ADMONITION

THE LIVING WATER, DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

📆 Thursday, March 22, 2018

ADMONITION

📖 READ 1 Corinthians 4:1-21
1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
4 For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us--and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!
11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.
12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.
15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

MEMORISE: I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. (1 Corinthian 4:14)

EXPOSITION
To Apostle Paul, "admonishment" was definitely part of his way of shepherding the Christians in Corinth. In fact, he saw admonishment as something he would give to his "beloved children". In other words, admonishment was an expression of the Apostle's love for God's people.

While admonition seemed to be a common feature of ministry in the early churches, this does not seem to be so in the modern day churches. Is it because modern day churches need less admonition? Is it because we are doing so well that we need no admonition from one another? We know in our hearts that this is certainly not the case. Churches today would benefit much, if we would allow the people the Lord sends to admonish us in the areas we have strayed far from the Gospel.

Admonition is necessary because our hearts are stubborn, and even as God's children, we can be tempted to sin. Yet, the modern day churches have the tendency to "skip" such an important part of loving one another. Some have the wrong idea that "love" cannot contain admonition. The Word of God shows that this is very far from the truth (cf. Eph. 4:15).

It is blessed to have people in one's life who love one enough to warn one against the wiles of the devil, for the sake of one's growth towards maturity, in Christ Jesus. Do you have someone like that in your walk with God?

PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray for God's grace to crave for people who would lovingly admonish you in line with God's desire for your life.
2. Pray that God would help believers to be humble enough to yield to God's corrections, instructions and admonition, through vessels He chooses.
3. Pray for religious and political leaders to be open-hearted to constructive criticism in good faith.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Deuteronomy 7 - 9 & John 14