul, as a spiritual leader for the Corinthian believers, was jealous for the spiritual fidelity of the people. Other teachers of dubious motives and questionable content were stealing the hearts of the people away from the truth. Paul challenged their lack of discernment and backbone: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (II Cor.11:2-3). The devil deceives – it is his consistent strategy against you. He tricks you into believing that sin is better than obedience; that rebellion against God is superior to submission to him. Every time you fall for a lustful thought, a selfish indulgence, hold a grudge, or react to authority you have taken the bait. God is longing for you to have a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Devotion to Jesus Christ is your lifeline to spiritual health. Apart from constant joy in him, you will be easy prey for the deceptions of the enemy. Tend to the inner fire; I am jealous for your heart to be passionately in love with God.

Comparison. How do you measure success? Probably your measurement includes comparing yourself with others in a similar talent, task or responsibility. This approach leads to a competitive spirit along with thoughts of envy, jealousy and judgment of others. When you find those doing better than you, you feel discouraged; when you find those not doing as well as you, you feel smugly superior. Despair or pride – neither are which come from God. That’s why we are warned to avoid comparisons entirely: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (II Cor.10:12). There is one we focus upon, Jesus Christ. Focusing on others and comparing ourselves accordingly usually quenches the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. Bless and cheer for those who succeed; comfort and encourage those who fail. Keep your focus on the Lord Jesus as your ideal standard and champion. His affirmation is all you need. In what areas of your life do you find yourself comparing yourself with others?

Weapons. God has given you weapons with spiritual power. There is a battle in your mind over what to believe about God – is he always good, trustworthy and all-powerful? Any thought that argues against God’s goodness, integrity, power, sacrifice, love, holiness, purity or tempting you to rebel against Him is not of God. Those thoughts are the tactics of your enemy who is attempting to defeat you. So, many times throughout the day you will need to draw your weapons and fight: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (II Cor.10:4-5). You are to demolish all thoughts that challenge God’s goodness or any arguments tempting you away from your responsibility to love others as Christ has loved you. Do not accept every thought; take control of your thoughts and conform them to the truth of God’s word. Force out the lies by replacing them with the truth. The weapons are the promises of God’s word. Feed your mind the truth of Scripture; meditate upon it and converse with God about it. Believe it. What promise from God’s word has become especially meaningful to you?

Provider. God is your source. He is the one who supplies all you need: “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (II Cor.9:10-11). God is overwhelming generous in his provision for you. His grace evidence is all over your life. Part of his provision is to meet your need and help you to experience his grace personally. Additionally, he provides more than you need so that you can be generous to others. In this way, you help others experience God’s grace as well. When you are generous in giving to meet the needs of others, you reaffirm to your own heart that God is your provider. He is giving you not only bread to eat, but seed to plant in the lives of others. God provides; we receive and give. Generosity reveals to the world that God is our gracious provider, who has an endless supply for all our needs. When has someone been generous to you?

Giving. The cliché is true: you can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. God’s nature is to give; he demonstrates his love for us by giving his one and only Son for us (John 3:16). Those who follow Christ, give: “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving…For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” ( II Cor.8:7, 9). We give because Christ has so abundantly and stunningly given to us. He traded the riches of eternity with the Trinity to become a human and enter our poverty. He took upon himself all the debt of sin, becoming poorer still. Yet through his resurrection, he pours out grace upon grace into our lives, making us fabulously wealthy in Christ. Our response? Give. Excel at giving, become generous on every occasion. Demonstrate to your own heart that you can never overcome the generosity God has poured into your life through Jesus.

Turning Around. Paul had challenged the Corinthians by his letter, correcting them for living unaligned with God’s purposes. The people could have bristled at his correction and dismissed Paul as a narrow-minded, control freak. But instead, their consciences were touched; humbling themselves, they adjusted their lives to the will of God. This adjustment of the heart to align with God’s will is called repentance: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (II Cor.7:10). “Worldly sorrow” is similar to feeling badly about the consequences of your wrongdoing, but having little interest in changing your attitude or actions in the future. You regret getting caught. Worldly sorrow also appeals to our pride – we will try harder next time, proving to God we are not ‘really’ that bad. But true repentance is about being broken over your pride and rebellion against God. You recognize the honest and ugly truth about your heart and you earnestly want to change. True repentance is only possible through the working of the Holy Spirit in your life. He reveals the truth about your heart; you respond in humility and action. Repentance also leaves you with less judgment in your heart towards others – you are freshly reminded of your own failures so you have much more compassion for others. True repentance is a vital, ongoing experience for all who would follow Christ, keeping you close and dependent on Jesus. Also, repentance leads to reconciliation among believers, removing the barriers to love. Have you repented of your sins lately?

