“Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.” v. 15 (NLT)
We’ve all had encounters with people who smell good and unfortunately people who smell bad. In fact, we are so self-conscious about this that we try our best to smell the best we can. However, this same desire to smell good for others, doesn’t transfer to us having a good aroma to God. In fact, what may send a beautiful aroma towards Heaven, may be a stench in the nostrils of friends, family, or strangers. It causes us to evaluate who we will try to live for! Our life is either pleasing to God, or unpleasing to Him. When we live by the power of the Holy Spirit, being like Christ in word and action, it pleases the Father in Heaven! But when we live in our own power, trying to please ourselves or our friends, hiding our identity in Christ or representing him just with words and not actions, it does sot please our Father in Heaven. In fact, the Bible says that we become a stench in the nostril of God! So here is the question, what aroma will you put off today? Will you live in a way that is pleasing to God or live in a way that is pleasing to the world around you? The choice is your!
Today, will you put on the aroma of Christ so you can send a pleasing smell toward Heaven, one that the Father will enjoy and take delight in?
“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” v.5 (NLT)
As Christians in America it’s hard for us to fully understand the magnitude of persecution. The fear of being made fun of or mocked causes many of us to stay silent. We try to spin it, and it may even sound good to others around us, but if we compared it to the persecution of Christians in others parts of the World, we would feel foolish for even thinking we had it rough!
Regardless of the type of persecution, the Bible says that we will be persecuted because He (Jesus) was persecuted. We may try to avoid it, but there are sure to be times that it is unavoidable. In fact there will be times that if we do avoid it, we will denounce our faith in Christ! But when we endure it by stepping out in Faith, the Comfort of Christ is there to embrace us! It’s a type of comfort we will never feel until we step out of our comfort zones to live boldly for Christ regardless of the persecution we may face.
Today, will you live for Christ regardless of the persecution you may face if you are found out? If someone asks about your faith, will you blow it off or boldly declare and speak of what Christ has done for you and offers to do for them?
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” v.13-14 (NLT)
This is one of those champion verses as believers we highlight in our Bible’s. We feel the conviction/leading of the Holy Spirit and eagerly desire this and rally around the though of it, but then we shut our Bible’s and sadly forget about the two verses that spoke so vividly to us.
But what if we didn’t forget and we really believed this beyond highlighting it or posting the verse on Twitter or Facebook? The impact would be HUGE! It wouldn’t only affect us, it would affect the people around us. Isn’t this the essence of the Great Commandment and Great Commission? In these short 2 verses Paul instructs us to do 5 things.
1. Be on Guard!
We often forget that we have an enemy that wants to kill, steal, and destroy as Jesus stated in John 10:10. Standing guard means that we are watching for his attack. When we see the attack/temptation coming, we can better defend ourselves.
2. Stand firm in Faith!
There will be times that our faith will be tested! This testing can and will come from all directions and at times it will seem like we can take any more. But in those times, stay focused on Jesus and cling to his promise in John 16. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” v.33
3. Be Courageous!
Courage also described as bravery, fortitude, will, and intrepidity. It literally means to have the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. It’s the place that causes us to be bold for Christ by taking that leap of faith, instead of shrinking back in fear like we often do. Like Joshua, we need to be “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.” Joshua 1:7 (NLT)
4. Be Strong!
Our real strength isn’t physical but spiritual. The Bible says that one day “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11 (NLT) Now that’s strength. We are only as strong as our relationship with Jesus. That’s why in the same paragraph that Joshua was commanded to be strong and courageous he was also instructed to “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT)
The fact is, we need stronger Christians who will be Strong and Courageous!
5. Do Everything with Love!
I’ll be honest, sometimes its hard to love others, let alone to think others will love us. But the strongest person to ever live, was also the one who showed the most love. From all walks of life, we see Jesus loving people! When we get this out of place, we become rigid legalistic pharisees that push people away from the very things we say we believe. Remember the Words of Jesus, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35 (NLT)
These 5 things say a lot about our relationship with Jesus. They also say a lot about what we are called to do as believers. May prayer is that it will be more than a memory verse, but it will become a way of Life!
Today, how do you need to make this verse come to life? What areas do you need to grow in and where do you need to be strong and courageous all while showing the love of Christ?
“Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.” v. 34 (NLT)
Let’s face it, when you have your mind focused of the right things, you less likely to think about other things. One of the problems with overcoming sin in the life of a Christian is the very fact that they haven’t begun the transformation process of changing the way they think. Tho they have the ability to defeat sin because of Christ, they continue to sin because they haven’t shifted their thinking from earthly things to Heavenly things. The only way this happens is by spending time in the Word.
It’s in the Word of God that we learn the things of God so we can live the way of God through Christ Jesus. When we miss this, we spend our time stagnant struggling with sin, when we could have victory over it and helping other through it.
Today, what has trapped you up? What areas do you need to grow in? What areas do you need to be more disciplined? Begin to focus on Christ and the Word of God and see if those things don’t change as-well!
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.” v. 33 (NLT)
WOW, what a chapter!!!! From using the gifts of the Holy Spirit, tongues and prophecy, to an order of worship … which includes the instruction for women to remain silent in a church gathering.
Now, before we go into a great debate as to what is being said and how it applies to us today, we have to understand that Paul is calling the Corinthian Church to unity. There are somethings that are being done that are causing disruption, conflict, and making the Church not as effective as it should be.
