Date: Wednesday, 11th December, 2024
Text: 1 Corinthians 9:27
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
Soldiers are typically well organized into hierarchies. The reporting lines are very clear and they are well trained to follow instructions. They follow the last order without questioning their constituted authorities.
The Centurion (commanding a unit of 80-100 soldiers; roughly equivalent to today’s Captain or Major) who pleaded with Jesus to heal his sick servant said, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Matthew 8:9
Soldiers are trained to always fall in line not out of line. Discipline is the key word here. They have a code of conduct which they are trained to follow. The end result is obedience. There are well spelt out punishments for those who fall out line into disobedience.
Discipline is also called Self Control- the ability to put your body under subjection. Self control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit- Galatians 5:22.
Paul the apostle said concerning himself, “But I keep under my body (I strictly discipline my body), and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27
It takes discipline to be holy. Holiness is total obedience. Abraham was a man who obeyed God even when it was not convenient. He obeyed God ‘foolishly’. He obeyed God without questioning. In Genesis chapter 12 he was asked to leave his village and his kinsmen and relocate to an unspecified location, he obeyed like a soldier.
He was asked to circumcise himself and household- at the age of 99- Genesis 17:10-24. He obeyed without hesitation. As if that was not enough, in Genesis 22, God asked him to sacrifice his own long-awaited and beloved son, Isaac. Again, he obeyed. The word of God says, “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6.
Prayer Nugget: Father, I ask for the grace to put my body under the control of the Holy Spirit and to live in total obedience in Jesus name.