Distinction. God does not see all people in the same way. Those outside of his saving mercy are lost in the spiritual darkness of unbelief. Those who trust in Christ are inherently different and unique. So God calls his people to live out their distinction: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ‘Therefore come out from them and be separate’, says the Lord” (II Cor.6:14, 17).You are fundamentally different in spirit, worldview, purpose and eternal future from the unbelievers of the world. Therefore, God calls you to be discerning in your close associations. In the Corinthian context, the main concern was to not associate closely with teachers who contradict the established truth of the gospel (false teachers). Yet the principle applies to a wide range of relationships – any close friend or partnership should be based on a common faith in Jesus Christ. Attempting to form an intimate association with someone who does not trust and follow Christ mixes two elements that fundamentally don’t mix (i.e. light and darkness). Be the light of righteousness Christ has recreated you to be. How have you experienced this idea?

Cost of Leadership. Paul’s commitment to serving God was amazing. Consider the price he was willing to pay to help the Corinthian people who largely criticized and marginalized him: “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (II Cor.6:3-10). When the people you serve do not appreciate or even receive your service, it is easy to withdrawn and become cynical. Be careful. The ministry is about doing the will of God, not seeking the affirmation of people. We are to pour out our lives for others because of God pouring out his life for us and in us. Paul appeals to the people to open their hearts to him, but nevertheless, considers himself a “servant of God.” Have you allowed the mild rejections of others to discourage you from serving? Allow the Holy Spirit to encourage your heart once again and experience the adventures of ministry leadership. It is what you were made for.

Reconciliation. You were completely lost and spiritually dead in your sins. But God took the initiative to mercifully be your sin substitute, to purchase your salvation and offer it to you as a gift. He adopts you as his child, gives you Himself as your inheritance and his Spirit as the seal of more to come. When you receive his gracious gift by faith, He completely transforms you into a new species of person who has never existed before. Everything of your old life is gone. You are completely new, made alive in your spirit. He brought you to himself – reconciled: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (II Cor.5:17-20). Not only did God reconcile you to himself, he now shares with you the amazing privilege of reconciling others to Him – as an ambassador. What better news could the world ever hear, that God is not counting their sins against them! You are not only the messenger, you are the living message – an example of one forgiven and reconciled to God. How can you more purposefully function in your God-given identity as a reconciler?

Jars of Clay. Paul and his mission team faced unimaginable suffering and persecution. Yet his hope was in Christ, who made the light of the gospel shine through his life. He saw himself as a ‘container’ of God’s power: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (II Cor.4:7). The reality of Christ filling and overflowing from his life gave him a unique perspective on his difficulties: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (II Cor.4:16-18). He saw his troubles as benefits because of the opportunity they presented to trust more in the all-sufficiency of Christ. The brilliant light and love of Christ (glory) continued to increase in Paul’s ministry. Paul made the decision to focus his attention on the unseen Christ and live each day for what would matter for eternity. Are you wasting your life trying to keep yourself entertained and amused? You are created to contain in ever-increasing measure the glory of Christ. Allow him to renew you inwardly every day. Discover the value of your troubles. Jesus is the One who can fill your life.

Reflection. Unbelief is like a blanket we keep over our hearts, preventing us from knowing the spiritual truth and freedom God intends for us. But through his Spirit, we can be liberated from the bondage of unbelief and reflect the beauty and light of Christ. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (II Cor.3:17-18). God’s will for you is to be transformed into his likeness. The more you meditate upon, wholeheartedly trust, adore and worship Jesus Christ – the more pure his reflection will shine from your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to purge from your life all the interference of selfishness, pride, worry and unbelief that diminishes his beauty from shining through your life. How have you seen the Holy Spirit transform you over your journey with him?

