Be Strong and Courageous.

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:1-9 ESV

What do you do when your mentor and friend has died, the man who led your entire nation out of captivity in Egypt? And what if you’ve been tapped by God to act as his replacement and somehow lead the people of Israel in a Don Quixote-like quest to take over a land inhabited by nations that have no plans of being evicted? Welcome to the world of Joshua.

What we have recorded in the opening verses of this book is a changing of the guard, as the leadership of God’s people, the Israelites, is shifted from Moses to Joshua. Moses, the great emancipator of God’s people, the man who stood face-to-face with Pharaoh and brought the ten plagues on the people of Egypt, has died. Now Joshua is being commissioned by God to assume leadership over the people and to take responsibility for leading them into the land of Canaan. Sounds simple enough. And, initially, God almost makes it seem as if it was going to be a walk in the park.

“…arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them.” – Joshua 1:2 ESV

And God reemphasizes to Joshua that the land is a gift to be received. He is giving it to them.

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.” – Joshua 1:3 ESV

Then God gives Joshua a very clear description of the exact territory He has in mind. He leaves nothing up to the imagination. And then He assures Joshua yet again, “all the land…shall be your territory” (Joshua 1:4 ESV).

But notice what God does next. He bolsters Joshua’s courage. He goes out of His way to assure this obviously reluctant leader that he is up to the task. But not because Joshua is a good leader with all the right credentials and appropriate leadership skills. The key to Joshua’s success would not be based on his abilities, but on the presence and power of God in his life. The assignment being handed to Joshua by God was formidable and, if the truth be known, he was not up to the task. And no one knew that better than God. Which is why He told His newly commissioned leader: “I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5 ESV). Those words had to have been a huge relief to Joshua. He would not be alone. Moses was dead, but the God of Moses was not. Yahweh was alive and well, and ready to walk beside His chosen instrument, every step of the way. And this was not the first time Joshua had heard these words. Moses had told Joshua the very same thing.

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:7-8 ESV

But this time, Joshua was hearing these reassuring words directly from the mouth of God Himself. And the assurance of God’s presence and power were to produce in Joshua strength and courage. God commands him to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6 ESV). In fact, God says it two more times, repeating it again in verses 7 and 9, and adding the addendum, “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Strength, courage, fearlessness and steadfastness. Those were to be the characteristics that marked Joshua’s life. But notice their source. They are to based on God’s power, not Joshua’s. It was the persistent presence of God that was to produce these qualities in Joshua’s life. He could have strength because his God was strong. He could show courage in the face of opposition, because his God stood before him. He could act fearlessly because his God was with him. And he could remain unshaken by any and all circumstances because his feet stood firmly planted on the rock-solid foundation of God Almighty.

But God added one important caveat that must not be overlooked. Yes, He would be with Joshua and He would be a constant source of strength and security. But Joshua must do his part.

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:7 ESV

Not only was Joshua to be courageous, he was to be careful. He was to observe the law given by God to Moses. And that obedience was to apply to all the people under his care. But it began with Joshua. He set the example, providing those under his leadership with a visible and tangible model of willful obedience to the law of God.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:8 ESV

God would be with Joshua. His constant presence was a promise. But it was important that Joshua prove that he was with God. Through obedience to the will of God as revealed through the law of God, Joshua would give evidence that He trusted God. God was not commanding Joshua to worship the law. He was not suggesting that obedience to the law would be the key to Joshua’s success as a leader. But Joshua’s relationship with the law would reflect how he thought about God. Jesus Himself said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ESV). The apostle John wrote, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3 ESV).

The law had been given to Moses by God. It was a gift from God to the people of Israel. In it, God revealed not only His will regarding the manner by which they were to live their lives, but He exposed to them His very character. By meditating on the law of God, Joshua would be discovering the truth about God. And by obeying the law of God, Joshua would be revealing his knowledge of and love for God. Again, the apostle John provides us with insight into the role between our relationship with the law and that of God.

Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. – 1 John 3:24 NLT

Joshua could be strong and courageous, not only because God was with him, but because he had the law of God to guide and direct him. By spending time thinking about the law of God, Joshua would come to know the God of the law. He would grow in his knowledge of God’s character and in his love for God’s holiness and righteousness.

