Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors.

Eating Meat Offered To Idols Is Not The Focus Of This Lesson.

1 Corinthians 8:1-6 (NLT)
Food Sacrificed to Idols
¹ Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. ² Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. ³ But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
⁴ So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.⁵ There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. ⁶ But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.

Examine the scriptures:

Eating Meat Offered To Idols Is Not The Focus Of This Lesson.

We need to “Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors”.

1 Corinthians 8:1-6 (NLT)
Food Sacrificed to Idols
¹ Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols.

 Food offered to idols.

Only parts of animals were used in sacrifices to pagan gods.  Much of the animal could still be eaten.

This food was sold in the marketplace.

The question is, is it o.k. to buy this meat that is being sold in the marketplace.

Paul says it is o.k. to eat meat offered to idols, but …

Romans 14:20 (NLT)
Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:9-10 (says the same)

 Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue.

             “We all have knowledge.” (See verse 4)

We all know a lot of Biblical principles.

However, not all believers know this. (Verse 7)

• Not all believers are at the same place in their understanding of Biblical truths.

 But while knowledge makes us feel important,

 This “knowledge” puffs up, (ESV & NIV)

 It’s good to know Biblical truths but we need to be careful how we handle this knowledge.

We dare not “lord” our knowledge over others.

1 Peter 5:2-3 (NLT)
² Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. ³ Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

it is love that strengthens the church. 

•  It is love that strengthens the church.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NLT)
Love Is the Greatest
¹ If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

• Without love, we are nothing.

 ² Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 

 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

•  Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.

Proverbs 26:12 (NLT)
There is more hope for fools
than for people who think they are wise.

We need to be constantly fed by the scriptures.

John 15:4-5 (NLT)
⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

 ³ But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.

 Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22, Mark 12 (similar passages)

Matthew 22:34-40 (NLT)
The Most Important Commandment
³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

• You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.’

Philippians 2:4 (NLT)
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:3 (NLT)
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

• It is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.
• It is wrong to do something if it makes another person stumble.

 ⁴ So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.⁵ There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 

•  We all know that an idol is not really a god.

An idol is not a god.

Psalm 115:4-8 (NLT)
⁴ Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
⁵ They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
⁶ They have ears but cannot hear,
and noses but cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands but cannot feel,
and feet but cannot walk,
and throats but cannot make a sound.
⁸ And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.

•  An idol isn’t much of anything, therefore eating food offered to idols was, in itself, inconsequential.

 ⁶ But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.

Deuteronomy 4:35 (NLT)
“He showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39 (NLT)
“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

 Deuteronomy 6:4 (NLT)
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.

Isaiah 44:6 (NLT)
This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.

Jeremiah 10:10 (NLT)
¹⁰ But the Lord is the only true God.
He is the living God and the everlasting King!

John 17:3 (NLT)
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Where is your focus?  What are your priorities?

Review

• Scripture clearly endorses marriage.
• God’s original intent was for marriage to be a permanent relationship between a man and his wife.

Today’s passage was given “Because of this present crisis”.

Instructions intended for a time of crisis may be of less significance when the crisis has passed.

As we move through this passage we will find numerous Biblical principles that can and should be applied in our lives, even if we are not in a “crisis mode”.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 (NLT)
²⁵ Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. ²⁶ Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. ²⁷ If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. ²⁸ But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.
²⁹ But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. ³⁰ Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. ³¹ Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
³² I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. ³³ But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. ³⁴ His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. ³⁵ I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
³⁶ But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. ³⁷ But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. ³⁸ So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
³⁹ A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. ⁴⁰ But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

Examine the scriptures:

Review

• Scripture clearly endorses marriage.
• God’s original intent was for marriage to be a permanent relationship between a man and his wife.

The teaching in this passage is being shared because of a present crisis.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 (NLT)
²⁵ Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married.

 I do not have a command from the Lord for them.

             Reminder:

1 Corinthians 7:12
 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord.

Don’t misinterpret this statement.

 All Scripture is inspired by God

 Jesus had not spoken about this situation.

No previous revelations from God on this matter.

