1 Coríntios 15
John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Coríntios 15:10
Piper applies the truth in 1Corinthians 15:10 to sanctification… In 1Corinthians 15:10 Paul does a bit of self-examination in order to know where he stands with the other apostles. In 1Cor 15:9 he says he is the least of the apostles because he persecuted the church. But then in verse 10 he bears witness to the work of God’s grace in his life since those horrible days: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me.” The word sanctification is not used here, but the reality of sanctification is described, namely, a persecutor of the church being transformed into a hard-working, obedient apostle. And three times in this beautiful verse Paul affirms that this transformation is owing not to himself but to the grace of God. First, he says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” Second, he says, “God’s grace to me was not in vain.” Third, he says, “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me.” This is the way a saint ought to think and feel and talk about his sanctification. Your life is a work of grace. By God’s grace you were chosen for salvation. By God’s grace you were called to a life of holiness. And by God’s grace you are now being sanctified. No matter how hard you work—and you should work hard!—the lasting fruit of your labor is always owing to God’s grace. And if our comfort and hope are in any way dependent on the transformation of our lives, that comfort is still an eternal comfort and that hope is still a good hope, because it is “not I, but the grace of God with me” that guarantees the progress I need in sanctification. (Why Hope? Grace!) ><> ><> ><> Robert Sheffield gives the following illustration of hard work… Paul used the illustration of a farmer. The farmer is a hard worker. If you don’t apply this to commitment and discipline, you won’t get anywhere. How often do we experience hard labor and wearisome toil in our Christian lives? Some years ago in Canada I joined a labor union to get some temporary work. On my first day of working the foreman assigned me and two other laborers the job of taking out of storage some large sheets of plywood at a warehouse. The foreman dropped us off at the warehouse and said he would be back for us at noon. As soon as he left, the two other men sat down, lit up their cigarettes, and relaxed. As a Christian who believed in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, I went ahead and worked by myself. This so upset the other two that they refused to be assigned with me the following day. Many people don’t want to work hard. This is true in the Christian world too. Few are committed to the labor it takes to do the things God wants done. This is what Paul encouraged Timothy to do. (Discipleship Journal: Issue 6. Colorado Springs: The Navigators/NavPress) ><> ><> ><> Yet not I - Here is the "secret" of the Christian life in a nutshell! Not you striving (referring to your "natural" strength) to live the Christian life, but learning to die to self (cp Mk 8:34, 35) that He might live His life (in His supernatural strength) through you. To a large extent, this is a mysterious coalition or cooperation and one which is difficult to explain but it is the (only) way of victorious living in Christ, abiding in the Vine living (Jn 15:5), a walking by the Spirit type life (Gal 5:16-note) ><> ><> ><> GREAT GRACE Annie Johnson Flint His grace is great enough to meet the great things, The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul, The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless, The sudden storms beyond our life's control. His grace is great enough to meet the small things, The little pin-prick troubles that annoy, The insect worries, buzzing and persistent, The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy. ><> ><> ><> The Woodpecker - The fable says that a woodpecker pecking away at the trunk of a dead tree when it was struck by lightning, fracturing the tree down the middle. As the woodpecker flew away, he looked back and said "Look what a great work I have accomplished." I fear that there are a great many "woodpeckers" in churches (even in pulpits)! In 1Co 15:10 Paul is saying "See what a great work God accomplished." ><> ><> ><> Oswald Chambers observed, “Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance, in the spiritual world it is God-reliance.” Between the two, God-reliance is the strongest. A self-confident person may be able to do all that he believes he is capable of doing. One whose confidence is in God can do the unexpected… Like Moses (inarticulate), we too can rely upon the promise of God's presence. The Lord assured Moses, “I will be with you” (Ex 3:12). In the same way, Jesus promised us that He would be with us “to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). God will use our natural abilities, but is not limited to them. Our real strength lies in the power of the Holy Spirit. His presence and power enable us to say as the apostle Paul did in today's verse, “by the grace of God I am what I am” (1Co 15:10). ><>><>><> Our Image Problem —People who clearly understand their own strengths and weaknesses are better able to accept themselves as they are and accomplish more in life. They can identify with the person who said, “I’m only someone, but I am someone. I can’t do everything, but I can do something.” The apostle Paul recognized his liabilities, but he took his God-given assets and used them for eternal profit. His self-acceptance was based on God’s acceptance of him in Christ. God’s grace enabled him to affirm his apostleship while living with the painful memory of persecuting the church (1Co 15:9; 1Ti 1:13, 14, 15). Paul didn’t have a bad self-image when he called himself the “least of the apostles,” nor was it false humility that prompted him to say he was “not worthy to be called an apostle” (1Co 15:9). Neither was it undue pride when he affirmed that he “labored more abundantly” than all of the other apostles (v.10). He was simply recognizing his human frailties while extolling the effectiveness of God’s grace. He knew he was able to serve God because he had been forgiven. We all have faults uniquely ours, Those flaws that cause self-blame, But God accepts us as we are, And we must do the same. —DJD Our value is not in what we do for God but in what Christ has done for us. ><>><>><> William Taylor has an interesting sermon on the similarities between Galatians 2:20KJV and 1Cor 15:10 and how they impact one's individuality… This expression, used twice by the Apostle Paul, and each time in a passage referring to his personal experience, may for that reason, as I believe, be regarded by us as characteristic of the manner in which he was accustomed to think and speak concerning himself and his work. He did not ignore his own individuality. He knew himself. He had a clear and correct apprehension of the qualities of character, idiosyncrasies of disposition, and powers of mind by which he was distinguished from all other men. He knew what he could do, and what he could not do. He understood his own peculiarities, aptitudes, abilities, and limitations. He estimated these, also, at their true value, and put them in their proper place. He did not reckon them as of supreme importance, for he is careful to say, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me;" and "I labored, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." But neither did he regard them as of no account, for he distinctly specifies in the one case that the life which he describes was his life, "I live;" and in the other, that the labors which he performed were his works, "I labored." There was that about his life as a Christian man, and his labors as a Christian Apostle, which was clearly traceable to his own personality; but the energizing influence which gave holiness to the one, and efficacy to the other, came from the grace and spirit of God, who wrought in him and through him and with him. The "I" was regenerated by Christ, yet so that it remained the "I;" and the labors were made effectual by the grace of God, yet so that they were conditioned and shaped by the "I." His life was different from that of every one else because it was his life; but it was holy because it was Christ that lived in him. His labors were distinct from those of others because he could say, "I labored;" but they were so abundant and so fruitful because he could say, "I labored, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." Fitly, therefore, may we take out' two texts --which, indeed, are not so much two as one--as suggesting for our consideration at this time the place and power of individuality in Christian life and work… … To sum up, then, let us distil the essence of our discourse into these two lessons. First, respect your own individuality. Be content to be yourself; but let that self be purified, energized, and inhabited by the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not attempt to force yourself into the mould of the experience of another. Be not concerned if your Christian experience should be different from that of others. Come to Christ in your own way, only see to it that it is Christ you come to; live your own life, but be sure it is a Christian life; do your own work, but take good heed that it is Christian work. David in Saul's armor was not more encumbered than you would be were you to force yourselves into the individuality of another. Stand then on your right to be yourself. As one has well said, "No really great man does his work by imposing his maxims on his disciples. He evokes their life. He awakens them to be themselves. This is what Christ does for His disciples. He gets at the inner fountain of their being and then lets the streams of His influence flow thence through their individuality. Let Him do so with you. Then in the second place give God all the glory for what you are and have done. It is he that worketh in you to will and to do, and the language of your hearts ought ever to be, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake." (Ps 115:1) He is the noblest preacher who is distinctively himself, imitating no other's manner and copying no other's style, while yet he preaches not himself, but Christ; and that is the highest type of Christian who is himself, while yet Christ is seen and felt to be living in that self, and working through it. This will secure originality of enterprise as well as success of effort, and lead to the same result in our case as in Paul's, when after his conversion it is recorded of those around him that "they glorified God in him." (Read the entire sermon - 1 Corinthians 15:10 and Gal 2:20 - The Place and Power of Individuality in Christian Life and Work) ><>><>><> C H Spurgeon describes some Now, in closing, let us consider our subject Practically. What