How to Understand God’s Warnings Regarding False Wisdom

God’s Warnings Regarding False Wisdom

1^st Corinthians 3:16-23

¹⁶Know ye not that ye (plural) are the (singular) temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ¹⁷If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

¹⁸Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. (Job 5:13)²⁰And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. (Psalm 94:11)

²¹Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your’s; ²²Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your’s; ²³And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Introduction:

The context, here, you may recall. was from the previous passage. There we learned that “we are laborers together with God.” We saw that the work we accomplish, working with Him has eternal value and brings eternal reward. But we also saw that work which He did not initiate, which we did according to our own plans, ignoring His plans, has no eternal value. “Discipleship” means following Jesus, and doing His Work in His way.

Now Paul goes a little further. He reminds us how important it is that we learn to allow God to lead us. Also, he teaches that we must learn to follow Him. He says that we (collectively) are the Temple of God. In verse nine, he said, “we are laborers together with God.” Paul also said, in that same verse, that, collectively, we are His cultivated field, and His building! (What kind of building? Well, Paul clears that up right here: collectively, he says we are the temple of God.

The Temple of God

Let’s give that some thought. It certainly does not mean that “we are a collection of stacked stones, and rooted to one place for eternity.” Believers are scattered all across the globe. There are very few places on earth where the Gospel has not gone (though, in some cases, it may have been centuries ago.)

In 1^st Peter 2:5, he says that we are “living stones.” I used to struggle with that, as I imagined squatting, immobile, in the wall of a stone building, locked into place as a stone. That did not sound attractive. I was glad to discover in the rest of the Scripture that we are living stones; we are already a part of the Living Temple of God: the Church.

But verse 17, there is a stark warning: The Temple of God is Holy. The Church, at large, is Holy to God: We are His private property, set aside for His sole use! We are each individually declared holy before Him, but the Church as a whole is also Holy before Him.

It is not “just an organization.” It is an organism, having some characteristics of “organization” as does any life-form. But, as opposed to a human organization, where each member is often reminded that they are replaceable, each of the members of the “Church as a whole” is a living part of that Body of Christ; and each is precious to Him.

The warning, here, is not against defiling an individual (though there are other warnings about that.) It is a warning against corrupting or defiling the Church…the Body of Christ.

**How can one “Corrupt” (or Defile) the Temple of God, the Church?**

Teaching Immorality

Down through the centuries, there have repeatedly arisen men (or women) who taught immorality in the Church. There were always those who taught people to disregard God’s Word regarding moral behavior. too.

This goes all the way back to the various “Earth religions,” that all seem to have had their origins in Babylon. The Earth “god and goddess” duo, called Baal and Asherah were supposed to be deities of fertility …but their “worship” called for gross immorality, to be practiced with their “priests and priestesses”…for money, and or goods, which fed into the temples of those deities.

In modern times, various cults arose that also advocated promiscuity and drug use, as well as other evil practices. And all demanded money, to support their practice.

Today there are cults who openly encourage such sin, and it is increasingly showing up in churches that once (years ago) stood solidly as followers of God. In other words, it is nothing new!

Churches who do not join them, in their approval of all lasciviousness and sin, are persecuted, and blasphemed as “hateful,” when they have never behaved in any unloving manner: they have simply clung to the truth of God’s Word. In some places it has actually become illegal to teach the portions of God’s Word that clearly condemn such practices.

Other False Teaching

Historically and currently, some organizations actively try (and have tried) to dissuade believers from personally studying or believing God’s Word. They present themselves as very smooth and highly educated, and their words are framed to “sound like wisdom.” (Very similar to the Serpent in the Garden of Eden!) Organizations that managed to have themselves declared the “State Religion” (wherever they have been) immediately began suppressing the individual use of The Word of God, even burning the Bibles and sometimes burning the believers as well.

Sometimes the false teaching comes in a guise that does not forbid the study of the Word, but systematically misinterprets it to deny certain core doctrines and renders the believers ineffective in our mission as ambassadors of Christ. We truly have to study carefully to avoid such traps.

Warnings against False Wisdom

Colossians 2:8 warns us that we must not allow ourselves to be robbed (spoiled— looted) by human wisdom and human philosophy, empty deceit, and the elementary principles of the World. We can easily allow ourselves to be drawn away into a condition where we can no longer work with God, and so we can no longer expect reward.

James 3:11-18 gives us some instruction as to “How to tell the difference” between God’s wisdom and so-called “wisdom” from an unreliable source.

¹¹Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? ¹²Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

First, James points out that, in general, good and bad do not emanate from the same source. At the very least, a spring that was inconsistent, sometimes having good water and other times not, would be unreliable as a source of drinking water. And, obviously, a Fig tree never bears olives.

Then, he goes on to give some character traits through which a human source of Godly wisdom can be identified, always supposing that we are talking about a believer to begin with. (If you already know that the person denies Christ, or denies the authority of God’s Word, then you avoid their counsel regardless of the outward signs.)

How to Recognize a Source of Godly Wisdom

¹³Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation (lifestyle) his works (overall behavior) with meekness (yieldedness to God, and humility) of wisdom.

The behavior of the teacher or counselor reveals their heart. If the behavior is consistently good, honest, humble, nonaggressive, etc. that is a good sign. If he consistently points people to God’s Word, that is a good thing.

¹⁴But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

People who are combative, envious of position, constantly striving against others for dominance, are not a safe source of wisdom. If they can be approached, corrected, etc., without fear of rebuke, then that is a point in their favor. James goes into more detail in the following verses.

Other Possible Sources:

¹⁵This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

He leaves no room for doubt about the other three possible sources of so-called “Wisdom.” He says they all are from this list:

Earthly (from the World)
Sensual (literally “soulish:” From the Flesh…the old sin nature)
Devilish (From the enemy, Satan)

Vital Clue:

¹⁶For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

If there is strife, then the enemy is at work, somewhere. If we follow that brand of wisdom then there will be bad results, whether immediately or in the future. Bad teaching begets bad practices; and together they bring bad results.

Seven Character Traits of Godly Wisdom

¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Notice that James provides a list of character traits that should accompany Godly Wisdom. And they all are supposed to be there: this is not a “smorgasbord.” The list includes:

Pure (No hidden agenda to satisfy his sin nature)
Peaceable (Not given to strife or contention)
Gentle (Treating people kindly, not sharply, not critical or accusing)
Easy to be intreated (approachable…accountable to others)
Full of Mercy and Good Fruits (Compare Galatians 5:22, 23)
Without Partiality (doesn’t play favorites)
Without Hypocrisy (not pretending, with outward piety: but rather living transparently.)

All of those things are supposed to be present and observable in the people to whom we turn for instruction and wisdom.

Consider the Desired Result

¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Why are all those things so vital? Because they will have results. If you are hoping to see the righteousness of Christ developing and bearing fruit in people’s lives, this is the way to get there. The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.

If a shepherd or teacher (or parent or spouse) is consistently unkind, grouchy, or argumentative, then the fruit of righteousness will not result in the lives of the flock, the marriage, or the children. The Peace of God, that He promised in John 14:27, has to be present and observable, for the Wisdom of God as seen here, to flow to those around you.

God knows the difference between Worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom, and He gives us clues by which to discern that difference for ourselves. But we have to be aware of the danger, and familiar with the clues, so that we can apply them consistently and correctly.

Paul’s Conclusion Regarding Human Teachers

Remember that the original discussion was about the divisions in the Corinthian church: and part of the arguments were based on “which teacher” people were following. (One said, “I am of Paul;” another said, “I am of Apollos,” while others (who were really “spiritual”) said, “I am of Christ.” Paul pointed out that ALL of them were practicing sectarianism, separating themselves from the rest of the body, and it did not matter “who they claimed,” when the result was disunity! All of it added up to Carnality, not Spirituality!

So, here, he concludes that all the arguments were empty and vain, and that they were to stop it! He said,²¹Therefore let no man glory in men.

So, How do we Apply it?

Don’t boast about “who taught you what!” It is fine to say where you learned something, when all you are saying is that “I didn’t come up with this on my own: another brother or sister pointed it out to me!” But when we are trying to elevate one person above another, it is not honoring to God. Paul concludes that all the Godly sources of wisdom they had had (including Paul, Apollos Peter, and Christ, as well as the physical world itself, and the life to come, belonged to all of them! This is what we have in common! We are joint-heirs with Jesus!

For all things are your’s; ²²Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas (Peter), or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your’s; ²³And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

And, by extension, he adds, because we belong to Jesus, we also belong to God, through Christ. The whole context points us back to the fact that we do not belong to ourselves, but to Him, our Creator and Savior and Master. And we are exhorted to learn to follow Him in His Wisdom, under His direction, and not be divided by petty differences. God help us to obey His Word.

Lord Jesus, bring us to a solid understanding of Your Truth, Your Word, so that we can look at the World with Clear Eyes, and see Your Wisdom as our only Light in the present darkness.

January 6, 2024January 6, 2024

Salvation or Rewards: A Gift or Wages?

1^st Corinthians 3:9-15

⁹For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry (a cultivated field), ye are God’s building (In other places this building is called the “Temple” or “habitation” of God).

¹⁰According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

¹²Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

¹³Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

¹⁴If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

¹⁵If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Introduction:

We have seen the difference between the ministry of Paul and the ministry of Apollos. Paul said, “I planted, and Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.” Paul goes on to use a slightly different metaphor. Remember that he used two ideas in verse nine. He likened us first to a cultivated field, and then to a building.

So, as appropriate to the first metaphor, he said that he (Paul) had planted, and Apollos had watered. But then he moves on to the second metaphor…the building…an edifice of some kind. And in verse ten, he says, “I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.”

Consider the Cultivated Field

When a farmer plants a field with seed, he doesn’t step back and say, “There is a fruitful field!” He waits and watches to see the germination take place and the leafing-out of whatever the young plants are. Finally, he is grateful to see the field bearing the fruit he hoped for.

What About a Building?

Consider how a General Contractor, specializing in concrete work, begins a project. He completes the excavation for the building site. Thinking ahead, he makes allowances for the wiring and plumbing that must also happen. He will lay down the necessary loads of crushed rock, onto which the concrete foundation will be poured. The contractor erects the plywood forms, into which he will pour the concrete. Ultimately, he will pour the concrete, making certain to leave no air-voids.

Finally, after the concrete is sufficiently cured, he will strip the forms from the newly cured concrete. Then he may hand-trowel a layer of finishing mortar onto the portions that may remain exposed. He may also apply various additives or sealants to enhance the longevity or looks of that foundation.

The Foundation is Complete and Permanent!

But at some point, he can say, “I have laid the foundation!” And, as a general contractor, he would then turn the work over to the other builders who will complete the structure in the prescribed manner, according to the plan of the Architect.

This is the metaphor Paul introduces in this passage: And the whole context teaches the result of the efforts of the subsequent builders.

Our question, then, becomes, “What am I accomplishing as I build upon the foundation which has been laid in my life?”

The Foundation

He says, “As a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.”

In the case of the “cultivated field,” once the farmer had planted the seed, others completed the remaining cultivation. Those who watered that field did the rest, and God brought the increase. But, in the case of the building, once the foundation has been laid, the rest of the building is for someone else to accomplish.

In any physical building, if the foundation is of questionable quality, then the subsequent building is unsecure, regardless of the craftsmanship of the builders. If the ground under the “foundation” is unstable, then even the foundation is unsecure.

But, in this case, Paul identifies the Foundation: He explains in verse 13 that the foundation is Jesus Christ. (In other passages, we find that He is also the Monolithic Bedrock under the “foundation” in our lives.) Everything that has become “possible” in our lives, as new believers is only possible because of the absolute security of that foundation. Jesus said, “Upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” (And He was not referring to Peter!) Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation, and He is the Foundation of the Work God plans to accomplish in our lives.