So lets tackle the first one – Speaking in Tongues! I have already confessed that I believe in this gift, but have seen it used in ways that are not described in the Bible. This has caused me to be cautious when someone begins to speak in tongues around me. Maybe you are like me, or maybe it’s just something that I deal with and the Holy Spirit is teaching me to grow in this area. But here, Paul confronts the self-oriented use of the gift of tongues. People were using the gift to satisfy their own needs instead of using the gift as a sign to unbelievers. The way they were using the gift of tongues was causing unbelievers to look at them like they were crazy people. This is why he says, “If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.”
Speaking in Tongues is a Spiritual Gift. The Bible calls it a Heavenly Language (v.2) but it is to be used wisely. In private, it’s a way that you speak to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. In public, after speaking in tongues it should be interpreted so others can be encouraged by what is said through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Second – Women! Again, let me put an emphasis on unity. In the Corinthian culture, women were not allowed to confront men in public. Though women have the same Christian freedoms as men, questioning men in a public worship gathering was causing division in the church. Because women of that day didn’t receive formal religious education as the men did, it was believed that some of the questions asked in public could have been asked and answered at home without disrupting the service. Again, Paul’s words were to promote unity, not to teach about women’s roles in the church.
Today, I want to be a learner! I admit that I am wrestling with these things also. I have been challenged to understand the Holy Spirit more in the last couple of months than ever before. I pray you will be also!
May this be the cry of our hearts. May the words penetrate deep into our hearts so we can live it, revealing your Spirit in us daily!
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” v. 7 (NLT)
In a world where people seem to fall in and out of love, this chapter/passage and specifically this verse shows the depth in what it takes to truly love someone. For some reason we neglect the fact that loving someone takes work. We’ve bought into the idea that being in love means that there are no challenges, that life will be easy, and we will live happily ever after! But that’s not always the case is it?
Now let’s be honest, some people are easier to love than others! But even they have times where it’s a challenge to love them. Loving someone takes real commitment. There will be times of disappointed, hurt, confusion, pain, uncertainty, trials, and sometimes even anger, and those feelings will test your commitment. However, there will also be times of laughter, celebration, victory, confidence, peace, power, fun, and teamwork. Regardless of the season, Love stands the test of time! And the Greatest act of Love is found here:
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 (NLT)
Today, Who do you need to show love to? Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need to spend quality time with? Who can you encourage? These are just some of the ways we express our love for each other! May we love others, the way Christ has loved us!
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” v. 4-6 (NLT)
I’ll be honest, I went to church for most of life but it wasn’t until I was 18 that someone told me about the spiritual gifts given to all believers. It was such a radical thought that I had to look it up myself. To be honest, this seems to be one area of scripture that I don’t feel I know a lot about. Maybe it’s my Baptist background or my own personal fear to some extent. Fear probably isn’t the right word there because I do believe that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to believers as stated here.
However, it seems that many times we try to control which gift we receive. In our pride we have somehow thought some gifts to be more important than other gifts. When we do this, we limit the work of the Holy Spirit because we are still trying to have control. But, when we give up control, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, our gifting will be revealed and refined allowing us to use our gift to bless the church and advance the Kingdom of God.
So, with all that being said, do you think you know which gift the Holy Spirit has given you? Each one is just as important as the other and is used to strengthen the Body of Christ. If you don’t know what you gifting is, pray and ask God to reveal it to you. If you think you know what your gifting is, pray and ask God for opportunities to use your gifting so you can be involved in the work of God establishing and encouraging His Church here on earth!
Today, will you spend sometime praying and asking God to reveal your gifting. You can also take a spiritual gifts test by clicking here to help see evidences of the gift you may have.
“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” v.1 (NLT)
What a bold statement! But what a great way to live. Could you say this with a clear conscience? If others imitated you would it bring them closer to Christ? This is the essence of discipleship and the heart beat of the Great Commission. That we would go to the ends of the earth to declare the majesty of Christ by the things we say and how we live. This is a bold statement, but one that I want to be able to say myself!
Today, what areas need to be surrendered so you can encourage others to imitate you as you imitate Christ?
“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And 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 that you can endure.” v.12-13 (NLT)
Temptation is everywhere! And at anytime anyone of us get drawn in to its appeal. We’ve all heard the phrase, “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time” or, “I don’t know how it happened, it just happened.” If you are not careful you will become a victim to something you may say, “Oh that will never happen to me” right now. I have seen men and even women who never thought they would have an affair, have an affair. Simply because they weren’t careful and thought that would never happen to them.
Temptation is out to get you. If you do not set up some boundaries what you thought could never happen to you will turn into, I don’t know how I got here! Because of this, there are places I won’t go and things I won’t do. It’s not that I can’t do these things and it’s not that these things are bad, It simply that I am protecting the things that are more valuable. For example, I do not go places with the opposite sex alone. We do not ride in a car alone, we do not eat alone, we do not meet alone. To some, this may sound foolish! But this is the place I draw the line and protect my relationship with my wife. Doing this reveals that I value my relationship with my wife so much, that I will not put myself in a situation where temptation could get the best of me, even if I think it wont!
Today, What kind of boundaries do you need to set up so you don’t get caught in the moment and give into temptation? I don’t know what kind of boundaries you will set up, but I do encourage you to have them!
“Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.” v.19 (NLT)
What a challenge and way to live. As Christ-Followers we have a responsibility to share our faith with others. In his last words to the disciples Jesus told them that they would receive power through the Holy Spirit and that they would be His Witnesses. There is a saying that you have probably heard that goes like this, “People don;t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Giving up your rights for the sake of someone else, spending time with people without demanding anything from them, and serving them in a way that communicates care, compassion, and a Christ Centered Life will speak volumes to the people you are trying to share Christ with!
Today, how are you adjusting your life to share Christ with the people around you? Are you willing to do anything you can so they can come to Christ?
Dan Gould 