God Speaks
Paul Addresses Issues: A Case of Incest, Lawsuits, Sexual Immorality, Married Life, Employment and Marital Status and Food Offered to Idols
Verse of the Day: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 334
We Respond
1 Corinthians 5
Reflection: Immorality in any form (sexual or otherwise) weakens the credibility of the body of Christ to the unsaved world around us. It needs to be dealt with wisely and sternly. It should not be covered up or excused but dealt with firmly and compassionately. Ignoring or covering over sin (except with the blood of Jesus Christ) is not true Christian love. Those who are led by the Holy Spirit need to grieve over their own and others’ sin because it separates us from God. Then we must work toward repentance and reconciliation in the body of Christ and with the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Dear Creator and Father God, thank You for Your perfect plan of blessing human beings with sexual intimacy in marriage between one man and one woman. You are the one who set the boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not. Help us, especially church leaders, to deal compassionately but firmly with those who violate those boundaries (in whatever way). Since Paul counseled us to mourn in sorrow and shame over such behavior in those who belong to Christ, please help us to do the same. Please give leaders Your strength to temporarily set such people apart while they come to their senses in You, repent of their affront to Your holiness and grace, and return to You in humble faith and obedience. Loving Father, help us all to remember that Christ Jesus, the precious Lamb of God, suffered and died for that sin as well as all others. Help us to throw away all wickedness and evil from our minds, wills, emotions, and bodies and nourish our whole beings with sincerity and truth drawn from the Holy Scriptures and fellowship with You in prayer and worship.
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will read and apply Psalm 139:23-24 in my life so that I can be clean to help others.
- I will lovingly (gently but firmly) confront a fellow believer about sin I see in their life so that they can repent and be reconciled to God.
- I will pray for church leaders as they consider actions regarding “sin in the camp.”
- I will pray for friends in the Lord to read and heed Psalms 32 and 51.
1 Corinthians 6
Reflection: We can’t expect unbelievers to live by the moral laws recorded in the Bible, but we can call on self-proclaimed believers to do so. This is what chapter five was all about. It is the church as a body that is to judge between Christians who is right or wrong on an issue rather than taking our disputes to the secular courts. We need wise people within the Christian community who can discern what is right or wrong according to the Scriptures. As Jethro advised Moses, they need to be able (wise) people who fear the Lord and hate covetousness (to be honest and exemplify integrity), taking care of smaller cases at the local level while referring larger concerns to higher levels such as Moses (Exodus 18). “If it’s legal, it must be all right,” seems to be the motto of some of the Corinthian churchgoers; or perhaps, “There’s no law against it, so it’s ok.” Paul spoke against this kind of reasoning by reminding his readers that our bodies were designed not just for our enjoyment (as in delicious food or intimacy in marriage) but for His eternal purposes. He owns them by creation and by buying them through Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. Would we think it was right for Jesus to be involved in gluttony, drunkenness, or prostitution? Then we shouldn’t use and abuse our bodies in that way either. We should run from sexual sin. We should seek to use every part of our being to bring glory to God.
Prayer: Dear Gracious God, thank You that You, not fallible human beings, are the One who ultimately will judge what is truly good or evil. You are training Your godly ones to judge the angels in the New Heaven and the New Earth. In the past, some of us practiced sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, greed, drunkenness, reviling, swindling, and many other kinds of rebellion against Your holy nature and laws; however, by the blood and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, You have washed us, sanctified us, and justified us by the Holy Spirit. This is a God-initiated and ongoing process until we are present with You in eternity. Help us to flee the sins that affect our bodies. May people see You, Lord God, in and through our bodies. AMEN
Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will try to communicate with a fellow believer I have a disagreement with: in person one-on-one, then with one or two others, then take it to the church (Matthew 18:15-18).
- I will do my best not to take a fellow believer to a secular court.
- I will make a list of Christian attorneys and counselors for myself and others to consult.
- I will remind myself and other believers that we have been bought with the price of Jesus Christ’s own blood; so, we should avoid worldly temptations, flee sexual sin, resist the devil, and honor God.
1 Corinthians 7
Reflection: This chapter is about commitments (marriage and employment in particular) and how those commitments affect our interaction with God. Believers in whatever situation (marriage, employment, or organizational affiliation) need to make their decisions carefully and prayerfully according to God’s direction and help, totally relying on Him. The important thing is obeying God, keeping His commands, and living as He directs to please Him. We should continue in whatever situation we were in when we answered Christ’s call to follow Him unless He directs otherwise. The Holy Spirit who indwells us will help us to be or do whatever He wants us to be and do. The point of the matter is to serve God well whatever our situation, avoiding as many distractions as possible and remembering to whom we belong.
Prayer: Dear God and Father who is committed to my ultimate wellbeing, thank You for Your Holy Spirit and Your holy Word to guide and protect me from the many dangers and fearsome uncertainties of this world. In particular, don’t let the natural concerns of marriage, families, work, and religious or civic involvement keep me from serving You wholeheartedly. May I live in the right way, in undivided devotion to You, Lord. I need to make any decisions carefully and prayerfully according to Your direction and help, totally relying on You. Your Holy Spirit who indwells me will help me to be or do whatever You want me to be and do in all areas of life. All for Your glory, Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will renew my commitment to the Lord to live according to His plans and purposes.
- I will ask the Lord whether He wants me to stay in my current circumstances or change and then do whatever He says,
- I will humbly talk with my spouse about setting aside our marital intimacy temporarily to pray and seek God. I will respect his or her perspective.
- I will ask Father God to show me what may be distracting me from fully serving and loving Him and then do whatever He says is “the next right step.”
1 Corinthians 8
Reflection: Paul moved on to answer their question about eating food that had been sacrificed (dedicated) to idols. One person says, “Idols are not really gods; so, I am going to eat the meat from the pagan temple market.” Another answers, “Yeah, I know that, but doesn’t that mean you are supporting idol worship indirectly? After all, idol worship is what I’m trying to move away from and turn toward Jesus as Lord.” Both speakers are right. They need to respect each other’s decisions before God. Eating such meat doesn’t discredit us with God, nor does not eating it make us more acceptable to Him. What is important is that we respect each other. We should avoid doing anything that would cause a Christian brother or sister to give in to temptation and sin by doing something their own conscience before God tells them is wrong. We should be willing to give up our “rights” for the sake of someone for whom Christ died and who we love in the Lord.
Prayer: Dear LORD, Creator of Heaven and Earth, thank You that You are the only true and living God. There is no one or nothing to compare with You. Please help me to truly fear (stand in awe of) and love You. Then I will have access to Your knowledge and wisdom and understand how to properly relate to the people and circumstances around me. Help me to respect other believers’ decisions made while communing with You. Generally, my non-rebellious actions don’t discredit me with You, nor do my grandest self-initiated, sacrificial gestures make me more acceptable to You. What is important is that I love and respect other people for the sake of Your kingdom. Help me to avoid doing anything that would cause a Christian brother or sister to give in to temptation and sin by doing something their own conscience before You tells them is wrong. Make me willing to give up my “rights” for the sake of someone for whom Christ died and who I love in the Lord. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will apply the principles taught in this chapter to issues in my life (ex. consuming alcohol, mask wearing, vaccinations, etc.)
- I will quietly talk with a fellow believer about their views on a controversial topic of the day.
- I will watch for ways I might be encouraging someone to sin without me realizing it.
- I will ask to Lord to help me to be more aware and sensitive to the convictions of others.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.