The Gift

Think clearly about this: You did not lay the foundation! Someone else came to you with the Gospel of Christ and eventually, one way or another, you chose to believe it. God, through the agency of that other person, laid the Foundation of Christ in your life at that moment. Paul brought Christ to Corinth, and, in doing so, he laid the foundation there in Corinth. They did not do it for themselves. It was the gift of God.

The Foundation was a gift! Salvation is a gift! What you do with that gift after having received it, is another matter. Paul warns that the character of resulting overall construction is up to you to decide, moment-by-moment and day-by-day.

The Warning: “Let Every Man Take Heed!”

Paul said, “But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”

“Take Heed!” (Pay attention!) Listen up! There is a caveat, here! A warning: Salvation is a gift! But rewards are not! This matter can easily confused us. Some teach that salvation is the reward for good behavior. That is absolutely false! You cannot earn salvation. You can receive it as the gift of God, precious beyond price and beyond imagination, or you cannot receive it at all.

Example one

I visited in the home of a man in Mexico, many years ago. He was a coppersmith…a very good one. He had personally hand-forged a beautiful copper pan for my wife as a gift. I do not speak even semi-fluent Spanish. However, during that evening I had shared the Gospel with this man. He rejected it, saying, it is too easy: “I have to earn it!” I thought for a moment, then felt in my pocket as if for money, and said, “So, how much do you want for that copper “casserole” you made for Ann?”

He instantly was furious: “No! That was a gift!”

“That’s right, “I replied. “You are angry because I offered to pay for the gift you made for Ann, aren’t you?” He was still angry, so he blurted “YES!”

So I asked, “How much more angry do you think God may be, that you are offering to pay for the blood of His only Son?” His countenance changed, and his eyes went round, as he realized what he quite literally had been doing. I never saw him again, but I know that, at that moment, he understood the Gospel for the first time. What he ultimately chose to do about it, I don’t know. But I hope to see him in eternity.

Salvation is a Gift!

We have received a gift, each of us who has placed our trust in Christ. We have eternal life.

Example two

On another occasion, later, not knowing that the young lady to whom I was speaking was not a believer, I was only trying to teach her about her security in Christ. Eventually, I offered her a dime, saying, “Here: take this!”

She took it, and I asked, “Now, whose dime is that?”

She replied, “It’s mine, now!”

So, I asked, “But what did you do to get it?”

And she (bless her heart) said, “Nothing! I just reached out and took it!”

And then she started crying! I was thoroughly confused, since I really didn’t understand what was happening. So, I finally prayed with her, and she gave me a ferocious hug, and then she and her husband drove away. That was January 9^th, 1994.

Two weeks later, she explained to me that she was born again that day, as she simply believed God and received the GIFT of eternal life in Christ. GOD laid the foundation, that day, even though I did not at all understand what was going on!

And it was a gift!

**But, Rewards are NOT Gifts!**

The warning here is that we can receive rewards…or NOT, depending on how we respond to the Lord after receiving that gift.

I have frequently heard people say of someone who recently died that “He has gone to his reward!” And, in most cases, they were not even saying the person was a believer…only that they were dead! As an unbeliever, had I died before I was eighteen, my “reward” or “wages” would have been eternity in Hell! Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of Sin is Death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord!”

But, here in 1^st Corinthians 3:9-15, Paul tells us that a reward is possible! And he says that the reward is commensurate with the work done, as we have either “worked with Jesus” or we have rebelled and “worked on our own…” choosing our own ideas of “how to please God,” as opposed to what His Word says.

The Building Materials

Paul continues his metaphor in verse 12, now likening the product of our lives, the “building” we are producing, as being of “different grades of building materials.”

He chose two categories of materials: the first group, “Gold, Silver, Precious stones,” when considered as building materials, were completely outside the reach of anyone but the wealthiest of individuals. The second group were materials that even the poorest people could probably acquire, though there was still some expense, most likely, and a good deal of work as well.

**It is not just about the cost of the Materials**

One group implies “intrinsic value,” while the other does not! However, in verse 13, Paul tells us a far more important difference between the two groups: one is combustible, and one is not!

He says the final test of our works will not be so much upon how much work we did to accomplish it, how “important” it seemed, nor how “skilled” we are, but upon the intrinsic value of the materials and their permanence. He says that our work will be tested by fire.

So, where would a person get the “Gold, and Silver, and Precious Stones” that Paul mentions, here? Think forward a bit: In 2^nd Peter 3:10, God also says that in the day of the final judgment, “the elements will pass away with a fervent heat and a great noise!” (Yes… but, “Gold and Silver and Precious Stones” are “elements,” too, aren’t they? Won’t they just be burned up?)

Materials From God are Eternal

Therefore, we are not talking about literal, physical wealth here, which none of those believers had, anyway. (Including the Apostles: Remember, it was Peter (and John) who said, addressing the lame man, “Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee: In the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”)

The building materials God wants us to use, have to come from Him! That is why Jesus said, in John 15:5, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing!” The work has to be the direct result of our “pulling in double harness” with Jesus! That is why verse 9 says, “We are laborers together with God!”

The Result: Reward or Loss

Finally, in verses 14, and 15, Paul says that the result of the testing for permanence and value will be either that our work simply burns up like a barn with a haymow fire, or that it still remains, and a reward will be given. He points out that the foundation is permanent: He says that if any believer’s work burns up, the believer himself will still be saved, but “as one escaping through the flames.”

Was there a Reward for Lot?

Abraham’s nephew, Lot comes to mind as a prime example: He had already received great riches as a result of his travels with Uncle Abraham. But he squandered that fine start by moving into the City of Sodom. Ultimately, when God destroyed Sodom, Lot and his immediate family were saved, but they lost everything: The angels dragged them out of town, and whatever they dragged with them was all they had left. If it were not for the fact that, in 2^nd Peter 2:6-8, God specifically names Lot as being a righteous man, I would never have guessed he was a saved man! And that helps secure my faith that He will save me, too! He laid the foundation!

But the reward is another matter! Lot came out of the City of Sodom with essentially nothing but his life! His salvation was a gift! But, there was no reward for his behavior!

Will there Be a Reward for Us?

Paul tells us that we have a choice: we can learn to “pull with Jesus in double harness,” being “laborers together with God,” thereby receiving from Him (and building with) the materials that have eternal intrinsic value, and eternal substance that will outlast this life…or not.

Let’s pursue the goal of learning to walk with Jesus, as His flock: learning to work with Jesus as His partners in the Work of God. The result, whether we follow or not, will have eternal results, for better or for worse.

Lord Jesus, please teach us to walk with You and to serve as your agents here in the fallen world in which we live. We know that we are Your ambassadors, but we want to be faithful at that work, serving with You looking for eternal results.

December 30, 2023December 30, 2023

Learn to See The Problem and the Symptoms of Carnality

The Problems with (and the Symptoms of) Carnality

1^st Corinthians 3:1-9

¹ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ²I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ³For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

⁴For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? ⁵Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers (servants) by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? ⁶I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁷So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. ⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

⁹For we are labourers together with God: ye (plural) are God’s husbandry (Greek ”georgion”…a cultivated field, singular) ye (plural) are God’s building (singular.)

Introduction:

Remember that in chapter two, Paul introduced the difference between a “Natural” man and a “Spiritual“ man. We saw that the “natural” man was unsaved…unregenerate, having only his old sin-nature. The “spiritual” man is in complete contrast. He was not only born again (“regenerate”), but also in direct submission to the Spirit of God. He not only has a new nature, but he is also in fellowship with God, and submitted to God’s direction. We chose to skip ahead to chapter three, to see that there also is a “third category.”

Paul describes the Carnal man, here in chapter three. This is a regenerate person, saved…born again, but one who is not currently in submission to the Lord. He or she is walking “in the flesh.”

The word “carnal” simply means, “of, or pertaining to flesh.”

When a person orders a bowl of “chili con carne,” in a restaurant, the name literally means, “chili with flesh…with meat!”

So, Paul is introducing the concept of “fleshly living.” This idea gets treated in several places in the New Testament. It is by no means an “obscure” idea. (In Galatians 5:13-25, Paul addresses this contrast. He shows the difference between walking in the flesh (old sin nature) and walking in the Spirit, in some detail.)

The Problem of Carnality

The primary problem with Carnality is that you are separated from fellowship with God!

1^st John 1:5, 6 states that “God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all! If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth!”

We are living a lie, when we are out of fellowship with the Holy God who bought us! Especially when we pretendi that “Everything is fine! I’m just praising the Lord!”

John goes on to show the simple act of repentance involved in restoring that condition of fellowship with God. (Your position in Christ is not in question. Your condition of either being in or out of fellowship with Him is in question.)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confess means (“agree with God”)

This is not a “religious ritual” of any kind. This “confession,” usually, is to God, and not to others, unless others have been affected by our sin. There is no hierarchy of priests through which we must pass to approach God. We approach freely, through the Cross. No “self-flagellation” is called for. Nor is there even any “doing penance” required. (And certainly no “Hail Mary’s,” in which the penitent is actually reciting a prayer of worship to Mary.) Confession is not a “sacrament.” Also, there is no ritualistic “format” for us to follow. Confession is simply agreeing with God concerning your sins and then pressing on to walk with Him in fellowship again.

Another Result of Carnality

A carnal Christian cannot understand much of God’s Word. (And usually isn’t really interested, either, as the Word of God constantly sheds light on the life of the reader. When we are in sin, we don’t like to see ourselves as we are!) But, while we are out of fellowship with Him, we cannot understand beyond the “baby-food” concepts of God’s Word.

We struggle with the “solid food” servings. We either “choke” on them, rejecting the teaching, or we simply don’t understand it, and we walk away confused. Therefore, Paul sadly said that he could not feed them on “solid food.”

They were not able to bear the “solid food” teaching, because they were still babies. He could only feed them on “milk.”

Babies are Wonderful, But…

A newborn believer need feel no shame at being a babe in Christ. He is supposed to be a “baby Christian!” But he also is called to rapidly grow out of that status, by feeding on the milk of God’s Word! (See 1^st Peter 2:2, KJV.) There is no shame in physical babyhood, either. We become concerned, however, when a physical baby fails to physically mature at a “normal” rate. We are to progress to the solid food of God’s Word, and to a mature response to God’s Word.

In Hebrews 5:11-14, however, Paul complains that the recipients of that letter should have been teachers by that time, but that, instead, they had regressed to being babes. The reason the Corinthian believers were still babies, is because they were “failing to thrive.” Paul was only correcting them, in this passage, and warning of the consequences if they continued in carnality.

The Hebrew believers, though, were a different case. Because of their Jewish heritage and upbringing, they (perhaps) knew God’s Word better than the Corinthians ever would. But they had backslidden into such deep carnality that they were having to return to baby-food, as opposed to “solid food.” They had to return to the foundational teaching of God’s Word.

Warnings to Pretenders

He scolded the Hebrew believers pretty sharply, and then (in chapter six) he warned that, if they were not really believers at all, but just “fooling themselves,” then the potential was there for eternal loss. This warning was for people who were just pretending to believe: those who were just “going along for the ride.” But those genuine believers in chapter five, who were simply “wallowing in the mire,” so to speak, he sharply admonished to “get up and get moving!”

Lost Opportunities

Later in this chapter of first Corinthians, we will see that there are eternal results for sinning believers, too, but that they themselves will be saved, though their potential rewards will be lost.

Consider what he was saying to the believers in Hebrews 5:12. If they were supposed to be teachers by now and were not, then they were missing out on opportunities to serve with Jesus! (Read 1^st Corinthians 3:9 carefully!) We are called to be laborers with God!

