True Christians live by the power of the gospel, the beginning point of which is trusting the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. Living in this gospel requires churches to heed warnings, obey exhortations, and cherish encouragements. There are reasons for God-given warnings. First, Paul tells us people who persist in sin will be justly disciplined or punished. Corrective discipline is a part of the Christian life used to bring believers into conformity with Christ. Second, Paul continues writing, this is the way of Christ. While he and his ministry may appear to be weak, it is this very weakness through which Christ’s power is revealed. Christ’s arrest, trial, and death were not a sign of His weakness but were used powerfully by God. So Paul’s arrests, imprisonment, and apparent deference to others were being used to draw people to salvation. Finally, warnings ought to be seen as an unrequired act of kindness on God’s part. Reacting to warnings today prevents painful discipline tomorrow. |