is the practical use of this text, “By the grace of God I am what I am”? Surely, as I have already reminded you, it is designed to keep us humble. Depend upon it, if we do not take this text for our motto every day, there is the rod of the covenant ready for us. He will soon be in a storm who does not see God’s grace in the sunshine. If his mercies surround us, and our days roll happily along, but we begin to ascribe our greatness and our riches to ourselves, it will not be long before God will bring us down. It my be so in your experience, especially if you soar upon the wings of self-confidence. As surely as you begin to get strong in your own strength, there is an hour of weakness close at hand. Whenever you are full of self, it will not be long before you learn your own emptiness; for he who begins to grow rich in himself is next door to poverty; nay, he is ready clothed in rags. No, my brethren, there is no safe walking unless we make this the staff on which we lean, “By the grace of God we are what we are.” While we stick to this as our hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, everlasting motto, we shall not go astray, nor shall we experience those terrible down-castings which are the inevitable result of our up-flyings in self-confidence. Come then, beloved, from this day let us learn humility, let us tread our pride in the dust, and say, “Why should we be proud? By the grace of God we are what we are.” Then, in the light of our text, let us learn charity. Why should I be harsh towards those who are not what I am? I wish that some persons, who think themselves very sound in doctrine, would recollect our text. If another brother is thought to be unsound they are ready to cut him in pieces; it would be better if they were to say, before using their sword for such a purpose, “By the grace of God we are what we are.” Though you should be never so sound and right yourselves, be gentle with the brother who has not received so much grace as you have. Good John Newton used to say that, for a Calvinist to be proud, was the most inconsistent thing in the world; because, by his own profession, there were truths which no man could receive or understand of himself; so, why should he boast of his own attainments, and why should he blame others for not doing what he knows they cannot do of themselves? If our brethren cannot see as well as we, can, why should we be angry with them because our eyes are better than theirs? I see no reason for being angry with a blind man because he cannot see; that is the very reason why we should pity his infirmity. So, let us seek to relieve those who are burdened, to bring back those who have wandered, to strengthen the weal hands, and confirm the feeble knees, and, to the best of our power, to lead others into that glorious light in which we ourselves are walking, for by the grace of God we are what we are. Moreover this should teach us hopefulness concerning other men. There is a drunken man, you think he can never be converted, but why not? The grace that saved you is sufficient to save him. You sometimes meet with an infidel; perhaps you have one in your family, — a father, or brother, or sister, — and you are apt to say, “Well, it is no use trying to get such an one to go to the house of God, all he would do would be to mock and jeer. If the minister should make a mistake, he would seize upon it, and use it as his stock-in-trade for the abuse of a week. If there be a fault among God’s children, he is sure to notice it, and to make it the theme of his reproach, so he had better be kept away from them.” But again I say, the grace that saved you is sufficient to save him; never give anyone up, even as God did not give you up. I always think that, as God has converted me by his grace, he can convert anybody; the conversion of any other sinner is not any more difficult to omnipotence, neither is it any easier, for omnipotence knows nothing of degrees. What marvellous things Christ has done, and done in some of us, too! Some of you must weep over that verse in which the apostle says, “And such were some of you, but ye are washed;” and you say, “Yes, and to God be all the glory that he hath made us what we are.” Therefore, let us continue to look after those whom Satan has ensnared, even the most hard-hearted sinners, and seek to bring them under the saving influence of the grace of God. Then, lastly, if we are what we are “by the grace of God,” this should teach us greater thankfulness. Children of the Heavenly King, never forget to praise your God. We sometimes fail in this duty. We have had many meetings for prayer, to ask God to bless us in our manifold labors; now let us have some meetings for praise, to bless the Lord for his great goodness to us. I have heard that, in some parts of New England, there used to be a day of fasting every month, to mourn for the iniquity of the land, and so on; and, at last, some senator proposed that they should have a feast, and thank God for the mercies which they had received; and, truly, he was in the right. It is not good always to be fasting, we must feast sometimes. An old Puritan says that we take in breath by prayer, by a sort of heavenly inspiration, — and that we breathe it out again by praise: Dear brethren and sisters, if you and I were to sing as heartily as we ought to sing, what a joyous song of praise there would be! If our voices could but be tuned to the