Truth or Circumstances / 1 Corinthians 7:1-24

It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? Marriage, divorce, slavery, and circumcision all together in this one passage, as well as Paul’s words mixed with the Lord’s commands. So much here to be misconstrued, taken out of context and distorted. And we do.

Some have used this passage to condemn, making incorrect assumptions about others’ private lives. Some have used this passage to justify their own misdeeds.

But I see the Lord’s generosity toward us as married or single, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, believers and unbelievers alike. I see the great diversity from which He’s drawn us. How gracious of our Lord to give us this passage, so practical and pertinent, and comforting proof that He knows our circumstances and has something to say to us about them.

I also see that our condition, whether we are in trapped in addiction or legalism or a difficult marriage... all of that earthly circumstance is secondary to our relationship with Christ. And from that primary, perfect and eternal connection with Jesus, we can pray for understanding of God’s will for us in all our other relationships.

And I see freedom. Married or single, Jew or Gentile, enslaved or emancipated—those whom the Son has set free are free indeed! We are lifted, in Him, above our circumstances.

We can choose to focus on the bondage and burden of our circumstances, or to focus on the truth of our freedom. Which will you choose today?

Lord Jesus, thank You for setting my heart free, which frees me to love the others You’ve placed in my life. Show me how to do that today…

It's All About Me?!

1 Cor 6:1-20

“Everything is permissible for me,” was apparently an overarching theme in Corinth, and somehow believers were buying into it, too. Whether it was the selfishness that inspired believers to take their property disputes to court, rather than graciously work things out among themselves or the intrigue of sexual sin, justified by the thought that it was a private matter, the Corinthians were struggling to live life differently than their culture encouraged.

Is it much different now? Might it not be proclaimed in our streets, “Everything is permissible for me”? And somehow, our society’s belief that we only have to be true to ourselves, can seep into the Church.

But Paul reminds the Corinthians – and us – that we don’t just live for ourselves. In verse 6, he reminds us that people are watching us, that we live life in community. We affect the lives of other believers by our decisions, words, and actions. And our lives are on display before those outside the family of God, as well, so that our decisions, words, and actions demonstrate to others the truth and power of the Gospel. Beyond that, Paul specifically addresses the dangers and destructiveness of sexual sin. Although the sin may seem private, our place in the body of Christ means that our indiscretions affect ourselves, our families, the people of God, and God himself.

Paul also reminds us that, at a time when our lives were shameful, God bought us at a high price, the very life of Jesus our Savior. Through Jesus Christ, we are washed, sanctified, and justified, so that now we have the freedom to honor God and bless others, by the power of the Gospel at work in our lives.

Thank you, Jesus, for your great sacrifice and for your work in my life. Strengthen me and lead me, that I might honor you with my body and with my life, as you deserve.

A Little Yeast

1 Corinthians 5

We have tough teaching here. A man calls himself a Christian, yet is
living in blatant immorality. Worse yet, perhaps, the church is not
only condoning it, they seem proud to be so tolerant. Severe measures
are needed. But they will be tempered with forgiveness and comfort. For
"the rest of the story" it's important to read 2 Corinthians 2:4-11.

That was then. What about now? Might it be that today's church does not
discipline its members as it ought? Before there is public scandal.
Before we dishonor the name of Jesus. Because we know God calls us to
be holy.

Do I mourn when I learn of immorality in my church family? I may
pretend that everything is O.K. Too often, I am proud of my own "good"
behavior instead of feeling sorrow for the transgressor.

There once was a situation (don't try to guess, it's not people you
know) where the Lord led me through a valley of grief and fasting. He
showed me, through Scripture and prayer, that immoral behavior by some
in church leadership could have a devastating effect upon the entire
church body. I believe the repercussions, though not recognized by
most, are still evident after many years.

It may sound like a cliche' - still, God wants us to hate sin but love
the sinner.

O Father, give me compassion for those who fall. May I always be aware
of my own sinful nature and the depth of your forgiveness. Please keep
reminding me that there is nothing I can do to make you love me any
less, and there is nothing I can do to make you love me any more. May
your love flow through me to others. Amen.

Deetje Wildes

Living Life

The final evaluation of the value of our living and serving is to be made by the Lord…not by us, nor by other folks!  Our darkest secrets to be made know some day!  Most of us feel just a little uncomfortable about that, don’t we?  v. 6 & 7 – Caution: of course, don’t brag about yourself.  But neither are we to brag about or be overly proud of one leader over another.  Remember: Everything you have that is good is from God!  v. 8 &  9 – Do you see your life as a gift from God?  What does that imply / mean as you think about that?  v. 14-16 – Paul says he had become a father to those Christians.  No wonder he felt so close and so concerned for each of them!  v. 18 – A warning regarding un-Christ-like behavior of some folks.  As you think of this: do you feel as if you might have been a little like that?  v. 20 – The kingdom of God is not just talk – using all the right religious words (sometimes called “God-talk”), but is living life in a close relationship to our Lord.