Aroma. Our Lord intends us to live in spiritual victory, and for our personal victory to translate into an ever-increasing positive influence on others: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life” (II Cor.2:14-16). The depth of Christ’s influence in your life determines the quality of your influence on others. If you are receptive to his leadership, correction and truth – if you trust, love and obey him – then others will sense the fragrance of His life in you. Those who rebel against God will react to your spiritual influence because you are a reminder of their moral accountability to Him. But those who are seeking to know God will be drawn to your life-giving fragrance. We are continually giving a scent of that which is most dominant in our thoughts, choices and emotions – either spiritual life or spiritual death. It depends on your moment-to-moment response to Christ. Trusting Him brings victory and stirs an interest in others to know that same spiritual victory. So, what is the aroma of your life?

Promises. God is always good and his promises can be trusted: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (II Cor.1:20-22). God’s many promises in the bible are to help you mature in your faith. The promises call us to believe what God says despite what our circumstances may tell us. By agreeing with God’s promises, we stand firm in Christ, unmoved by the ‘facts’ of our circumstances. As long as we believe our circumstances will not change and we doubt God’s promises, we are bound to fall in our spiritual journey. But trusting him, believing and speaking his promises, verify that we are his ‘anointed’ possessions. Learn the new habit of speaking the promises of God rather than the worries, doubts and fears of this world. Standing firm is much better than falling and stumbling along through life. What promise from the bible has God challenged you to believe?

Pressure. Paul and his mission team hit the wall hard: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers” (II Cor.11:8-11). He felt a death sentence, but God delivered him. In the process, he learned a critical lesson for Christ-followers: do not rely on yourself, but on God. His comparison is that if God can raise the dead, he can certainly handle whatever trouble I may find myself in. Plus, God is faithful and dependable; he has delivered us from the problems of the past so we can trust him to do the same for us in the future. One essential part of God’s deliverance for you is the prayer support of others. The prayers of the saints provide the help Paul needed; apparently, the prayers moved the hand of God to deliver them from their opponents. Certainly if these Corinthians had neglected to pray, Paul would have survived somehow. Possibly God would have impressed upon other believers to pray for him. But without the partnership of prayer by one group and mission work by another – the task would not have been accomplished. When pressure touches your life, rely on God for your deliverance and seek partners to pray for you. Do you have a small group of trusted friends who sincerely pray for you on a regular basis? How can you foster more prayer support for the cause of world mission?

Open Door. As Paul concluded his letter to the Corinthians, he was communicating his future plans to come and visit them. He hoped to stay with them for a season to strengthen their faith and give them opportunity to help him financially with his ministry. But for now his plans were to remain at Ephesus: “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (I Cor.16:8-9). Two reasons he believed it to be best to remain in Ephesus: one, there were receptive people responding to his ministry; two, there were unreceptive people, reacting to his ministry. For the receptive audience, Paul saw the positive impact of his teaching and leadership. This was the open door that caused him to remain. However, the detractors were opposing him, making life and ministry difficult. But the opposition did not deter Paul; rather he saw it as an opportunity to persevere. Critics, detractors and enemies alone should not be the reason you give up or move on. If God has given an open door of ministry to receptive people – assume that is his recommendation for you, even if there are many who oppose you. Where do you feel the Lord is calling you to persevere?

New Body. Your natural, physical body is the house of your spirit and soul. It functions only for your physical life on earth. Because of the sin curse you inherited from your ancestor Adam, your body is destined to break down and die. But God intended you to exist for eternity, so you must have an entirely new existence – spirit, soul and body: “If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (I Cor.15:44-45). Jesus Christ is Himself our new life. First your spirit is reborn at the moment you commit yourself in faith to his grace. Next your soul is renewed day by day as his truth transforms your thinking, emotions and decisions. Finally, when Christ returns to the earth, he transforms your body: “We will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (I Cor.15:51-52). Wow, what a phenomenal expectation we have! Our response? “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (I Cor.15:58). Live at full speed for his cause and purposes in a bold and fearless way. God is all that matters and he will take care of you (even giving you a new, permanent body) for eternity. How does the prospect of your new, supernatural body inspire you to live more purposefully today?

