A little explanation on how faith in God works and how it is alien the works of the law. "Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

"

Galatians 3:23‭-‬26 NLT. Need I say anything else? "We are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus", that is so profound. The law was needed until Christ came. The moment he did, the law is not needed anymore, not even for pointing out people's sin, we now have the Holy Spirit. Trying to obtain righteousness and acceptance to God by obeying the law is like preparing for an exam using the old syllabus, failure is guaranteed. "Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

Galatians 2:16 NLT. The law's way is obsolete, it was not working, then grace through Christ came. So why choose to go back to what was not working?

We conclude the book of Corinthians with these final advices from the apostle Paul to all believers; "Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you." 2Cor 13:11 NLT.

At a time when it looks like there is nothing to be joyful about in our world; wars and rumours of war every where, the economies of nations are failing, inflation is wiping off many people's life's savings, the very fabric of society is being tested and it seems to be failing. Paul says, be joyful. Not be happy, be joyful. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. That knowing and glow from with that let's you know it will all be okay. Be joyful because you know how this all ends, it will be in our victory. Be joyful because you know it will all work out for your good.

Next, Paul says to grow to maturity. Only those feeding on a good diet of the word and practicing the lessons there will grow. And growing and maturing is what will better prepare us to handle the times ahead. It is the one reason I encourage you should read your Bible everyday and trust God to apply the lessons there.

Paul then says to encourage one another. Our platforms and gifts, whether ministerial or spiritual, are giving to us to support one another. Please ensure that your actions are not pulling others down, especially other believers. Let them be for building up and encouraging one another to go on living for the Lord.

Finally, Paul says to live in harmony and peace with one another. It doesn't mean that offenses will not come and that we won't find reasons to want to give up our fellowship with one another. Paul's instructions here seems to be saying, do it deliberately, protect it even. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

Peradventure you were in any doubt as to what it means to be a Christian, allow me to refresh your memory with the words of Paul in this chapter. "If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

"

2 Corinthians 5:13‭-‬15 NLT. A Christian is one who has exchanged control. Once controlled and manipulated by sin, but now living controlled by the love of Christ. The love of Christ literally compels a true believer how to live. For the Christian, the one that can be controlled by sin is the old life, it died on the cross. Our new life according to verse 15, is not for living for ourselves, it is for living for Christ, the one who died and was raised for us. That is why Paul could then boldly state; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

"

2 Corinthians 5:17‭-‬18 NLT. That is what it means to be a Christian, an ambassador of the ministry of reconciliation. Halleluyah!

What should a believer's response be towards challenges and troubles? What do we do when our lives are surrounded by pain and suffering, blame God? Most people are either surprised or shocked to realize even people who love God and live the best they can, still go through troubles and affliction. Paul tries to give us perspective; "For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:17‭-‬18 NLT. Let me draw two broad advise from Paul here. One; he says our PRESENT troubles are small and won't last very long. However long they have been going on or might have been with us, they won't last, their time will soon be up. Secondly, Paul says; we don't look at the troubles we can see now, instead, we fix our gaze on...What you pay attention to during times of troubles and challenges is very important. The temptation will be to fix your eyes on the problems, Paul says no. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes on the reality you are the victor already. Fix your gaze on the glory that awaits you as an overcomer.

What the apostle Paul meant as an instruction for orderly worship is often now understood today as Paul saying women should not speak during church meetings. "Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.

"

1 Corinthians 14:34‭-‬35 NLT. I am not sure why no one pointed out that Paul seemed to be referring to married women only, so what happens if a woman was not married, could she speak? Secondly, why did Paul tolerate and have so many women ministers among his acquaintances and protege if he really did not believe women could minister and speak during church meetings? If you really want to understand what Paul was trying to say here, then you would moved back up a few verses. "Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.

"

1 Corinthians 14:26‭-‬28 NLT. This entire chapter is about orderly worship. Again, Paul is not saying you can't speak in tongues when you are in a public meeting, no. He is saying however that for order and peace, it might make more sense to speak in tongue privately when in a public meeting since no one understands the speaker anyway. "Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.

"

1 Corinthians 14:32‭-‬33 NLT. God is not a God of disorder, that is the key word. He is addressing disorder and he tells everyone, whether man or woman who might cause disorder during meetings to equally keep quiet. Since married women who didn't have to follow the Jewish laws of sitting separate from their husbands, were abusing this freedom and causing rancor during church meeting talking to the husbands, Paul is simply saying, they should take their private discussions to their own homes.

