“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angles proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

These are verses that I am compelled to meditate upon every single time I read them. For no matter where I might be in my walk with the Lord, I need to take heed to these words. For if ever I fail to pay close attention to all that I have heard concerning Jesus Christ, I am in danger of falling away. Let him who stands firm, take heed lest he fail. More specifically, let him who stands firm, take heed to the word concerning Jesus Christ, lest he fall.

Notice that the concern of the writer of Hebrews is not a blatant turning away from the faith. It is not our waking up one day and rejecting all we have heard concerning Christ in one fell sweep. No. It is drifting that is the danger. Or more specifically, drifting through neglect that is the danger. Turning from Christ usually does not happen in a moment. Indeed, even if it seems to happen in a moment, that moment is just the culmination of consistent neglect…consistent drifting.

The danger in the Christian life is a the danger of drifting. The danger of coasting. Cruising. Going with the flow. A sort of relaxed mentality that refuses to fight for life. A ‘chill’ mentality that fosters a false security and fails to pay consistent and persistent close attention to all we have heard concerning the Word of Life.

The truth concerning Jesus Christ is so great, so glorious, so awesome that it is deserving of our consistent and persistent meditation. If it is boring to us any day, that is not because the truth itself is boring, but because we have a problem. And we fail to realize the importance of keeping our hearts hot and humble. The words above are plain: if we do not pay consistent close attention to all we have heard concerning Christ, there is a very good chance we will fall away. Consistent neglect inevitably precedes persistent unbelief. Drifting hardens millions more than any one single attack. Our greatest danger is our own tendency to cruise.

And lest we think that a great deal of religious activity guards us from cruising, we are wise to recognize that we can cruise even amidst much religious activity. Practicing the spiritual disciplines guarantees nothing, though such consistent practice is vital. For we must practice the disciplines with a certain desperation. A certain recognized need. A certain realization that we need to keep our hearts hot and humble today. That we need the Lord. That we need Him to guard us from persistent neglect and drifting.

The warning given to us by the writer of Hebrews should serve to produce in us that sort of humbling realization. And in turn, should stir us to consistently and persistently meditate upon the truths concerning Jesus Christ. If we coast, we die. Therefore, we must take pains to consistently pursue, seek, take heed….for our good and the Lord of God.

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Oftentimes we are pleading to the Lord for the removal of some weakness or hardship or persecution or calamity. We cannot understand why we continue to struggle as we do. The same circumstances arise to humble us, to show us our need, to bring us low. And God will not remove them.

Are we content to realize that the Lord might not want to remove them? That He has a wise and loving purpose for whatever it is we want to be removed? Can we find rest in the reality that the Lord wants us to be weak? That He wants us to see our need for Him continually? That He loves us enough to never let us grow too independent? That He will do whatever it takes to make us grow in a humble reliance upon Him?

Paul learned the secret of embracing all that revealed his weakness, because he valued the power of Christ more than present comfort. Indeed, he learned the power of being content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. He went so far to make them the things in which he boasted. Why? Because he knew that they were all worth it if he could but walk humbly with Christ.

If these various difficulties were the means to the power of God resting upon Paul, why are we apt to think that the Lord wants us to comfortably cruise along in the Christian life? Why are we inclined to believe that we somehow do not need these difficulties? Our standard is much too low. Our goal too here-and-now.

How much do we want the power or Christ to rest upon us? To that degree we will welcome difficulty. To that degree we will boast and embrace all that exposes our weakness and leads us to throw ourselves upon the mercy seat of Christ.

What is it that you are struggling with today? If the Lord will not remove, maybe He means for it to be embraced as a sweet means of humbling you and revealing His power.

O Lord, make us want You more than we want comfort and ease. Make us long for your power to rest upon us and to, in turn, embrace whatever the means might be for your power to be perfected in us. For the sake of your name, O Lord, hear us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

So zealous was Paul for Jesus Christ and his gospel that he was willing to suffer and die. Paul was indeed a man of vision. A man of passion. A man of resolve. And he was so captivated by the gospel of the kingdom that he was willing to lay down his very life for it. He did not account his life as any value, nor as precious to himself, if only he could be faithful with his charge.

