Necessity Of Self-Denial

1 Corinthians 9:10  

"Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, 

this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; 

and that he that thresheth in hope should 

be partaker of his hope."  

    At first sight this chapter seems quite disconnected from what goes before, but in fact it is not. The whole point lies in this. The Corinthians who considered themselves mature Christians have been claiming that they are in such a privileged position that they are free to eat meat offered to idols if they wanted to. Their Christian freedom gave them, as they thought, a special position in which they could do things that might not be permissible to lesser men. Paul's way of answering that argument, was to set forth the many privileges, which he himself had a perfect right to claim. Paul did not claim them, in case they should turn out to be stumbling blocks to others and hindrances to the effectiveness of the gospel.

   The same problem still shows it's face in our Christian communities today. There are so many Christians that believe they are privileged in many things inside and outside God's House. The Fact is, no person in God's eye is privileged over another. 

   My Friends We must be aware and do nothing that would bring discredit on the gospel or hinder it. Men judge a message by the life and character of the man who brings it; and Paul was determined that his hands would be clean. We who spread The Gospel Of Jesus Christ should not allow nothing in our life that would contradict the message we preach. Someone once said to a preacher, "I cannot hear what you say for listening to what you are." No one could ever say that to Paul. 

Amen! 

Reading: 1 Cor. 9:1-16

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry