Sunday Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:1-6
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 13:5
5 examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, prove your own selves. Do you not know your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are reprobates?
Devotion:
Can you image the following with me? There is a classroom with a few loud children in it. The teacher manages the classroom well whilst he is there but he gets a message that he is to go and meet someone during class time. He tells the children to behave and continue with their work after giving them an easy task to complete. He then warns them that he is going to return and pops out for a few minutes to prepare for his time away. After those few minutes he returns to see all manner of chaos breaking out because the few loud children have taken over... After getting them back in line he then gives them a stern warning saying that when he returns once again, anyone caught playing up will be excluded from the class. The children have seen him return the first time and should now know that he will return as promised but they do the usual thing and mess things up! What is going to happen when the teacher returns after his trip to meet the other person (who just happens to be the headmaster that he is picking up from the station)?
Whilst the teacher is with the children, all of them behave; but when left alone, those that are not really listening to his instructions will find their own fun and go off and do it. Those few are the reprobates; the ones that will bring punishment upon themselves because they refused to listen to a simple instruction...
Just like this the disciple was faced with returning to Corinth to find out who was causing the chaos amongst the people; a few had decided that they did not really want to believe or had not believed or had believed that they would get away with things before his return. He now gave them their final warning in writing to say that he was on his way back soon!
We have already had our written warning from Christ that He will return to this world. It does not specify exactly when so we have to make sure that we are ready and waiting...
Points to Ponder:
How many times have you been caught red-handed?
Are you ready for Christ’s return?
