WEDNESDAY May 9, 2018
Fear the Lord
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
1 Corinthians 11:28-30
Paul gave the Corinthians an exhortation and an opportunity to examine their lives in Christ before they partook of communion. He instilled the fear the Lord in their lives, because there were serious consequences to taking communion in an unworthy manner. For this reason, many suffered weakness, sickness and even death!
It is important to learn to fear the Lord. Ananias and Sapphira did not fear the Lord and lied about how much they sold a piece of land for. They only gave a portion of the proceeds as an offering. In their hypocrisy of wanting to look good before men, they had not lied to men, but to God. They both lied to the Holy Spirit and were found guilty (Acts 5:1-4).
When Peter confronted Ananias, God judged him, and he fell down dead (Acts 5:5-6).Then, three hours later, Sapphira was questioned by Peter. At this time, she did not know what had happened to her husband and also lied to the Apostle Peter. He told her: “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately, Sapphira fell down dead (Acts 5:7-10).
During communion, think about how many people do not fear the Lord. Just because they are not dropping dead does not mean God is not judging. Do these kinds of lessons apply today? Yes, they do! God has His ways and His perfect timing. If you are not living right before God, and you partake of the cup and bread, it is very possible, through the Lord’s chastening, that you may become weak or sick or even physically die. It is important to learn to fear the Lord, so we do not willfully sin against Him.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
~Proverbs 9:10~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!