The Hebrew believers were missing out on the opportunity to “join Jesus in double harness” and, together with Him, to do the work of God. What a tragic loss! We only get one shot at this target, so to speak: we either use the short life He gives us by investing it in His agenda, or… we don’t!

Eternity is not an opportunity for “do-overs.” We can’t “change our mind,” in eternity, and go back and do the things we should have done. We can “change our minds” now, and choose to invest our time and our efforts, our abilities and our “wherewithal in general,” to join Him in His work.

Symptoms of Carnality

It seems odd that one of the “Symptoms of Carnality” that Paul first addressed was the pattern of division and sectarianism that was already taking root in Corinth (and elsewhere.)

Today, we still see that pattern of dividing over “who is our preferred teacher.” But, ironically, we frequently are taught to think that such “separatist” behavior is somehow a mark of maturity. The Pharisees seemed to think that way, didn’t they? Jesus called out the praying Pharisee, who claimed to be “Thanking God that he, himself, was one of the Good Guys, not like that poor slob over there!” (Luke 18:9-14) From outward appearance, the Pharisee seemed to be following the Law, but inwardly, it was just pious pride. There was no fellowship with God involved.

When we separate ourselves from other believers (even secretly) over non-essentials, we are in sin. The result will be carnality, and everything we do while out of fellowship is empty of eternal value. Jesus said the tax-collector in Luke 18:13 (“publican” in the KJV) went home justified ( it means “declared righteous”) by God, and the “self-justified” Pharisee, who declared himself to be righteous, did not! God did not approve of his self-righteousness!

There is a “self-satisfaction,” and a “self-justification” rooted in all “I know more than they do,” or, “I serve more than they do,” or even “I listen to a better teacher on the radio than they do….” You see, all of those things come from the flesh. It is carnality!

In Contrast

Paul had the humility to see that Apollos, far from being a “Johnny-come-lately,” was a powerful tool in God’s hand, just as he himself was. He said, “We are both just servants! God is bringing the results!”

Paul pointed out that while he and Apollos did not have the exact same assignment, they were both being used by God to achieve the same goal. Paul was taking the Gospel where it had never gone, as he says in Romans 15:20.

Apollos was being used to teach and to powerfully convict the hearts of those who had already heard the Gospel, but were still unconvinced. (See Acts 18:24-28)

And Paul recognized that neither he nor Apollos was anything “special.” He simply counted it a privilege to have his life be used by God to do the work of God. He lived by Grace, which is “unearned favor.” Some teachers attempt to make “grace” mean “power.” It does not: it means “unearned favor:” a gift. But it is by the gift of God that we are allowed to serve and given the wherewithal to do so.

Future Reward

Paul also knew that a reward for faithfulness was coming. He said, “and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” That word “every” is pretty important: It means that every single believer has the opportunity to serve. And it means that every single believer who consistently seeks to serve will also receive reward for his or her service.

What an amazing thing! In John 15:5, Jesus said, “apart from me ye can do nothing.” In Philippians 2:13, Paul confirms that “it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” And, here, in 1^st Corinthians 3:7, Paul says that “God giveth the increase.”

But: the very next verse promises us that the “tools” through which He accomplishes His work will be rewarded as if they themselves had done it! That is a mind-boggling truth! We are not sent out to work “on our own,” at all! We either serve with Jesus, or not at all! But if we serve with Him, despite the fact that He is the One doing all the work, He promises a reward to us for simply “cooperating” and allowing Him to work through us!

Working With Jesus

He goes on to say that “we are laborers together with God!” God is doing the work. We have the privilege of “going to work with our Heavenly Father,” and doing with Him whatever He “sends us to do.” But he rewards us, as if we were the real workers. And He blesses us as we serve. We are not “blindly slaving away,” hoping what we are doing somehow has eternal value.

In terms of salvation, Jesus did every bit of the work, at the Cross! But in terms of service, we always have a moment-by-moment choice: “Will I serve the Savior, by serving with Him, or will I just serve myself?”

An Example of “Serving Self”

Years ago, when New Tribes Mission was first setting up one of their woodland “Jungle Camp” training programs, in Eastern Oregon, one of the necessary tasks (obviously) was to dig the pits for the various outhouses, there in the woods. It was a hard, thankless task, but it was divided between all the men, so that no one person was bearing the burden alone.

One of the trainees, that year, had been a pastor of a church somewhere before entering the mission. He evidently thought that was “special.” Another man, a friend of mine, when walking past the pit where this man was taking his turn digging, overheard him complaining, over and over, that “This is no way to treat a pastor!”

Do you see the difference between his attitude and that of Paul and Apollos? It was not a surprise to my friend when that man, shortly thereafter, dropped out of the training program. You see, he did not want to be a “servant.” So, he was disqualified by God from serving.

How can We Follow Jesus’s Example?

Jesus said, in Matthew 20:28, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many!” We need to examine our own motives and ask ourselves, “Who am I really serving? What would He have me to do? Where is my heart attitude in all of this?

Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to the difference between spirituality and carnality. Lead us to repentance, so that we can serve You in the newness of the Spirit, not allowing our old sin natures to undermine the work of God in our hearts.

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023

“The Mind of Christ,” and “He that is Spiritual”

1^st Corinthians 2:9-16

⁹But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

¹²Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

¹⁴But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Introduction:

There are a number of questions that ought to come to our minds as we read this passage.

Who is the “we” and “us” in this passage?
What does it mean to be a “natural man?”
How can we be “spiritual?” (What does it mean?)
How can we “have the mind of Christ?”
(What other possibilities exist?)

Last time, we ended with verse 9. It says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” We noted that some modern writers claim to tell us, in great detail, “what Heaven is like.” There are several books on the subject.

However, the Bible indicates that they have either deluded themselves, or they are simply lying. God says we do not know, and we cannot even imagine it. He says that no one has seen it or even heard about it from any reliable or authoritative source. (Paul was quoting Isaiah 64:4, here!)

But, in that case, verse 10 seems strange, because it says God has revealed them by His Spirit. God reveals what He wants us to know. He revealed them by the Holy Spirit, in the Written Word. And it isn’t very much. He has told us some very confusing details in Revelation chapters four and five. Those details are very interesting, but not very enlightening. Why? Because what He has in store for us is a surprise!

What is a “Mystery,” in the Bible?

The Bible calls a number of things “mysteries.” In the Bible, a “mystery,” means “something that has not yet been revealed, but (usually) is about to be revealed.”

This is not like an “Agatha Christie murder mystery.” Agatha Christie truly does give you “all the clues.” In her case, (if her readers are reading carefully enough, and not missing her clues,) they can “deduce the identity of the killer,” before the end of the book. Unfortunately, I am too oblivious to catch more than a few of the clues she plants in her story. I can read and enjoy the book, but I will not solve the mystery.

But in God’s case, the “clues” for what awaits believers after the end of measurable time, have never been given. He says the knowledge has never been accessible even by our greatest flights of imagination and fancy.

God does Not Reveal “all” Mysteries to us.

There are some mysteries in scripture that are simply too deep for humans, though we don’t like to admit it. We think that we should be able to “ferret out all the facts!” We think we should know about all of the universe, including the nature of God. And we think we should understand it all! Consider what folly that assumption is, and what arrogance it reveals in us!

We don’t even understand the physical world around us. But we think we should be able to grasp the deepest knowledge of the One who Created all of it! Only by revelation can we can even learn to know Him. It is only through His Word, as He reveals Himself to us. In our physical lives, much of what He does is invisible, just as He is. We only see the results. Then, we may rejoice in His wisdom and kindness, or, we may scoff and thereby become blind to His presence.

We make up very silly (and dangerous) video games about “fighting demons”…shooting them, as if they were physical beings. They are unseen. they are invisible, just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are unseen, and invisible.

We make such foolish mockery of the unseen world, mostly because we are utterly ignorant of its reality and the danger it poses to the ignorant soul. God takes pains to correct that thinking and to let us know the reality and the danger involved. But He also indwells every believer in the person of the Holy Spirit, so that we do not remain unaware.

Who is “We?”

This one is pretty simple: Paul is speaking “to believers,” as we saw in the first few verses of the book. And, he addresses them as being fellow believers. Therefore, all the time Paul speaks about the revealed Mysteries, he uses the inclusive “we,” and “us,”

When he talks about the unbelievers, he shifts his pronouns to “they” and “them.” It is important to know who the writer is talking to. (Also, who he is talking about, when that is the case.)

How does God reveal the “Things of God” to Human Believers?

Every week, we stress the necessity of learning the things of God as He reveals them in the Word of God. Last week we saw once again the link between The Lord Jesus and the Word of God. We saw in John 1:18 that “No man has seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”

Jesus, the Only Begotten Son, is the One Who declares God! But in John 1:1, a few verses earlier, we can read that “In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God.” In John 1:14, we read that “the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and truth!”)

In Hebrews 1:1, it says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the Worlds.”

Jesus is literally the revealer of God! He is the only member of the Godhead who shows up in human form to communicate the truth of God to fallen Man. He was the One in the Garden, calling, “Adam, where art thou?”

**The Word Declares God**

And God calls Jesus “the Word:” the “communication of God.” The declaration of all that He is! Finally, in Revelation 19:13, He is labeled “The Word of God.” So, how does God reveal to us “the things of God?” It is primarily through His Word! Jesus is the Living Word, But He has given us the Written Word and He calls us to read it, to memorize it, to meditate upon it and to learn to use it as the “Sword of the Spirit.”

He is the Living Word, said to be “sharper than any two-edged sword.” But He tells us to master the use of the Written Word, which is the Sword of the Spirit.

His sword, the Written Word of God, is the only effective weapon against our unseen enemies. All that stuff about “zapping demons with faith-bolts” is strictly comic-book stuff. (You can play those video games if that is what you want to believe. But I truly do not recommend it! They are utter folly!)

Not By the Spirit of the World

Notice that Paul says in verse 12, that the only reason we can even receive this sort of communication is that we have received the Spirit of God and are no longer led by the spirit of the world. He will explain this concept in verses 14-16.

An unbeliever can receive the initial message of the Gospel. He or she can make a decision based on that message. If they decide to “Believe God…” to “take Him at His Word,” then at that moment, whether they are aware of it or not, they also receive the Holy Spirit. He will permanently indwell them, and He immediately begins teaching them. After that point, they find that the Bible is increasingly becoming an “Open Book.”

Not by the Wisdom of Man

And in verse 13 he tells us not to take the received message, and try to pass it on to others using the “wisdom of man,” but rather, by the “Wisdom of God.” We are to compare scripture with scripture, so as to compare spiritual things with spiritual things. Remember, in Acts 17:11, God commended the Berean people for their response, “in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” That is a good response!

But, if we, as the messengers of God, are not “comparing spiritual things with spiritual,” and using scripture to explain scripture, then the listeners cannot hope to “go look it up.” They have no “standard” by which to measure our message. But if we stick to God’s Word as closely as we can, then they can check our messages against the Bible and find assurance that we have faithfully declared the Savior and His Word.

What is “The Natural Man?”

The Natural man is the unbeliever in his “natural state,” whatever it may be. He could be an ignorant laborer or tribal farmer, or hunter-gatherer, with zero formal education, or he could be a highly trained professional of some sort: engineer, scientist, philosopher or theologian. But without the Spirit of God indwelling him, he remains a natural man. He cannot receive the truth of God, and the majority of God’s Word seems to him to be foolishness.

If we reject the “entry-level truth” of the Cross of Christ, then we disqualify ourselves to move deeper into a personal knowledge of God. That is what God says: if you have a problem with that, or if you think it is somehow elitist or exclusive, you would have to take it up with Him. The fact is, the Gospel is the opposite of “Elitist or Exclusive.” Jesus said He came to offer salvation to the whole world. He died for the sins of the whole world. He says, “Whosoever will may come!” And the invitation is to anyone willing to respond in faith.

The Spiritual Man

The Spiritual Man has received the Holy Spirit by faith and is currently in submission to Christ by His Word and by His Spirit. So, it does not include “all saved people:” it includes all saved people who are walking with Jesus, in obedience to His Spirit and to His Word.. There are many examples in scripture of people who were genuine believers, but they ignored God’s Word and “became blind” and in the end, were found to be “working for the Enemy.” (We just recently studied Samson in the evening Bible Study…he was the perfect example of such a person!)

The Third Option

In 1^st Corinthians 3:1-3 (we are not going there, just yet: we are just peeking ahead) we will read of a third kind of person: the Carnal Man. He (or she) is living in the flesh: allowing his/her old sin nature to rule. Such a person is living for self, and not in submission to Christ. And it can occur in the life of any believer at any time.

We choose to make decisions in the absence of God’s counsel, just because that is what we desire. The consequence is that we have “re-submitted ourselves” to the tyranny of sin, and, until we repent (change our minds) and confess our sin, so that we can be cleansed, relationally, we cannot “move on with God.” Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (the assumed answer is “NO!”)

As long as we remain in that state, we cannot understand God’s Word, we cannot grow as believers, and we retreat further and further into spiritual immaturity. Hebrews 5:12-14 complained that those believers had (again) become babes. The ones in 1^st Corinthians 3 were still babes, they were failing to grow. The ones in Hebrews 5 were going backward!

The Mind of Christ

This is an odd statement, but Paul says the spiritual man can “discern all things” (KJV says “judge,” but the word actually means to discern.) But then he says that others (unbelievers, perhaps?) cannot discern him. Perhaps it means they cannot understand his motives. I have seen that on several occasions, where I was making a decision by God’s direction, that would be totally clear to any believer, but unbelievers thought I was doing something completely crazy.

Why would that be likely? Paul quotes an Old Testament verse, Isaiah 40:13 to point out that no human is capable of understanding God’s Spirit or His thoughts. That is the reason! He gave us His indwelling Spirit, and He explains His thoughts and causes us to think as He thinks!

Spiritual Transformation!

This is what we saw in Romans 12:2, where we are commanded to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” If you focus on God’s written Word, and look to His Holy Spirit to make it a living reality in your daily life, then you will truly be “thinking the Thoughts of God” and making decisions the way He would have you make them. In so doing, we literally have the mind of Christ! And the World will see us as strange and mystifying people!

They will see that we are doing right things: good things, even when it is to our disadvantage. (Psalm 15:4 “…he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not.” You keep your word even when it hurts you! How about Proverbs 25:21, 22? “If thine enemy be hungry, feed him…” You are consistently kind, even to people who hate you!) Yes, they will think you are strange!

Lord Jesus, Raise us up as students of Your Word, and let us feed upon the Living Word until we truly have the mind of Christ! We know that we are strangers in this World, but we are Your Ambassadors as long as we are here! Teach us to honor you by our lives!

November 25, 2023November 26, 2023

The Humility of the Cross

1^st Corinthians 1:25-31

²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

²⁷But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

²⁸And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

²⁹That no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

³¹That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Introduction:

Remember that this book is to all people who have responded to Jesus Christ in Faith…not just some specific group. (See verse 2.) That does not change the fact that some passages address things that were specific to the Church at Corinth. It simply reminds us that such passages are the exception rather than the rule.

In verses 10-13, we saw the warning against the arrogance that was already polluting the local assembly, as they divided themselves over who their respective mentors had been.

Paul made it clear that such divisions were wrong, and he begged them to knock it off. He went on to point out that the Gospel is always “counter-cultural.” There is no culture among the human race that will not find themselves condemned by the “bad news” of the Gospel: But the “bad news” is what makes the “good news” become truly GOOD NEWS! And the result is clear: The ground at the foot of the Cross is level. There is no room for pride there!

How was Pride Set Aside?

Paul says that God has already destroyed the “wisdom” of the “wise men” of this world. He has brought to nothing the understanding of those who think they “know it all.” He has made their collective “wisdom” utterly foolish. It is a “fatal brand” of foolishness.

The key reason that the “wisdom” of this world turns out to be foolishness, is that, at no point does it actually address the true need of the human race. At no point does it admit, “We cannot solve our problems: We need the Grace of the Creator to straighten out this mess.” Thus, in verse 21, God points out that the “wisdom” of man failed to lead people to saving faith. In fact, it universally turns people away from the Savior! It is a shameful thing, not a good thing!

So, God decreed that the way He would reach the Human Race is through the “foolishness of Preaching.” (Never through human wisdom!)

How is Faith Connected to Preaching?

In Romans 10:13-17, We see that “Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord (in faith) shall be saved.” But then it asks a series of logical questions: “How shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?…how shall they hear, without a preacher (someone to “declare His name” to them.) And how shall they preach except they be sent? Then, verse 17 concludes that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

But that also means that we who preach are “tarred with the same brush” as those to whom we preach. We are not better than the people we try to reach: We are sinners who have received forgiveness and who, as a result, have become the Ambassadors of Christ.

We are beggars who have been fed and we now tell other beggars where to find that free food! But, in that foundational transaction of Grace and Faith, we have also become literally the “children of God.” (Not by adoption, which will happen in the future, but by the New Birth, which has already happened, and by which we now legitimately address our Creator as “Father.”) (There is no “Universal Fatherhood” of God. Jesus told the Jews (John 8:44) “Ye are of your father, the Devil…”) We have become His children through the New Birth!

What is The Foolishness of God?

The world sees the Gospel as foolishness. They hold the whole Bible in disdain, except for portions they think might be socially productive. They advocate a teaching that builds “morality and peace,” but they want to leave out the God whose Holiness demands Morality and whose Blood paved the way for Peace. Such people claim to desire peace, but they reject the Prince of Peace.

A man once told me he would like to see two church services: one for those who only want to embrace the social mores and ethics and Judeo-Christian values, and another for those who want to talk about “God and Jesus and that stuff.”

I told him that I would want nothing to do with a church like that. He was offended, and demanded, “Why??”

I replied, “If you take Christ out of Christianity, all that is left is a gutted, rotting corpse!” Jesus Christ is not only the “historical source of the name, Christianity: He is the only reason it works at all!

He alone has the power to change us from the inside and to make us into the Men and Women of God He has called us to be! He is the only one who can give eternal life to sinners and make us into His Saints… His personal property, to be used by Him alone!

What is The Weakness of God?

Throughout our study of the Old Testament, we have seen that the leaders God chose were frequently very flawed individuals. We saw that His power is what won battles and overcame evil and even death itself. All this, though He chose to use such weak vessels. And, He chose to do so especially so that the world could see that it was His Power, not that of the people through whom He chose to work.

What is Our Calling

Paul pointed out that not many Christians were noted “wise men,” before they were saved. Not many were “mighty” from the world’s perspective. Not many were “Noble” from the world’s perspective. (Queen Victoria is said to have commented “I am saved by the letter ‘M.’ If Paul had said ‘not any noble,’ then I could not be saved…but he said, ‘not many noble. Thus, I am saved by the letter ‘M’!”)

But the point Paul makes, in all of this, is that we have nothing to boast about on our own.

Foolish Things, Chosen by God

He says that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” He does not usually work through the “highly educated,” so much as through the “highly humble:” Those who recognize that they have no wisdom of their own and who yield themselves to God, come what may, so that He can work through them. They are consistently able to “get out of God’s way and let Him work.”

John Bunyan, the author of the classic “A Pilgrim’s Progress,” spent more than twelve years in an English jail because he preached without approval from the Anglican Church.. He did not attend their school nor did he preach their message, so he was silenced under English law. Many other “heroes of the faith” were persecuted or executed for serving God without human approval.

Weak Things, Chosen by God

Remember how God used Gideon? Gideon was not a leader or a soldier: He was a scared young farmer trying to hide some grain from the Midianites. But God used him to defeat the Midianites. God used the Woman at the Well, in Sychar (John 4:7-39) to witness to many in her community. Not because she was “highly respected,” highly educated or a powerful speaker: She was a social reject: an outcast! But God chose to use her, and He received the Glory! She received Eternal life and the blessing of God. (She was also among the “things despised” mentioned here.)

Base Things, Chosen by God

God chose fishermen and farmers, tanners and itinerant fruit pickers to take His message to His people. Did he ever use kings? Surely, He did! But remember that the most famous king he used (King David) began life as the youngest in a family of shepherds. God delights in using the lowest members of human society to bring down those who think they are the “elite.”

Things Which Are Despised, but Chosen by God

This included the “Woman at the Well,” as we noted earlier. But it also includes the people in our own society who are scorned as “religious fools” by virtually everyone, but who have given themselves to the preaching of the Cross. They have steadily been winning souls to Christ. I have known some serious soul-winners who are taken lightly by others, even other believers, but who have been consistently used by God to draw others to safety in Christ.

What are the “Things Which Are Not?”

This might include prophetic utterance about things that currently do not exist. There is no “river proceeding from the temple mount in Jerusalem” today…but Ezekiel 47 says there will be one! When Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28) named Cyrus as the instrument of God who would provide for the rebuilding of the temple, that man did not exist. He was not born until nearly 180 years after the prophecy was given…but he did what God said he would do! (God used him!)

Why? That No Flesh Should Glory

One of the attributes of God is that He gives credit where credit is due, and does not give away the credit that is His alone. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The created things (including the Human Race) never take precedence over the Creator!

When an architect designs a new building, and it proves to be a magnificent edifice, that architect expects to get the credit. (It doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the wealthy people who paid for the construction take credit as if they thought of all the innovations and special features, and designed it all by themselves.)

But God says that He is a jealous God. In Isaiah 42:8, He says, “My Glory will I not give to another!” And the first commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” He forbids idolatry at every level: Even our attempting to take credit for what He alone has done, is an arrogance and a foolishness that is forbidden by God.

Romans 3:27 “Where Then, is Boasting? It is Excluded!”

There is no place left where pride is appropriate in our lives. We are fully aware that all we have has been provided by our Creator. All we are, as believers, is due to His Grace and His Power. All we have to offer to anyone else is that which He has already provided to us! There is no place for Pride. Pride is universally condemned as sin, throughout the Bible. That is one reason the World hates God’s Word: it condemns human pride.

Romans 3:9 says, “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.”

There is a place for boasting, but not about ourself or any other human. It is “of Him” that we are in Christ! I did nothing to earn that position: it was offered as a gift, and I received it as a gift.

Verse 30 goes on to explain that Jesus (by God’s design) has become unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption. Jesus Christ is our source of Wisdom. His righteousness was transferred to us the day we trusted in Him as our Savior. It is only through His sacrifice that God has declared us to be holy. (That is what “sanctified” means!) And it is only through His sacrifice that we now have redemption. Some people think we are waiting for redemption. Our bodies are waiting for redemption, but we ourselves are already redeemed. (How do I know?)

Ephesians 1:7 says so! (It is written in the present tense: “In whom (in Christ) we HAVE Redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace.”)

So, what is left for us, about which we can boast? Only Jesus!

He that Glorieth, Let Him Glory in the Lord!

How do we “Glory in the Lord?”

When we “boast” of the glory of God, and tell of His Omnipotent Power, and His All-sufficient Grace, what are we really doing? We are telling people about Jesus! We are being a witness to others regarding the person and work of the Savior. Which is precisely the occupation to which ALL of us have been assigned! We are called to rejoice in His person and His presence. And we are called to tell others about it!

