~5 min read
Ps Paul Cheng
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
“…a spiritual child…without love…”
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 this theme of “Stand Fast in the Faith,” Paul had given four imperatives, (1) be watchful, (2) be steadfast, (3) be strong, and (4) be loving. In our previous pastoral chats, we had considered the first two imperatives, today, we will focus on the last two commands.
III. Be Strong
Quit you like men, be strong.
Some people may be confused with this phrase, quit you like men, and take it to mean, “give up like men.” It is worthy to note that the old English usage of the phrase, quit you like men, means to behave like men should behave, or to live like men should live. For example, there are old English phrases like “quit yourselves like men, and fight” which means to fight like a real man. Thus, here it means, one must behave himself like real men should behave, and be strong!
Those people who make fun of the King James Bible and its archaic English, must understand that the KJB was translated during the 1600s when the English language was at its apex (the best and purest). Sadly, after almost four hundred years, the standard of the English language has eroded and deteriorated. That is why the splendour and unique old words, phrases and grammatical structures which were once common and greatly appreciated are now considered old-fashioned and obsolete.
When one stands fast in the faith, what will happen? He will face hostility, opposition, rejection and even persecution, and therefore, he needs spiritual strength. It is the kind of strength that comes from within through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (c.f. Ephesians 3:16). The outer man or physical body may be weak, but the inner man is strong!
A believer who is strong cannot be a spiritual child, and he or she has to grow up. That was why Paul said, quit you like men. In other words, “Don’t behave like a child. Behave like a man!” There was a time when we were like a spiritual child, for no one can become a spiritual adult overnight. There is a process of time for spiritual growth. As 1 Peter 2:2 said, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” One cannot always be drinking milk; he or she must move on to eat solid food. In a similar fashion, the believer cannot always be dwelling on basic elementary biblical truth, he or she must grow and engage in things hard to be understood (2 Peter 3:16).
The phrase, be strong means to be strengthened. But one cannot strengthen himself, for it is the work of the Lord. So, we need to submit ourselves to God who will strengthen us (c.f. Philippians 4:13).
God has taught us how to be strong in Christ. In Ephesians 6:13, the Bible said, “If you want to be strong in the Lord, then put on the whole armour of God. Have your loins girt about with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”
- To have your loins girt about with truth is to guard oneself with God’s truth.
- To put on the breastplate of righteousness is to put on our practical righteousness and live a godly righteous life in obedience to God.
- To shod your feet with the gospel of peace is to stand in the confidence of what Jesus has done for you on the cross of Calvary.
- To take up the shield of faith is to trust and believe in the Almighty God.
- To take the helmet of salvation is to rest upon the assurance that God who has saved you will continue to save you to the uttermost.
- To take the Word of God is to keep and obey His revealed truth in the Bible.
- To pray is to commit yourself into God’s hands through the power of His Spirit.
That is how God will strengthen us to make us strong!
IV. Be Loving
Let all your things be done with charity (or love).
Who are we to love? “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).” If we truly take these two great commandments very seriously, then whatever we do, will be done with this love for God and for others.
In 1 Corinthians 13 (the chapter about love), the Apostle Paul had taught us that “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have no charity, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” Without love; everything we say, preach, the knowledge we have, the faith we profess to possess, the feeding of the poor, including martyrdom, means absolutely nothing!
One can die for the truth of the gospel, but if he dies without love, his death means nothing. One can be watchful, but without love, it is meaningless. One can stand fast in the faith, but without love, at best it would be legalism, at worst, it would be hypocrisy. One can be strong, but without love, he would just be a cold and hard-hearted person.
Dear friend, for that matter, we can serve actively in every ministry in the church, participate in all the programs, contribute whenever there are needs, read the Bible back and forth numerous times, evangelise, disciple and preach the Word, but if we do not have love, it means absolutely nothing. We must be loving, and let all your things be done with charity.
This is the kind of believer God wants us to be. Someone who is watchful, steadfast, strong and loving. Are you such a believer?
In Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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