Your Resurrection. Everything about the Christian faith hinges on the resurrection of Christ. If he did not rise from the dead, then we have no certainty that our sins have been forgiven or that we will have eternal life. But Christ has risen from the dead; that changes everything: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (I Cor.15:14, 21-22). Since our sinful, condemned, hopeless condition was inherited from our ancestor Adam, God now provides our way of salvation through a “new” ancestor, Jesus Christ. Because of the new birth available by faith in Christ, we gain a new Father, a new history, a new nature and a new future. Your sins are in fact forgiven, your old life is erased and your future eternity is secure because Christ has been raised from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is the validation of our faith and hope in him. Therefore, we can live fearlessly and boldly for his purposes, knowing he is our all in all. Do you recognize how secure you are in Christ?

Reminder. Some things are so important we need to be reminded of them often, to reinforce their value. The good news of Jesus Christ is of ultimate importance. Paul reminds the Corinthian believers of what they probably know but need to hear again and again; the pure and simple gospel: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Cor.15:3-4). Our resurrected Savior is the One who is wonderfully transforming me – this is ‘grace.’ Grace is the power of Christ within me, empowering me to love, trust and obey him. Grace impacted Paul’s life: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (I Cor.15:10). Paul cooperated with God’s grace working within him, and it changed him. Be reminded that everything good in your life, including the ongoing spiritual growth, is evidence of his good news of grace that he has given you. Be reminded of just how overwhelmingly wonderful he is for you today.

No spectators. Wonder what a first-century church meeting looked like? “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church” (I Cor.14:26). Nothing about ‘sit back and relax’ or ‘let the professionals do it.’ The emphasis here is on full participation by every attender. Obviously, this description fits the small gathering in a home rather than the large crowds of believers who met in the temple courts. Nevertheless, no one is allowed a pass when it comes to the very important priority of strengthening the church. Every person should come prepared to contribute, to share, to serve and to do whatever he or she can to improve the health of the church. To be part of the church meant to be a contributor – no spectators allowed. The full experience of what it means to be a follower of Christ includes a meaningful connection to a small group of other believers. This small group should be a Christ-focused group that is joined in relationships of love and service. If you are not yet part of such a group, find one or start one. Become a contributor to the health and strength of Christ’s body. How have you grown in your service to the body of Christ?

Speak Up. Paul brings clarification on the use of the verbal gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Though he encourages all to speak in tongues because it is personally edifying, he emphasizes the greater value of prophecy: “But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church” (I Cor.14:3-4). Prophecy is an encouraging message from God to a person or group to reinforce his good intentions for their lives. The one gifted with prophecy discerns the will of God in the current situation and then shares their insight by faith. If it renews strength, brings encouragement and comforting reassurance to the hearer, then there is high probability that the message was from God. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural ability where the person voluntarily speaks in a language unknown to him or her. Again, with this gift of tongues, there is encouragement to ‘speak up’ and use this gift (along with the gift of interpretation) so the body may be strengthened. Throughout the chapter, Paul gives guidelines but not restrictions. There is implied latitude and opportunity for experimentation in using these gifts. So, speak up! Share graciously and lovingly what you sense God has put on your heart. What do you sense God has put on your heart to share with others?

Love is. The context for this ‘chapter of love’ is resolving disunity within the church and specifically how to use your gifts to benefit others, rather than yourself. However, the description of genuine love has broad applications: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (I Cor.13:4-7). Demanding your own way will inevitably produce strife. Love is the opposite of selfishness. The solution to disunity, conflict, and broken relationships is love. Using the I Cor.13 definition, the question to ask yourself is, “am I demonstrating genuine love to others?” Taking personal responsibility to genuinely love others is the key to healing conflicts in marriage, family, church, business, etc. The only problem is that you in your humanness are incapable of genuine love. Only God is love and only God, by his Spirit, can enable you to genuinely love others. Trust the Holy Spirit now to fill your heart with the love of God that you might be a living demonstration of His love. How is God challenging you now to be the channel of his love in your circle of relationships?