The days ahead were going to be filled with difficulty. Leading the people of God was not going to be easy. Taking over a land inhabited by people who had no intentions of giving up without a fight was going to be anything but easy. But Joshua had everything he needed. He was assured of the constant, unwavering presence of God. He had been promised access to the power of God. And he had been provided with the law of God to guide, direct and protect him.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)  Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Godly Manhood.

When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’” – 1 Kings 2:1-4 ESV

Solomon is the newly anointed king of Israel. But David is still alive and will serve as the acting king until his death. Solomon will serve as his co-regent and, because of David’s ill health and Solomon’s youth, he will serve as the face of the crown, representing David in any public events. But in the meantime, David has a chance to pass on words of wisdom to his son, while he is still living. David will give Solomon two sets of instructions. One will be spiritual in nature, while the other will be personal.

The first thing David does is pass on to his son what God had told him. Back when David had come up with the idea to build a house for the Lord, God had denied him that privilege. But God had also made a promise to David:

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:12-16 ESV

David knew that the key to any success he had experienced as a king had been due to God. And he knew that the success of Solomon’s reign was going to be dependent upon the Lord as well. So, he passed along what God had told him. And he added a few vital words of encouragement and warning:

Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn… – 1 Kings 2:2-3 ESV

Where had David gotten this bit of information? How could he be so sure that God would prosper Solomon if he would be obedient? All the way back in the book of Deuteronomy, long before there was a king in Israel, God had given the people of Israel a series of commands concerning the day when they would demand to have a king like all the other nations.

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. – Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ESV

God had instructed that each and every king of Israel was to live by His law. The king was to keep a copy of the law at hand and have it read to him every day of his life. But it wasn’t enough to be familiar with the content of the law, the king was to keep it – every word, statute and commandment. There was to be no veering to the left or right. No cherry picking or selective obedience. The health and longevity of the king’s reign was going to be directly tied to his obedience to the law.

So David makes sure Solomon is well aware of God’s expectations. In fact, David ties Solomon’s manhood to his ability to keep God’s law. He tells him to act like a man and be strong. And he makes it clear that the proof of Solomon’s manhood will be found in his obedience to God. But David knew what God knew. Solomon would sin. He would have times of disobedience, just like David had. But God had promised to deal with Solomon in a loving manner, like a father to his son.

“If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul…” – 2 Samuel 7:14-15 NLT

Yet, David knew that obedience was preferable to discipline. It was far better to obey than to learn the difficult lessons that come as a result of God’s loving hand of discipline. David had lost three sons due to his own sins. He had watched as two of his sons attempted to take his kingdom from him. He had seen innocent people die because of his disobedience. And he knew that living in submission and obedience to the will of God was far better in the long run, and the true mark of a godly man. He also knew that obeying the Lord was going to take real strength. For Solomon to do what God commanded was going to take faith, trust, and a willingness to die to his own self-centered desires and wishes. Disobedience is the way of cowards.

The words that David speaks to Solomon are very similar to those Joshua spoke to the people of Israel as he prepared for his own death.

“Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day.” – Joshua 23:7-8 ESV

Be strong. Obey. Don’t veer to the left or right. Stay the course. Cling to the Lord your God. Joshua knew what the people were going to have to do if they were to be successful in their attempt to possess the land. And David knew what Solomon was going to need to do if he was going to be successful in leading the people of Israel. His success would not be tied to his own leadership skills, the strength of his military, the combined intelligence of his cabinet, or the size of his kingdom. It would be directly tied to his willingness to obey God. Nothing more. Nothing less.

In his letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul gave a similar charge. He encouraged them to, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV). Living the Christian life is anything but easy. Following the will of God is far more difficult than giving in to your own will. It isn’t easy to stand firm in the faith you have in the gospel of Jesus Christ when everything around you seems to be caving in and the waves of doubts confront you. Solomon was going to have days of doubt. He was going to have moments of despair. He would end up turning to all kinds of things, like money, materialism, human wisdom, sexual pleasure, food and even science, in an attempt to seek meaning in life. In fact, he would chronicles his thoughts in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon would end up surrounding himself with hundreds of wives and concubines, whose false gods would lead him astray. Solomon would start out strong, heeding his father’s advice and obeying the Lord’s commands. But his reign would end poorly. He would start out as a godly man, but not end that way.

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.” – 1 Kings 11:9-11 ESV

Hundreds of wives and concubines didn’t make Solomon a man. A mighty kingdom and a massive army didn’t make Solomon a man. A reputation for wisdom and wealth didn’t make Solomon a man. A true man is a godly man, a man who loves, fears, and obeys his God. A godly man is a man who knows his help is from the Lord, who realizes that he is nothing apart from the presence and power of God in his life. Faith in God requires real strength. Disobedience is easy. Which is why Paul calls us to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

A Few Final Words.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Verses 13-14 are an apt summary of all that Paul has said in this somewhat lengthy letter. As he wraps up his discourse with the Corinthians, he gives them five significant charges. He tells them to be watchful or vigilant. They are living in difficult days and there is a constant threat of attack on the church, both from without and within. They need to keep their eyes open and their heads on a swivel, living with a wariness and an awareness that their faith will face an unceasing onslaught of spiritual warfare. The church itself will be in the cross hairs of the enemy, as he seeks to disrupt its unity and destroy its testimony.

Secondly, Paul reminds them to stand firm. Despite the pressure they may feel or the persecution they may face, they are to persevere, standing their ground and refusing to give up or give in to the enemy. I am reminded of the words of Moses, spoken to the people of Israel as they stood on the banks of the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his army bearing down on them. “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again. God will fight the battle for you” (Exodus 14:13-14 NLT). They could have run, but they would have been slaughtered. They could have attempted to fight, but they would have lost that battle. Or they could stand their ground and watch God work. And because that is what they decided to do, they were able to experienced an incredible miracle of God’s salvation.

 And Paul is quite specific when he tells them to stand firm in the faith. He is referring to their faith in Christ and the salvation that His death has made possible. Jesus died so that we might have life, abundant life now and eternal life to come. Our faith is to be a future-focused faith, resting in the promises of God, many of which are as yet unfulfilled and unseen. The author of Hebrews describes faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). The Israelites had no idea what God was going to do to save them from the advancing armies of Egypt, but they had to place their faith in the promise of God – that He was going to take them to the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He as not going to let them down or allow their exodus to end on the shores of the Red Sea. Our faith must stand on the promises of God. The apostle Peter reminds that, “by God’s power [we] are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5 ESV). God is not done yet. His salvation of His people (the church) is not yet complete. So we must stand firm, even in the face of difficulties and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Next, Paul encourages the Corinthians to act like men. It is a call to bravery in the midst of battle. He wants them to boldly stand their ground, because they have God on their side. The God of heavens armies is their commander in chief. They have a power at their disposal that is limitless and guarantees them victory each and every time. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks about this very same power that should provide us with the impetus to act like men:

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. – Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT

Next, Paul tells them to be strong. This is a call for them to grow in their strength and stamina. They were not to remain as they were, immature and insufficiently equipped to face the challenges ahead. They were to grow in their faith and in their knowledge of God. They were to increase in their dependence upon God and their trust in His ability to provide and protect. It is when, by faith, we stand firm and watch God work, that we grow strong. It is our faith in God that gives us the strength to stand firm. Our bravery is based on His strength, not our own. It is as we trust Him, that our spiritual stamina and strength increases. We discover, as Paul did, that His “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV).

Finally, Paul adds an important but oftentimes missing element to his calls to action. He says, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14 ESV). Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to leave this one out? Paul spent an entire chapter of this letter unpacking the power of love in the life of the believer. Love is not an option, it is an indispensable, non-negotiable requirement for each and every one of us. We are to love as He has loved us. As Paul stated in chapter 13, even the gifts, if done without love, are useless and without value. Love is to be the motivating factor behind all that we do. Bravery without love is nothing more than false bravado. Alertness and watchfulness, done apart from love, will result in a self-centered, circle-the-wagons mentality that focuses on self, not others. Even faith-based perseverance and persistence, sans love, can leave us with a me-centered, pride-filled attitude of spiritual arrogance. Love has to be at the core of all that we do. Love for God. Love for Christ. Love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. And even love for our enemies.  

