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D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
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S T U D I E S IN T H E N EW T E S T A M E N T FOR INDIVIDUAL MEDITATION AND FAMILY WORSHIP
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B y R . A . T O R R E Y
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Monday, October i.
strength, but “according to the grace of God that was given unto him.” He is indeed a wise builder who builds that way. One of the greatest mistakes that Chris tian workers are making today is in trying to lay the foundation in their own wisdom and strength, and they forget to give all the glory to God as Paul here gives it. The foundation which Paul had laid, another built upon. He is very insistent that each man take care how he build upon the foun dation which he had laid “according to the grace of God” “given unto him.” , How needful it is, that each of us take care how we build upon the foundation which others have so carefully laid. Unless we do “take heed” and very earnest heed, we are bound to build poorly. We live in a day in which much heedless building is done upon foundations which others have care fully and wisely laid. There is nothing more heart-breaking than to behold a field where one in prayer and toil and burden of heart has laid a good foundation and to see others heedlessly and selfishly and care There is no other foundation that could be laid than the one which Paul had laid, “which is Jesus Christ.” Any other foun dation than Jesus Christ is sinking sand and a super-structure built upon it, whether it is the super-structure of character, or organization, or whatever it may be, will surely fail. Human speculation and phil osophy have been seeking for centuries for some other foundation than Jesus Christ, but they have succeeded in finding none, but many, even preachers, constantly main tain they have found some other founda tion than Jesus Christ and have built' thereon only to be disappointed and come lessly building thereon. Wednesday, October 3 . 1 Corinthians 3 : 11 - 15 .
I Corinthians 3 : 5 - 8 . Paul would have them understand that both Apollos and himself were only ser vants through whom they had believed, and that as servants they could do nothing but what the Lord gave them to do. They had no ground for boosting then and their friends had no grounds for boasting of them. It was the Lord Jesus, and not they themselves who had done all. One planted, the other watered, but it was God who gave the increase. O h! that men would learn to give to God all the glory for work accomplished; for to God alone, is the glory due. The one who plants is nothing, the one who waters is nothing; God who gives the increase, He is everything. There is a reward awaiting the faithful planter and waterer; “each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.” The man who works for God will never miss his pay, and his pay shall be proportioned to his labor and his faithfulness to that labor. Tuesday, October 2 . 1 Corinthians 3 : 9 , 10 . The Christian worker, the winner of souls and the one,who builds up the souls already won to Christ, the one who plants and the one who waters, are both alike “God’s fellow Workers.” What a precious thought? Let us turn it over and over until we take in as much as possible of its glorious significance. Those who are won to Christ by us and built up in Christ by us are not our husbandry or our building. They “are God’s husbandry” they “are God’s building.” That too is a precious thought worthy of our deep meditation and abounding thankfulness. Paul was confident that he had done his work well. As a “wise master builder” he had laid the foundation. He had not done it in his own
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