deservings of God, what songs and sonnets would make glad this wilderness! You remember Ralph Erskine’s sonnet on the battle in heaven, — the great contention of the bards in paradise. He pictures them all contending as to who should have the lowest place, and which should most loudly praise the Lord. There were the babes snatched from their mothers’ breasts; they claimed the lowest place because they had gone straight to heaven without any trials or troubles. But the gray-headed men, who had been divinely supported under the afflictions of many years, said that they owed the most to sovereign grace. Then came those who had been converted in their early years, and who said that they had already had a heaven below, so they could sing the loudest of all. Then came the penitent thief, who said that he had the greatest cause to praise the Lord for he had been converted al; the last. While some declared that they must praise God most because they had been the blackest sinners, others said that they would praise him most for the restraining grace which had kept them from sin; and so the strife went on until they agreed, each one, to sing with all his might to the praise of that everlasting love which inscribed their names in the Lamb’s book of life, that great love which bought them with Jesus’ precious blood, and that omnipotent love which attended them all their journey through, and landed then at last in heaven. (1Corinthians 15:10 Lesson on Divine Grace) (Or you can download an Mp3 version with a British accent to listen while you drive or run or bike - 1Corinthians 15:10 Lessons on Divine Grace) Octavius Winslow's devotional on 1Co 15:10 from Daily Walking with God… We should be always careful to distinguish between the denial of self and the denial of the life of God within us. The most entire renunciation of ourselves, the most humiliating acknowledgment of our personal unworthiness, may harmonize with the strongest assurance and profession of Christ living in us. Self-denial does not necessarily involve grace-denial. It is the profoundest act of humility in a Christian man to acknowledge the grace of God in his soul. Never is there so real a crucifixion, never so entire a renunciation of self, as when the heart, in its lowly but deep and grateful throbbings, acknowledges its indebtedness to sovereign grace, and in the fervor of its adoring love, summons the whole Church to listen to its recital of the great things God has done for it–"Come and hear, all you that fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul." Oh yes! It is a self-denying life. Listen to Job–"I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6) Listen to Isaiah–"Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." (Isa 6:5) Listen to the penitent publican–"God be merciful to me a sinner!" (Lk 18:13) Listen again to Paul–"I live, yet not I." (Gal 2:20) Thus does a sense of sin, and a believing sight of Christ, lay the soul low before God in self-renunciation and self-abhorrence. Judge your spiritual condition, dear reader, by this characteristic of the inner life. Is it yours? Has there been this renunciation of your sinful self and of your righteous self? Has the Spirit of God emptied you? has the grace of God humbled you? Has the life of God crucified you? Are you as one in whom Christ lives, walking humbly with God? Oh, it is the essence of vital godliness, it is the very life of true religion. If Christ is living in you, you are a humble soul. Pride never existed in the heart of Christ. His whole life was one act of the profoundest self-abasement. In the truest and in the fullest sense of the emphatic declaration, "He humbled Himself." (Php 2:8) It is impossible, then, that He who was thus "meek and lowly in heart," (Mt 11:29) can dwell in one whom "pride compasses as a chain." "I live, yet not I," are two states of the renewed soul, as inseparable as any cause and effect. A humble and a self-denying Christ dwells only with a humble and a self-denying soul. If your gifts inflate you, if your position exalts you, if your usefulness engenders pride, if the honor and distinction which God or man has placed upon you has turned you aside from the simplicity of your walk, and set you upon the work of self-seeking, self-advancing, so that you are not meek and gentle, child-like, and Christ-like in spirit, be sure of this–you are either not a partaker of the life of Christ, or else that life is at a low ebb in your soul. Which of the two, do you think, is your real state? "By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Cor. 15:10 GRACE is one of the most precious and significant terms of the Bible. Grace tells of God's free and unconditional choice of a people, whom He everlastingly loved. It speaks … of His mercy to the miserable, of His pardon to the guilty, of His favor to the lost, of His free and boundless love to poor sinners. None are saved but those who are saved by … electing grace, sovereign grace, free grace. Also, all the precious streams of present … sanctification, peace, joy, and hope flow from this divine and marvelous Fountain! What a heart is His! The Lord of all grace … all pardoning grace, all accepting grace, all sanctifying grace, all comforting grace … to the ungracious, to the unworthy, to the poor, to the bankrupt, to the vile, to the sinful. "By the grace of God I am what I am!" Marvelous declaration! R K Hughes in his excellent book Disciplines of a Godly Man writes that… The man who wisely disciplines himself for godliness understands the necessity of prioritizing and realism and prayer and accountability and that failure is part of success, but his greatest wisdom and impetus comes from his understanding of grace. Everything in his life comes from God’s grace — sola gratia — grace alone!