Daily DEVO

HOW TO SHARE THE GOSPEL

1 Corinthians – Chapter 15

  • Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Here’s the verse that I have heard spoken to rebellious teens and seen plastered on youth room walls. While certainly this can be applied to the idea of teaching young ones that hanging out with the wrong crowd can lead you astray into sinful activities, the heart behind Paul’s message with this verse is a little different. The church in Corinth had some false understandings around the teachings of the resurrection. While they believed Jesus rose from the dead, many in the church didn’t believe they would. Paul then takes this whole chapter to lean heavily into the proof of Jesus’ resurrection, our resurrection, and the implications is both of those things weren’t realities. To be honest, even the depth Paul goes into with this chapter is a little over my head and I’ll need time to study it to understand it all! Yet this verse in 33 speak volumes about where the wrong influences can lead when it comes to our beliefs and understanding of spiritual things. When we allow “bad company,” teachers who are not teaching scripture or worldly influences, be what we form our beliefs about God upon, it can lead us to the place where the church in Corinth was at. Far from a solid foundation in the truth. Be wise then on the “company” you surround yourself with that is influencing your beliefs on spiritual things. Be in a church that is accurately preaching scripture. Be in a small group of believers that is seeking out the truth of scripture. Be in prayer daily for the Lord’s discernment and understanding over spiritual things. Have faithful, trusted, spiritual mentors in your life who can guide you properly in the ways of the Lord. We live in a time where “bad company” is so easy to find, pursue then the good company the Lord is offering you so you can remain on the faithful track. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3122

  • Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. (v.34) “Why don’t you _______?” I’ve gotten that question more times than I can count. Fill in the blank with whatever worldly thing most people think of; drink, smoke, go to bad parties, watch that type of stuff, have sex before marriage, etc. Often people look at us who have convictions over at least some of these things and assume we are just trying to better than everyone else. That by abstaining from these things we are somehow ranked higher than others and now can judge who we want. Now, if that’s the case for you as to why you abstain from sin, there needs to be a change of heart here. For what God is opening up to us in this passage is the real reason why those who carry the name of Jesus are called to live differently. It’s because there are still people out there who don’t know Jesus yet. When our lives are no different than that of the world, how are we being a light on a hill? How can someone see the healing power of Jesus in our own life if we aren’t displaying it in any way? How are they going to see the saving power of Jesus from our sin if we are still in our sin? Our lives are not to be lived differently just for our sake but for the sake of others. Let the way we live introduce the life giving power of Jesus to those who haven’t meet Him yet. – Daily DEVO 20
  • Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34 – Paul’s not playing games here with this message. Like there are for sure some passages in scripture where the meaning is hard to fully understand even after some deep studying…this though isn’t one of those passages. Wake up and stop sinning. Pretty clear. Yet Paul does something amazing and he gives the reason why as well. Answering for us why do we need to wake up and why do we need to stop sinning? It’s because there are people out there who still don’t know about God and His love for them. How are we ever going to be able to share with someone that God can free them from their chains of sins and offer them a better, more fulfilling life when we ourselves are neck deep in sin of our own? Today you’re faced with the question, which is more important the satisfying of your pleasure or the salvation of a person? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 717
  • If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:19 – Dwell on what the Christians during this time were going through. Persecution from the Jewish church against them. Hate from their families who still remained steadfast to the Jewish ways and didn’t accept their change to follow Jesus. Romans would throw them into battle with animals just for the spectacle of it. Soon the Romans would hang Christians alongside the roadside, light them on fire, simply to use them as a street lamp so people could walk at night. If all there was to this life with Jesus was what we have in this earthly life then yes, we should be the most pitied. Willing to go through all of that for nothing. Yet it’s not for nothing. There is a life of joy, love, and Heaven waiting for us when this life is over. The reason then we go through all the mess we do in our life for Jesus is so as many people as possible can join us in the beauty of Heaven when their earthly life is done. We have something beautiful to look forward to when this life is over, yet if someone doesn’t know Jesus their future only holds pain and sorrow. Love the person in front of you enough to speak about the life Jesus wants to have with them and the beautiful promised future it gives them as well. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1782