Suffer & Rejoice

1 Corinthians 12:26 "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."

How often have you stubbed your toe and just not cared? I would guess never. The entirety of your body reacts, your face scrunches up in pain, your hands usually grab the toe in an effort to make it stop hurting, your other foot helps you jump up and down for some odd reason. The point is, the body is so perfectly connected, that what happens to one member, affect the whole body.

Paul is using the body here as a metaphor for the church, Christ's body, the body of believers. The question becomes, have we become so disconnected from each other that we no longer feel the pain or joy from the other members? In your own church, how many people are you this connected with? How many people do you merely shakes hands with on a Sunday and ask (without actually caring) "How'd your week go?"

Imagine that you're the toe in Paul's metaphor. You get stubbed and the body just keeps going, completely unaffected by your pain. A body like that won't last long. We need each other. In order to be an effective church, we must be so closely connected with all the members that we suffer and rejoice as one. This is unity.

Follow Me, Follow Christ

1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

In the modern church, in our individualistic society, I'm afraid we have largely lost this concept. In a mega-church with 2000 people attending, where you can't possibly know all the other members of the body, how can you possibly apply this verse? 

How can someone follow you as you follow Christ, if they don't even know you exist?

The church is to be Christ's body. We are all members together and should be so closely linked that when one is in pain or need, we all feel that pain and need. This can't happen if you show up to church and leave. 

The whole concept of discipleship is lost when we become so disconnected from each other. Someone, right now, should know you well enough, and you should be living your life in such a way where they can say, "I've seen them following Christ so closely, that if I follow them, I'll be on the right track." And the reverse should also be true - you should have someone you are looking to as we all follow after Christ.

I love how Matthew Henry puts it, "Paul not only preached such doctrine as they ought to believe, but led such a life as they ought to imitate. "Be ye followers of me,' that is, "Be imitators of me; live as you see me live.' Note, Ministers are likely to preach most to the purpose when they can press their hearers to follow their example. Yet would not Paul be followed blindly neither. He encourages neither implicit faith nor obedience. He would be followed himself no further than he followed Christ. Christ's pattern is a copy without a blot; so is no man's else. Note, We should follow no leader further than he follows Christ. Apostles should be left by us when they deviate from the example of their Master."

Do you know anyone well enough to know that you can follow them as they follow Christ? Does anyone know you well enough where they could do the same to you? Are you living a life that is worth following?

Wherefore

1 Corinthians 10:14 "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."

The word "wherefore" always has a purpose. It's there to make us look back at the verse before and by that to help us understand the "because" of the command being given. Verse 13 is a wonderful promise that most people know very well:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Such a beautiful promise from our Heavenly Father! But now, after reading it, because of what was stated here - flee from idolatry. Because God is faithful, because He won't allow us to be tempted above what we are able, because He will make a way of escape, because all of that - flee idolatry.

God's promises are designed to prompt us to action! Idolatry is a creeping sin that tries to camouflage itself. Are there any actions, beliefs, or habits in my life that are idolatry in disguise? Examine your life today and then flee to your Heavenly Father.

Run to Obtain

1 Corinthians 9:24 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."

Paul doesn't make it immediately clear what prize he is running to obtain. However, the context of this verse gives us a clue. I'm sure there could be more than one translation of what he's talking about, but I'd like to offer 2 possibilities.

First - the salvation of souls. In the preceding verses, Paul is laying out the extent he's gone to in order to see others come to Christ.

Second - a sincere, authentic Christian life. In the verses following 24, Paul talks about what he does in order to make sure he is not being a hypocrite.

Whether it's one of these, or something else, the point remains - this Christian life is not a walk in the park. It is a race. And we need to figure out what prize we're going for, and then run to win.

What prize am I running for in my Christian life today?

Necessity is Laid Upon Me

1 Corinthians 9:16 "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"

Here Paul is looking back on the preaching that he has done. He's trying to make clear to the church that what he has done is not something to be put up on a pedestal as an unattainable goal. But rather what he has done is what he was called to do and therefore, empowered by the Holy Spirit, he just did it!

Is there something in my life that I know God has laid upon me to do? It's not something I'd merely like to do, but there is a necessity to do it. What is that one thing that I know I must do in this life for Christ?

For Whom Christ Died

1 Corinthians 8:11-13 "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

This is a big deal. As Christians, we have incredible liberty in Christ. Yet, as always, along with that freedom comes a responsibility. Our command is always to love God first, and then others as we love ourselves. So even though we have liberty, we also have responsibility to show love to our fellow believers.

It's interesting to note one of the reasons Paul says we should not make a brother offend - because Christ died for them. This really puts a new perspective on all our interactions with those around us. The person who cuts you off in traffic, Christ died for them. The rude person who demonizes you on social media, Christ died for them. Christ died for them and loves them as much as He loves me! They are my neighbor and I have a responsibility to love them.

How do I view those around me? As random, weak people? Or as brothers and sisters who Christ died for?

Benevolence

1 Corinthians 7:4 "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband."

Benevolence is not a word we often use these days. However, its meaning is quite easy to understand. It means good will or kindness. It finds its root in a compound word meaning to be "well-minded" or to be reconciled and in agreement.

I've been thinking a lot of the husband-wife relationship lately. So many couples that I see appear from the outside to tolerate each other, yet there does not seem to be any benevolence in the relationship. Benevolence, kindness has a connotation of tenderness. It requires care and thought beyond the normal course of things.

Jesus was very clear that the command to "Love your neighbor as yourself" applied to everyone, everyone is your neighbor. So husbands and wives ought to love each other as themselves. But they are called to go above and beyond that. Add to that love, benevolence.