Structure. The body of Christ has structure; it is built upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ as the head. Flowing from Him are the gifted individual members of his body: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing…helps…administration…tongues” (I Cor.12:27-28). The head of the body is Christ. The apostles, prophets and teachers form its backbone. Nothing of the Spirit begins new without the sending of a leader (apostle) to establish ministry. Additionally, prophets and teachers equip the body to know the will of God and grow in truth. Finally, the beautiful varieties of gifts are expressed as each one contributes to the health and growth of the body. Clearly, each body part (member) is critically important to the overall body. When even one part is unavailable it diminishes the potential usefulness and glory of the body. You are an important, indispensible part of the body of Christ. Without your contribution, service and ministry, the body will never be as strong or effective as it could be. The simple step to take is to get involved in serving wherever you see needs. Do what you can to help others trust and love Christ more – in this way you will discover the beautiful gifts of God at work through you. What would you consider your spiritual gift(s)?

Spiritual Gifts. God is the creator and giver of all spiritual gifts. His creativity and love for his people shine through each gift he provides: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (I Cor.12:4-6). He continues by listing nine of the gifts (charismata) of the Spirit. It is clear that God is the One who gives the gifts to each person, at his discretion, for the benefit of the body. No gift is earned or owned by a person. The gifts are expressions of the Holy Spirit encouraging and strengthening his body. The church needs you! If you are a believer in Jesus, God has given you at least one spiritual gift to use to build up his body. This is his leading for you to get involved in serving others by putting the gift into use. To avoid serving others through your gift is to leave the body in a weakened, deficient condition. Apply yourself to the needs you see and gain motivation to strengthen the body of Christ. What spiritual gift do you believe God has given you?

Examination. In chapter 11, the main idea is to worship God by having the right attitude toward others. Apparently the church in Corinth has quite a low regard for one another because Paul challenges them: “Your meetings do more harm than good” (I Cor.11:17). Why are their church worship services harmful? Because of the selfishness expressed at mealtime – no one waits for the others, they just begin eating right away. The selfishness at the table undermines the gospel they claim to believe! This is of special importance because of the way they were to receive the holy sacrament of the Lord’s Supper: “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself” (I Cor.11:28-29). All of life is to be worship, including how you eat and drink. We ought to slow down, examine our heart for pride and selfishness, repent and find our cleansing through Christ. We must be in proper, loving relationship to others in the body of Christ before participating in the special communion meal. Listen up! ‘How’ you do something and ‘Why’ you do it, is of tremendous importance to God. Allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to correct you in your attitudes towards others in your family and your church. Nothing short of heartfelt, unselfish, patient love is called for; this is what reveals the power of the gospel we say we believe. How is the Lord calling you to make things right with a friend?

Men and Women. I guess it is obviously that men and women are different, even when it comes to worship. In this passage, Paul is clarifying that your worship is informed by your gender. Much of it in their culture was about covering one’s head. Though today the literally head covering does not carry the same cultural meaning, the principle is just as valuable – respect the authority of Christ and his order for men and women: “In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God” (I Cor.11:11-12). If everything comes from God, including your existence and the gender he chose for you, then you owe Him all your heart and soul. I believe the key emphasis here is that for our worship to be pleasing to God, our attitude must be one of submission first to his authority, then all the human authority he has placed over our lives. Additionally, our worshipful attitude will be revealed in the quality of respect we show for the opposite gender. The implication for men and women? We need each other. Do you show a genuine love, respect and appreciation for both men and women?

Constructive Living. Since Christ has forever forgiven us and made us right with God, are we free to do anything we want? Yes and no. Here is how Paul brings balance: “Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (I Cor.10:23-24). In their context, the Christians were free in their conscience to eat the meat that had been sacrificed to idols. But a greater question was, ‘is this best for others?’ New believers should enjoy their freedom in Christ. But eventually, you should be more concerned with how others are developing spiritually – as impacted by your behavior. This is the way to maturity – concern for the spiritual growth of those around you, and a willingness to make sacrifices to help them get there. That is constructive living – not seeking your own good, but the good of others. Honestly, this is impossible apart for the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. We are all completely selfish to our core and do what ultimately is in our own best interest. But a growing closeness to God characterized by a willingness to allow his grace to saturate your soul is a good starting point. Ultimately only God can satisfy your soul – not ‘getting your own way.’ So, where is God urging you to give up on your selfishness and ‘freedom’ in order to do what is best for others?

