WATCH YOUR LIFE, BE CAREFUL

(Part 1)

1 Cor. 16:13

Morning Meditation 3/7/17

Verse 3 says, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” This is one of Paul final exhortations to the Christians in Corinth. This will not be his final word to them because there will be a second epistle. But as he comes to the close of this epistle, he makes this important statement. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

The words “watch ye” translate “gregoreuo” and means, “to watch, and means metaphorically to give strict attention to, be cautious, active, to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtakes one.” It is a present active imperative verb. The present tense means that Paul is saying that watching should be their continuous practice. The active voice means that they have to make a choice to do this. They must decide on the importance of watching and make a decision. The imperative mood is a command expressing urgency. The command on Paul’s part is his way of letting them know the importance he is attaching to the need to watch.

Most of the time in the New Testament the word “watch” is used in association with the return of Christ. We are to “watch” for His return. Jesus said in Matthew 24:43, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” The words “he would have watched” is the same word as in our text. The good man of the house could have prevented his house from being broken up IF he had WATCHED. Paul tells the Christians in Corinth that they need to WATCH. For what do Christians need to watch? What is there out there that demands our alertness? What can we help by being watchful? First,

WE NEED TO WATCH OUR OWN PERSONAL WEAKNESSES

So much emphasis is being placed today on self confidence. Books are being written to give Christians self confidence. I’m not for sure how to deal with this issue. I do have confidence in some of those who are writing on this subject. However, anything that is written that contradicts what the Scriptures say on the subject is wrong no matter who says it. Let’s look at the clear teaching of the Word of God.

Paul says in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” What does “no good thing” mean? Does this verse allow us to have a good self image? The Christian life is not about self improvement. It is about substitution. You see I’m not the issue.. Christ is the issue. The moment I emphasize myself, I cease to maximize Jesus. Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” It is Christ instead of me. Now Paul didn’t go around all the time with a negative attitude toward himself doing what might be called self mutilation. He didn’t have to build himself up or tare himself down. Now that He was a Christian, he was no long the issue. He said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The secret to happiness in the Christian life is not self confidence but becoming occupied with Christ who is our life.

Then another verse that keeps me from the books that are written to give us a better understanding of ourselves is Philippians 3:3, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” How much confidence does Paul say he has in himself? Absolutely none. He didn’t say they flesh did not exist. He said he didn’t have any confidence in it.

I have been amused in counseling sessions, when the person sitting across the desk from me is telling me how wicked they are, how down on themselves they are, to see their response when I agreed with them. I have had people make a statement like, “I’m just no good.” When my reply has been, “thank the Lord you can see that. It is a blessing to see that you are accepting a true view of yourself,” it has not always been what the person thought I would say. The person who is willing to face this issue in truth, he is very near help from the Lord. It is not the Christian counselor’s job to change one’s view of that. We must support it with Scripture. Then we must get them to look away from self to Christ who is Saviour and Lord and ready to forgive the repentant. I have no better self image today than I did when I was first saved. I remain a person in whose flesh dwelleth no good thing. But my view of Jesus is awesome. He is my Shepherd, the One who leads me through green pastures, the One who restores my soul, and the One who is my Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).

This is the reason for us as Christians to WATCH the flesh. We have weaknesses that will cause us to fall if we trust the flesh to be strong enough to withstand in these areas. As a Christian, I know what is right and wrong. If I don’t know I have the Bible I live by that will tell me. I am committed to do the right thing. But my commitment to do the right thing is not the same as having power to do the right thing. Paul said, “for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” If I trust the flesh to be strong enough to fulfill my Christian commitment, I am doomed for failure. Self confidence is the way of failure in the Christian life. Christ must be the power to overcome. It is not self confidence but confidence in Him that we must have. Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Now if you have any doubt that this is true, just look at the casualties lying by the wayside. I know preachers who were godly men. They loved their wives and their church. They wound up having an affair with some lady with whom they were counseling. It ruined their marriage and ministry. You can’t just throw the issue aside by saying that this man was never really called of God. Or, he just did not love the Lord as he should have. Let me tell you what I think happened. I believe he overestimated his strength to resist temptation and underestimated his need to WATCH. Our love for the Lord and our commitment to our family is not the strength we need to overcome the weakness of the flesh. Some of the greatest men of God have fallen and their ministries ruined and they had all that. If we are walking in His strength we can’t fail. If we walk in our own strength it is just a matter of time.

If we watch, we will take precautions. When our precautions are obvious, we are confessing openly that we are not the hero’s some people think us to be. It is humbling. But it is the truth and a man is never wrong to walk in truth. What people think of us is not the issue. This is the whole thing. If my life exalts the Lord and causes people to know and love Him, that is the whole issue. The time I spend trying to get a better self image is a waste of time and a hindrance to the true walk of a Spirit filled Christian.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White