For the last time, let me dispel this thought by some who say, having read the book of First Corinthians, that the apostle Paul hated women and spoke derogatorily about them. They point to verses like; "For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.

"

1 Corinthians 11:8‭-‬10 NLT.

My advise always is to understand the context whenever Paul is writing. When you do, then you would understand everything Paul is saying is in reference to worship and that he is referring to how a husband and wife should behave in public worship. Also, always read whatever Paul says as him addressing public worship. This is not about who is better or who has authority over the other.

Also, and more importantly, you might want to pay attention to some of the issues Paul already addressed earlier in his letter as they influence the context in which he is writing, he had addressed; sexual immorality for example which was rampant amongst the Corinthian church. Idol worship where they indulged in sexual orgies and sharing one another's spouses and female prostitutes. You definitely don't want a situation where someone walks up to another man's wife to try and strike up a relationship while attending church meeting with her husband.

Lastly, everything Paul talks about in addressing the issues of men and women covering or not covering their head must be understood in light of the dominant custom in Corinth at this period in time. In other words, a huge part of what Paul is talking about is customs, not doctrines; "but if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other CUSTOM than this, and neither do God's other churches." 1Cor 11:16 NLT.

In their custom, women indicated they were married by covering their heads or wearing a veil. It is not the same in every custom or culture. In this culture, men do no keep long hair, it made them look feminine and was a deceptive trick for those who practised homosexuality to meet without raising suspicions. These were some of the issues Paul was addressing in chapter 11. This chapter should not be read as Paul making women inferior to men, no.

The Corinthian Church just like our present day was faced with many struggles and Paul addressed a few already; divisions and infighting, siding with church leaders against one another, sexual immorality, and taking one another to court. In chapters 7 and 8, Paul gives them instructions on marriage that must be understood in light of the difficult times they were living in, and the context of the fact the church at that time were certain the were living in the period where Jesus would return. Paul also shared on how they should handle or treat food offered to idols. 1 Cor 8:1 NLT; "but while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church."Whatever our choices, love must be the guiding light.

Never forget that, in Christ, while we are at liberty to do anything, love must always be the guiding principle. The question to always ask oneself is; are my actions done in love or not?

The book of first Corinthians is the apostle Paul's third contact with the church in Corinth. He first visit was when he established the church. We see this in Acts chapter 18. The second; he sent a letter dealing with the issue of moral decadence amongst them. First Corinthians is his response to the feedback he received first a letter from the Corinthians themselves, the other was from a believer in Chloe's house. During Paul's first visit establishing the church, he lived among them for about two year along with Priscilla and Aquila. He worked as a tent maker during that time to sustain himself so as not to burden anyone. This background will help you understand Paul's tone and reasoning as he addresses the issues in this church.

In chapter one, he addresses division and infighting. Chapter two, he talks about the wisdom of God that sounds foolish to the hearer. The Corinthians were comparing Paul to other more powerful and eloquent speakers; people like Peter and Apollos. Paul's words considering he was also a tent maker, didn't sound powerful compared to others and as such, the questioning of his authority as an apostle. The book of Corinthians will bless you. It is not only powerful, but applicable to our present days struggles and addresses some of the same issues we have in our churches and family today.

Paul concludes the book of Romans with a strong charge to all of us; "We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”

Romans 15:1‭-‬3 NLT. The Christian way is the strength of the whole, not one. It is good to be strong; in faith, in values, in character, and that is okay, but God desires it for the entire body, not just one part. Those of us that are strong or claim to must learn to consider those who have weak and sensitive and developing. That is how the body works anyway. "Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

"

Romans 15:7 NLT. Our goal must always be, if God accepts them, then I do to.

Lastly, Paul concludes this letter by greeting his friends and even in this, he has a message for us. Paul accepted all believers not minding their gender. He also, contrary to what many have alluded, accepted and pastored with several female leaders in the churches.

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

"

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NLT. Living sacrifices, what does that even mean? The concept of a living sacrifice is somewhat foolish and contrary to reasoning and nature, no one expects a sacrifice to be alive on the altar. Things die on the altar. Normally, a sacrifice, if it has been offered, should be dead on the altar.

Paul says for us Christians, we are alive on the altar both to God and to the people around us. We worship God in Spirit and at the same time, we are the very fragrance people will see and taste God. We are the righteousness of God who worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh. We are the salt and light of our world. My encouragement; never forget you are a living sacrifice.