•  All scripture is inspired by God

But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 

 James 1:5 (NLT)
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he (God) will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

 1 Corinthians 7:40 (later in this passage)
…I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

 1 Corinthians 2:10 & 13 (NLT)
¹⁰ But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets

 ¹³ When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.  

• If you need wisdom, ask God, and He will give it to you.

 ²⁶ Because of the present crisis,  

No specific present crisis is mentioned in scripture.

1 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT) (This does not appear to be a time of crisis.)
You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you.

 

Impending crisis (ESV footnote)  (1 Corinthians was written some time close to 55 A.D.)
Impending distress (AMP)
Imminent Roman persecutions (within ten years after this epistle)

In general- conditions less than ideal for marriage

NOTE: Paul’s teaching here in this passage on marriage is based on some crisis or persecution Paul believed the Christians were experiencing or were likely to experience in the near future.

I think it is best to remain as you are. ²⁷ If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 

The principle of contentment.  (Last lesson)

1 Corinthians 7:17 (NLT)
Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

•  Live contentedly in whatever economic, social, and religious station God has placed you.

 ²⁸ But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin.

 However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.

• Being married can be more complicated than being single.

 ²⁹ But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

James 4:14 (NLT)
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

 Romans 13:11 (NLT)
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

•  A person’s life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
•  Make the most of every opportunity.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Colossians 4:5 (NLT)
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

John 9:4 (NLT)
We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.

 Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.

Mark 13:32-33 (NLT)
³² “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. ³³ And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

 So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. ³⁰ Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. ³¹ Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

Colossians 3:2 (NLT)
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

 Our citizenship is in heaven.
Philippians 3:20 (NLT)
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

 Where is your focus?  What are your priorities?

•  Focus on the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

 Philippians 3:14 (NLT)
 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

• Focus on reaching the end of the race and receiving the heavenly prize for which God has called you.
• Focus on Jesus’ return (Luke 12:35-40)

³² I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. ³³ But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. ³⁴ His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 

Ephesians 5:10 (NLT)
Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

 Romans 12:1 New Living Translation (NLT)
A Living Sacrifice to God
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

•  Focus on pleasing the Lord.

 ³⁵ I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

 ³⁶ But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. ³⁷ But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. ³⁸ So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.

 ³⁹ A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. ⁴⁰ But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

 Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

• Keep your eyes on Jesus.

 

Remain as you were when God first called you.

The principle of contentment.

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NLT)
¹⁷ Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. ¹⁸ For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. ¹⁹ For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.
²⁰ Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.²¹ Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. ²² And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. ²³ God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. ²⁴ Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

Examine the scriptures:

We have been looking at instructions dealing with specific behaviors in the Corinthian Church.

Disputes within the church.

Sexual immorality.

Principles for marriage.

Today we will be looking at the principle of contentment.

Remain as you were when God first called you.

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NLT)
¹⁷ Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you.

 Verse 17 …remain as you were when God first called you.

Verse 20  … each of you should remain as you were when God called you

Verse 24  Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

 The principle of contentment.  (Being satisfied with your station in life)

• Live contentedly in whatever economic, social, and religious station God has placed you.

Content if you are single or content if you are married.

Content whatever your circumstances.

Paul practiced this principle:

Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

 Contentment is a good thing.

1 Timothy 6:6 (NLT)
⁶ Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

 Conversion is a radical change to a person’s relationship with God but it does not need to change physical relationships (that are not immoral).

Live contentedly in whatever economic, social, and religious station God has placed you.

Know what is important.

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
^… For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.

 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)
⁸ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

•  God’s grace is all you need.

Paul’s first example.

 This is my rule for all the churches. ¹⁸ For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it.

Paul addresses circumcision, a religious practice.

 And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. ¹⁹ For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.

Romans 2:25-29 (NLT)
²⁵ The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. ²⁶ And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? ²⁷ In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.
²⁸ For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

 Paul’s second example.

 ²⁰ Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.²¹ Are you a slave?

Paul addresses slavery, a social (economic, social, or vocational) issue.

 Don’t let that worry you—

 Galatians 3:28  (NLT)
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

• It doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free.  It doesn’t matter if you are a male or a female.  It doesn’t matter if you are married or single.  All Christians are one in Christ Jesus.

 but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 

•  Contentment does not mean that you do not try to better yourself.
• Contentment does not mean being lazy.

