Embracing Divine Principles | A Call to Faith, Courage, and Unconditional Love in God's Family!

Introduction

Today, we are going to finish our two-and-a-half-year study of 1 Corinthians. As we do, the Holy Spirit will get right down to the nitty-gritty of our personal lives and our church life. He starts with our personal life first. His order is essential. Why is it important? We are to work on ourselves by examining our lives, seeking to bring them into conformity with Christ’s commands. If follows the order given by Christ when He said the first and greatest commandment is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. All the other stuff comes a little easier when a believer starts there. Christ continued to say the second is like unto it. We love others even as we love ourselves. We see that exact order as we work through these last instructions of 1 Corinthians. It begins with us.

We must...

Embrace Our Testimony

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 (KJV 1900)

13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

14 Let all your things be done with charity.

Here, the Holy Spirit encourages us to embrace our personal testimony before others. These two verses seem to pick up where the Holy Spirit left things in the last chapter. You may recall what He instructed in 1 Corinthians 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV 1900

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Again, as He closes out this letter to the church of Corinth, He reminds them how important it is to maintain our relationship with Him and our testimony before others. The term “watch ye” suggests a soldier stationed on guard duty throughout the night. He must stay awake as he watches for any encroaching enemy. In that same vein, the Holy Spirit is saying to us, “Stay awake, keep watch, and sound the alarm if needed.” A good soldier knows his duty and does whatever it takes to fulfill it. It must be the same for us. God has commanded that we watch out for two major things in our lives.

Embrace Your Testimony by Watching

1 Corinthians 16:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

We are to watch out for Satan.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The word “vigilant” in this verse is from the same Greek word as “watch” in our text. Thus, we must constantly be on alert, mindful that we have a powerful adversary seeking to “devour” us. The word “devour” has the idea of gulping something down, leading to it being destroyed. Satan wants more than anything to ruin your testimony. He wants to bring you down so you are no longer useful to Christ. Thus, he walks about stalking every believer. We must remember this and watch for his attempts to destroy our witness before others. Speaking of watching for Satan, God has already provided the necessary equipment for us to stand against any of Satan’s attacks. We see this in Ephesians 6, where we are encouraged to “stand against the wiles of the devil.” How do we stand? We stand utilizing the spiritual armor God has graciously afforded each of us. That armor includes the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, boots of peace, a great shield of faith, and, finally, the mighty sword of the Spirit, God’s Word. Our responsibility is to wake up each morning with an eye toward the enemy. We must then equip ourselves with God’s armor as we battle daily. The soldier who does not keep watch puts himself and the rest of his company in danger. Thus, for us as a local church, each member and faithful attendee must maintain his or her watch.

Here is another thing we are told to look for in Scripture.

We are to watch for Christ’s Return.

Matthew 25:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Luke 12:37 KJV 1900

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

I will not dwell here long, for we have spent much time talking about the Lord’s Return on Wednesday nights over the last couple of months. I will only say this. Christ is coming back. He will return, and His return is imminent. We do not know the “day or the hour,” but we know He is coming soon. The question for each of us is this. Will He find us awake and watching? Or will He find us like He did His disciples moments before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane? Will He find us asleep and doing nothing? In Luke 12, Christ says that the servants the Lord finds watching are blessed.

Now that the Holy Spirit has reaffirmed that we must be watching, “Watch ye,” He gives us three basic instructions.

Embrace Your Testimony by Working

Again, this reminds us that we should not stand still while watching for His return. Christ expects us to be busy obeying His commands and accomplishing His will. His will, as we know, is that all come to repentance and that none perish. However, for that to happen, we must be busy fulfilling His commission of going into all the world and preaching the gospel. The only way they can come to repentance is through hearing the gospel. Since the time is short, knowing that Christ may soon return, we need to be as busy as bees working for Him. These three qualities should characterize our work.

We must STAND FIRM in our FAITH.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Standing fast means you are holding your ground. You are not giving an inch. It has the idea of not backing down. We maintain a steady, consistent faith in God. This word is used eight times in the New Testament. Some of those verses give us more insight into what the Holy Spirit means when He instructs us to “stand fast in the faith.” Remember that we are talking about maintaining our faith in the promises of God. Faith is hoping and believing in things that often cannot be seen. Additionally, without faith, we cannot please God. Faith says, “I believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Thus, the Holy Spirit commands us to never back down in our belief that God is, and He rewards us as we go after Him. We do not give an inch to doubt or to the world’s lies that God does not exist. Instead, we stand firm in our conviction, demonstrating it by our obedience to Him daily.

Going back to the word “stand” as it is used in the New Testament, we learn the following:

We must never give up ground to sin according to Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1 KJV 1900

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

We must never give up ground to disunity according to Philippians 1:27

Philippians 1:27 KJV 1900

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

We must never give up ground to disobedience according to 2 Thessalonians 2:15

2 Thessalonians 2:15 KJV 1900

15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Now, back to our test and the fact that we must embrace our personal testimony by working. Note this next quality.

We must ALWAYS ACT with COURAGE and STRENGTH.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

I have always found this phrase to be quite interesting. What does “quit you” really mean? It is a term that is not used today. In my study for today’s message, I found in Greek, this phrase means to be courageous and strong. There was a time when men were considered brave and strong. God expects men to face dangers presented to their families with great courage and strength. Men are to be the protectors of their families. They should be willing to charge the enemy without regard to their safety and health, knowing they are the last defense between the enemy and their loved ones. Thus, the Holy Spirit applies that same understanding to us and our relationship with Him. He expects each of us to courageously stand knowing that we can stand in His power. This thought brings me back to Ephesians 6, where the Holy Spirit says...

