1 Corinthians 7 "Walk In Your Calling"

"But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches." (v.17)

This verse can apply to so much in our lives, singleness, marriage, vocation, location, etc. But mostly I believe Paul is telling the Corinthians they don’t need to try and become something they are not. “Retain the place in life the Lord has assigned you” (v.17), “remain where you were called” (v.20), remain with God in that calling in which He called you to” (v.24). In other words, don’t feel pressured to do something or go somewhere God has not directed you. Whether born a slave, or free, married or unmarried, live as you are called.

This passage is just as relevant today as it was back then. God can use us where we are right now; on the job, at school, in our neighborhoods, married or unmarried, widowed, elderly, it does not matter. We don’t need to go to Seminary school, or Bible college, nor halfway around the world, to be used by God. All we need to be is ourselves and available to Him.

Therefore, let's walk our path and be joyfully in it. For we were bought with a price by the One who paid for us with His blood, to walk the path He has called us to.  Will He not protect, provide, and guide us with His powerful right hand? As this same apostle wrote in Ephesians, “I (Paul), therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called..” (Eph. 4:1)

And so we walk, day by day, moment by moment, with our LORD.

The Truth: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

1 Corinthians 6 "Check Our Priorities"

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful… I will not be brought under the power of any.” (v.12)

As Christians we have been set free from the bondage of sin and been given great liberty in Christ. But, that doesn't mean that all things are helpful. We can drink, smoke, go to "R" rated movies, hangout in clubs, but are any of things helpful? If we choose to indulge in something that can control us, get a hold on us, becoming a substitute for our time with God, then it is not helpful to our walk as a Christian, and probably not good for our witness to others as well.

With the growing use of cell phones, laptops and social media sites, an increasing number of people are withdrawing deeper into cyberspace every day. You can see them; in their cars, in the store, at dinner, on the job, browsing their facebook page, sending a text message, twitting or visiting some Internet site. Also video games have grown from a form of entertainment to an immensely competitive job, where teams compete for status and even prize money through tournaments. This begs the question, when has something legitimately moved from enjoyment to addiction?

When people cling to activities despite negative effects (loss of sleep, frustration, anxiety, mood changes), it generally indicates addictive behavior. Another common indicator is a defensive attitude when confronted in love about an overindulgence in some area. While there is nothing inherently wrong with most of what we do for enjoyment, we must check ourselves to make sure we are in control and not the other way around, that there is balance in our lives and not obsession or overindulgence.

Here in chapter 6, the apostle Paul reminds us to be careful, “not to be brought under the power of any.” It takes humility to admit that our enjoyment has become an addiction. Let's all check ourselves to make sure (we are in control), and if in doubt, seek God’s help and direction.

The Truth: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1) 

1 Corinthians 5 "Paul's Rebuke"

“Clean out the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (v.7)

In today’s reading, Paul levels a charge of complicit sin against the Corinthians. A man was publicly enjoying an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife with the knowledge of the church. Things had grown so complacent on the issue, that Paul had to rebuke them for being arrogant about the incident, rather than mourning over it (v.2). He went on to declare that the guilty person should be excluded from the fellowship, for its protection (v. 9). 

Some people would call this harsh and unmerciful, but it is for the good of the individual and the church as well. A cancer left to itself will only grow until it takes over the entire body. Genuine love doesn’t let a Christian continue in such incestuous sin. At the same time, we don’t need to be scouring each other’s lives to find places of moral failure either. However, when there is shameless, unrepentant, and public sin in the church, it must be dealt with, cut out, removed, until true repentance occurs.

In our culture today there is a prevailing attitude of acceptance with regard to sexual orientation, relationships, and practices. Even within some churches there exists a pride in their tolerance to such immorality. Yes we need to be available to all who seek the truth, but ignoring destructive sin within the body is nothing to be proud of. As Pastor Chuck Smith said, "It isn't our job to fix the world, and you certainly can't fix it by judging it. However, it is our job to share the gospel, and look to restore those who have lost their way."

Protection of the body and restoration of the sinner is a difficult line to walk. It works if we apply the biblical truths with a heart of love, with restoration, not condemnation as our goal.  

The Truth: “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) 

1 Corinthians 3 "Paul's Warning"

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (vv.16-17).

The Corinthian Christians were carnal, fleshly, and as we have already seen, full of envy, strife, and division. Paul compares them to an un weaned child, unable to digest the solid food of the Word (vv.1-2). And, as a result, they had not grown Spiritually. They were like a house built of straw, weak and unable to withstand against the temptations of life. Though Paul himself had laid a solid foundation for them (v.10), many within the church were caught up in a lifestyle of sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:1), common to the people of Corinth in that day. So Paul hearing of their immorality, warns them with our text (vv.16-17). "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."

Paul's warning rings just as loud today as it did back then. As men, living in southern California, in the summer (or any season for that matter), we are constantly bombarded with visual temptations. As a result, we need to guard the gates to our temples (our eyes, our minds) constantly. And like the knights of old, do battle with any threat that comes to our kingdom with our sword and shield. And, not allowing any Trojan Horse through our gates.