Philippians 3:14 (NLT)
¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)
¹⁰ But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Know who you are in Christ.

²² And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.  

 John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

 Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

•  Christians are a permanent part of God’s family.

 ²³ God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 

•  Christians in all stations of life should realize that their ultimate allegiance is to Christ.

Ephesians 6:5-8 (NLT)
Slaves and Masters
⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. ⁶ Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. ⁷ Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ⁸ Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

 Every vocation becomes Christian service performed for the Lord.

 ²⁴ Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you. 

Contentment.   A final thought.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Introduction:

The Bible is the source of all truth.

The truth that comes from God and His word is infallible, irrefutable, and indisputable. When we believe that the Bible is the very word of God, we need to take heed and do our best to live our lives according to the Bible.
(This could be the introduction to all of our lessons.)

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (NLT)
¹⁰ But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
¹² Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. ¹³ And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. ¹⁴ For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) ¹⁶ Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (NLT)
¹⁰ But for those who are married,

 A message to the married.

 I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. 

 Some Corinthians may have thought:

Divorce their unsaved spouse
Live celibately
Marry a believer

 A wife must not leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave him,

 let her remain single

or else be reconciled to him.

 And the husband must not leave his wife.

Don’t leave your spouse.

Jesus speaking
 Matthew 19:5-8 (NLT)
⁵ And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ ⁶ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
⁷ “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.
⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

Malachi 2:16 (NLT)
 “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

Jesus speaking
Matthew 5:31-32 (NLT)
Teaching about Divorce
³¹ “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ ³² But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

•  God’s original intent was for marriage to be a permanent relationship between a man and his wife.

¹² Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord.

Don’t misinterpret this statement.

 All Scripture is inspired by God

 Jesus had not spoken on this situation.

No previous revelations from God on this matter.

  If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.

  ¹³ And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 

•  Believers married to unbelievers who are willing to continue in the relationship must remain married.

Some believers may have felt that being marries to an unbeliever was somehow defiling.

*However, just the opposite was true.

 ¹⁴ For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage.

 The two have become one flesh.

Within the “one flesh” relationship, the blessing of God which came to the Christian affected the family as a whole.

The Christian was a channel of God’s grace in the marriage.

Brings holiness – not salvation to a person who is “not a believer.

The partner is set apart for temporal blessings because the other partner belongs to God.

One Christian in a marriage brings grace that spills over on the spouse – even possibly leading him or her to salvation.

Romans 11:16 (NLT)
And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

• If a marriage has one believing spouse, the believing spouse brings holiness to the marriage.

 Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

Set apart – separate – holy people – called to a holy lifestyle

Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The children are holy, not saved.

The presence of one believing parent exposes the children to blessing and brings them protection.  The presence of even one Christian parent will protect children from undue spiritual harm and they will receive many blessings, and often that includes salvation.

 Verse 16 before verse 15

 ¹⁶ Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

 ¹⁵ (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 

• If a husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving the marriage, the believing partner should let them go.

Romans 12:18 (NLT)
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

 (Remarriage is not addressed here.)

Single and celibate or married?

1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (NLT)
Instruction on Marriage
7 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. ² But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
³ The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
⁵ Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.
⁸ So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. ⁹ But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

Examine the scriptures:

Single and celibate or married?

Context – Paul is addressing sexual immorality.

• Sexual immorality has no place in the life of a Christian.
• No other sin so clearly affects the body as sexual immorality does.
• Sex in marriage was designed by God to create a very special and unique relationship between a man and a woman. (Genesis and Ephesians )

1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (NLT)
Instruction on Marriage
¹ Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. 

 This may not saying what it appears to be saying.

Look at the same verse in the AMP version.  (The Amplified Bible is an English translation of the Bible produced jointly by Zondervan (subsidiary of News Corp) and The Lockman Foundation.)

¹ Now as to the matters of which you wrote: It is good (beneficial, advantageous) for a man not to touch a woman [outside marriage]. 

•  It is helpful to look at several different translations (or commentaries) when studying a passage of scripture.
• Sometimes we really do not know exactly what scripture is saying.

Paul may have been saying that it is good to be single and celibate.

Single and celibate may be good,

but we can also say marriage is good.