When reading such verses, we are wise to humbly reflect upon our commitment to this gospel. Sure, it will not look the same as it did for the Apostle Paul, but every one of us needs that resolve, that passion, that fire for the good news of Jesus Christ. We need to embrace suffering more and to seek comfort less. To be so captivated with a vision to making Jesus known that all our own comforts and pushed to the background and relegated to positions of relative unimportance.

To reach such a state, much prayer and study is needed. We are wise to cry out to the Lord to captivate our hearts with the truth of His Word, with the reality of His kingdom, so that we might truly seek first His kingdom no matter the cost.

“And your zeal has stirred up most of them.”

In this instance, Paul is talking about the zeal of Corinthians to give to the needs to the saints as a means towards stirring up the people of Macedonia to do the same. Yet the principle itself stands no matter the context. Godly zeal is a great blessing to the church. Both in the individual and a local body.

If you look carefully at the religious landscape, it seems quite clear that the Lord often burdens great leaders with a particular topic or doctrine. Some sort of focus that they are jealous for. Better yet, zealous for. Oftentimes that leader is a pastor of a particular local church. And around that leader develops a local church that is zealous for that same particular topic or focus or doctrine. The various aspects associated with that one emphasis are fleshed out within that congregation. Books might be written. Websites developed. Conferences held. Ministries began. Other churches planted. On and on we could go.

And through it all, the zeal of that particular leader and that local church stirs up many others.

In this instance, the Corinthian church was zealous to give. And as their zeal to give was made known, other churches caught onto the same. Ask yourself: what are you zealous for? What are you stirring up other with? Or ask your church: what are we as a congregation zealous for? What particular contribution are we making to the Church?

Everyone wants to be well-rounded. And that is good enough. But it is almost inevitable that a particular local church (and a particular local leader(s)) will have a particular contribution to make to the body of Christ. And it seems good to embrace that. To recognize your limits (even while aiming to become more well-rounded) and to make that particular contribution with all your heart. Don’t be ashamed to stir up many others through your holy zeal.

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

After stating that the Israelites’ disobedience to the Lord was written down for our instruction and warning, Paul writes the verses quoted above. Take note (at least) a few things.

First, note that we must continually beware of falling. Not only that, but we must beware of falling in response to some normal, run-of-the-mill temptation. Nothing fancy is needed to bring us down. We need only to relax our mindset for a bit and we will soon find ourselves on a slippery slope. If we think we stand firm, we must continually take heed, lest we fall.

Second, we must believe the promise found in verse 13. God is faithful and He will not us be tempted beyond our ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that we may be able to endure it. Do we believe this? Really, when push comes to shove, do we believe it? When things aren’t going our way, is our first response to believe that we have the power to remain at peace and to face whatever the circumstances with joy? I hope so, because that is reality.

Maybe over half the battle against sin is won by the sheer belief that we have the ability to win the battle. If one goes into war believing that the enemy is too strong for him, he is bound to lose. But if he goes into war understanding and believing that he can win the battle, his chances naturally rise (a great deal nonetheless). As it relates to the believer at war against his own sin, if one understands and believes that the Lord is on his side, that the power of the Holy Spirit is within him, and that the Lord has promised to so order his circumstances that by His grace one can face anything, his chances of victory are virtually assured.

Do you realize today, believer, that you have the spiritual resources to face whatever the Lord might bring your way. Beware of exalting the power of sin over the power of the Holy Spirit! So you didn’t get a great night’s rest, huh? The Holy Spirit is bigger and stronger than that. So things haven’t gone your way today and you are wiped out. Well, weariness is still no excuse for sin, because God is faithful. The Holy Spirit is yours and the circumstances you face right now have been ordered by a wise and faithful Creator who promises to give you no more than you can handle with His strength. Oh, let us meditate upon such truth until we believe it. And let us do so everyday.

What a joy it is to know that we have the resources to face whatever the Lord ordains for us! What victory is ours through Christ Jesus. Let us rejoice and let us believe.

Clearly this chapter addresses a question the Corinthian Church had for Paul. It also seems clear that there were a group of people who had a better understanding of idols and subsequently, what it really meant to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols. In particular, these people understood that idols really had (have) no existence. They were not real, so that if one ate meat sacrificed to idols, one could do so with a clear conscience, because essentially the meat was sacrificed to no-thing.

