Daily Bible Verses for 7/20/2016

Be Strong Like Men, Strong in Christ and Full of Love – (1st Corinthians 16:13-14)

Bible Verse
Be on the watch, unmoved in the faith, and be strong like men. Let all you do be done in love.

Reading Notes
In our day and age men can forget what it means to be men, and here Paul is giving a reminder to the men in the Corinthian church. The first requirement is that they be found in Christ, that is to say solidly grounded in the word of God and their faith in Jesus. To be solidly grounded means to be in regular study and reading of God’s word the Bible. It means to be in regular fellowship and study. Second that they are attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is something our forefathers knew, but we are quickly losing in our modern age. It’s the Holy Spirit who carries out the process of sanctification in our lives. Moreover, that process is accelerated by our reading of scripture, and when we are obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In addition, God’s word tells us that we have a responsibility to our wives, our families and those around us to lead a godly life. This means as men of God, because of our faith and love for Jesus and those around us, we put others first.

We place the concern and welfare of others ahead of our personal desires and interest. We live our lives understanding that God blesses us through Christ, in order that we can bless those around us and spread the Gospel of Jesus. God calls us to be strong men with a strong faith in Christ. And we become strong in Jesus by being strong in His word the Bible and we can only do that through regular reading and studying of His word. And as we grow in the knowledge of God’s word, we grow in the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Moreover, we become more useful and effective for the kingdom of God. And if we are open to the direction of the Holy Spirit, then everything we do will be out of the love we have for Christ, the love we have for God’s word and the love we have for others. A love that not only places our families and others before ourselves, but a love that places the welfare of others and the glory of God first and foremost. And a love which produces true humility and builds godly character. This is what it means to be a strong man of God.