• Scripture clearly endorses marriage.

Sex in marriage was designed by God to create a very special and unique relationship between a man and a woman. (Genesis and Ephesians)

Psalm 127:3-5 (NLT)
³ Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
⁴ Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
⁵ How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
    He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

The Song of Solomon describes numerous romantic settings.

In the scripture, Christ and the Church is a model for marriage.

Matthew 19:12  (NLT) (more later)
¹² …. some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

•  It’s also o.k. not to be married.

 BUT

 ² But because there is so much sexual immorality,

 each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

 ² But because of [the temptation to participate in] sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (AMP)

 Here Paul is endorsing marriage.

• Marriage is God’s only provision for sexual fulfillment.

 ³ The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
⁵ Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 

 ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. 

 Single and celibate worked for Paul.  Marriage works for others.

 ⁷ But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.

 God makes some able to live one way, others to live a different way.

 Matthew 19:8-12 (NLT)
⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. ⁹ And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”
¹⁰ Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”
¹¹ “Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. ¹² Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

 Jesus does not advocate celibacy for everyone and Jesus does not suggest that celibacy is superior to marriage.

 1 Corinthians 7:17 (NLT)
Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

•  Singleness or marriage can be God’s plan for individuals.

⁸ So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 

 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 (NLT)
³² I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. ³³ But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. ³⁴ His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. ³⁵ I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

•  A married man has divided interests (I Corinthians 7:33-34).

 ⁹ But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

• It’s o.k. for a single person to stay single or it’s o.k. for a single person to marry.

1 Corinthians 6:15-20  (Part two of 1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

Review:

Who said, “I am allowed to do anything”?

Paul is addressing sexual immorality. The Corinthians wanted to argue that sexual immorality was o.k.

Sexual immorality.

• Sexual immorality was taking place in the Corinthian church.
• Sexual immorality has no place in the life of a Christian.
• No other sin so clearly affects the body as sexual immorality does.
• Sexual immorality is very much a part of the world we live in.

 “TV shows are going way too far to attract viewers.”

“Parents are failing in their duty towards their children. Children have the opportunity of watching “porn movies” for instance, because there is little or no parental mediation. Some parents are so busy nowadays that they hardly have time to find out the type of films their children watch.”

 The internet is easy access to inappropriate content.

• As parents or teachers, we need to be teaching values that are counter to or in opposition to many of the values taught by the world.

1 Corinthians 6:15-20 (NLT)
¹⁵ Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” ¹⁷ But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
¹⁸ Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

 Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 6:15-20 (NLT)
¹⁵ Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ?

1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

• Christians, and their bodies, are part of Christ. (verse 15)
• Christians were bought by God and belong to God. (verse 20)
• The body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (verse 19)

Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute?

Last lesson:
Paul argues that the argument supporting sexual immorality cannot be compared to the hunger experienced by the stomach.

The body in this context meant more than the physical frame.  It referred to the whole person, composed of flesh and spirit.  The body was not perishable, but eternal and was not meant for sexual immorality, but for union with the Lord.

 Never! 

 This behavior may be o.k. in the eyes of the world, but it is never o.k. in the eyes of God.

 Here is the argument from a Biblical (Paul’s) point of view.

 ¹⁶ And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her?
For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 

•  Sex in marriage was designed by God to create a very special and unique relationship between a man and a woman. (Genesis and Ephesians )

Ephesians 5:31-32 (NLT)
³¹ As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” ³² This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

 This is a great mystery, therefore we won’t understand everything there is to understand about this union.

Genesis 2:24 (NLT)
²⁴ This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

A very unique relationship is formed between a man and his wife.

A similar unique relationship is formed between a man and a prostitute. (Verse 16)

• Sex with a prostitute makes the prostitute a part of a unique relationship between a man and a woman.

 ¹⁷ But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

 Ephesians 5:31-32
³¹ As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” ³² This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

• Christ and the church are one.

Add a prostitute to this mix.  Never  (verse 15)  It just doesn’t work.  This is no longer an illustration of Christ and the church.

• Sexual immorality destroys the relationship between Christ and the Church.

 ¹⁸ Run from sexual sin!

