By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
FRIDAY
THEME: KEY WORDS OF FAITH: WATCH, STAND, BE BRAVE, BE STRONG
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 16:13
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
REFLECTIONS
Without divine help, human beings are absolutely immoral, depraved, transient, desperately wicked, and physically and spiritually weak. Without God, we have no purpose for existence. Having lost the glory of God, it is impossible to approach Him or seek and find Him (Romans 3:23). Our condition is abjectly hopeless, but for Christ. Paul explains in Romans 3:10-12, “[10]As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; [11]There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. [12]They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Paul’s description is apt for anyone whom Jesus Christ has not touched. Christ puts value on our lives, or else we are unprofitable.
Jesus’ grace, expressed in John 10:10, is our hope – “. . . I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” Life from Jesus is eternal and of far higher quality – this can be described as a “larger life.” Being born into the faith of Jesus Christ is a transformation that makes us a new creation (1 Corinthians 5:17) with a new mindset and sanctified emotions and love. Galatians 1:4 speaks about Jesus, “who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” Ephesians 5:2 spells out our role in this new relationship with Christ: “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” The whole transaction of our salvation is that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). We are children of everlasting hope.
For this privilege, Paul carefully reminds us of our favored position and ensures we are faithful to the core. In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, he says – “[13]Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. [14]Let all that you do be done with love.” The keywords that hold our faith can be found in these two verses above – Watch! Stand fast in the faith! Be brave! Be strong! Live out, love! These five imperatives are the determinants of our final victory. Watch through prayer and constant expectation of His return (Luke 21:36) – to watch is to be alert always. Stand fast in the faith you have received from God (Galatians 5:1; Romans 12:3) – steadfastness will strengthen our faith. Be brave to uphold your faith in Christ and His word (1 Peter 3:15) – you need courage to be steadfast and witness for Christ. Be strong in mind, determination, conviction, faith, and spiritual stamina – you need daily strength from the Lord Jesus. Finally, walk, work, talk, and witness with love – love God and humans.
On this concept about our salvation and our victory, the author of Ministry of Healing states on page 175: “Those who put their trust in Christ are not to be enslaved by any hereditary or cultivated habit or tendency. Instead of being held in bondage to the lower nature, they are to rule every appetite and passion. God has not left us to battle with evil in our own finite strength. Whatever may be our inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong, we can overcome through the power that He is ready to impart.” Remember this fact in Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 296 – “Lord, I’m Coming Home”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for Jesus Christ and His salvation; thank God for divine love and redemption; pray to have the faith to be alert, faithful, courageous, strong in spiritual things, and love God and humans;
– Pray for backslidden brethren, young people who have given up their love for Christ, and members exposed to trials and temptations; pray for Christians who are not growing and whose lives impact negatively on the power of the Gospel;
– Pray for drug addicts, occults, and atheists; pray for young and energetic people who undertake hawking for lack of work; pray for young people enlisted into terrorism;
– Pray for committed citizens, dedicated civil servants, Christ-centered leadership, and the hope of Christ’s return.
