1 Timothy 1:13

"Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief."

Paul once ignorantly lived in violent opposition to the gospel. This ignorance was not ignorance of the message of the gospel. For though he heard Stephen clearly testify of Christ's fulfilling the Old Testament, Paul approved of Stephen's execution and proceed punished other Christians for their faith in Christ (Acts 7-8). Paul's ignorance was his unbelief.

Unbelievers often hate believers for no apparent reason. Believers go about doing good, and they are hated for it. Why? Unbelievers hate Christ and His followers because the unbelievers are spiritually ignorant of the good that obedient Christians are doing for people and for God's glory. The most educated of unbelievers will often have an ignorance fueled hatred for Christ that extends to those of us who follow Him.

We who are trusting Christ should be aware that the boldest, most intelligent opponent of the gospel is acting in ignorance. We should love our enemies. We would be like them were it not for God's saving grace in our lives. And who but God knows if our faithless persecutors will soon turn to Christ, becoming our brothers and sisters.

My prayer: You are full of mercy and power. You take those who hate You, and You completely change them. You have done it so many times. There is no one who is outside Your reach. I am truly small. And knowing some of my own limitations, I seek to limit You unnaturally. But You can do whatever You please. You can change those whom I would assume are without hope. You have done it and continue to do it. How You display Your power in Your grace! Father, help me to remember these things. And keep me from ever hating those who hate me.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44

"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."

As the seed’s death brings about the life of a new plant, so also the Christian’s physical death brings about a new spiritual life. What are the differences between the seed and the plant (that is our current bodies and Christians’ resurrection bodies)?

Our current bodies will die. All the health care in the world will not extend a person's life into eternity. But our resurrection bodies will never wear out. They will last forever.

Our current bodies will rot away in a manner that most people find revolting and not a subject for polite conversation. But our resurrection bodies will be things of unfading magnificence. We will be glorious in form and in appearance.

Our current bodies are wrought with debilitating illnesses. Cancer, diabetes, the flu, the cold, and infections are just a few of the many things that weaken rich and poor alike. But our resurrection bodies will have a God-given, unshakable, unyielding power. We will no longer be subject to our present ailments. These frightening maladies that occupy our time, attention, and money will all be behind us (perhaps a distant memory).

Our current bodies are limited, and we are not inherently able to understand or even receive spiritual truths. But our resurrection bodies will themselves be spiritual. That plain of existence that now seems so distant and illusive shall be our pleasant and blessed reality.

The fact that we have a physical body should be a constant reminder of the body to come. For Christians who are nearing the end of their lives, this is a clearer reality. But all of us who have a saving relationship with Christ would do well to remember the blessings to come.

1 Corinthians 11:27-30

"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. "

Continuing to show the importance of carefully observing the Lord’s Table, we are told to examine ourselves before participating in the Lord’s Table. Flippancy brings guilt and judgment. The good act of observing the Lord’s Table, if done the wrong way, can bring illness or even death.

With consequences that are so severe and with warnings that seem to be so frequent, one might come to the conclusion that it would be better just to abstain. Some times that is true. If you are not willing to examine yourself, you better not take communion. However, these verse are not encouraging abstinence but rather careful observance. We are told to examine ourselves and then partake.

Consider your relationship with the Lord. Is there anything between you and the Lord? Is there any anger, bitterness, envy? Are you willing to deal with it? Focus on what God has done for you, and let it effect your life and relationships. Before and as you partake, think on these things.

1 Corinthians 10:22

"Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?"

The first question warns us not to be spiritually unfaithful, knowing that our God is a righteously jealous God. The second question is a natural continuation of the warning in the first question. The warning calls us to realize that if we make God jealous, we are making the only all-powerful sovereign of the universe jealous. We are not stronger then he, so we should not be unfaithful.

Jealousy—at first it seems out of character for God. How can jealousy ever be right? It can be right if it is without sin. We are God's and God is willing to fight for us. In my mind it is like a husband who thwarts the efforts of a man who would steal his wife. We look at jealousy and think of the distrust and unnecessary anger of an insecure husband. But jealousy is not that way when God is involved. God is perfectly secure, He simply wishes to protect that which is His—namely you. It is for your good and His glory that He is jealous for you. 

1 Corinthians 7:25-28

"Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that."

Avoid unnecessary trouble. Marriage is honorable and can bring glory to God. But in times of persecution, marriage can bring worldly troubles. If you are being persecuted, that persecution is going to be more painful for you if you have a family that is affected by it. This does not mean that it is wrong for a person to marry under such circumstances. It may be the right thing to do. However, you should know what you will be facing so that you can avoid unnecessary and unexpected trouble. If you are unable to deal with or unprepared for the persecution, it might cause you to crack. Therefore, know what you are getting into, and avoid unnecessary trouble.