 Ephesians 5:3-9 (NLT)
³ Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. ⁴ Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. ⁵ You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
⁶ Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. ⁷ Don’t participate in the things these people do. ⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 

 Venereal disease and HIV

 ¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:12-14

Part One – Part Two next lesson

Who said, “I am allowed to do anything”?

Paul is addressing sexual immorality. The Corinthians wanted to argue that sexual immorality was o.k.

Are you surprised?

(Next lesson will deal more with the sexual immorality.)

The Biblical principle applies to sin in general.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NLT)
I Am Allowed To Do Anything.
¹² You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. ¹³ You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. ¹⁴ And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

 Examine the scriptures:

Who said, “I am allowed to do anything”?

1 Corinthians 6:12-14 (NLT)
¹² You say, “I am allowed to do anything”

 You say

 A quote used by the Corinthians.

We can use scripture to support this quote.

Ephesians 1:7 (NLT)
He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Romans 8:1 (NLT)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

 John 8:36 (NLT)
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

•  If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Consider the truth in the following statements:

Our freedom in Christ means that we do not have to keep the law in order to be saved nor are we obligated to be morally perfect before people.

“Jesus died for you—He has done everything.”

“You have forgiveness, no matter how much you sin.”

“Once saved, always saved.”

God forgives but …

Our freedom can be used properly or it can be abused.

Is grace a license to sin?

Romans 6:1-2 (NLT)
Sin’s Power Is Broken
¹ Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ² Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

Galatians 5:13 (NLT)
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

You have a choice.

Use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature or use your freedom to serve one another in love.

• Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

 —but not everything is good for you.

 1 Corinthians 10:23 (NLT)
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.

 Sin has consequences

Rubber band illustration.

•  Sin has consequences.

 And even though (you say) “I am allowed to do anything,”

 I must not become a slave to anything. 

Romans 6:16-22 (NLT)
¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death (separation from God), or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

•  You become the slave of whatever you choose to obey.

My paraphrase: You become a slave of the lifestyle you choose to live.

Romans 6:12 (NLT)
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

Romans 7:6 (NLT)
But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

•  Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

Corinthian argument:

 ¹³ You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.)

 Biological examples used by the Corinthians:

Food was both pleasurable and necessary.  When the stomach signaled hunger, food was eaten to satisfy that hunger.

 Sex is both pleasurable and necessary.
When their bodies signaled sexual desires, they needed to be satisfied.

But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality.

 The specific sin that Paul is addressing is sexual immorality.

 They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 

 Paul argues that the argument supporting sexual immorality cannot be compared to the hunger experienced by the stomach.

The body in this context meant more than the physical frame.  It referred to the whole person, composed of flesh and spirit.  The body was not perishable, but eternal and was not meant for sexual immorality, but for union with the Lord.

 1 Corinthians 15:35-54 (NLT)
The Resurrection Body
³⁵ But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” ³⁶ What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. ³⁷ And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. ³⁸ Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. ³⁹ Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.
⁴⁰ There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.
⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
⁴⁵ The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.⁴⁶ What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. ⁴⁷ Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. ⁴⁸ Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. ⁴⁹ Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.
⁵⁰ What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.

Philippians 3:20-21 (NLT)
²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

•  Our bodies were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.

¹⁴ And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Don’t Fool Yourselves

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)
⁹ Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.¹¹ Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)
⁹ Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?

Not everyone will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴ But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

 John 3:16-21 (NLT)
¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
¹⁸ “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. ²⁰ All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. ²¹ But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

•  Not everyone will spend eternity in heaven.

 Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

These verses describe the true nature of the lost.

These behaviors certainly do not display the true nature of the saved.

Believers can and do commit these sins, but these verses do not describe the character of someone who has been born into God’s family.

1 John 3:7-10 (NLT)
⁷ Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. ⁸ But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. ¹⁰ So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

Key phrase:  Don’t fool yourselves.

•  Don’t fool yourselves.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT)
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you (is in you,); if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

 Galatians 5:19-23 (NLT)
¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

  True believers who do sin, resent that sin and seek to gain victory over it.

 ¹¹ Some of you were once like that.

 Romans 3:23
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

•  Everyone has sinned.

