Day 198/260: Read 2 Corinthians 6

Eternity is an urgent matter. When the Philippian jailer learned from Paul and Silas what he needed to do in order to be accepted by Jesus, Luke says that “immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:33). He did not want to waste a single second outside the body of Christ, once he learned about the body of Christ.

In a passage addressed to the Servant of the Lord, Isaiah prophesied, “In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages” (Isaiah 49:8).

By inspiration, Paul makes application of the passage to the gospel age, writing, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” We do not know if we will have a tomorrow, or a next week, or a next year. There is urgency—once we know the truth, we must accept it and obey it.

One of mankind’s greatest talents is that of procrastination. Finishing work minutes before the deadline, cramming for a final exam the night before, always going up to the very last second to complete a task. Yet, in the case of life, we do not know when that last second will come.

One’s soul is too precious to be subject to procrastination.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for a sense of urgency in obeying and teaching the gospel.

Day 197/260: Read 2 Corinthians 5

Are you nervous about the Judgment Day? Paul expressed his confidence that on the last day, he would be accepted by the Lord. He wrote, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

For some, though, that may not inspire a great deal of confidence. Those who have not been living by the faith of the Word, who have rather put their trust in their own merits or in the faith of others, will not have a leg to stand on when the last day comes.

Will L. Thompson, a member of the church of Christ who lived from 1847 to 1909, wrote a hymn about how that last day will be seen by various people. First, he calls it a “great day,” pointing to the fact that “the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left.” Next, he says it is a “bright day…but its brightness shall only come to them that love the Lord.” Finally, it is a “sad day…when the sinner shall hear his doom, ‘Depart, I know ye not.’” Brother Thompson asks repeatedly, “Are you ready for that day to come?”

How do you see that great day that is coming? Will it be a bright day, or a sad day? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for forgiveness when needed, and for boldness to do the will of the Lord always.

Day 196/260: Read 2 Corinthians 4

Paul suffered many things throughout his ministry. Reading through the book of Acts, one sees persecutions coming from both Jews and Gentiles, stonings, imprisonments, and more. What was Paul’s opinion of these struggles?

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Whatever he faced, Paul knew there was something better waiting for him beyond this mortal life.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.”

As Christians, we should be able to look past the difficulties of this life and see the glory that awaits us in eternity. Our focus should be on getting there and taking as many people with us as possible. “For the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

I don’t know who said it originally, but there is truth in this statement: “Being a Christian doesn’t change what you deal with, but it changes how you deal with it.”

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

2 Corinthians 9:7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Pray

Pray for wisdom and patience in the struggles of this life, and thank the Father for the eternal reward that awaits you.

Day 195/260: Read 2 Corinthians 3

Notice the reverence with which Paul speaks of the old covenant. He says it was “glorious.” In other passages, he calls it our “schoolmaster” or “tutor” (Galatians 3:24) which leads us to Christ. And that is where the true understanding of the Old Testament lies: in the light of the life of Jesus Christ.

The most valuable aspect of the Law of Moses was that it guided genuine seekers to the One who was able to do what the Law never could. The old covenant is called “the ministry of condemnation” by the apostle because it did not have the power to save. But the new covenant—the gospel of Christ, the “ministry of righteousness”—“exceeds much more in glory.”

The old law, though glorious, no longer has authority over the people of God. The new law is “what remains.” That is the standard by which we must live, for that is the standard by which we will be judged on the last day (John 12:48).

Do you want to understand the Old Testament? Read it through the eyes of one who believes in Jesus, “because the veil is taken away in Christ.”

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for wisdom when studying the Scriptures.

Day 194/260: Read 2 Corinthians 2

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul confronted them about their tolerance of a sinful situation. They were not dealing with the problem, but rather they were boasting about their tolerance! The apostle chided them because they had not “mourned” over this sin, and urged them to “deliver such a one to Satan,” and to “purge out the old leaven.”

By the time we get to the second chapter of 2 Corinthians, discipline had evidently been enacted, but the brethren would not let the formerly sinful man forget what he had done. Paul again corrects them, writing, “This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.”

When one of God’s children repents, we, as that person’s brothers and sisters, should embrace them in their repentance and encourage them as they make the necessary changes in their life. The Corinthians were told to “reaffirm your love to him.” Show the brother that he is forgiven, and that he is welcomed back into the fellowship of God’s saints.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, ______________, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is ______________ in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for those who are caught up in sin, that they may find their way home. Pray for yourself, that when they do come back, you will show them the love of Christ.

Day 193/260: Read 2 Corinthians 1

Several years ago, a novel called Pay It Forward was published and later made into a movie. The basic premise is to do a favor for someone, and instead of them “paying it back” by doing a favor for you, they “pay it forward” by helping others.

Does that sound like Christianity? The Father sent the Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. That is beyond our ability to repay, but we can “pay it forward” by telling others what He did, and how they can benefit from His sacrifice.

Paul says something similar about comfort in the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

The comfort that God provides when we struggle, we should be able to “pay it forward” by comforting others who are struggling. In so doing, we can influence others in a godly way, and perhaps lead them to the truth of the gospel.

We are comforted so that we may comfort others. We are won to Christ that we might win others. We are taught the truth that we might teach others. Pay it forward!

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ______________, immovable, always ______________ in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for opportunities to show others the love of Christ.

Day 192/260: Read 1 Corinthians 16

How do we treat the people who do the work of the Lord? In his closing thoughts to the church in Corinth, Paul urged them to treat Timothy with love and respect when he arrived. “And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.”

Those who labor in the Word, who dedicate their lives to teaching the lost and fulfilling the Great Commission, are too often mistreated by the brethren at large. Friends, the preacher who is teaching the truth is not your enemy. He teaches the truth because he wants you to go to heaven. He is not trying to make you feel guilty about what you have done; he is trying to make you want to do better.

This is the charge that Paul issued to Timothy in a personal letter to the young preacher: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The apostle wanted the church to listen and to make the needed corrections in their lives, and to treat the preacher with respect as he instructed them in these things. Let the preacher do his work “without fear”; “let no one despise him.”

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for the proper attitude in receiving the truth revealed in the Word.

Day 191/260: Read 1 Corinthians 15

“If I ever walked through the doors of a church building, it would surely collapse.” Have you ever heard someone say something like that? Or perhaps, “There is a special place in hell reserved for sinners like me.”

Have you ever heard of Saul of Tarsus? He consented to the death of Stephen, a man “full of faith and power” (Acts 8:1; 6:8). Luke records how Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” and sought permission to capture them and bring them back to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2).

Do you know who Saul of Tarsus became? He was one of the greatest missionaries the church has ever known: Paul the apostle. Despite his former life of blasphemy, persecution, and insolence, God displayed His marvelous mercy in the life of Paul (1 Timothy 1:13).

If God could turn around the life of someone like Saul of Tarsus, He won’t cause the building to fall in on a sinner today who decides they want to get right with Him. We serve an awesome God who wants to raise us up on the last day, to change us from corruptible to incorruption, from mortal to immortality. And He has the power to do it!

Be like Paul – repent of your former sins, submit to Christ in baptism for the remission of sins, and work every day for the Lord with passion and zeal.

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God “who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”