Yet there were also people who did not understand this. Because they had former associations with such idol worship, they could not partake of this meat with a clear conscience. And rather than calling on them to simply change their minds and eat accordingly, it is the ones with knowledge that Paul primarily addresses. Of course, in the course of doing so, Paul addresses the weak, but his focus is clearly on those who understand that meat sacrificed to idols is no big deal to eat.

In short, he calls them to love their brothers by restricting their own freedom. He doesn’t tell them to convince their brothers about the meat, that is, to share the knowledge. For Paul understands that this issue is a sensitive one because it deals with former associations and struggles. And such associations and struggles do not die simply by the way of argument. Various factors are involved, so grace must be given.

There is a balance here, I recognize. For in modern-day situations such as these, one must strike a balance between exercising one’s freedom in Christ and helping others to do the same, and being sensitive to the weaknesses of others. Such matters as drinking alcohol or watching certain movies or listening to certain music or hanging out in certain places all can fit into this category. For whether or not we engage (or should engage) in such things depends in large part upon our former associations and our present understanding and maturity. Two well-meaning believers could stand side by side with one another and have different convictions on what place to enter, or what to drink, or what to watch. For they are not filled with the same weaknesses, or experiences, or understandings, or strengths. Wisdom is needed. But even more so, love.

In the end, it is not so much what we know, but what we are willing to do with what we know that counts. If we can fathom all mysteries and yet, fail to think about our brothers and sisters and their spiritual growth, what is our knowledge really worth? We are nothing but puffed up. Love is the path towards blessing. Denying ourselves the opportunity to exercise our own rights for the good of others is certainly the true pathway to joy. Sure, we want others to enjoy the freedom that is theirs in Christ. But more than enjoying the freedom to eat meat sacrificed to idols (or whatever the issue), we want to teach them to enjoy the freedom to deny themselves for the sake of others and the glory of God. This is without doubt the direction in which the Lord wants us to go.

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.”

Paul began this chapter with a focus on whether or not one should marry. Indeed, most of the chapter is about that. But in the middle of this chapter (v. 17-24), he seems to use his words on marriage as an opportunity to teach a more general principle about one’s station and calling in life–and the acceptance of it.

Verse 17 serves as a summary of his thought. In essence, no man should begrudge his respective calling in life, but instead, embrace it as a gift and calling of the Lord. As Paul puts it, we each have an assignment from the Lord. A distinct calling. We are wise to embrace it as such and be on our guard against discontentment with our assignment or calling. In verses 17-24, Paul elaborates a bit on his thought here and, in essence, teaches that wherever one found himself when called by the Lord (in salvation) is probably where one should stay.

He uses the example of slavery. But we could also use the example of any particular line of work. Even though it is true that the Lord might call you out of your line of work, this is not normally the case. Normally, the Lord calls us to remain where we are and in the end, to simply live differently where we are to His glory. To fulfill our assignment or calling in such a way that He is exalted. It is usually wise to remain where we are, but to do so ‘with God’ (v. 24).

This is pretty simple truth, but it should also been pretty freeing truth. Oftentimes, those who seek hard after the Lord wonder if they should go into a more focused ministry or spend more time at the church. Sometimes one might even feel guilty about spending so much time at work and home and so little time at church. The circumstances vary, of course, but the point is that one should not feel guilty about fulfilling His respective assignment or calling in life. Discernment is needed, of course, (as we might be inclined to overwork), but in the end, if you are pursuing faithfulness to your respective station in life, you should be pursuing it with a clear conscience, understanding that you are simply trying to lead the life the Lord has called you to lead.

In the kingdom, there is no truly ‘secular’ work. All is done unto the Lord when it is done in faithfulness to one’s calling, in dependance upon Him, and with a view towards the manifestation of His rule and reign in the word. Such is the call to seek first the kingdom.

“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Notice in verse 5 the aim in church discipline: ‘so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.’ The local church should discipline its members with a view towards their good. With a view towards their salvation. Paul even goes so far to say in this instance that they are to deliver the sinning man over to Satan himself for the destruction of the flesh. Presumably, he must see the consequences for his sin and what God thinks about it (through the Church), in order to be see clearly and in turn, come to repentance.

Church discipline is not a hot topic today or in any other day. And though we don’t need it to be ‘hot’, we do need it to be normal. For the sake of our good and the glory of God.