… Salvation is by grace alone, and living the Christian life is by grace alone also. James makes this stunning declaration regarding the believer’s universal experience in this world: “[B]ut he gives us more grace” (Jas 4:6). This is not saving grace, but grace to live our lives as we ought in this fallen world — literally, “greater grace.” There is always “more grace.” An artist once submitted a painting of Niagara Falls to an exhibition, but neglected to give it a title. The gallery, faced with the need to supply one, came up with these words: “More to Follow.” Old Niagara Falls, spilling over billions of gallons per year for thousands of years, has more than met the needs of those below and is a fit emblem of the floods of God’s grace He showers upon us. There is always more to follow! The Apostle John referred to this reality, saying, “For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16, NASB) — literally, “grace instead of grace,” or as others have rendered it, “grace following grace” or “grace heaped upon grace.” “ For daily need there is daily grace; for sudden need, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace. --John Blanchard As we tackle the disciplines of a godly man, we must remember it is a matter of grace from beginning to end. Consider slowly and carefully Paul’s words, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1Corinthians 15:10, italics added). You see, there is no contradiction between grace and hard work. In fact, grace produces spiritual sweat! It is God’s grace that energizes us to live out the disciplines of a godly man. There is always more grace. Grace for Purity Grace for Marriage Grace for Fatherhood Grace for Friendship Grace for Mind Grace for Devotion Grace for Prayer Grace for Worship Grace for Integrity Grace for Tongue Grace for Work Grace for Church Grace for Leadership Grace for Giving Grace for Witness Grace for Ministry Brothers, when we attempt to do His will, He always gives more grace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done; When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only begun. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power has no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again. —Annie Johnson Flint The believer's eternal confession! (John MacDuff, "The Night Watches") "By the Grace of God — I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10 This is the believer's eternal confession! Grace found him a rebel against God — it leaves him a son of God! Grace found him wandering at the gates of Hell — it leaves him at the gates of Heaven! Grace devised the scheme of Redemption. Justice never would; Reason never could. And it is Grace which carries out that scheme. No sinner would ever have sought God — but "by grace." The thickets of Eden would have proved Adam's grave — had not grace called him out! Saul would have lived and died the haughty self-righteous persecutor — had not grace laid him low! The thief on the cross would have continued breathing out his blasphemies — had not grace arrested his tongue and tuned it for glory! "Out of the knottiest timber," says Rutherford, "God can make vessels of mercy for service in the high palace of glory!" "I came, I saw, I conquered!" may be inscribed by the Savior on every monument of His grace. "I came to the sinner; I looked upon him; and with a look of omnipotent love — I conquered him!" Believer, you would have been this day a wandering star, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever! You would have been Christless, hopeless, and portionless; had not grace constrained you! And it is grace which, at this moment, "keeps" you. You have often been a Peter — forsaking your Lord — but brought back to Him again. Why have you not been a Demas or a Judas? "I have prayed for you — that your faith fail not!" Is not this your own comment and reflection on life's retrospect: "Yet not I — but the grace of God which was with me!" Seek to realize your dependence on this grace every moment. "More grace! more grace!" needs to be your continual cry. His infinite supply — is commensurate with your infinite need. The treasury of grace, though always emptying — is always full. The key of prayer which opens it — is always at hand! And the Almighty Bestower of the blessings of grace — is always "waiting to be gracious." The recorded promise can never be cancelled or reversed: "My grace is sufficient for you." The grace of God is the source of lesser temporal blessings — as well as of higher spiritual blessings. Grace accounts for the crumb of daily bread — as well as for the crown of eternal glory! But even in regard to earthly mercies, never forget the CHANNEL of grace: "through Christ Jesus!" It is sweet thus to connect every blessing, even the smallest and humblest token of providential bounty — with Calvary's cross — to have the common blessings of life stamped with "the print of the nails!" It makes them doubly precious to think, "All this flows from Jesus!" "By the Grace of God — I am what I am!" Reader! seek to dwell much on this inexhaustible theme!