It seems appropriate that we should be thinking of these things constantly, as well, so that they will naturally overflow from our lives.

Lord Jesus, please fill us with the Joy of Your presence, and constrain our hearts to obedience to the Great Commission. Let us see the world around us through Your eyes, and care for the souls around us as You care for them.

November 18, 2023November 18, 2023

“Worldly Wisdom” versus “the Preaching of the Cross”

Human Wisdom, as opposed to the Cross and the Power of God

1^st Corinthians 1:17-25

¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

¹⁹For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

²⁰Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

²¹For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

²²For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: ²³But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

²⁴But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Introduction:

We have already seen what Paul considered his only job. It was preaching the Gospel of Christ. Specifically, preaching the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ—to a dying and lost world.

Today we need to talk about why that is the primary job of all believers. Our job is not “social justice,” though we desire it. Our job is not to end world hunger, however much we want it to end. The “occupation” laid out for all believers is “preaching of the Gospel of Christ.”

What is Your Occupation?

Some time ago, we presented the example of a fire station, full of firefighters. One person may have the task of maintaining the map books. (This was before GPS existed… there were paper maps of every little road. They showed every building in a given area. Someone had to maintain those maps in an orderly, accurate, up-to-date manner.)

Another two or three people might have the task of maintaining the engines and the running-gear of the firetrucks. Others might have the task of maintaining the hoses and checking to be sure they were in good condition for the next fire.

But if you asked ANYONE in that fire station, “What is your occupation?”, their answer would be, “I’m a firefighter!”

What is Your Calling?

Every believer may have a different task, in their personal life and within the church. But our calling, our vocation, our occupation is to be ambassadors of Christ! 2^nd Corinthians 5:20 does not say, “we can be ambassadors.” It does not say, “we should be ambassadors.” It says, “We ARE ambassadors for Christ!”

In Acts 1:8, 9 Jesus did not say, “After the Holy Spirit comes, I’d like you to go tell people about me!” He said “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Not a Casual Invitation

You see, the calling is not optional. Every member of the Body of Christ has been “drafted,” (if you want to see it that way.) But we are called to respond as volunteers. He calls every single one of us. But He is looking for the response that says, “Here am I, Lord! Send me!”

The invitation to “take My yoke upon you and learn of Me”—the call to join Jesus in double-harness and serve with Him—is an incredible privilege. It is offered only to those who will respond in faith and in voluntary obedience.

Not with Wisdom of Words

Notice again that Paul stressed the fact that he had not been sent to impress people with his erudite, sophisticated message. He was not sent to argue the facts of the Gospel from a human perspective. Paul was only sent to present the facts and persuade people to respond in faith.

He had experienced the futility of “Human Reasoning” at Athens (Acts 17:22-33.) There, Paul delivered one of the most famous sermons in history…and it was fruitless. We saw, (by looking ahead to 1^st Corinthians) that Paul learned from his error. (1^st Corinthians 2:1, 2) He vowed from that point forward to “know nothing save Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.”

The Preaching of the Cross (v.18)

One of the essentials often “lost in the crowd” of available messages is the “Preaching of the Cross.” We preach messages advocating “Good Behavior,” and warning against Sin, and so forth. (All of these are appropriate, provided that the audience are all born-again believers already.)

The Gospel, as named in verse 17, is “the message of the Death and Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, for our sins. It has the express purpose of redeeming us from our position as lost sinners.” And that message, being believed in, is the Power of God to save those who believe.

But the very next thing he says about that Gospel, in verses 17, 18, is that it involves the “preaching of the Cross.”

What is “the Gospel?“

I have, on more than one occasion, had a man tell me, just before his message from the pulpit, that he was “really going to give ‘em the Gospel!” So, I listened! I listened carefully: Not only did those individuals not “give ‘em the Gospel;” They did not include a single part of the Gospel in their message!

They were advocating regular church attendance, or some other social message…not the three-part message of the Cross. They did not mention the Crucifixion (let alone why Jesus died for us) nor His burial, nor the Resurrection, nor even His soon coming.

To an unbelieving heart, the Preaching of the Cross seems to be foolishness. Unregenerate humanity unanimously rejects the Cross, except in the relatively rare instances when someone believes the bad news, because they see it all around them, and is then hoping for some good news. (That is what the word, “Gospel” means: “Good News!”

And that Good News, being believed in, is the Power of God to save Sinners. Nothing else in scripture is described as the power of God to save Sinners. Not “Good behavior,” nor “pious words” nor “religious rituals.” Nothing but the message of the Cross, being received in faith.

So, What about “Human Wisdom?”

All of our lives, we are taught to “trust human wisdom.” But God warns us against trusting it. We are told, “Trust your heart! Your heart will never lead you wrong!” But God says that our hearts, full of our “human wisdom,” are the single thing most likely to deceive us.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” (Do you really want to make that to be your most trusted counsellor and advisor?)

Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path!” That is a far superior source for guidance! Look to the Word of God, and His Spirit…not your heart.

Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil you (rob you) through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments (elementary reasoning) of the World, and not after Christ.”

Sources of Wisdom

So, this is the “Wisdom” God warns us against and addresses in 1^st Corinthians 1:19-21. He says that He “will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and has made foolish the wisdom of the World, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Three other sources of “wisdom” are listed in James 3:15. Wisdom that is not from God is:

Earthly (from the World)
Sensual (from our old sin nature—the heart—human reasoning, or
Devilish: (from the pit.)

All of us have seen examples of each of these false sources of “wisdom.” Each of us have been forced to admit, “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turned out to be a terrible mistake!” Human wisdom can easily deceive us.

All of us have also heard the phrase, “Look! Everybody knows… (insert whatever popular belief you want, here!) All those people can’t be wrong!” (Well, actually, yes, they can!)

Truth and wisdom are not determined by popular acclaim. In fact, more frequently than not, popular opinion and popular acclaim result in simply “pooling ignorance and foolishness.”

Our great enemy, Satan, is quite willing to use either of these sources of misinformation to twist the truth. He works to turn us, just far enough that we ignore God’s offer to apply His righteousness to us and to give us eternal life. Having turned away from His offer, we lose out eternally.

How Much Poison does it Take?

I looked on the label of an old box of “D-Con” mouse poison, and I saw that the concentration of Warfarin in it was only 0.01%. That means that 99.99% of the product was perfectly nutritious mouse food! It took only a concentration of one one-hundredth of one percent of that poison to be fatal to the mice. Some errors are not fatal. Others potentially can be definitely fatal.

Fatal Errors

I read a sad story of an elderly couple who pulled onto the shoulder of a dark road, in their vehicle, one night. The man needed to check something on the car. He got out, walked in the darkness, around the rear bumper to the passenger side, and he simply disappeared.

His wife sat waiting in the car all night, afraid to get out, but with no idea why her husband had not returned. As the day dawned, she could look around outside the car and she realized that they had parked at the very edge of a cliff. Her husband, unable to see in the darkness, had simply walked off the edge. He fell into the ravine below, and was killed. (Pretty sad!)

Had there been only a pothole full of muddy water on the shoulder of the road, he would have been wet, angry, and possibly slightly injured. But there was a cliff, and his error was fatal. He walked in darkness, and he fell to his death!

Errors in Thinking

Some errors in thinking may only render us “less effective” or “less peaceful and happy.” But, error that turns the heart of the hearers away from the person of Christ, so that they never receive the promised redemption, is eternally fatal. And a messenger who delivers that sort of message is in trouble with the Eternal Judge, Jesus Christ. (I would not want to be in their shoes at the final judgment!)

God says that He “has made foolish the wisdom of the World and will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

This “Worldly Wisdom” is the kind of misinformation in which our enemy specializes. He cannot keep a believer away from salvation. The moment any sinner trusts in Jesus’s Blood as full payment for his/her sins, he/she is permanently placed into the body of Christ. Such individuals are eternally secure in Him. But the enemy certainly can work to destroy their faith and peace and fruitfulness.

The Door to the Truth is…

God says that Humans have never “found God” through their own wisdom. Human reasoning constantly turns as away from Him! So, in light of that observation, He says that “it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.”

The World sees preaching as foolishness or worse. They see it as proselyting, and self-serving recruiting, at best. But God says that the only way He saves sinners is through the preaching of the Gospel.

Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is THE power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” And it is the only thing so listed. Why? Because we are preaching Jesus Christ, and He, personally, is called “Christ, the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God” in 1^st Corinthians 1:24.

What is The Door to the Truth?

The point we have to keep in mind, here, is that the “Door to the Truth is the Will, not the intellect.” People are not “argued into faith.” At some point, every single believer simply “decided to believe God” instead of believing the World. It is “an act of the will,” whereby we simply “make a decision.”

We sometimes claim that “we don’t have sufficient data upon which to make such an important decision.” That is simply not true: God says that we DO have all the information we need…just not necessarily all we “want.” Thus, such a complaint becomes simply an excuse for rejecting the message of Eternal Life.

As stated in verse 25, “… the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” We don’t much like that idea either: We think that we are “the masters of our fate,” and that we arethe captains of our souls,” as William Henley claimed.

Moment by moment, we are faced with the choice: Will we believe our own heart or will we believe God? Will we embrace the values and agendas of the World, or will we embrace the values and agenda of God.

Choose Wisely!

Lord Jesus, help us to constantly see Your Wisdom and hear you call, and be drawn after You as Your Disciples and the Sheep of Your Flock. Lead us moment by moment, for Your Glory!

November 4, 2023November 5, 2023

Brief Introduction to Paul’s 1st Epistle to the Corinthians

Introduction to 1^st Corinthians

1^st Corinthians 1:1-9

¹ Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

²Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s:

³Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

⁵That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

⁶Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

⁷So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

⁸Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Historical and Geographical Background: What do We Know About Corinth?

Corinth was an ancient city positioned at a very narrow isthmus in the southern end of the Grecian Peninsula. That Isthmus separates the Ionian Sea on the West from the Aegean Sea on the East. It is such a low, narrow isthmus that it was actually cheaper and safer to pull the old wooden cargo boats out of the water onto log rollers, and use teams of oxen to transport the ships across the isthmus, than to simply sail around the headland.

Thus, Corinth had several booming businesses going: Ship’s masters paid the owners of the transport service for their services. Furthermore, the Ship’s quartermasters doubtless bought supplies while they were in port. And, finally, the sailors themselves, if allowed a port leave, did what sailors have done throughout the centuries. They ran into town and blew their wages on sin of various kinds. (What kinds, you may ask? In the interest of honoring God, we will not delve into particulars, except to point out that the town’s biggest “business” was the Temple of Aphrodite located there.

As a matter of historical interest, I looked this up in our old Britannica Encyclopedia. I read there, that, in its heyday, that temple employed 10,000 temple prostitutes, both male and female. So, effectively, the entire town was a pit of evil! Therefore it is not surprising to see that the church that was planted there faced many problems associated with carnality.

How Did Paul Happen to Come There?

If we go back and read through Acts 16 and 17, we see that Paul planted a small church in Philippi, but it cost him and Silas a public beating and a brief imprisonment. He left there and he and Silas ended up in Thessalonica. He planted a church there, too, but again was driven out by the violent response of the unbelieving Jews: they were his kinsmen according to the flesh, but they were enemies of the Gospel.

Then he and Silas went to Berea, and they were in process of planting a church there, when the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica caught up with them (Paul, Silas and Timothy by this time) and Paul was again forced to leave. (Silas and Timothy stayed and taught.)

Paul went alone to Athens, a place already famous for worldly wisdom, learning, and philosophy. The sermon he preached there has been praised ever since, by homiletics teachers and modern preachers. Why? Because it did such a “slick” job of “sneaking the gospel in there, sideways,” But that sermon had nearly zero fruit, and Paul left town without planting a church. He went directly from there to Corinth, just about three miles away. And, he had learned something!

**What was Different when Paul Preached in Corinth?**

Paul says in 1^st Corinthians 1:17 that he was sent there “…not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the preaching of the Cross be made of none effect!”

He took to heart the poor response at Athens, and rather than blaming the hard hearts of the Athenian philosophers, he saw that he had made an error in judgment: In 1^st Corinthians 2:1, 2, he said, “¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. ²For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

So, his approach was different, and the result was different. The Corinthian church was still riddled with sin, as a direct result of the environment in which they lived and everything they thought was “normal.”

The result, for us,is two fairly lengthy letters. And the content of both letters is nearly all some sort of corrective teaching.

Introduction to Chapter One:

Notice how Paul introduces himself and his co-laborer, Sosthenes: “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,”

You may notice in your Bible that the words “to be” are in italics. That indicates that the italicized words are not in the original manuscript, but were added by the translators, to make the passage fit English grammar and usage. This is a good example of such a thing, and we can easily see the reason they were added.

In English, if I said, “I am called a pastor.” It might mean, “that’s what people say about me, but it isn’t necessarily true.” But the sense of the word “called”, in Greek is not “that’s what people say,” but rather “God called me to do this: I didn’t appoint myself!” He was called by God, through the will of God. We will see a similar thing in verse two, where we find that all believers are called by God to be Saints…His holy People.

What about Sosthenes?

Notice, too, that while he includes “Sosthenes,” as a believing brother and implies that he is his co-worker, he makes no further mention. Paul was the apostle, writing the epistle. He simply acknowledged that he was not alone in the work: Sosthenes was with him. Why would that be important? Because, if we read Acts 18:17, we see that Sosthenes had (briefly) been the chief ruler of the Synagogue in Corinth. Why “briefly?” Because the previous “Chief Ruler of the Synagogue,” Crispus, according to Acts 18:8 had become a Christian, a believer in Jesus!

Evidently that disqualified Crispus as leader of the Synagogue! And, in Acts 18:12-17, we saw that as an unbelieving Jew (at that time) Sosthenes (the new leader) was part of the widespread insurrection of the unbelieving Jews in Corinth. They seized Paul and dragged him into court, before Gallio. But it turned out that Gallio was not at all sympathetic.

What happened to Sosthenes?

Sosthenes, along with his fellow leaders, were driven out of the court by Gallio, because Gallio, as the Roman governor, had zero interest in Jewish Law! And the unbelieving Greeks, there, savagely beat Sosthenes, right in front of the judgment seat…and Gallio didn’t care!

So, this man Sosthenes had gone from being the leader of the unbelieving Jews in Corinth to being a disciple of the Lord Jesus and a co-worker with Paul! Did the beating somehow “wake him up?” We don’t know. But that specific testimony to the believers at Corinth had great importance, and it glorified God immensely, as Sosthenes had once been their enemy!

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

**Notice the people listed:**

First, it is not to “the pastor,” nor to the “leaders.” It is to the Church of God at Corinth.
1. Church, singular.
But it includes…
1. Them (plural) that are sanctified (set apart for God’s private use!) who are
1. Called to be Saints! (Declared to be Holy to God!) AND
All (everyone!) that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord
1. Their Lord and Ours!

Do you see how the entire Body of Christ is included, for all time? If you have placed your exclusive trust in Jesus Christ as “God’s chosen sacrifice” for your sins, then, according to this verse, this letter is most definitely to YOU! Please take it as God speaking to you! Are there some passages that were specific to just Corinth? Absolutely, there are! And we will come to them. But this letter is to the entire Church, the Body of Christ at large! (Keep that in mind!)

And What is the “Wish of God” for Us?

³Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is always given in that order: Grace, then Peace. It is impossible to experience the Peace of God, or even Peace with God, apart from first being the recipients of His Grace. In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: Not as the World giveth, give I unto You. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (How important is that Peace to you? This verse tells us the beginning of how to receive it. Receive His Grace!)

Paul thanks God for the Church:

Why? What is he thankful for? (vs. 4-8)

“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;”

That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge. (v. 5)
The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, (v. 6) so that
1. Ye come behind in no gift (v. 7) (and you are….)
1. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: (v. 7)
(The Lord Jesus Christ) Who shall also confirm you unto the end, (v. 8) that
1. ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s Break that Down, Point by Point:

As we have already observed, this letter is to you: It is to us! That means that this verse says we are not lacking any gift that God has offered: He is the One True Shepherd, and He is protecting and feeding His Flock! He sends under-shepherds (such as myself and the other leaders, here) to “carry the buckets of Sheep Food,” and to work as His servants, protecting and guiding the flock, but the flock is always to be under His hand…we are not free to just expound our own ideas. They have to come from Him, through His Word!

How was the testimony confirmed? The believers at Corinth saw the transformed lives of those who believed, and they saw the miraculous defense God gave the newborn church through an unbelieving Governor. They saw the transformation of Sosthenes, and the growth of the Church, there at Corinth. They saw the gifts of the Holy Spirit beginning to be evident in their assembly, and they saw that God was giving the knowledge of His Word, to feed them.

How About Today?

The Testimony of Christ has been confirmed here in our little assembly in similar ways. When our unbelieving governor said that because of Covid, Oregon churches could have no more than 30 people in attendance, we called the Chief of Police in our town, and he stated that the only reason he or any of his officers would be coming to our church is to worship with us! That is a prety amazing response!

We, too, have seen the transformed lives, and the answers to prayer!

As he wrote to them, they were joyfully pressing forward, waiting for the Coming of the Lord. (So are we!) And they knew that HE is the One who will cause them to appear before Him, blameless, in that day. (So do we! That is our hope, too!)

Were they “Perfect Christians,” then? (Had they “Arrived?”) Most emphatically, NO! They were one of the most carnal churches Paul ever dealt with. But they were eternally secure in Christ, because Jesus was the One who promised to “confirm them to the end.” The result is that they WILL “be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And that is our confidence as well!

Paul’s Conclusion:

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

The same God who called you to faith in Jesus is the One who makes these promises. He is utterly faithful, and He will draw you along to walk with Him, and to serve Him in fellowship and partnership with Jesus.

Yes, He does call us to Service and to Holiness, but His promise is sure: We will appear before Him, dressed in His righteousness, not our own, and we are bound to Him eternally by His Love, not by our own feeble efforts, or by our own vacillating love and faith. He is the Faithful One!

We need to keep these promises in mind as we study this epistle, and every day realize that these promises are to us! To you! To me! Don’t lose sight of the Faithfulness of the God who has called you into the light of His Son!

Lord Jesus, we ask that you secure our hearts against the attacks of the evil one, and stay our minds upon the Promises of Your Word!

October 21, 2023October 21, 2023

What are our Choices and Requirements for Mutual Fellowship?

The Choices and Requirements of Fellowship

2^nd Thessalonians 3:10-18

¹⁰For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. ¹¹For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

¹²Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. ¹³But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. ¹⁴And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

¹⁶Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Introduction:

Last week we read 2^nd Thessalonians 3:6-9, and we saw that Paul and the other missionaries had set an example by working to earn money to pay for their own food and lodging, during their very brief stay in Thessalonica.

Paul pointed out that he and the others had earned the right to expect compensation, but they chose to set aside that “right,” and deliver the Grace of God to the people of Thessalonica without cost. We have done the same. We have no employees here: all the work is done by volunteers. All of our teaching and sermons are available online, free of charge

Support

In other passages, Paul laid out the need for support for the elders of a church, but he had already established the precedent that a leader can abstain from receiving support; and he gave the reasons why he, himself, had done so.

It is a good thing for the believers to support one another, especially if someone is sick or disabled and needs assistance. But: human nature being what it is, there will always be a tendency for some to try to take advantage of the generosity of believers, and avoid earning their own keep.

So, Paul addresses that problem in these last verses.

Disorderliness

Paul describes the broad issue of disorderliness; but he links it to idleness (not working) and being “busybodies.” We know what it means to “not work”…and Paul specifies in verse ten that he is referring to someone who will not work: not someone who cannot work, for whatever reason (injury, illness, other incapacities.) But what is the biblical meaning of a “busybody?”

In modern English, it usually means a “meddler:” someone who is constantly involving themselves, uninvited, in the affairs of others. Sometimes it is linked to gossip and talebearing.

What is a Busybody?

But in this passage, the Greek word is “periergoi,” meaning “around working.” (Getting around work, perhaps? Or, maybe, being a “runaround,” working the system?)

In 1^st Timothy 5:13 we see the same Greek word used, this time in a context that may offer some explanation, specifically in the context of someone who is capable of function, but who is needlessly being supported by others. “¹³And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.”

In the Timothy passage, we see several things linked together:

Idleness (choosing to not work)
Wandering from house to house (as opposed to tending to their own home.)
Tattlers (tale-bearers, gossips)
Busybodies (periergoi, again)
“Speaking things which they ought not.”

In this context, it seems that perhaps our modern definition of “busybody” fits pretty well.

Other Shades of Meaning

It is interesting to note that the passage in 1^st Peter 4:15, which uses the same English word, is from an entirely unrelated Greek word, literally meaning “overseeing the business of others:” “meddling,” perhaps: trying to exert influence in other people’s affairs. That word comes much closer to our modern definition.

But, collectively, the picture seems to be of someone who “hasn’t got anything better to do” than running around “chatting people up,” and avoiding doing any work of their own. Paul exhorts believers to do what God has called us to do, earn our keep at whatever trade or work we can do, and be a good testimony of the Holy God who has called us. To do otherwise is to be “disorderly,” and such behavior dishonors the Lord. Paul commands such people to work, tend to their own business, earn a living and eat the food they earned.

“Fellowship” means “Partnership:”

Some people try to say that “fellowship” means “two fellows in a ship: both in the same boat.” That is simplistic at best; it is an error. Two people on a ship may hate each other, and they even may be committed to one another’s destruction. That is certainly not fellowship. Fellowship means “having in common.” It implies “partnership.” We are called to join in the fellowship of the suffering of Christ. (Philippians 3:10) The believers at Philippi (Philippians 1:5) were commended for their fellowship in the gospel. They were partners in the work of evangelism.

In 2^nd Corinthians 8:4 Paul commended a poverty-stricken church in that they begged the privilege to join in the fellowship of ministering to the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. They wanted to serve as partners in the work! As believers, they chose to function as partners, and they begged him to receive that gift, acknowledging that partnership. It is obviously implied that he did choose to accept it. (This is in the context of correcting the church at Corinth, who evidently were not so eager to participate.)

Fellowship is a Choice

We attach ourselves to a local assembly of like-minded believers and we are willing to be partners with them in worship and in service. Each person has a different ability and different gifts, but we serve together and desire to collectively please the Lord who has called us and who bought us with His blood.

Is it possible to desire the appearance of partnership without actually being committed to that union? Yes, evidently it is. There are thousands of people who are on the membership list at churches across the world, who never attend, and yet will claim membership in “their church” as a part of their credentials as a “fine, upstanding citizen.” But they have no real connection or partnership with that assembly of believers.

We are called to become partners in the work of ministry, and in the work of evangelism and discipleship with the local assembly to which we have attached ourselves. We make a conscious choice to do so.

Requirements of Fellowship

But God has also called us to live in such a way as to not dishonor Him, and not shame the church. We are warned that such behavior is detrimental enough that believers are told to not have “partnership” with such persons. That is a hard thing to do, when we are called to love one another. But that is what it says!

Could this requirement be used wrongly, to attempt to force conformity on a person who is doing no wrong? Certainly, it can, and it has happened many times! Missionaries have been dismissed from Organizations because they disagreed about some relatively small point of doctrine.

People have been drummed out of churches for things that were none of their doing. I knew a man whose wife left him for another man…and he was told to leave his church! I’m not sure what their accusation was, but he was definitely the victim, and rather than seeking to help or comfort him, they excluded him from fellowship.

So, How can We Prevent the Misuse of This Concept?

Galatians 6:1, 2 spells out a rule for church discipline that should prevent abuse.

¹Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ²Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Five points:

The one doing the restoring always must be in the Spirit…this is not done in the flesh!.
The motive is always to be restoration, not punishment or rejection.
The approach is always to be one of humility, and gentleness, not condemnation.
The person or persons attempting the restoration must always remember that they, too, are fragile, and that they can easily be drawn into sin, through anger, pride or other flaws.
We are always to help others bear their crushing circumstantial burdens, not just stand back, and watch them struggle.

But, if such a person simply rejects help, rejects correction, and rejects the Word, then there is no place for partnership. We are still reaching out, desiring their restoration, but true fellowship is not possible. (No Condemnation! v.15: He is not an enemy! You treat him as a brother!)

Grounds for Fellowship

Paul lays out the sevenfold basis of our Unity in Christ…the “Unity of the Spirit.”
In Ephesians 4:1-6, he says,

“¹ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, ²With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ³Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

⁵One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

Seven unities:

One Body (1^st Corinthians 12:12)
One Spirit (John 14:16)
One Hope of our Calling (Colossians 1:27)
One Lord (1^st Corinthians 8:6)
One Faith (Romans 1:5, 16)
One Baptism (1^st Corinthians 12:13)
One God and Father (John 17:3)

If all those “unities” are in place, fellowship should be possible. But fellowship can be broken, even among brethren who agree with all these “unities.” That is why it says we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. It is a fragile fellowship, easily damaged by pride and self-will.

We are warned specifically that a “root of bitterness” can spring up and thereby defile many. Others will be affected! None of us live lives disconnected from the believers around us. My sin does not affect just me: it can affect all of my family, and anyone in my sphere of influence.

Maintaining Unity

So, we are to give diligence to maintaining that unity and not allowing small differences to grow into serious divisions. Are we concerned about the overall testimony of the church? Yes, absolutely! But we are equally concerned about the well-being and spiritual health of every person. We are not on some kind of “inspection tour” to “ferret out flaws” and “slap sense into slackers!” The Command is to “Love One Another!”

(v. 16) Paul reminds us, that we are called to peace! We are called to forbear one another in Love. We are called to forgive one another, just as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us! Let’s not forget these things!

And the Grace of God (v. 18) is what sustains us all.

Lord Jesus, draw us into close fellowship with Yourself and with one another. Help us to Love one another as You have commanded us. Protect Your flock from Evil, in Jesus’ Name.

October 14, 2023October 14, 2023

What is the “Christian Work Ethic?” What is Disorderly?

What is the “Christian Work Ethic?”
And, What is “Disorderly?“

2^nd Thessalonians 3:6-9

⁶Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. ⁷For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁸Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought (worked) with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: ⁹Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

Introduction:

We noted in the past that Paul and his entourage worked to support their ministry. They did so for several reasons, two of which are listed here:

“That we might not be chargeable to any of you.” No one had any leverage against his walk with Jesus. (Unlike some politicians who find themselves indebted to their financial supporters.) They could not be “squeezed” to do something other than God directed.
“To make ourselves an example unto you to follow us.” Paul and his entourage demonstrated the lifestyle the new believers were expected to emulate.
A third is listed in 1^st Thessalonians 2:6-9
⁵For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:⁶Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.⁷But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:⁸So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.⁹For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

Application:

Think this through: When we send missionaries, we pay their way, as best we can, (other churches and individuals also helping.) But the people to whom they are sent contribute nothing! Paul was that kind of missionary. He did not preach with a hidden agenda of covetousness, or greed. He had a single goal: to preach the Gospel, as Jesus had commanded.

Paul and his entourage sought temporary work whenever they stayed in an area long enough to do so. (They were in Corinth for eighteen months. Two years in Ephesus…but only three weeks or so in Thessalonica. But evidently they had worked there, as well.) They were not looking for a handout, and they commanded the people they taught to follow that example!

Work Ethic

The whole context in verses 6-18 has to do with the Christian Work-Ethic. These first four verses include how Paul and his co-laborers demonstrated this ethic. But it also introduces the fact that this is part of the Christian Testimony, that we are not to be freeloaders.

Are There Exceptions?

Yes, as a matter of fact, there are! If we look ahead to verse ten, we see that, in this context, the command is that those who will not work were not to receive support from those who chose to work. It had nothing to do with those who were disabled in some way, or too old to work. Those are laid out in other passages, where care of ailing family members and the elderly is named.

The primary thrust is to show the example that Paul and his co-laborers had demonstrated. False teachers seeking a profit, and lazy men seeking an easy way of life are not to be rewarded for their wrong motives.

I have known people who sought to enter the ministry specifically because “it was an easy job that paid well.” They had zero heart for the work. They cared nothing for the flock. This is exactly the kind of “bad shepherd” that God condemns in Ezekiel 34:1-10.

Paul and his fellow servants were demonstrating what it meant to care for the flock without charge, for the sake of the Gospel.

What about the Support of Pastors?

In verse 9, Paul pointed out that it was not because he lacked the authority to receive support, but because he chose to go without. (The word “power” in that verse is the Greek word “exousia,” meaning “authority.”)

He used the same word that Jesus did in the Great Commission, where He said “All power is given unto me in Heavan and in Earth…” All authority belongs to Jesus! Paul had the authority as an apostle to require support, but he absolutely avoided such questionable use of his authority. Because he asked nothing, no one could accuse him of wrong motives. No one could say, regarding his service, “He’s only in it for the money!” It obviously could not be true. He served without charge.

Paul’s Example:

In 1^st Corinthians 9:18, he said, “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.”

Paul said that it would be an abuse of authority for him to “charge money” for people to hear the Gospel of Christ. That is why all of our sermons are on a free podcast in audible form, and all of our sermon notes are available on our website as a free download in written form.

Paul’s Command:

But Paul commanded, in 1^st Timothy 5:17, 18 that elders who served well be counted worthy of good support: especially those who labor in the Word, and in Teaching. He supported that concept from the Old Testament passage in Deuteronomy 25:4 where it says that the ox you are using to thresh grain is not to be muzzled while he works.

Paul served without pay: he received funds as people were moved to support his work. The church at Philippi was one of the very few who regularly supported him.

Does that mean that all God’s servants should always work without pay? Obviously not, as Paul commanded the churches to support their teachers and elders well. But, if a pastor is capable of serving without pay, and chooses to do so, it is good! He is just following Paul’s example.

That is one end of the spectrum. The other end includes the people we mentioned earlier, who simply saw it as a gravy-train job, with great security. And God condemns such behavior.

So, What is “Disorderly?”

Notice that the command…(specifically, a “command in the name of Jesus”) was to withdraw from “every brother “…believers…who “walk disorderly.” Don’t fellowship with people who behave in that manner…(whatever it is.)

But, we can’t very well obey commands we don’t understand. (We can try, but it frequently results in confusion.) The infant church in Ethiopia, in 1937, having only small portions of the New Testament in their language when Mussolini expelled the missionaries, decided they should not keep goats, pigs or dogs! Why? Because they read a verse that said “beware of dogs,” and other verses that made negative comparisons regarding goats and still others about pigs. But none of those passages were about animals: in every case, the passages were talking about people. Did their mistake do any real harm? No, but it caused them to miss the real intent of all those passages!

What does it mean?

So, what does it mean, when it says “disorderly,” in the case of believers? What were they doing wrong in this case? Perhaps many things, but, in this context, one issue was certainly slothfulness and “feeding on the work of others” rather than working so as to not only meet the needs of your own family but also to have enough to share with others.

Could it include other kinds of disorderly behavior? Absolutely, it could! In our legal system, there is a legal charge of “Drunk and Disorderly.” Could it include that? Certainly. But the warning here is potentially much broader, as he specifically says it means “not after the tradition which he received of us. ⁷For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

Ignoring sound Bible teaching regarding “bad moral behavior” or bad social behavior of any kind could fall under this command. We are commanded to withdraw from believers who rebel against God and His Word. Does that mean anyone who disagrees with how we understand the Written Word? Nope. This has to do with behavior. A man may completely disagree with my understanding of a passage, and still be a wonderful, Godly believer.

But I have known of churches in our geographic area who have encouraged their members to “become relevant to the world” by joining them in their social framework. They specifically meant in bars, and nightclubs. They were not just talking about watching football, or going fishing, or some other harmless thing.

That is an irresponsible teaching:

In the first place, it does not make you “relevant” to the World: it makes you a hypocrite, in their eyes, because they know their behavior is wrong. When you join them in their behavior, it assures them that you are no different than they are, therefore the Gospel must have had no effect in your life! The only thing you have accomplished is the ruin of your testimony!
In the second place, it is a potential trap for any believers who attempt to follow it. God says believers can be trapped by sin. They can permanently ruin their testimony, through debauchery of some sort. They can lose their family to adulterous affairs, or their liberty to some unlawful behavior that crept in. Sometimes they have even lost their lives to violence in a bad relationship. And I have known examples of each of these.

We are going to try to teach sound Biblical understanding and application, here in this assembly., We will urge every believer to mold his or her life around God’s Word.

How Does God Change Lives?

Romans 12:2 commands us to allow God to transform us through the renewing of our minds. That is accomplished from the inside, by the indwelling Holy Spirit. He uses the Written Word of God to do it.

Psalm 119:9 says that the only way humans can cleanse their lives before God, is by the application of the Word of God to their lives. (“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word!”) God does not list any other way for us to avoid the traps of sin that surround us. We are to apply God’s Word.

He also says, in 2^nd Peter 1:19-21, “ ¹⁹We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: ²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

He specifically tells us that our primary light-source in this dark world is to be the Written Word of God.

And in Philippians 2:15, 16, he says “¹⁵That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; ¹⁶Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

How Should We then Live?

We are to shine as lights in the World, and we are to constantly be offering others the Word of Life. (That is the Gospel!)

When we join with the world in their “disorderly ways” we take on the patina of that behavior and the light burning within us cannot be seen, just as the burning light in a dirty headlamp cannot be seen through the mud on the outer lens. Don’t allow your light to be dimmed by disorderly behavior, nor by constant association with others who behave that way.

Lord Jesus, convict our hearts of our need for Your Written Word, applied to our daily lives. Lead us to learn Your Word, so that the Holy Spirit has the tools to transform our lives.

October 9, 2023October 9, 2023

We are Called to Prayer and Service

2^nd Thessalonians 3:1-5

¹Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: ²And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. ³But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. ⁴And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. ⁵And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Introduction:

Last week we ended our study of 2^nd Thessalonians 2, We were looking at the last three verses. We asked, “What should be the result of our having become chosen in Christ?”

As you know, this epistle was a letter to the church at Thessalonica. It had no chapter or verse divisions. So, whatever was being discussed at the end of one chapter usually led into what would begin the next. (For example, we read the teaching about the Rapture, back in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18. But it leads directly into the Tribulation, in 1^st Thessalonians 5:1-11.)

So, let’s go back and see the transition between the end of 2^nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and the beginning of 2^nd Thessalonians chapter 3:

**What Should the Result Be? (2^nd Thessalonians 2:15-17)**

¹⁵Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. ¹⁶Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, ¹⁷Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

He says we are to stand fast, and to hold to sound doctrine. We are to be obedient to the Word of God as we have been taught. We are taught by the Holy Spirit, by Christ Himself, and by whatever teachers He has sent to us.

