Written by Bob Schindler, Executive Director of CEDE Partners – an Initiative of CEDE Sports
Reminders. They are a part of our daily life.
We have them on our phones. We post them on our refrigerators. We have them wherever we regularly frequent.
On the reminders, we are reminded of appointments, important dates, tasks, thoughts to carry with us, maybe even Bible verses.
We need these reminders for one simple reason – WE TEND TO FORGET!
While this tendency may get worse with age, the forgetting malady knows no age discrimination. Like death and taxes, everyone is affected by it.
Also, forgetfulness is not just something of this age. It has been around since we left the Garden years ago.
Paul understood this problem as he wrote his good friends at Corinth. The eighteen months Paul spent with the Corinthians, to plant and lead the church during his 2nd missionary journey, is his longest recorded visit in Acts. While in Ephesus during his 3rd missionary, he hears of some significant problems in this church he knows so well. In response, Paul writes what we know as 1Corinthians. In this letter, Paul addresses these problems – such as division, sexual immorality, jealousy, strife, abuses in worship and pride.
After he exposes problems and provides solutions, Paul gives an overarching idea that brings all these problems together and unites their solutions. “Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel…..(1Corinthians 15:1). In the verses that follow, Paul tells the Corinthians
– Why they need to remember the gospel
– What is the gospel they are to remember
– How to go about remembering the gospel
On the first point, Paul gives two primary reasons for remembering the gospel. The first, we tend to forget. The second, when we forget the gospel we lose the present experience of the saving power of the gospel. Put in the positive, we need to remember the gospel to experience the saving power of the gospel. Paul says, “By this gospel you are saved.” Present tense – “You are being saved” might be a little clearer.
Remember from the first verse who Paul is writing to here – “Now, brothers.” These are fellow believers. Paul is saying to them “If you want to experience the power of God in your lives, especially to overcome the problems I just went over in this letter, remember the gospel.”
I don’t know exactly where you are today but my guess is that you want to experience more of the power of God wherever you are. If so, follow Paul’s advice to the Corinthians. Remember the gospel.
This reminder may be the most important you get today.
