10/12/2010 - What praise are you going to receive?

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“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” (I Corinthians 4:5)

How much information we can get in this verse! All of it is very important to us. Let’s go through each piece of it and check out what the Lord’s revealing to us. It’s always good to know the will of God and His promises because sooner or later what His lips have promised will take place. Now, it’s not good to do what He has forbidden. It’s better to obey what He’s ordering and take His warnings seriously.

1st – Judge nothing before time
The Lord has prohibited us to judge anything. Paul said that there would come a time we’d judge angels (I Corinthians 6:3), but I’ll say nothing about that. Yet, when the Word is opened to us it’s time to give the order by issuing the sentence of condemnation of evil. Time is the revelation of the Gospel. Once the Lord has spoken He’ll confirm His Word.

2nd – Until the Lord comes
Jesus will come to take us one day; yet, He comes to help us when we behave by faith. When we feel in our heart we’re listening to God’s voice – when the Word’s being unveiled to us – it’s the right time to take possession of what belongs to us. So, we can judge according to what’s been revealed to us. At that moment, what we speak will be fulfilled.

3rd – Who will also bring into light the hidden things of darkness
The revelation of the Word of God always brings into light what darkness has done to us or in other people’s lives. It’s necessary to be always connected to the Lord to understand what He’s saying. What’s concealed or hard to be figured out will be brought into light through His manifestation which happens by reading the Word, by meditating on the Scriptures or by hearing the Gospel message.

4th – Who will reveal the counsels of the hearts
The visit of our Lord Jesus in our lives manifests the counsels of our hearts as well as those people’s around us. How good it is to be always connected and in communion with our God!

5th – Each one’s praise will come from God
The gift of the Lord is assured. He’ll reward all those that behaved according to His instructions because they cooperated with Him to fulfill His will. But that won’t happen only in eternity. All those who take possession of His promises are rewarded by God today. He heals and gives deliverance and prosperity and He also works problems out. If the wages of sin are death, obedience to the Word of God is life (Romans 6:23). Those who believe and do what He commands will experience His favor. The Most High never dismisses anyone empty-handed!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares