The Book of 1 Corinthians is a letter of correction, addressing serious problems in the church at Corinth — division, idolatry, and immorality. Sadly, rather than influencing their world, the Corinthians were allowing their world to influence them.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul warned against five serious pitfalls to spiritual progress, and in verses 4-10, we find a specific warning against the spiritual pitfall of complacency. What is complacency? In a single-word definition: smugness. The Corinthian church was impressed with itself, and their hearts were filled with pride. In these verses, we find four insights to help us avoid the spiritual pitfall of complacency.
Our Place in God's Work (verses 4-5)
In 1 Corinthians 1:11-13, Paul noted a division in the church over leadership. They had a problem understanding the ministers in God’s work. They were taking sides. Here, in verses 4-5, Paul reminded the Corinthians division was unnecessary, for these leaders were nothing more than servants of Christ. Literally, one who waited tables or worked for Christ’s Kingdom.
We see this play out today as well. Children most likely to be saved at summer camp come from churches or families where Sunday School teachers, pastors, and parents laid the groundwork for their decisions. When we all take our place in God’s work, souls are added to His family.
Paul clearly understood his place in the work of God. His example reminds us God’s work is not accomplished by holding a particular leadership position, but by doing whatever God wants us to do. To avoid the spiritual pitfall of complacency, we must identify our own place in God’s work and be active in it.
Our Purpose in God's Work (verses 6-7)
Paul’s letters also make it clear he understood his purpose in God’s work. His primary concern was to be faithful in preaching the gospel. He did not seek a “pedestal.” He knew the gospel was what men needed more than anything.
We, too, must keep our purpose in focus. Many things need to be done in the Lord’s work, but our overriding purpose must be people knowing Jesus. We are here because people in our communities desperately need to hear the gospel, and our priority must be to plant and water, trusting the Lord for the results.
The complacent Christian loses sight of that. I am sure the Corinthians were not winning many people to Jesus while they were more concerned about who was most significant or talented in the Kingdom.
Our Prize in God's Work (verses 6-8)
In verse 6, Paul wrote about how he planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the increase. We find this emphasized again in verse 7; it is not the preacher or the worker saving the lost, but God. God deserves all the glory for His work.
In verse 8, we see unity in ministry. Sure, we might do things differently, but when we understand our place and purpose, we enjoy unity in our gospel work. Note the last part of verse 8. Paul admonished the Corinthians that while others might not appreciate their labor, God always recognizes the faithful work of His servants and rewards us based on obedience, not “success.”
That statement is significant. If God gives the increase, I cannot claim responsibility. I am merely responsible for obeying His commands, leaving the results up to Him. In the Old Testament, we find an example of the contrast between what the world views as success and our own call to labor faithfully regardless of the outcome.
Jeremiah was a dedicated prophet of the Lord, and God called him to proclaim a difficult message of judgment. Because of his message, he was ridiculed, persecuted, rejected, and scorned. He had little success by the world’s standards.
By contrast, recall the prophet Jonah, one of Scripture’s most famous backsliders. Remember, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach, but Jonah refused. Jonah’s attitude was one of disobedience and pride. As a result, God disciplined Jonah and delivered him to Nineveh by “whale express.” After Jonah finally arrived in Nineveh, he grudgingly preached a message of judgment, and the entire city repented and followed the Lord. How did Jonah respond? He sat in the shade and complained because God didn’t destroy them.
Do you see the contrast?
One man gave his heart, life, and soul in obedience to the Lord, but had few followers or disciples. The other man cared little, yet led a miraculous, nationwide revival. The only way to explain this contrast is to understand God gives the increase, not us.
God ultimately knows the heart and soul of the laborer. He knows the work. He will accurately judge the faithfulness of our work. May we desire to labor faithfully for Jesus, so we will one day receive the ultimate prize of hearing Him say, “Well done.”
Our Power in God's Work (verses 9-10)
When I hear people say, “I can’t…” I truly hope, deep down,
they don’t mean, “I won’t!” Moses was a famous “I can’t-er.” God called him to free the Israelites, and he immediately made
excuses for why he couldn’t.
We must understand God never asks anything of us that we can’t accomplish through His power. We can witness to the lost, and we can exercise our gifts in the Body of Christ, so others come to know Him.
In verse 9, Paul reminded the Corinthians we are laborers together with God, working with Him, not against Him. In verse 10, Paul described himself as a master builder, emphasizing everything he did was “according to the grace of God.” We must trust God to provide the sustaining grace that enables us to do His work and serve others. Don’t say, “I can’t,” or “I won’t,” but, “By God’s grace, I’ll do whatever He wants me to do!”
Complacency has a cousin named apathy, the attitude that says, “Who cares?” The church cannot afford to fall into that pitfall. The price of apathy is lost souls remaining without Christ, and that is too high a price to pay.
Christian, if you are in the pit of complacency, come to the Savior today and let Him refocus your vision for His work. Then take your place with gospel-purpose, to share the prize of Christ through the equipping grace of His sustaining power.
About the Writer: Ohio native Tom Dooley has pastored New Road FWB Church in Austintown, Ohio, since 2002. He previously served as the director of Free Will Baptist Master’s Men and has authored more than twenty Direction Bible Studies. This article was adapted from “Serious Pitfalls to Spiritual Progress,” available from Master’s Men: fwbmastersmen.org.