Wasted Wisdom.

1 Kings 3-4, 1 Corinthians 16

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV

Solomon was given the opportunity of a lifetime. God spoke to him in a dream and basically told him that He would grant Solomon one wish. It was as if God was saying, “Name it and you can have it!” But instead of asking for more money, fame, power or military success, Solomon asked for “an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people” (1 Kings 3:9 ESV). Given the chance to have God grant his one wish, Solomon asked for godly wisdom. And as a result of his request, God also granted Solomon what he had not asked for: “both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days” (1 Kings 3:13 ESV). While this had been a dream, it had real-life implications. God gave Solomon great wisdom and blessed him with great wealth, incredible success, and a reign marked by peace rather than war. But God's provision of wisdom came with a condition. Solomon was required to live obediently according to God's statutes and commandments. This was going to prove to be a real challenge for the king, in spite of his wisdom. God made Solomon wise, but Solomon was going to have to choose to be obedient.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Chapter three of 1 Kings opens up with the seemingly innocent statement: “Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt” (1 Kings 3:1 ESV). But this one sentence speaks volumes regarding Solomon and his struggle to remain faithful to God's commands. In Deuteronomy 17:16, God had made it clear that the king of Israel was not to “return to Egypt” and make alliances of any kind with that nation, because God had told the people of Israel, “You shall never return that way again.” Not only that, God had commanded that the king of Israel “shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV). In Deuteronomy 7:3, God had warned the people of Israel against intermarriage with foreign nations because He knew that these marriage alliances would end up in idolatry and unfaithfulness.

In Deuteronomy 12, God had commanded the people of Israel to destroy all the high places in the land of Canaan, where the pagan nations had worshiped their false gods. God had said, “You shall tear down their altars and dash to pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way” (Deuteronomy 12:3-4 ESV). God went on to tell them that they were to seek a solitary place and establish it as their only center of worship. And yet we read, “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places” (1 Kings 3:3 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

Solomon loved God. He also knew that if he was to rule the people of God successfully, he was going to need the wisdom of God. And while God would grant his wish, and provide Solomon a wise and discerning mind, this did not completely eliminate his tendency to make unwise choices. Wisdom still requires obedience. Knowing what to do and doing it are two different matters. Solomon's wisdom was indisputable. He was world-renowned for his wisdom and displayed it on a regular basis for all to see. The people “stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice” (1 Kings 3:28 ESV). But Solomon was going to struggle with obedience. His God-given wisdom was not going to prevent him from making unwise choices and self-destructive decisions. God was clearly blessing Solomon, providing him with incredible wisdom and discernment, as well as peace and prosperity. But Solomon amassed for himself thousands of chariots and horses, in direct violation of Deuteronomy 17:16: “Only he must not acquire many horses for himself.” In the midst of great peace made possible by God, Solomon was building up a might army. The psalmist would later write, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7 ESV). It seems that Solomon had a trust problem. It would also appear that he had a pride problem. And it is painfully clear that he struggled with an obedience problem.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In the closing paragraphs of his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). These were people who had placed their faith in Christ, who had received the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God, and who were assured eternal life. But Paul still reminds them to be on the lookout against sin and to remain steadfast in their faith. He knew that they were going to continue to face difficult days ahead, so he told them to stand firm and act like men. He encouraged them to remain strong. And then he added, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). They had been saved. They had the Spirit of God within them. They were assured of future life with God. But in the meantime, they were going to need to live obediently, faithfully, and firmly grounded on the Word of God. They had the wisdom of God residing within them in the form of the Spirit of God, but they were still going to have to obey what He told them to do. They were going to have to live in faithful dependence upon God's Word. We have available to us the wisdom of God in the form of the Spirit of God and the written Word of God. But all the wisdom in the world, if not obeyed, will never do us any good. A Bible that is read, but not applied, will never change us. A Spirit residing within us, but regularly ignored by us, will never transform us. Solomon had received a great gift from God, but it was up to him to avail himself of it. I have been given a great gift from God, but I must choose to be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like a man and be strong.

