Help Them Up

1 Corinthians 15: ²⁹ Now, what about those people who are baptized for the dead? What do they hope to accomplish? If it is true, as some claim, that the dead are not raised to life, why are those people being baptized for the dead? ³⁰ And as for us—why would we run the risk of danger every hour? ³¹ My friends, I face death every day! The pride I have in you, in our life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord, makes me declare this. ³² If I have, as it were, fought “wild beasts” here in Ephesus simply from human motives, what have I gained? But if the dead are not raised to life, then, as the saying goes, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”

 

³³ Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character.” ³⁴ Come back to your right senses and stop your sinful ways. I declare to your shame that some of you do not know God.

 

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Entering the church, I was ready to listen. I got distracted by, what I categorized as, bad singing. I then noticed they had a lot of announcements, which was irritating. The sermon, to me, was repetitious and filled with clichés. I wonder if “I” need to tell “them” how to “fix” this.

 

• I was a bad companion.
• I was the person dragging things down.
• I was the complainer who saw only problems without seeing GOD.

 

Paul speaks harshly to some in the church. He was probably still focused on those who believed in the Law of Moses, but not the resurrection. Without belief in JESUS being the resurrection to life, Paul classifies the unbeliever as a person who is “baptized for the dead.”  He warns others that hanging around this group will “ruin good character.” He knew they “knew” the law but may not “know GOD.”

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to stop ruining other folk’s character.
• GOD wants me to come back to my right senses and stop my sinful ways.
• GOD wants me to be a good companion by seeing what GOD “is” doing in other people’s lives.

 

Helping people up without GOD is pride, plain and simple. I mean, I may think a person or group of people are “down and out” when in reality, they are free and following GOD in a pleasing way. GOD wants me to check my motive when I am ready to complain about “that” person or “those” people.

 

HE wants me to align my motives to truly spreading the Good News about JESUS’ resurrection. It takes being a good companion who is focused on truly raising people up to be in union with CHRIST. I am glad GOD gives me many chances to change my “bad companionship” and to “come back to my right senses” and be led by the HOLY SPIRIT.

 

Challenge

• How does the writer use the word “motive?”
• Have you ever questioned life after death?
• What does “good character” look like relating to the resurrection of JESUS?
• What steps can you take be to a “good companion” for CHRIST today? 

Practice

Mark 14: ³⁷ Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹ Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. ⁴⁰ And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

⁴¹ Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

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“Run!” were the instructions of the track coach. “Do we have to?” was my thought. I mean we had already run miles and miles this very day. One teammate whispered to me “We can hide and pretend we practiced.” “I wonder if I should hide” was my thought.

• Sometimes I do not feel like practicing.
• Sometimes I want things to be handed to me.
• Sometimes I do not want to go through the difficulty of being ready.

JESUS brought Peter, James and John with HIM to pray for HIM as HE was about to face death. Not being used to praying on this magnitude, they fell asleep. They more than likely did not know what JESUS was going through. Even the stern warnings JESUS implored were of no use. Their senses were dull.

• GOD says to me “Do not follow the ways of this world for they distract you from MY kingdom.”
• GOD says to me “All are like sheep that go astray.”
• GOD says to me “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I will come in and sup with them.”

JESUS knows the world will dullen my senses. With a constant barrage of murder, sex and drugs on television, my compassion falls to zero and I cannot hear GOD’s small still voice.

BUT GOD knew this and has taken this into account. HE went to the cross for me anyway. HE knew I could not rescue the world so HE took care of it all. HE raises me up to notice HIS power.

• Are you fretting about something so much that you cannot see or hear GOD?
• Are your senses so dulled that you cannot feel for those who are hurting around you?
• Can you wake up to see GOD is guiding you today?