February 16, 2022 – Wednesday
1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Comment.
Yesterday, Tuesday, February 15, we looked at 1 Corinthians 3:12-13, If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
After looking at some commentary, I wrote that it all brought to mind a line from an old song, What have you done for me lately? And then added, When that Day comes and what we have done is evaluated we will have to answer that question beyond just lately. Today’s verse tells us we will not only have to answer the question What have you done for me, but also Why have you done what you did for me?
When Paul wrote, He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart, he was telling us the why of all that we have done (or not done) is going to be as important as the what if not more important. Guzik wrote, When Jesus judges, it will be according to the motives of the heart, not only the outward action. This is another reason why human judgment is often wrong.
Which brings to mind a short fiction story I read many years ago. It involved a famous televangelist who was in the holy land with his media crew. They had made a discovery worth millions of dollars. He quickly computed ten percent and added in an additional one percent. He then instructed his media crew to send out a news release that he was donating more than ten percent of the value of the findings. Minutes later after a mild earthquake, he turned around to his crew to confirm the press release had gone out. It had, but they were no longer with him. They had been raptured. He had not. When the light of Jesus examined his crews’ motives of the heart, their motives were approved. But those of the televangelist were not and he remained to endure the tribulation. That story brought 1 Corinthians 4:5 to life to show us the importance of our motives.
Prayer: Father God, Again help me keep focused on sharing the Gospel by action or by word and with motives that would please and glorify Jesus. Let my motives be for Jesus’ glory and not my own in any way shape or form. Bless my efforts. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek