Stand Firm, Love Loud
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
And do everything with love. - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Recently, my daughter and I tried to make fun-shaped cupcakes, like hearts and smiley faces, with a special baking tin. It didn’t end well. Some of the cakes stuck to the tin, some overflowed the tin, and most didn’t look anything like the intended shape when we removed them.
Throughout his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul described God’s mold, or model for the church. He gave them valuable instruction about purity, maturity, and unity of faith. He offered gospel solutions to every issue they were facing. He defined true love. He taught them how to shape their lives according to God. Now, within the conclusion of his letter, Paul offers rapid fire exhortations. I doubt Paul had a cupcake tin in mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, but I can almost envision him telling the church to proverbially hold their shape, or stay molded when the heat rises. He’s poured the batter into the molds, and how he’s using military metaphors to express his heartfelt desire that they stay that way.
How? By standing firm and loving loud.
1. Be on guard: Paul wants them to be watchful or alert for anything other than the true gospel that could lure them away.
2. Stand firm: The gospel is true, pure, and powerful. They should remain firmly committed the core truths he has taught them, and have “mature stability.”
3. Be courageous – living counter-culturally takes courage. They were to act like mature adults, not immature children, in the face of worldly values.
4. Do everything in love –in a striking juxtaposition, Paul adds they are to act in love. Love, he has told them, is superior because it never ends. Like God’s unselfish and self-sacrificing love for us, we are to love others and put others’ needs above our desires. This command doesn’t negate any of the other exhortations. Love isn’t compromising the gospel. Love isn’t the absence of courage. Love isn’t affirming sinful lifestyles. We are to be on guard, stand firm, be courageous, AND do everything in love.
Whatever environment we find ourselves in today, (I am specifically thinking about you new college students who are on your own for the first time), Paul’s exhortations apply to all of us. God wants to mold our hearts to the image of Jesus Christ. He knows what’s best for us, he knows how life works, and he knows why and for what we were created. Because the gospel is truth, we can be on guard for and reject all that is not subject to it. Because the gospel is an unchanging and solid foundation for our lives, we can stand firm and be courageous. And because God loves us so much and promises to equip us through his Holy Spirit, we can act in love.
Questions for Reflection:
How do Paul’s exhortations encourage or challenge you today?
What do you need the Holy Spirit to cultivate more of in you in your current circumstances?
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