Father, Your incredible wisdom is available to me every day. I have access to wisdom beyond that of even Solomon. And yet, far too often, I ignore it or simply disobey it. I choose to live based on my own ignorance, driven by selfishness, and motivated by my own sin nature. Help me see the reality of my own condition and turn away from living life on my own terms. I want to apply Your wisdom to every area of my life and live in obedience to Your Word and in submission to Your Spirit. Amen

A Final Charge.

1 Corinthians 16:10-24

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be Strong. And do everything with love. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT

As Paul wrapped up his letter to the Corinthian believers, he summarized all that he had said in one simple, memorable, and thoroughly jam-packed sentence. Mixed in with his final greetings, instructions, news, and words of encouragement, Paul provided them one last succinct charge. He warned them to be on their guard. They were facing dangers from within and without. They were attempting to live the Christian life in the midst of a hostile, pagan culture. Many of those pagan influences had found their way into the church itself, brought there by the Corinthian converts to Christianity themselves. Paul warned them to stay alert, like a watchman on the wall, keeping their eyes open to the threats facing the unity of the church. The enemy would love nothing better than to destroy the body of Christ from within – like a cancer, spreading and infecting the entire body until it can no longer function as God intended it to. They were to keep their eyes open for signs of pride, arrogance, jealousy, division, disunity, and self-centeredness masquerading as freedom and rights.

As they watched, they were to stand firm in the faith. They were not to falter or fall. But they had to remember that their spiritual stability had to based on one thing and one thing only – their faith and trust in God. Their hope was to be placed in the gospel message they had received, not on their feeble attempt at self-righteousness. Nothing else would support them in the storms they were facing like the message of salvation in Christ alone through faith alone. Attacks were going to come. False teaching would attempt to rock their world. But they were to be strong and immovable in their faith – trusting God regardless of their circumstances.

Paul also warned them to be courageous. In the original language, he actually told them to "act like men." Instead of responding to the difficulties of life like immature children, with fear and faithlessness, they were to act like mature men. Paul wanted them to face life boldly, confidently, and courageously. They were not to run and hide. Rather than fear and flight, they were to exhibit faith and fearlessness – even in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. And on top of that, Paul told them to be strong. The interesting thing about his word choice is that it conveyed an on-going action. They were to continually increase in strength. As time wore on, rather than growing weaker, they were to grow stronger. Their faith and confidence would increase as they watched God faithfully work in their midst. Our job is to stand firm, confident in what God can and will do. Then the rest is up to Him. And as we watch Him work, we will increase in strength and our faith will grow.

What's interesting is Paul's final words of exhortation. He wraps up all his admonitions about watchfulness, stability, strength and courage with a call to love. "And do everything with love" (1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT). As Paul so clearly stated earlier in his letter, anything we do as Christians that is devoid of love is little more than wasted effort. To be on guard, stand firm in the faith, and show courage and strength would all be worthless if it was done without love. We have a tendency to take so much of what Paul wrote to the church and apply it to ourselves. We individualize what he meant for the community of faith. Christianity is not a solo sport. This admonition from Paul is for the church corporately, not individually. What good would it do if I stay alert, firm in my faith, courageous and strong, but only think about myself? If I fail to care about those who God has made my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am missing the point. I am to be alert and watchful because I love and care for my fellow believers in Christ. I am watching out for them. I am to stand firm and secure in my faith out of love for those around me, so that when they begin to doubt, they can be encouraged by my faith. I am to be courageous and strong, out of love for those God has placed in my midst. There is no place in the Christian life for self-preservation. We are part of a body. We are to care for and lovingly protect one another. As Paul so eloquently wrote earlier in his letter, "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance" (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT).

The Christian life is not easy. But the Christian life was also not meant to be lived alone and in isolation. It is a community effort where each person plays a vital role in the well-being of the entire body. Love is what should motivate us. Our mutual care and concern for one another should drive our actions and be the glue that holds our community together – even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.

Father, make us a people of love. Remove our selfishness and self-centeredness. Forgive us for always making it about ourselves. May love permeate all that we do. And may all that we do be done for others, not for ourselves. Give us the same attitude that Christ had – a selfless, sacrificial attitude motivated by love for others rather than love for self. Amen.