~4 min read
Ps Paul Cheng
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
“…they were not spiritually awake…”
Dear Bethelites,
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).
In the previous chapter, the Apostle Paul had emphasized on the doctrine of the resurrection. If the resurrection was true, then the believers must live their lives in view of the resurrection. That must be translated into the way they worshipped, served, gave, submitted their plans to God, and were willing to face adversities in all circumstances, based on the hope of the resurrection.
So, here in this passage, Paul stressed to the Corinthians four imperatives; be watchful, stand fast, be strong and be loving. Today, we will consider the first command.
I. Be Watchful
Watch ye means to be alert, or vigilant. It has the idea of staying awake and not falling asleep.
In Matthew 26:40, when Jesus found His disciples sleeping, He said to Peter, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” The same idea was applied there. It was not so much that the disciples fell asleep physically, but rather they were not spiritually awake. Thus, Jesus went on to say, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Why must we be watchful? The answer is best expressed in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; (why) because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
The Christian must be sober, which is also an imperative or command. To be sober means not to be intoxicated, or drunk. Again, the emphasis is not so much about physical drunkenness (though we are commanded not to drink alcohol), but spiritual drunkenness. It means to be sharp in one’s senses. One must have the ability to react wisely and accurately in the face of challenging situations.
By way of illustration, we know that it is dangerous to drive when someone is drunk because his perception of things is affected by alcohol. His judgment is hindered, which leads to his reaction being delayed. If he insists on driving, it will put him and the passengers in great danger. In the spiritual sense, if a person is not awake and alert, his senses are hindered; he cannot see, hear or understand clearly, and he is in great danger. And if he has a family, and is leading them, he is putting them in great danger too.
The devil is the head of this worldly evil system which is opposed to God, and it will continue to increase in wickedness up to the time period known as the Great Tribulation. This world is full of the devil’s lies, deceptions and immoral influences that people are spiritually drunk.
The unbelievers are lost in the bondage of sin, and facing eternal damnation forever and ever, yet they still have a false sense of security and strength. They see death at every corner, yet they refuse to pause, and ponder this most pertinent question, “Where does a man go after he dies? Or what shall a man do to be saved?” Millions of men and women have been intoxicated with this mentality to grab as much as they can in life, to enjoy their lives to the fullest, be accountable to no one but themselves, as if this is the only life to live. It is so sad that they are spiritually drunk and incapable of understanding the great danger, and soon they would die in their sins and perish in eternal hell.
As believers, we must never live our lives like that!
Be watchful of temptations
Every moment of our lives, we must be watchful. We must be spiritually awake when it comes to our own spiritual lives, families and children. We must be watchful of temptations. We must not allow any form of wickedness to creep into our lives. Wickedness will take the form of deception in the most subtle way where we don’t even think it is wicked. Whether it is on the internet, television or philosophies of this world. We allow a little bit of compromise here and there, let our guards down a little, and soon, we will have the shock of our lives.
There may be a wealth of information on the internet, and every day we are in search of that information in the midst of all the filth and immoralities. How can we protect ourselves by being watchful? Perhaps, by setting strict rules like using the computer in visible places (e;g; in the living room), or installing certain softwares to curtail those ungodly websites. It is better to be watchful, than to be sorry later on!
Be watchful of our spiritual condition
Most of us would know if we are physically sick or unhealthy, but can we really tell if we are spiritually unhealthy? Are we really concerned about feeling bored and meaningless when attending Bible-study classes, fellowship meetings, worship services and even observing the Lord’s Supper? Are we spending too much time watching movies instead of reading the Bible? We ought to do whatever we can to stay spiritually healthy, and utilize whatever spiritual resources we have, to guard, protect and maintain our spiritual walk with God.
Be watchful of complacency
We have to be watchful of complacency. Do you remember the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:16 which our Lord Jesus rebuked saying, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I would rather you are cold or hot, but because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth.”
It is so easy to fall into the sin of complacency, and be neither cold nor hot. Our Christian life gets into a rut when we do the things we do routinely because we have always been doing them all these years. We do not understand the spiritual significance of it. When Friday comes, it is prayer meeting. When Sunday comes, it is the Lord’s Day worship, and after the worship, it is choir practice or DHW classes. We are not eager or receptive, and we attend those spiritual activities without considering the significance nor importance. We ought not to be complacent and just going through the motions, but to constantly remind ourselves of the spiritual significance of why it is important for us to do what we are doing!
Be watchful!
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
(To be continued in the next pastoral chat)
1 CORINTHIANS 16The Principles Of Giving (Part 3)The Principles Of Giving (Part 3)1 Corinthians 16:1-4
The Principles Of Giving (Part 2)The Principles Of Giving (Part 2)1 Corinthians 16:1-4
The Principles Of Giving (Part 1)The Principles Of Giving (Part 1)1 Corinthians 16:1-4
How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 1)How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 1)1 Corinthians 16:5-9
How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 2)How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 2)1 Corinthians 16:6-7
How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 3)How Do We Do The Lord’s Work? (Part 3)1 Corinthians 16:9-12
Stand Fast In The Faith (Part 1)Stand Fast In The Faith (Part 1)1 Corinthians 16:13-14