October 2, 2024

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 8-9
Meditation Verses: 9:25-27

Thought

There are actually some who preach the Gospel but do not obey it or the Lord they preach about. They are called hypocrites. They may preach and teach correct things about the Lord and His Gospel and how He wants His people to live, but they themselves do not abide by their own instruction. They disqualify themselves from receiving the prize they encourage others to pursue. The message of God and the power of the Spirit are such that an unregenerate man can preach them and still men can be saved! Contrary to what that man might hope, he will not be saved because he preached the right message, because he did a good thing in preaching correctly about God; he can only be saved if he too submits to the truth of the message he preaches.

Application

This is hard to believe, that there would be preachers who teach the truth about God, at least certain things about God that are true, including the basic Gospel, yet they will not be saved! Hypocrisy is a dangerous thing! It is not good enough to preach what is true about God to others, not enough to save the preacher's soul. Obedience in a few things is not the same as complete and true submission to God. The man who hopes to "buy off" the Lord by preaching the gospel while living the rest of his life however he wishes will not be saved, though his preaching leads others to salvation. The man who teaches accurately the ways of God will not be saved if he does not also obey the accurate teachings about God. It is of no benefit to myself if I teach the truth about God but do not obey. Others may be helped, but I will be lost. I also must fully submit myself to the true teachings about God and what He desires for His people, to save others and myself.