Today Satan works overtime to rob us of our purity, our character, and our valor as men, using every tool in his arsenal. So we need to work harder at standing guard over our souls, our rewards, our vows to God, by devouring the solid food of His Word. Building ourselves up, training our bodies, bring them into the submission of His will, and defeating the fiery dates of the evil one. 

Therefore my brothers train, that your temple will remain a holy place, reserved for God, with NO TRESPASSERS allowed! Because Satan is constantly working to breakdown our defenses. One for all, and All for "The One!"  

The Truth: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12)

1 Corinthians 1 “Unity In Christ”

“He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (v.31)

Here in chapter 1 Paul writes to the church of Corinth mainly about unity. He had heard of the many contentions among the brethren, which were of the house of Chloe (v.11), and cautioned them about division in the body of Christ. While there is nothing wrong with following different teachers, or denominations, there is a problem when it leads to pride, division, and a different Jesus - or when the orator becomes more important than the Word itself. 

Personally, I love how Paul encourages them at the end of this chapter where he writes, “But you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God” (v.30). In other words, “hey wake up, you’re not stupid. You have the wisdom of God through Jesus Christ. See this stuff for what it is, nonsense.” 

Oh the wisdom of God available to us through the work of the cross. We, who were once lost in our sin, held in bondage to corruption, were purchased through the cross of Christ. Therefore, our allegiance belongs to Him, our Master, Savior, God, and King. That’s why Paul could say, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” Godly wisdom for us today!

The Truth: This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth--for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Judges 21 “Benjamin Survives A Foolish Oath”

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.” (v.1)

After the sin of Gibeah and the ensuing civil war, the surviving men of Benjamin found themselves with no wives. Furthermore, all of Israel had taken an oath not to give their daughters to Benjamin in marriage (because of the despicable abuse suffered by an Israelite women in Gibeah). With no wives, the tribe of Benjamin would soon die out and the Twelve Tribes of Israel would be forever reduced.

Amid the gross evils of this time, the people of Israel were very tenacious of their vows, which had been ratified in the presence of God, and under the solemn sanctions of the Tabernacle. Because they had sworn not to give their daughters in marriage to Benjamin, they had to devise a plan to obtain wives for the six hundred who had escaped massacre, that the tribe should not become extinct.

Sin often creates messy situations, and this is a prime example. Israel could only keep their foolish oath if they allowed the surviving men of Benjamin to abduct the girls of Shiloh (v.20-21), for then their fathers hadn't really given them away to marry (v.22), resulting in Benjamin’s survival. Rather than go through this charade, they should have simply confessed their sin of making a foolish oath and done the right thing instead of trying to make two wrongs equal a right.

However, despite Israel’s sin, rebellion, idolatry, chaos, and ethical lapses, God allowed His people to survive. His grace and mercy are endless, even in our darkest times.

The Truth: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

Judges 20 "Faithful In The Trials"

The sin of Gibeah resulted in its total destruction (v.37). And for standing in solidarity with sin, the entire tribe of Benjamin paid a heavy price. Their fighting force was decimated, their towns were leveled, and even their animals were destroyed (v.48) But, not before Israel's commitment was tested.

In this chapter we see that Israel sought the Lord's direction, obeyed His instruction, and then was pummeled by Benjamin. We don't know exactly why God allowed Israel to suffer two massive defeats at the hand of Benjamin. What we do know is that those first two battles weren't the end of the story and that Israel kept seeking God's direction through it all, and on the third day of battle Israel was victorious over Benjamin and Gibeah (vv.29-48).

This has great application for us. When we face important tests in life, it's completely appropriate to ask the Lord for direction. But, what do we do when our situation seems to get worse? First, remember that our current trials are not the end of the story. God is still working. Second, continue to seek His face, pray with other believers, and repent if you are convicted of any sin. Third, hold on to what we know of God: He is gracious, He is faithful, and He will not fail.

The Truth: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) 

Judges 19 "The Dark Side"

“Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel.” (v.1)

We’ve heard this phrase many times now in the book of Judges. This time, it speaks of the people of Israel. They had no king; they had no authority over them. Therefore, every man did what was right in his own eyes. In our chapter today we will see just how dark the children of Israel became.

What brings one man to do what is delightful in the eyes of God (the concubine’s father vv.2-10) and another to do what is despicable in the eyes of God (the man of Ephraim vv.22-30)? Perhaps the answer is that we are made in the image of God and therefore have a desire to do good but, have been marred by our own sin and have an innate bent toward evil. 

The culture of our modern world today dictates that, “Every person can determine what is right for him or her personally,” or “What’s right for me may not be right for you. There are no absolutes.” That’s the big lie in our society today.

Deep inside every human being there is the knowledge that this type of thinking is absolutely wrong. There are absolutes. The universe is governed by absolute laws. One of which is gravity. If you try and defy gravity or try and bend the law to fit your understanding of gravity, I guarantee you will find yourself suffering the effects of gravity.

This is exactly what happened to the people of Israel. They ignored God’s law, did what was right in their own eyes, and slipped into the dark side of evil. Seeking one's own pleasure at the expense of all others (as we see here in chapter 19) arises out of a heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked. Sadly we see this everyday in the news.

There is no control over such a heart, but there is a cure found in the grace of salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ.

The Truth: “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:9)