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1 Corinthians 4:3-5
Christians should be active in service to our Lord Jesus. God has a purpose for each person and our focus should be on Him. The Apostle Paul reveals that he is not concerned so much with how man views him because his focus is on serving the Lord and pleasing Him. Paul is seeking God’s will for his life which will bring on criticism from man, but Paul notes that he is justified by Jesus, not man.
There is a time when our Lord Jesus will return and judge all things as He alone is the true and rightful Judge. Paul instructed the church at Corinth that until that time they should not concern themselves with judging others as Jesus will, “both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5, NKJV). At that time, God will praise those who have been obedient to Him.
This is a promise that Christians will be criticized.
This is a command that we should not judge others.
A key verse in this passage is 1 Corinthians 4:5, “5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” The teaching is that God knows the condition of our hearts. That means that He knows our darkest secrets. We cannot hide our inner thoughts from God. Once again, God knows the deepest, darkest secrets that we think only we know. God knows everything about us – we cannot hide from God. If you think that you are hiding from God because you believe that He would not want anything to do with you because of something in your past, the truth is that you are only hiding from yourself. God is patiently waiting for you to come to Him so He can forgive you and cleanse your heart from whatever sin it is that is ailing you. Jesus came for this very reason; He took your penalty for sin to the cross and paid for it so that now He can forgive you. God has a love for each of us that is beyond anything we could ever imagine. He came to rescue us from sin for this very reason. God loves you and He sent His One and only Son Jesus to give you a renewed life if you will believe in Him. He will lead you to life if you will follow Him. No one should judge you, and if they do, they are trespassing on the ground that is only for Jesus when He returns. If you put your trust in Him, the verdict that only He can proclaim is justified, righteous, and saved. Put your trust in Jesus today and begin living the new life that He has for you – in Christ.
Dear LORD,
The Apostle Paul made light of those who criticized him as his faith and trust was in You through His salvation in Your One and only Son Jesus. Please help us to see that we too have Your same Holy Spirit to fill our lives that You gave to Paul, and to everyone else that has opened their heart to Jesus. LORD, I feel that You are calling someone to You today and that they are struggling with this decision. Please let this prayer be an encouragement to them that they would take the step to come to You today and accept being forgiven through Your gift of life eternal in Christ Jesus. Fill their heart with joy and peace as You lead them in their new life – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.