Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 before reading the devotional below.

As we discussed in yesterday’s post, Paul encourages all followers of Jesus to seek special gifts from the Holy Spirit, including praying in a non-earthly language and prophesying. Much of the time, these gifts would be used in a church service, and today’s passage helps us see the rules for how to best use them. In a church gathering, people should not be shouting out in languages no one there can understand. If someone can interpret what is going to be said, then it can be shared aloud. If not, the prayer language may be used silently. Also, it’s confusing to have multiple people shouting out prophecy at once. Order is necessary for everyone to get the most out of it.

Along those same lines, if someone has a question in the middle of a sermon, it’s not the time to ask the preacher. In those days, women were often less educated and perhaps the Corinthian church had some instances of women asking questions out of turn in their meetings. They likely also had problems with shouting out prophesies and spiritual prayers as well. The issue isn’t really about women here, it’s about order.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God makes sense.

Paul reminds us in today’s passage that God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace. When church is a chaotic place, people don’t feel safe. It’s hard to invite friends and help others start following Jesus when it’s not safe to invite them to church. Our gatherings should be useful for both Jesus-followers and those who are not yet believers. In the Corinthian church, some women played a role in the disruptive nature of their church services as did some of the men. Taking turns, holding a question until you get home, or operating under the authority of a pastor during a service are all important parts of what it means to keep our focus on God when we gather. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 before reading the devotional below.

How often do you ask God to give you an ability to prophesy? Most of us probably don’t think about that much, and some may not even know what that means. Paul is talking about those supernatural skills and abilities he referred to earlier. Prophecy isn’t telling the future; God’s prophets are those who deliver messages from him. When this is truly from the Holy Spirit, the message will be accurate and transformative.

Paul also talks about “speaking in tongues.” This means having a prayer language that is supernatural. When the Holy Spirit gives you this gift, you pray aloud in a non-earthly language and the Spirit can pray through you without a filter. Praying this way helps your own faith, and it might help those who don’t yet follow Jesus to believe in his power. They see a supernatural act that is miraculous. However, prophecy is something that followers of Jesus will recognize and understand more than non-believers.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s tools are for specific purposes.

I would encourage you today, as Paul did, to pray for gifts of prophecy and tongues. Ask the Holy Spirit to use you to build up the church. Ask the Holy Spirit to enhance your prayer life. But also ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and discernment to know how and when to use your gifts. God gives us tools for specific places and people. When we are careless or attempt these supernatural acts on our own, we harm the work of the Spirit and we harm others. I have seen many people speak words of “prophecy” that were either completely incorrect or spoken at a wrong moment. These gifts are meant to be used in a context of authority and order, as we will see in tomorrow’s post. Today, let us seek these gifts and seek a careful understanding of how to use them well.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 before reading the devotional below.

As a licensed counselor, I am very aware that in eternity I will no longer have a job. Without pain and suffering, counselors will become obsolete. And I am perfectly happy about that. I have plenty of things I’d like to do that I’m saving for heaven. Right now, the job that I have is part of a bigger mission. The other stuff can wait.

Some of what the Holy Spirit equips us to do here on earth is just like my job — it’s for right now. In eternity, we won’t need to prophesy. We won’t need to spread the Gospel or serve others in need. These things will disappear. But Paul tell us here that three things will never disappear: faith, hope, and love.

Here’s your freedom for today:

All that is good in the world is yours to keep.

Our world is full of pain and suffering. Evil continues to exist and expand. .But once in a while you catch a glimpse of heaven — something that brings you hope, builds up your faith, or causes you to love more deeply. These are the good things that haven’t been able to be stamped out, despite all the evil. And these are yours to keep forever. There is no end to that which inspires and uplifts us. Imagine a world like that. That’s your home, and we’re just getting ready. Do all you can on earth to help everyone make that their home. The other stuff can wait.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 before reading the devotional below.

These verses are some of the most famous in the Bible. You might come across this “love” passage on a decoration or at a wedding. Even those who are not Christians find meaning in these words. But even if you’ve heard them before, slow down and soak them in today.

Recall that Paul just talked about supernatural gifts and abilities given to us by the Holy Spirit. There was a call to unity as one body. Paul reminds us that without love, we have nothing supernatural at all. Love is defined here as a description of God himself — patient, kind, not prideful or rude, not irritable, and not holding on to wrongs. Take a moment to sit with each word in verses 4 through 7. Does that describe you?

Here’s your freedom for today:

God is calling you to a higher level.

Following Jesus is all about following. We imitate Jesus. We take direction from the Holy Spirit. We seek to embody the Father’s heart. Most of us imitate other things — the people around us, culture, even our parents in both good and bad ways. You could make it your mission to live out these verses every day for the rest of your life and you still would have farther to go. There is no end to the spiritual depth here. So go ahead, make this your mission. After all, without love, everything else is just a waste of time.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 before reading the devotional below.

If you have ever been to just about any Christian type of church, you’ve probably heard them refer to the “body of Christ.” There are two ways we can understand this, both from 1 Corinthians. First, the “body of Christ” is symbolized in communion or the eucharist. The bread or crackers represent his body on the cross as it was broken to pay the penalty for our sins. A second meaning is found in today’s passage: the global group of followers of Jesus. We are, together, the body of Christ.

This metaphor of a body to represent the church, or community of Jesus-followers, helps in a few ways. First, Jesus is referred to as the “head” — he’s the brains of this operation. Second, it helps us see that we do not all have to be the same when we follow Jesus. We are all different parts of one body. As such, we need to recognize not only our importance and place, but also the importance and place of others.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Freedom is found in community.

We’ve already talked about how you can be part of something bigger. The church is a global movement, led and guided by the Holy Spirit in a unique way since Jesus’ time on earth. You have a role to play. But not just you, individually, by yourself. The “you” here is a collective “you” — you (American church), you (African church), you (Latin church) — all of us around the world. Within that, you (Baptists) and you (Pentecostals) and you (Catholics) have a role to play in the body. Anyone who is seeking to follow Jesus represents a part of that collective whole. We spend too much time trying to convince each other that our brand of Christianity is “right” to the expense of the others. Paul is teaching just the opposite here. Maybe we don’t all have to be noses, or arms, or left feet. What would it take for us to not only accept our role, but function as one coherent body?