Stand or Fall. Referencing the Exodus, Israel is presented as a poor example to follow. The covenant people were faithless, immoral grumblers who were judged by God. Paul wants the followers of Christ to learn from their mistakes: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (I Cor.10:12-13). No place for prideful self-assurance along our spiritual journey. We are all just a few bad choices away from major destruction and spiritual failure, that not only damages your life, but also the lives of all to whom you relate. God is forever faithful and allows temptation to be an invitation to trust him. When facing temptation, look to the Lord who IS the way of escape. The escape is through the cross of Christ – dying to the appeal of sin, dying to the lusts of our flesh, and finding your deepest satisfaction in Christ. One has said, ‘sin is what you do when you are no longer satisfied with God.’ May we choose to stand firm in Christ; not trusting in our past goodness, but completely resting in His finished work. How has your past self-confidence caused you to stumble on the spiritual journey?

Removing barriers. Paul was making his case to the Corinthian church that as an apostle (founding leader of their church) he has a right to be financially supported by them. But he has not used that right. Instead, he has provided for his own support in order that he might prove the purity of his motives to preach the gospel. In addition to pure motives, he reveals the right approach to reaching people with the gospel: “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Cor.9:19, 22). He considers himself to be a slave to those he is trying to reach. To Jewish people, he builds cultural and religious bridges to their common ground in Judaism; to pagans, he builds cultural bridges to them in the same way. (Paul does this masterfully with the Greek philosophers in Acts 17:22-23). The gospel itself is an offense to human pride; it should be the only offense in our ministry communication to others. But in every other way Paul seeks to remove the non-essential barriers of culture, background, education, ethnicity, religion and gender. He seeks common ground with those who need the gospel. Is that your pattern? Do you avoid people who are different from you, reinforcing the existing stereotypes? Let us choose to overlook the differences we have with others, removing barriers, that the gospel can be communicated not only with our words, but with our actions and attitudes as well. What barriers is the Lord leading you to overcome in your ministry to the world?

Stumbling. Some new believers were still hindered in their spiritual growth because of their pagan background. Formerly they superstitiously offered sacrifices (including meat) to lifeless idols as an act of worship. Now they are free in Christ, but are aghast when they see fellow Christians eating the meat formerly sacrificed to idols. They are unaware of their freedom. What should a stronger believer do in response? “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (I Cor.8:9). Yes your conscience allows you the freedom to eat the meat because you know the idol is completely meaningless and lifeless. However, out of love for your brother, you should refrain from what they consider questionable based on their pre-Christian background. Deferring in love to the level of their understanding will demonstrate the power of the gospel at work in your life. Once trust is established, the way is open to explain the freedom we have in Christ and help nurture the faith of your weaker brother. Let us not be in a rush to push grace ‘down the throats’ of newer believers. May we fall on the side of sacrifice, patience and gentleness rather than demanding to get our own way. What freedoms have others limited to accommodate your spiritual growth?

Marriage Problems. If you get married, you will have troubles: “Those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this” (I Cor.7:28). Any close relationship will over time experience some friction and conflict. This is the result of our selfishness coming to the surface rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us to love. So close relationships, especially marriage, provide you the opportunity to trust the Lord for his grace to love when you do not have the personal desire to do so. Paul emphasizes the consuming nature of ministry and warns people that marriage requires you to give much attention to serving and pleasing your spouse: “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs – how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world – how he can please his wife – and his interests are divided” (I Cor.7:32-34). Once married, your spouse becomes your most important ministry. The problems of your marriage become motivations to depend on God’s gracious love to refine your character flaws exposed by the conflicts with your spouse. Plus, the victories God wins in your heart through this humbling process become your most powerful and impacting message to others. Marriage is challenging, but God’s grace is more than sufficient. How have you seen marriage help a person develop their spiritual life?

Sexual Purity. The sensual world in which we live makes a strong appeal to forget self-control and to instead indulge your appetites. But the message from God to you on how to face sexual temptation? Run from it. Follow his reasoning: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (I Cor.6:18-20). Run from the temptation because your body (with its God-given drives) is not made for immorality, but for the Lord. Indulging in sexual immorality is actually self-induced abuse of body and soul. The scars of immorality are long lasting, fueling personal anxieties and relational trauma. Your body is a holy place, intended for worship and spiritual vibrancy. The way you treat your body reveals how much you value the Savior’s sacrifice to redeem you. What are some ways you can honor God with your body?