And the good of the church community itself is also in view, as Paul makes plain in verse 6-8. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. So if they allow this sinning member to remain in their midst without rebuking and disciplining him, his sin will bring them all down. Their resolve to wage war on sin will naturally wane. So their love for the Lord cannot help but fade.

Notice in verse 7 also that they are to cleanse out the old leaven that they may be a new lump, as they already are. Here is the logic of the New Testament. The church community (and Christian individuals) are to act in line with who they really are in Christ. Through Him we have a new identity. We really are a new community, made us as we are of new individuals. The Lord calls us simply to act in line with reality. Cleanse out the old leaven, because you are a new lump. Be who you really are. Remember Jesus.

And this we are called to do not only in days of discipline, but everyday.

“When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.’ He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. Buth when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” (verses 3-6)

First, note that the native people had an innate understanding of justice. The word is even capitalized in the ESV text, and probably rightfully so. For to these people, justice was more than a concept. It was probably a name for a worshiped deity.

Right and wrong are written on the human heart. Image bearers, no matter how far in darkness, know when someone does them wrong and cannot help but look for justice.

Second, realize that their worldview was much too simplistic. In their minds, if something bad happened to a man, that man must be receiving punishment for a past evil. This fallen world is much more complicated than that. Good things happen to evil people. And bad things happen to those who walk in righteousness. Yet the Lord is behind it all, working all things according to the counsel of His will–for the good of His people and the glory of His name.

Any theology of suffering that does not have a great deal of tension within it, cannot be the real thing. For the Scripture’s theology of suffering will cause us much tension within.

Third, recognize Paul’s wonderful opportunity to bear witness to the One who suffered under great injustice, so that we might not receive the punishment our sins deserve. For the statement the native people make about Paul is more or less correct. He was a murderer. Paul could tell them this, but then he could point them to the One who was murdered on his behalf. He could tell them of Jesus Christ, the One who took Paul’s sin (and everyone else’s) upon Himself, so that we might become the righteousness of God.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,”

Let no one even dare. And lest we think we are beyond such a statement, let us take note of the way in which we conveniently excuse ourselves for temptations to sin. It doesn’t take much for us to think (and say) that if so-and-so hadn’t said this, I would not have responded in kind. Or if I had received a better night’s rest, I would have handled things differently. Well, no matter the circumstances, the reality remains: God is sovereign over every circumstance, but never to blame for our sin.

“…for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”

The reason we must be careful not to blame our circumstances or another person and thus, ultimately the Lord, is because to utter such a statement is to betray the reality of who God is. The Lord, though sovereign over temptation, is never the inherent cause of temptation. He is not the tempter by any stretch. To entertain such a notion is to think wrong thoughts about God and thus, distort reality. In doing so, we might help ourselves feel better for the time being, but we do nothing of the sort. For in order to see our situation clearly and thus, to handle it rightly, we are desperate to think clearly about ourselves and the Lord.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

And when it comes to clarity concerning ourselves, we need to recognize that we are the problem. As this verse makes plain, God is not the cause of temptation…nor are the circumstances He might ordain. No. We are the problem. The sinful inclinations within our own souls are the issue. No matter what our circumstances might be, they are not the cause of our sin, but simply the means though which our sin within is made plain.

No situation or person can ‘make’ us do anything. Nobody can ‘drive us nuts.’ Our problem is within. And the pressure of external circumstances are simply the means by which we see that which is really within.

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

And lest we think that this battle is trivial, James shows us the end of desires run amuck. Death. Desire unchecked brings forth death. Even good things desired too much brings forth death. Sin is that serious and all-pervasive. If we allow ourselves to point the finger to anyone but ourselves, we by no means do ourselves a favor. Instead, we mask the real issue of unchecked desires within and thus, keep ourselves from really dealing with the thing that leads to death.

So what can we learn? We can learn first to point the finger at ourselves before we ever put it anywhere else. No matter the circumstance, we are our biggest problem. And the sooner that sinks in, the sooner we will be adequately equipped to the fight against sin with the clarity and wisdom that is needed to win. Secondly, we must learn (even though it is not mentioned here) that through Jesus Christ, we have the power to check these desires and to change. We have the power to face up to ourselves and our own sin and to walk the path of life. Sure sin is all-pervasive. But so is the Holy Spirit. And with His strength, we can fight for right thoughts of God, right thoughts of ourselves, right desires, and the joy-filled life that comes from following Jesus Christ.