1 Coríntios 15:58
Piper adds that "Steadfast means steady as you move forward. Keep on going and don’t let up. Don’t be given to fits and starts. Put your hand on the plow and don’t take it off till your work is done. Steady movement forward till your work is done. (Sermon) Ryrie writes that "Knowledge of the future should breed consistency throughout one’s life. The words steadfast, unmovable, and always show clearly that such labors are not to be spasmodic or lacking in continuity. No “off again, on again” kind of Christian living and witness is permitted. (BORROW Ryrie: The Final Countdown: God's Blueprint for Future Events)
1 Coríntios 15:58
Piper adds that "Immovable means don’t get knocked over by sudden blows. Keep your balance. Stand strong and unshaken when the rains come down and the floods come up and the winds blow and beat against your house. Be like a boulder that can’t get washed away. Be like a tree that can’t get blown down. (Sermon) Thomas Edwards writes that "The word "unmoved" denotes resistance to the special attempt to overthrow their faith in the doctrine of the resurrection. It is implied that an attempt of the kind has been intentionally made in the Corinthian church, cf 1Co 15:32, 33, 34. (1Corinthians 15 Commentary - 1886) Paul uses hedraios and metakineo in the closely related passage Col 1:23 (see above), where metakineo is preceded by a negative particle ("me"), which conveys in essence the same meaning as the adjective ametakinetos used in the passage we are studying.
1 Coríntios 15:58
Piper adds that "Abounding in the work of the Lord means do lots of it. Abound in means “overflow with.” Fill your days with things that count for Christ. Pray and dream and plan and then work, work … work while it is day. This happens, Paul says, because you have heard and believe 1Cor 15:51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57. You have read and memorized and meditated on and believed deep in your soul that death is swallowed up in victory… : Death is swallowed up in victory because of Christ. Therefore, be steadfast, immovable, and work your fanny off for Christ and His kingdom. I said to the elders, “Settling it in your mind and heart by grace that Christ is real is a wonderfully energizing thing.”That’s what the “therefore” of verse 58 means. Know the Christ Who conquered your death, and know how He did it—read that, memorize that—and then pray, and God will give you peace and strength and a passion for His cause in the world. I am deeply thankful for your prayers. (Sermon) Henry Martyn (see bio), was a British missionary to India who was heard to say, "Let me burn out for God" which he did before he reached the young age of thirty–five. This beloved brother clearly understood his purpose for living and abounded in the work of the Lord. May his tribe increase! Martyn's final journal entry shortly before he fell asleep in Jesus gives us a sense of why he was such a "1Corinthians 15:58" type of man. He wrote "Oh! when shall time give place to eternity? When shall appear that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness? There, there shall in no wise enter in anything that defileth: none of that wickedness which has made men worse than wild beasts, none of those corruptions which add still more to the miseries of mortality, shall be seen or heard of any more." (Written Oct 6. He fell asleep in Jesus on Oct 16, 1812). (And all God's people shout "Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus for the liberating, motivating truth of Your Resurrection!) THOUGHT - Father, by Thy Spirit, rekindle a sobering, stimulating sense of eternity within our hearts (Eccl 3:11NLT), so that we might live (and work) with an awareness of the brevity of time and the imminency and endlessness of eternity with Christ and in Christ. Amen It is worth noting that this same verb perisseuo pictures the way the God "dispenses" grace, Paul recording that… In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished (perisseuo - He exceeded the requirements, His grace was like a river overflowing its banks!) upon us. (Eph 1:7, 8+)
1 Coríntios 15:58
Piper asks "Where shall we get the energy to persevere and not grow weary in this labor? Again Paul answers: “For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me” (Col 1:29RSV). We exert ourselves and toil, but the energy comes from God when we trust in Him and seek His glory. It is a supernatural toil." (From A Godward life : Savoring the supremacy of God in all life. Sisters, Or.: Multnomah Publishers) (Bolding addded) Butler commenting on the phrase in the Lord adds this caution "Do not confuse many things you do as serving the Lord. Many do their church work for personal recognition and glory. Make sure the Lord is Who you are serving and not self. (Analytical Bible Expositor: I & II Corinthians) Andrew