 But you were cleansed; you were made holy;

 Titus 3:5 (NLT)
he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:13 (NLT)
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT)
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

•   Christians have been rescued by God from the kingdom of darkness and have been transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

 you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 John 3:16 (NLT)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 3:22-25
²²  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.²⁴ Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. 

  Romans 10:9-13 (NLT)
⁹ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. ¹¹ As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” ¹² Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. ¹³ For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 Acts 2:21 (NLT)
²¹ But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’

Romans 8:33 (NLT)
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.

• We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
• Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

How Dare You!

1 Corinthians 6:1-8 (NLT)

Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians
¹ When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! ² Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? ³ Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. ⁴ If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? ⁵ I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? ⁶ But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers!
⁷ Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.

Examine the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 6:1-8 (NLT)
Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians
¹ When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 

• Disputes between believers should be resolved in the church.

² Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world?

 Revelation 2:26-27 (NLT)
²⁶ To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
²⁷ They will rule the nations with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.

 And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? ³ Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 

• Christians are qualified to resolve conflicts.

⁴ If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? ⁵ I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? 

 Resources available to Christians for conflict resolution that are not available to the unbeliever.

Wisdom

James 1:5 (NLT)
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

The Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
 And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

John 14:26 (NLT)
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

Example:

Matthew 18:15-17 (NLT)
¹⁵ “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. ¹⁶ But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

•  Resources are available to Christians for conflict resolution that are not available to the unbeliever.
• The Church is better equipped to resolve conflicts, within the church, than a secular court.

⁶ But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers!

 Who should we go to for help in resolving conflict?

Do we seek help from those in the kingdom of darkness
or do we seek help from those who are living in the kingdom of  God’s son?

Colossians 1:13 (NLT)
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 John 15:19 (NLT)
The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

How many Biblical principles are being violated when we sue another Christian in a court of law?

 ⁷ Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?

How should we deal with conflict?

Love

Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)
³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

 Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT)
³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Forgive

 Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

 Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)
²¹ Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

 ⁸ Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.

•  Disputes in the Christian community should be resolved using Biblical principles.

Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)
¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Three Reminders

Reflections on trips to:

Denali National Park (this summer)
Grand Canyon National Park (March 2010)

Listened to some presentations by
Park Rangers.
Employed by our Federal government.
Paid with our tax dollars.
Clearly in positions of authority. (Uniforms and badges)

For the most part, their presentations contradicted everything taught in the creation account found in the Scriptures.

These individuals are described in Romans 1

Romans 1:25 (NLT)
They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

This is the world we live in.  This is the world our children are being raised in.

This is not just happening in the secular world.  This is happening in the church.

First reminder

There will be false teachers in our society, in the church, and in the schools cleverly promoting false philosophies.

2 Peter 2:1 (NLT)
The Danger of False Teachers
But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them.

Jeremiah 5:31 (NLT)
^… the prophets give false prophecies,
and the priests rule with an iron hand.
Worse yet, my people like it that way!

2 Peter 3:3 (NLT)
Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.

Biblical truths will be mocked by scoffers who are following their natural instincts.

Colossians 2:8 (NLT)
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

 

 Second Reminder

 Never stop praying.

 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)
Never stop praying.

 Pray that your child will grow in spiritual knowledge, spiritual understanding, and spiritual wisdom.

Pray also that your child will know God’s will for their lives.

Prayers from the Scripture:

Philippians 1:9
I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.

Colossians 1:9
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

 

 Third reminder:

Teach Biblical Truth to Your Children

Redeemer Day School Core Values
Christ-Centered
Redeemer Day School believes in nurturing students in the development of Christ-like character and a love for the Lord by hiding His Word in their hearts (Psalm 119:11). Our students learn about the Bible and that His Word is Truth. We teach them about God’s character so that they will understand what their character should be. Prayerfulness, love and respect for others, obedience, truthfulness, and good manners are all modeled and taught in the classroom.

Psalm 78:4 (NLT)
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NLT)
⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

• We all need to learn and be reminded of the truths taught in the Scriptures.
• Repetition enhances memory.

Review

First reminder
There will be false teachers in our society, in the church, and in the schools cleverly promoting false philosophies.

Second Reminder 
Never stop praying.

 Third reminder
Teach Biblical Truth to Your Children