Live Our Words

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

LIVE OUR WORDS

1 Cor 4:14-17

14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

NIV

Paul is still referring to this division in the church when he makes this comment about them having ten thousand guardians in Christ. It would seem there were more than just a few evangelists making the circuit and spreading several versions of the gospel, or perhaps having a great deal of charisma drawing people to follow their brand of the gospel. There is a difference between teaching the gospel and living it. Paul says that he lives the way of Christ and that is what he has been teaching. Maybe that should be our life lesson not just for today, but for every day. What good does it claim to be a believer in Jesus, if we do not live like we are a Christian? When Paul tells them to imitate him, as their spiritual father, or in other words, like father, like son, he is not insisting they live perfect lives, as Paul was not a perfect man. By his own testimony, he said in his letter to Timothy that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which he was the chief or the worst. He also made it clear that he did that which he did not want to do, and did not do that which he should do. This imitating him is in regards to living by the grace of God, living a life in Christ Jesus, but also living as what we confess. If we tell people we are Christians, then our behavior should match. This does not mean we have to act all holy roller in front of them or be this mild manner reporting that is hidden his superman outfit under his suit. We can be out there, having fun, being an impact on the world around us, but at the same time being that go-to person when people need prayer, or have an issue they need advice about. They know we believe and we are outward in our faith, open and frank about the love of Jesus. We can even live a bold and courageous life, being an extrovert in the sense of living our faith out loud. We need not keep ourselves isolated from those terrible sinners, even the ones that use foul language or live an alternative lifestyle, or perhaps simply hate religion, or religious things or standards, thinking Christians are hypocrites. Paul never was shy, even to the point of being beaten and suffered horrible treatment from some people groups. If we are to imitate him, which he says is in fact, imitating Christ, then we need to be about sharing the message of grace, the message of the availability of the forgiveness of God through Jesus. But as we speak it, we need to live it as well. That is we must live in the grace of God, in Christ Jesus, living in the forgiveness of God. We cannot live like those parents who say, do as I say, not as I do, but we should be careful to do that which we say, to live as we speak, live our words.