I Corinthians 16.13-14
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
In this brief passage at the end of his letter to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul admonishes the Corinthians believers with five very brief and direct commands. The passage provides neither narrative nor explanation. It simply gives five directives:
- Be watchful
- Stand firm in the faith
- Act like men
- Be strong
- Let all that you do be done in love.
Why It Deserves Our Attention
There are several things about this passage that deserve our attention. First, it is a great summary of E+R=O. If we are going to be intentional and Christ-like in the way we Respond to the events and situations we experience, then we must do these five things. Paul is telling the Corinthians, “There is a way I want you to Respond to the challenges and opportunities of life. There is a way I want you to live and work every day. Here it is ...”.
Second, there is a strong military feel to this passage. These are commands to soldiers who are fighting a battle. It’s as if Paul is saying, “Follow these commands and you will defeat the enemy. You will win. Neglect these commands and you will be defeated. You will lose.”
The third follows from the second. Our generation is in a great war. We are experiencing a time of intense spiritual, cultural, and political conflict. As Ephesians 6 reminds us, the battle is primarily spiritual. However, the spiritual conflict is producing profound and disturbing cultural and political challenges for the 21st century church, and the societies in which we live and work.
And the enemy is both internal and external. We must fight against the external enemies who would seek to deceive and defeat us, and we must fight against the internal enemies of our own bad habits and impulses.
A mature adult fights for what is important. For what matters. Not just for self, but for the Christian community and the kingdom of God. The Lord calls us to be mature, spiritual adults who fight the good fight in response to the challenges of our time.
More tomorrow …
