MONDAY, APRIL 6
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Kat-ekh-o plays a very important part of retaining and qualifying for our salvation for holding fast to what has been preached to us that is good. And where it appears in verse 2 it says, “by which also you are saved, if you hold fast/kat-ekh-o that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” Kat-ekh-o is a central and core characteristic for anyone who is going to grow in Christ. On the positive, it means that we refuse to let go of the good Word that we hear. On the warfare side, it means we refuse to allow the enemy to steal because we choose to restrain him judicially. We should pray that those who refuse to fall on the Rock, have the Rock fall on them. Unless we are willing to pray the Rock on them, we are not really restraining evil. That is an important issue the church must come to grips with. Will we restrain evil or not? Are we going to try to play nice guy or are we going to walk in the way of the Lord? Restraining evil is difficult. There is often no joy in it and it is not easy – it is just commitment to growth followed by simple obedience.