VICTORIES MUST BE CELEBRATED!

Monday, 30th October, 2023 1 Corinthians 14

       What is victory? How can you say that you are victorious? How often do you celebrate victories?

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV

    Christians must celebrate victory everyday. It is impossible to not be victorious when we carry the banner of the name of Jesus, when we do all things for God and with the help of the Holy spirit. We sometimes not feel victorious because our eyes are focus on the earthly things. We feel most victorious when we do the will of God and follow His instructions. Jesus is the overcomer of every battle, affliction, weakness, sickness this world has offered. We celebrate victories through glorifying the Lord, praising Him, and thanking Him before the day’s over. This is the reason why Christians are joyful even in the middle of a storm. When we are weak, He is strong. This is why we still delight even in our weaknesses (2 Cor 12:10).

2 Cor.12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The Greatest Victory     

    On the top of these, nothing compares to the greatest victory that we are about to celebrate in the second coming of the Lord Jesus. This is where He will overcome death that has been trying to persuade, linger, and push us down to hell as we live in this world.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:55 ESV

    A little more time and the end of the reign of satan will fall and death can no longer follow us to heaven.

"Death has swallowed up in victory-1 Cor. 15:54"

The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us.

Romans 8:18 How do we keep the Victory on hand?

1. Be steadfast

• Joshua 23:8 But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.
• Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

2. Be immovable

• Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
• Psalm 121:3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
• Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

3. Always abound in the work of the Lord

• 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
• Philippians 2:13 For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
  1 Corinthians 15:51 ESV
  *We are not to fall asleep as we wait. Stay awake in faith through 1 Corinthians 15:58
  "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

LOVE is the KEY

 

As we meditate the word of God today from 1 Corinthians 14, we cannot help but trace back all what Paul have written to the Corinthians Church from chapters 12-14. 

As Paul regulates the use of the Spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church, he emphasized that we cannot exercise our Spiritual giftings without love. 

The Corinthians were enamored with spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of tongues. Paul reminds them even the gift of tongues is meaningless without love. Without love, a person may speak with the gift of tongues, but it is as meaningless as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. It is nothing but empty noise.

In discerning Spiritual gifts and identifying if it's really from the Holy Spirit is to judge things on how they relate to Jesus.
    - DOES THE GIFT / REVELATIONS / PROPHECY GLORIFY JESUS?
    - DOE IT PROMOTES JESUS OUR WE ARE EXALTING OURSELVES?

Jesus made it clear to us in John 15:26 - the Holy Spirit would come to testify of Me and He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you. 

Therefore, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to promoteJEsus, to glorify and represent Jesus. His true ministry is according to the nature of Jesus. 

LOVE IS THE KEY for all Spiritual Gifts - we will know if it's from God if it blesses others, exalts Jesus and brings people to repentance to the Father. 

In Chapter 14, Paul explains that prophecy is important in the church because it is more profitable in the church than the gift of tongues for it promotes mutual blessings. But we should not forbid the speaking in tongues for it is necessary for our own edification and personal restoration. 

Exercising Spiritual Gifts in the church must be done with LOVE, decently and in order for the Lord is the Lord of order and peace. 

Let us Reflect:

When the Holy spirit dwelled in us - we receive revelations and gifts. 

1. How are we using it? is it out of love to glorify Jesus or to exalt ourselves? 

        (-indicators we are exalting ourselves - we make sure people in the church know we are gifted by approaching them and telling them you've seen them or you have a dream of them without any confirmation - this can make people uneasy. 

    - when we hear them say - I know who you are, I can see your past and future - you cannot hide anything from me --only God know us and  this will scare people and we do not glorify the Lord.

    - when we hear them always say - the Lord revealed to me  that - and say things that can be read from a book or commentaries - 

    - when we always boast about how God is using us withhout any purpose just to boast.  )

2. When we reveal the revelations of the Lord, does it destroy relationships or edify the group? 

LET US REMEMBER:

We cannot use our gifts in the absence of love. Our final motivation in using our gifts is our Love for the Lord not self-exaltation. 

Now it is clear how to detect true gifts, true prophecy and true revelation- if it’s done out of love it is the ministry of the Holy spirit. Hallelujah! 

This makes things easier for us to identify if our revelations or others revelation is truly from the Holy spirit.

Amen.

“Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.''

 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 

1 Corinthians 8:1 ESV

The difference between puffs up and edifies is striking. 

Knowledge; Puffs up; bubbles

Love; Edifies; building up

"Some christians grow, others swell"

- In this chapter, Paul discussed about the liberty of the christians in response to eating food offered to idols. He said that it's no big deal whether or not we eat the food offered to idols because we do not believe that their gods exist. For there is only one God and one Lord (v.6) whom we live. 

- However, as christians we have great influence to those people around us. The knowledge of liberty that we have might stumble the weaker conscience and it caused us to sin against them and against Jesus. 

- Paul therefore concluded that when eating food offered to idols caused the weaker conscience to sin, then it's better not to eat (exercise that liberty).

4 Things we can learn:

1. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up." 1 Cor.10:23

2. The actions of the christians greatly affect others. It may grow or swell their faith in Jesus. 

3. We may be given knowledge but it will considered as bubbles when we do not apply/use it with love. 

4. The knowledge that God has given us should drive us to edify (builds up) others. If not, we do not love God. We cannot say that we love God and hate others. 

Remember from verse 3 that knowledge can be revealed for those who truly love God, the knowledge that edifies. In this, we know that if the knowledge edifies others then it is from God.

But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 

1 Corinthians 8:3 ESV

BE WHAT YOU ARE

As we read 1 Corinthians 6, verse 11 says, 

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

                                                    1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV 

------------------------------------------------------------------

             ''WASHED, SANCTIFIED, JUSTIFIED''

These words tell us who we are NOW. We truly are the unleavened, For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). Therefore, we have to live in purity as the Passover speaks about us. 

Reflection:

Am I truly living my true self right now? 

A WASHED, SANCTIFIED, and JUSTIFIED believer of Christ?

• We are living "washed" when we keep away from temptations, but when we are tempted, we always come to repentance and we allow the blood of Christ to cleanse us. (1 John 1:9)
• We are living "sanctified" when we allow the Holy spirit to transform us and to only conform in His words     (Romans 15:16)
• We are living "justified" when we keep the salvation and the saving faith-the faith with actions.                      (Romans 5:1)

Let's pray,

Father God,

We praise you and thank you for the life of Jesus. HE is our Passover Lamb, whose blood was shed that judgment  might pass over us. So, we are to live in the purity that Passover speaks of. Let us stay to our new self as washed, sanctified, justified christians. In Jesus name. Amen🙏

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 

1 Corinthians 6:17 ESV 

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 

1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV