1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” As Paul concludes his first letter to the Corinthians, he writes these words of encouragement to the Corinthian people. I think that this verse is very powerful and applicable to our lives today. Below, I am going to explain the different parts of the verse and how we can live out God’s Word in this world. Be on Your Guard The world today tries to convince us that sin is normal and acceptable. The enemy especially wants us to believe that sinning is okay. In the Garden of Eden, the devil basically “sugarcoated” sin so that Adam and Eve would think that sinning was no big deal. However, Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience against God’s will brought sin and death into the world. This shows that sin has big consequences. There are also so many temptations like these in the world today. As Christians, we must be on our guard and be aware of the temptations to sin. We also need to know God’s Word so that we can easily distinguish between what is good and evil in God’s sight. If people do not know God’s Word, then they will less likely obey God. In the same way, people who do not know that they are sinning are not going to stop sinning. As people living in a world damaged by sin, we must be aware of the good and bad things happening around us so that we can avoid evil and cling to God. This awareness comes from knowledge about Christ’s commandments, which are found in the Bible. As believers, we must not support sin and we must also set an example for others, so that they will see our good deeds and glorify our Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16) Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Stand Firm in the Faith Once we have an awareness of the sin in this world, we must choose to run away from that sin and stand firm in our faith in God. This is definitely more difficult because it involves standing out from the world and being different. Matthew 24:10-13 says, “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Be Courageous Standing out for God is not an easy task. However, God promises to never leave us, and we must ask Him to give us the courage to be different. We must not be afraid to stand out for Him. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Be Strong When life is difficult, every person has thoughts about giving up. Despite this, we must stay strong. Thankfully, we do not need to be strong on our own, because God will give us strength. His power is greatest in our weaknesses. God also promises to give us strength in the midst of temptations. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
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