Monday, January 19, 2015
1 Corinthians 12:1-3 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit ...
THE ANTIDOTE FOR SPIRITUAL "DOG DAYS"
Are the Christmas trimmings stashed away? What about those toys and games the children received and couldn't live without? Are they still in one piece or getting much attention any more? And how eventful was your new year? After all the hype, the turn of the year often ends up being quite humdrum, doesn't it? On top of this, at least in our part of the country the winter weather drags on, bringing with it increased chances of being struck with the flu bug or some other physical malady. These are the "dog days" of winter, and seasonal blahs threaten to give way to physical depression.
Careful, Christian friend. The worst malady of all is spiritual apathy. If the spiritual high of Christmas gives way to a post-holiday low the old evil foe has us where he likes us. Yes, the devil smiles if God's people file into church all bored and depressed, void of the wonder and excitement of their holy Christian faith.
For Christians the antidote is always the same--turning to the spiritual balm and healing of the precious Word of our God. There the Holy Spirit provides all sorts of ammunition to ward off and/or overcome spiritual depression.
The first century city of Corinth, Greece, was wholly given to idolatry. As such, it was as wicked as any city you could mention today. By God's grace though the apostle Paul had brought the gospel of Jesus to the city. The happy result was that the Spirit of God had brought some to faith in the Savior.
But as time went on, spiritual dog days threatened. The Christians were in danger of succumbing to spiritual apathy or depression. The apostle Paul had a special message for them. He didn't want them to "be ignorant" of their newfound spiritual gifts. Rather, bask in them! After all, the "dumb idols" they once served actually contributed to spiritual depression, for they provided no spiritual guidance, no answer to prayer, no release from fear, no light for their darkness.
How different their newfound Christian faith-life which brought with it countless blessings! Paul wanted to remind them once again of that fact. The bottom line is that the simple but heartfelt confession "Jesus is Lord!" was a bottomless well over-flowing with a variety of spiritually exciting gifts. (In his epistle Paul would expand on that.)
Holy Spirit, thank You for bringing me to faith in Jesus. Help me see that Your Word is the perfect antidote against spiritual apathy and indifference. Amen.