Ephesians 6:10 KJV 1900

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Our strength is in the Lord. It is His power that enables us to fight the good fight each day. It is His power that causes me to stand against the wiles of the Devil. Realizing then that He is the One who empowers me to do so should create within me the courage to stand each day. Thus, our courage and strength to faithfully watch and work comes from Him. He is the one who works in me both to will and do of His good pleasure. Who is Christ? He is the Conqueror of sin, death, and hell.

1 Corinthians 15:4 KJV 1900

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 KJV 1900

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, because of Christ’s great victory, the Holy Spirit says...

Romans 8:37–39 KJV 1900

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can stand courageous and strong because Christ has already won. We are His, and He is ours. Thus, we are “more than conquerors” who should never give ground and always stand in His might's power.

Here is one last quality of believers who embrace their testimony by working for the Lord as they watch for His return.

We do EVERYTHING with BROTHERLY and SACRIFICIAL LOVE.

1 Corinthians 16:14 KJV 1900

14 Let all your things be done with charity.

There are three different words in the Greek used to describe love. Two of them are used in our text today. One is in this verse I just read. The word “charity” here is the word “phileo” or “brotherly love.” Later, in verses 22 and 24, the Holy Spirit uses a different word for love.

1 Corinthians 16:22–24 KJV 1900

22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The word in these two verses is “agape,” denoting “sacrificial love.” In both instances, we are encouraged to “love” others. Verse 14 instructs us to do everything with an attitude of brotherly love. In other words, we live and act with consideration for others. We must be mindful of our words and actions. Believers who have the love of Christ are to love others even as they love themselves. Thus, we must live each day as we await Christ’s return, carefully considering our words and actions so that we are not stumbling blocks to unbelievers and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This harkens back to the Holy Spirit’s instructions in chapter 9.

1 Corinthians 9:22–27 KJV 1900

22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We must do everything with BROTHERLY LOVE, seeking to win others to Christ, and we must maintain a sacrificial love for the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the essence of verses 22-24.

1 Corinthians 16:22–24 KJV 1900

22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Any believer who stops loving the Lord Jesus Christ has the pronouncement of “Anathema Maranatha” on them. “Anathema” means they become the object of cursing or detestation. The word implies anything execrated from the body. I believe you get the gist of that. “Maranatha” means to arrive by the moving of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, in summation, “Anathema Maranatha” means to be cursed or detested as moved by Christ Himself. He is the one who curses the one who stops or refuses to love Him sacrificially. Let that be a warning to all of us. Let’s not stop loving Him, for, in doing so, we risk Christ cursing our lives. Instead, let’s allow God’s grace to work through us and be people of both brotherly and sacrificial love.

We arrive at our final point for today and the book of 1 Corinthians.

We must...

Embrace Our Spiritual Family

Please read the rest of these verses with me once again and note the names mentioned.

1 Corinthians 16:15–24 KJV 1900

15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) 16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. 17 I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. 19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 20 All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. 21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. 22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

These are blessed verses for a couple of reasons. They are blessed because we find the Holy Spirit noting specific individuals who embraced their testimony. They watched and worked, utilizing God’s grace to demonstrate their love for the Lord and others. These verses are blessed, for they also give us some final instructions about how we are to embrace others within our congregation.

You will note that each of these mentioned, Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, and this great couple, Aquila and Priscilla, are not sitting still. They were doing things for the Lord. The first three were busy refreshing God’s man, Paul. In doing so, they had “addicted themselves to the ministry.” What a wonderful testimony of God about these people! The word “addicted” means they chose to engage in helping Paul and his ministry. They didn’t just sit back and soak. No, they are determined to be busy. They were involved. Oh, that believers had the same mentality today! Just think what could be accomplished for the Lord if our entire congregation was “addicted” to the ministry. Unfortunately, in too many churches, much of the congregation sits back and criticizes the 5% or 10% who are “addicted” to the ministry. You often hear, “Well, you know so-and-so they are only doing all those things in our church so they can receive recognition.” Yet, those same people rarely do anything to help. I imagine much of the same was happening in the church of Corinth. I make that assumption based on our text. Note that the Holy Spirit made it a point how these people were helping further Paul’s ministry and, in the case of Aquila and Priscilla, taking it upon themselves to start a brand-new church. Now listen to what the Holy Spirit states.

1 Corinthians 16:18 (KJV 1900)

18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.

Here is our first instruction.

As members of the local church, you are to acknowledge (recognize) other believers who are engaged in service within the church.

How do we recognize them? Look back at verse 16.

1 Corinthians 16:16 KJV 1900

16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.

You are to recognize them by submitting to them, not by criticizing them.

The word “submit” means you are inclined and willing to submit to their wishes. Now, remember, these are instructions from God the Holy Spirit. I am not reading anything into this. You may not like that you are to submit to those busy for the Lord within the local church. Take it up with the Lord, not me, if you feel a little miffed about this, perhaps because you are not “addicted” to the ministry yourself. You can change that. God is willing to help you change. You can change it by addicting yourself to the ministry as well. In doing so, we all become submissive to one another. A quality that God desires for each local church.

Ephesians 5:15–21 KJV 1900

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Let’s get back to the point. Church members are to submit to other fellow believers addicted to the ministry by submitting to them. We are to EMBRACE them as part of our spiritual family. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us have a duty. We are to watch, stand fast in our faith, act with courage, do everything in brotherly and sacrificial love, and respect those within our congregation who are passionate about their service to the Lord. If each church member would take that approach to life each day, there is no doubt that God would use us in a mighty way for Him.

Conclusion

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