Ephesians 4:14, 15 says we are to “grow up into Him!” We are to grow to be like Him!

And Ephesians 5:1-20 tells us what that “looks like.” We are to leave behind our old ways, along with all the “unprofitable works of darkness.” We leave the darkness behind, because we now are “children of the light.”

Children of Light

He says that because we are children of the light, we are to walk as the children of light. Behave like a child of God because you have become one, by the new birth. You were born again through placing your full trust in His blood alone for redemption. (Behaving that way as an unbeliever will not save you. But if you truly are a saved child of God, then the results should begin to show in a changed life.)

And (v. 17) as we continue to learn to walk with Him, we can expect that He will “comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work.” The result will be that our work and our words will all prove to be to His Glory.

2nd Thessalonians 3

**Prayer is Part of That Result**

Paul said, “¹Finally, brethren, pray for us.” But, take note of what Paul asks the Thessalonian believers to pray for his sake:

“…that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

He asked prayer that the Word of the Lord would have “free course,” and be glorified. Flowing water, as in a river or a stream, when unrestricted, is said to have “free course.” The stream’s course, or water-way is not obstructed by anything.

Numerous farmers have had to remove beaver dams. The dams had stopped the flow of water in their irrigation systems. (I am thrilled by God’s creation: that a rodent could instinctively know how to build dams of sticks and mud. And I’m amazed that the dams can hold back thousands of tons of water!) But… I can sympathize with the farmers, who only want the beavers to go somewhere else!) All the farmers hoped to do was to restore the “free course” of the water. That way, the water could freely flow to their fields. In some cases, they needed the water to flow away, draining their fields to prevent flooding.

Praying for “free course” for the Word of God means Paul asked for the obstructions to be removed. He desired that the effect of the Gospel would not be diminished. Also, he said that the unrestricted Word would be glorified in those who heard it. He said, despite their persecution, that the Gospel had “free course” in Thessalonica. So, we can see that persecutions are not the “obstructions” to which Paul referred. The obstructions are the arguments of “unreasonable and wicked men.”

²And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”

Looking Back to Berea

Remember what happened in Acts 17:10-14…

“¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. ¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.”

The Bereans

We can see in Acts 17:11 that the people of Berea were receptive. The Word had “Free Course” there. The people “received the Word with all readiness of mind and they searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” That is what we call “free course.” That is the best we can hope for. We want people to hear the word, and go check their Bible to be sure we told them the truth. (Wonderful! That is exactly what we want!)

But, in Acts 17:13 we see that the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica were not content to have “run Paul out of their own town.” They sent a delegation over to Berea, to do the same thing there! And it worked! The “unreasonable and wicked men” were able to stir up the unbelieving Jews of Berea, just as they did in Thessalonica. So, Paul left town, because he was the one they were mostly clamoring against, but he left Silas and Timothy there to continue teaching the new believers. Paul moved on to Athens, and then to Corinth.

So, How Do We Respond?

Some churches, still today, name themselves after that little town, calling themselves the “Berean Bible Church,” or the “Berean Baptist Church,” or the “Berean Brethren” or some such thing. Why? Because they want to be associated with, and (hopefully) to emulate those who were “noble” in their behavior, at Berea.

Do they actually maintain that attitude? Well…I’m sure it varies. It is easy to start off receptive and obedient to the Written Word. But the tendency is to gather together and work out some sort of “set-in-stone, no-longer-to-be-questioned DOCTRINAL STATEMENT.” That in itself is not a problem, provided that all it really says is “this is what we have gained so far.”

The problems begin later: The believers may become complacent in their “solid teaching.” And, after that, they frequently quit being receptive. They just “drop anchor” on that document, saying, “This is what WE believe,” and they neglect to “search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so.” At that point, Jesus, the Living Word, no longer has “Free Course” in that assembly, even if the “doctrinal statement” is completely correct. They feel they have “arrived,” and that they no longer need to “Feed on the Word of God.” They have set Jesus aside!

The Hidden Trap of Being “Orthodox”

The word “orthodox” just means having “correct opinions.” But you can have “correct opinions” and still be dead. The whole point is to have those “correct opinions” because the Living Word of God has free course in your life! We need to have those “correct opinions” because we have been born again, and because the Holy Spirit has had the freedom to teach our hearts, not just our minds.

Remember, some time ago, we talked about “having the truth in our library, but not in our living room.” It is entirely possible to “mentally agree” with correct Bible teaching, but not be willing to apply it to one’s own life. Some people claim to “believe the Gospel,” but when they are questioned, it becomes clear that they have never applied it to themselves, personally. It is a good thing for everyone else!

I pray the Lord will grant that we do not make such an error as to become complacent in our “doctrinal correctness.” We must keep feeding on the Word, and searching the scriptures daily. In this way, as we study the Written Word, the Living Word will have “free course” in our lives. We want to eliminate the obstructions in our lives, so that the Holy Spirit is free to flow through us to the world around us.

So, How Can We Avoid the Traps?

³But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. ⁴And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

Our only Hope is in the Person of Christ! In Philippians 2:13, Paul said, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” God both gives us the desire to do His will and carries us through to the doing of it. All we need to do is to be willing, and to make ourselves available to Him for His service, so that we follow Him and obey Him.

Here, in 2^nd Thessalonians 3:3, 4. we see the same Hope. Our Hope is in the Person of Christ. As we feed on Jesus, the Living Word, it says, “the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you and keep you from evil.” He is the one to build our “solid teaching” and our “sound doctrine,” and He is the One to continually guide us into deeper truth, and safe relationships and behavior.

We Are Not Alone

We are not left on our own to “build the Church.” In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my Church.” Yes, He will use us to accomplish His will, as we submit ourselves to Him, but it is His Church, and He will build it!

In Psalm 23, it says that He makes us lie down in green pastures, and He leads us beside still waters. I am told that sheep only lie down in the pasture when they have been fully fed. They were eating that green grass, and now they are resting in it peacefully. We can rest peacefully because He has fed us on His Word. He “makes us to rest” in that “green pasture.”

Also, we are led by means of His Holy Spirit, the Living Water, because He “leads us beside still waters.” The Holy Spirit does not stir up fear and resentment and chaos among us. There are many loud voices in the world, demanding that we be alarmed. We need to realize that the voice of God brings peace.

The Spirit of Fear or the Spirit of God?

The Holy Spirit does not bring fear and timidity. 2^nd Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of Love, and of a sound mind.” Remember this when you “hear news” that disturbs you. We are “called to action,” but we are called in Peace.

Gideon was called to do something that would have been terrifying to anyone, in their natural strength. But God provided Strength and Peace. In Judges 7:15, He sent Gideon into the enemy camp at night, along with his servant. There he heard a message from God, through an enemy soldier! That message caused him to worship the Lord for having given them the victory. As a result, he was in complete peace, as they launched an attack against a vast enemy force. He was only allowed to use three hundred men, and all of them had their hands full so that they could not use a weapon!

They were given the same three-fold task as we are given!

Stand fast,
Shine a light, and
Sound the Alarm!

We are to stand fast in Christ, shining the light of transformed lives, in the midst of a dark world. And, as we shine, we are to sound the alarm that Judgment is coming, but that Jesus Saves! And as we do those three things, we can rest in Him.

Current Events and Our Future

Many of you have heard terrible news in the last two days, and we may feel fearful about the outcome. But they had much worse news back then. What did Paul say about responding to their circumstances?

⁵And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

We are not called to fear the future, but rather to delve deeper into a loving relationship with the Holy God we serve. We are to live in cheerful expectation of His soon return. That is it! And this idea was not new.

Old Testament Truth

Habakkuk expressed this truth in Habakkuk 3:17-19, His “current events” were far worse than ours! In his case, there was no “warning that judgment might fall.” Instead, it was God’s promise that Judgment would fall, and very soon, at that! But Habakkuk chose to find his Peace and Joy in the Person of Christ. He said, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD. I will joy in the God of my Salvation!”

We are called to that same Peace and Joy, regardless of our “current events.” We are called to live every day knowing that He could return today. The only way to do that is to feed daily on His Word, and walk with the Shepherd daily, as His flock, and as His servants.

Lord Jesus, please call us to the three-fold action of Bible Study, Prayer, and Discipleship. Make us aware that the time is short, and that we have only this one opportunity to work with You. Thrill our hearts with the privilege of that opportunity and move us to do Your Will!

God’s Warnings Regarding False Wisdom

1st Corinthians 3:16-23

Introduction:

The Temple of God

How can one “Corrupt” (or Defile) the Temple of God, the Church?

Teaching Immorality

Other False Teaching

Warnings against False Wisdom

How to Recognize a Source of Godly Wisdom

Other Possible Sources:

Vital Clue:

Seven Character Traits of Godly Wisdom

Consider the Desired Result

Paul’s Conclusion Regarding Human Teachers

So, How do we Apply it?

Salvation or Rewards: A Gift or Wages?

1st Corinthians 3:9-15

Introduction:

Consider the Cultivated Field

What About a Building?

The Foundation is Complete and Permanent!

The Foundation

The Gift

The Warning: “Let Every Man Take Heed!”

Example one

Salvation is a Gift!

Example two

But, Rewards are NOT Gifts!

The Building Materials

It is not just about the cost of the Materials

Materials From God are Eternal

The Result: Reward or Loss

Was there a Reward for Lot?

Will there Be a Reward for Us?

The Problems with (and the Symptoms of) Carnality

1st Corinthians 3:1-9

Introduction:

The Problem of Carnality

Another Result of Carnality

Babies are Wonderful, But…

Warnings to Pretenders

Lost Opportunities

Symptoms of Carnality

In Contrast

Future Reward

Working With Jesus

An Example of “Serving Self”

How can We Follow Jesus’s Example?

“The Mind of Christ,” and “He that is Spiritual”

1st Corinthians 2:9-16

Introduction:

What is a “Mystery,” in the Bible?

God does Not Reveal “all” Mysteries to us.

Who is “We?”

How does God reveal the “Things of God” to Human Believers?

The Word Declares God

Not By the Spirit of the World

Not by the Wisdom of Man

What is “The Natural Man?”

The Spiritual Man

The Third Option

The Mind of Christ

Spiritual Transformation!

The Humility of the Cross

1st Corinthians 1:25-31

Introduction:

How was Pride Set Aside?

How is Faith Connected to Preaching?

What is The Foolishness of God?

What is The Weakness of God?

What is Our Calling

Foolish Things, Chosen by God

Weak Things, Chosen by God

Base Things, Chosen by God

Things Which Are Despised, but Chosen by God

What are the “Things Which Are Not?”

Why? That No Flesh Should Glory

Romans 3:27 “Where Then, is Boasting? It is Excluded!”

He that Glorieth, Let Him Glory in the Lord!

How do we “Glory in the Lord?”

1^st Corinthians 3:16-23

**How can one “Corrupt” (or Defile) the Temple of God, the Church?**

1^st Corinthians 3:9-15

**But, Rewards are NOT Gifts!**

**It is not just about the cost of the Materials**

1^st Corinthians 3:1-9

1^st Corinthians 2:9-16

**The Word Declares God**

1^st Corinthians 1:25-31

1^st Corinthians 1:17-25

Introduction to 1^st Corinthians

1^st Corinthians 1:1-9

**What was Different when Paul Preached in Corinth?**

**Notice the people listed:**

2^nd Thessalonians 3:10-18

What is the “Christian Work Ethic?”
And, What is “Disorderly?“

2^nd Thessalonians 3:6-9