Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus‘ friends on this Friday,
Have you discovered the amazing era-accurate images and videos which help our daily time together come alive? My partner in “WWJ” invests several hours each day researching and developing these original pictures which draw us into both the first century with Paul but also into the reality of 2026. You’ll find this experience by clicking on the white triangle in the middle of the opening picture each day. We hope you are maximizing the full “WWJ” experience available to you in helping you step INTO the Bible. The old adage is true, ‘a picture is worth 1000 words’!
Let’s join Paul again in Ephesus, in 55ad, as he’s writing his first letter to the Christians in the rambunctious city of Corinth. Coming off the miracle Paul described in chapter 2, of the Holy Spirit enabling Christ followers to understand God’s truth through God given ‘spiritual wisdom’, Paul then, in chapter 3, confronts the Corinthian Christians to consider their spiritual immaturity.
Paul writes: “I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly, mere infants in Christ…for since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting as mere humans?” (1 Cor. 3:1-3) Oh my, that’s a wakeup call for all of us, isn’t it? Do you see two very important truths here?
First… spiritual growth for a Christian should parallel the God designed human development process, right?
We all understand the parental responsibility to nourish the development of an infant with care and patience. It’s proper nutrition, and careful help in learning new capabilities like walking and talking, all done with parental love, right? Neglect of a child’s development is a crime, do you agree?
Do you see it’s the same with our spiritual development, only with one big difference. In our spiritual development WE are each responsible to nourish OUR OWN SOUL by pursuing growth. The Holy Spirit will awaken an appetite in each of us for understanding God’s Word and building a close relationship with Jesus, but if we don’t take responsibility to nourish that appetite appropriately, we will actually drift into spiritual anemia fairly quickly and become spiritually malnourished.
Pause. Do you see how easily Christians can remain spiritual infants when they should be growing and developing rapidly? Do you see WHY and HOW that happens? Let’s personalize this. Considering how long it’s been since you were saved from your sin condemnation by your trust in Jesus, how spiritually mature do you think Jesus wanted you to be by now? How have you handled the spiritual appetite the Holy Spirit has given you?
As Paul said, are you “still worldly, mere infants in Christ”? If so, the answer I have found is this… block from your soul the things that draw you away from Jesus and nourish your soul with the things that draw you to Jesus; all the while asking the Holy Spirit to increase your appetite for rapid spiritual growth. Then fully engage with the Holy Spirit as He will nourish your soul in that rapid growth path.
This is one of many verses that have helped me pursue this spiritual growth in my life: “Teach me Your way O LORD and I will walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your Name.” (Ps. 86:11)
Secondly... do you see Paul’s challenging words: “…for since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting as mere humans?” (1 Cor. 3:3)
Do you see Paul’s expectation that as Christians we should grow far beyond being ‘mere humans’, and we should become very much like Jesus?
As you read through the next several verses of 1 Corinthians 3, you’ll see Paul specifies that the jealousy and quarreling Paul identified was disagreement by these Corinthian Christians in who they wanted to follow as their spiritual leader.
Paul challenged them: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow…for we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Cor. 3:4-9) Oh there’s great danger in clinging to our preferred pastor or teacher or spiritual friend, rather than keeping our focus on Jesus and the soul maturing work of the Holy Spirit, right?
My friends, I hope when you join with us in “Walking with Jesus” each day, you do so in a quiet place, with your Bible open, your journal ready for writing what the Holy Spirit speaks into your soul, and your heart inviting the Holy Spirit to nurture you, maybe even convict you! “WWJ” should be a profound spiritual nourishment experience, a fresh encounter with Jesus each day! Pause.
Look closely at what Paul wrote in the next verses of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, it’s very powerful.
Do you see Paul is saying that EVERY Christian is building their spiritual legacy every day? Jesus Christ and His truth are the foundation of our Christian life, and each day, for the rest of our lives, how we spend our lives builds on the foundation of our salvation which Jesus gave us.
One day each of us will stand before Jesus and one of the things Jesus will do is evaluate our lifetime since the day we were saved. How? Paul writes that our: “work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved.” (1 Cor. 3:11-15)
Oh my, do we understand my friends? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what this means as it relates to YOUR lifetime and how you have used the time, talents, energy and spiritual resources God has made available to you? What will you and Jesus watch happen in that moment when your life accomplishments will undergo the test of Jesus‘ fire?
I urge you to read these verses carefully, maybe several times, and spend some time talking with Jesus, and tomorrow we’ll come right back here to see what more we can learn in these very important verses.
The “lessons learned” notes at the link below may be very helpful to you. And there’s a very special worship song I’ve selected for today; and I’ll be here ready for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Cor. 3:1-15
Choose below to read or listen.
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Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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