 

Donald E. Pardun

 

I Can Only Imagine

I Corinthians 2:6-3:4

Noon recess in my Kindergarten year was spent retreating and recovering from the dull routines imposed by the adult world. It was in those 25 minute oases that I recovered, not only from Mrs. Kjolson's classroom gulag, but that I also recovered the fresh limitlessness of my imaginative powers. On the Clearbrook playground, alongside various slides and swings for the rest of the student body, off to one far end was this treasure of a barely used cylinder-shaped climbing bar apparatus that faintly (to my imagination) appeared could be construed to be a spaceship. And so, near every recess my friend David and I climbed into said spaceship and were swept away into extraterrestrial orbits of imagination. We would climb to the top and hang by our legs and imagine ourselves transported to far and marvelous worlds. We would for those minutes share increasingly incredulous stories of spunk and adventure. And, of course, in the end each story worked out heroically and well. (This sure outcome was aided by the fanciful comfort that our spaceship was limitlessly resourced with an all-a-kid-could-eat supply of candy!) Honestly, I loved Kindergarten (& Mrs. Kjolson), but sometimes I wonder if my mind was best exercised and enlarged in her classroom, or by those 25 minute spaceship escapades during recess!

So, just when does imagination wane in a person?! When does a soul grow old, and hopeless, and completely rational, ceasing to see and reach for worlds and treasures beyond? When for you was entrance thru Narnia's portal self-disqualified by maturity?

Or, could it be that we have too soon given up on imagination, relegating it to childhood and immaturity?! I couldn't help but think (& exult) as I read today's scriptures that in the spirit world (the real world), the imagination trend runs precisely in the opposite direction. It is the immature who cannot imagine! They are the ones who are stuck in dark, rationalizing thoughts, clamoring in envy and quarrels over the small visible world and limited resources they see in others' lives. They live for nothing beyond the immediately concrete and tangible.

It is for the truly mature to imagine! The more aged and spiritually seasonedone is, the more wantonly may the soul be set free to see beyond the terrestrial boundary, and dream and believe in worlds and wonders of grace, and spiritual pleasures exotic and perfumed!

Oh, to grow old well!! And, to be wildly imaginative of the goodness that waits one made saint by Christ! Poor spiritual infants, or those not even yet spiritually born, are senseless and dull to all of this. But real maturity never exhausts and certainly never outgrows imagination.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

If that isn't an invitation to imagine, I don't know what is.

Pastor Paul


Notes:

v. 6 - it is 'mature believers' who can best embrace mystery

v. 7 - it is spiritual infants, even spiritual preborns who have no capacity to dream. The quote in verse 9 from Isaiah seems less an affirmation of the mature, than a prediction levied against dreamless immature dullards.

v.10 - but it is to 'us God revealed these things'!

v.14 - people who aren't spiritual cannot perceive these other-worldly wonders - 'it all sounds foolish to them'

v. 3:1 - spiritual infants, dulled and controlled by this world, cannot handle rich fare, but only bland bare sustenance. Their minds are narrow and small, and they only clamor like a child for comparative crumbs that are visible, nearby, and in an other's possession.

Foolish Logic

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

I like to think of myself as a logical person. If presented with a sound, compelling argument for something, I like to think of myself as the sort of person who will make logical conclusions. And like anyone who thinks of himself in this way, I presume other people should be exactly like me. So naturally, I find it quite frustrating when people aren't.

I have an acquaintaince who believes Christians are irrational. And not just irrational, but dangerously irrational and a threat to the freedom of everyone else on the planet.

Now, because I consider myself to be completely rational, I find it frustrating to encounter someone who classifies me as irrational based on my faith, and furthermore, as a global threat. A well-reasoned argument should prove my rationality, right? Or barring that, I should be able to reveal (again, through the strength of reason) how irrational his claims are, right? Of course, since he sees me as irrational, that's not possible.

And back and forth it goes.

In today's passage Paul says that all our wisdom will appear foolish to non-believers. And this is not just a symptom of miscommunication or a failure to present the proper argument for our position, . . . this is God's plan.

That's sometimes a little hard for me to take. I suspect part of that is because I want to be respected as someone who can present persuasive, logical arguments that cause people to agree.

But when I do that, am I presenting my own human wisdom, or am I letting the Spirit of God do his work?

Paul writes: Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom, but in the power of God.

I have another acquaintance who talks about what it means to have a relationship with God in a natural, non-threatening way. It comes out of him like breathing. I've never thought that he used the proper, persuasive arguments, and at times I think "Oh, how embarassing. Why did he bring that up now, in mixed company, and in such a churchy, (dare I say it, 'irrational') way?"

This is to my shame. It is God who does the work, not me.

And so this passage says to me that I don't need to worry so much about whether my arguments will be air-tight examples of flawless logic. "Lofty words and impressive wisdom." Nor should it be a concern to me if I'm seen as slightly irrational. (I could probably confess to that anyway.)

We know that it is God who draws people to him. All our attempts at clever and persuasive speech will be meaningless if God is not working on that person's heart.

-- Drew Clausen