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

 

 

 

A five word review of 1 Corinthians.

Serious issues in the Church

Lesson:

God holds Christians accountable for the behavior of other Christians.

Examine the scriptures:

Who is being addressed?

^{1 Corinthians 1:2} I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

All of the people in the church.

1 Corinthians 5 (NLT)
Paul Condemns Spiritual Pride
¹ I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do.

I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 

This is a serious violation of the Old Testament law as well as Roman law.

Leviticus 18:8 & 29 (NLT)
⁸ “Do not have sexual relations with any of your father’s wives, for this would violate your father.
²⁹ Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel.

² You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame.

See verse 9 (continuation of a behavior addressed in a previous letter from Paul)

Ephesians 5:3 (NLT)
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

 Ephesians 5:11 (NLT)
Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

Apparently the church was showing no remorse for this behavior.

Indifference

Jonathan Edwards:
“The more a true saint loves God, the more he mourns for sin.”

 James 4:8-9 (NLT)
⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

• An appropriate response to sin in the church is sadness, mourning, and feeling shame.

 And you should remove this man from your fellowship.

Another example of removing a believer from the church.

Matthew 18:15-17 (NLT)
Correcting another Believer
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.

 ³ Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man ⁴ in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. ⁵ Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

•  Sin in the church must be addressed.

 Destroy the sinful nature, not the man.

Thrust the believer back into the world on his own, apart from the care and support of Christian fellowship. That person has forfeited his right to participation in the church of Jesus Christ, which He intends to keep pure at all costs.

Thrust into Satan’s realm.

Many have supposed that by the “destruction of the flesh” Paul meant only the destruction of his fleshly appetites or carnal affections; and that he supposed that this would be effected by the act of excommunication.

The inner believer belongs entirely to Christ and we have the absolute assurance that he will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. But in the meanwhile the unrepentant believer may be turned over to suffer greatly at the hands’ of Satan.

The goal:

Ultimate purification of the person.

Preservation of a believer.

• One reason to discipline those inside the church who are sinning is for the benefit of the individual.

⁶ Your boasting about this is terrible.

Blinded to their duty in regard to blatant sin that devastated the church.

Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you.

One bad apple in a basket of apples will eventually ruin the entire basket of apples.

• Unaddressed sin will corrupt the local church.

Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. ⁸ So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.

⁹ When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 

 ¹⁰ But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. ¹¹ I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

•  Professing believers are held to a different standard than individuals outside the church.

¹² It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. ¹³ God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

•  The local church is responsible for judging those inside the church who are sinning.
• A second reason to discipline those inside the church who are sinning is for the benefit of the Church.

 

 

Choices Have Consequences

1 Corinthians 4:18-21 (NLT)

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again.¹⁹ But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power. ²⁰ For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. ²¹ Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?

•  Scripture teaches us to walk humbly with God.
• Christians are held accountable for the good or evil they have done in their earthly bodies.
•  Those who trust their own insight are foolish.
• Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, learn to rely only on the power of the Holy Spirit.
• The Lord disciplines those He loves.
•  God’s discipline is always good for us.
• Choices have consequences.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.     (1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

 

The Responsibilities of a Spiritual Parent.

1 Corinthians 4:14-17 (NLT)

¹⁴ I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. ¹⁶ So I urge you to imitate me.  ¹⁷ That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.

•  A spiritual parent directs his/her children onto the right path.
• A spiritual parent sets an example for others to follow.
  • Spiritual leaders must set an example of Christlikeness for others to follow.
  • Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

 Are you living a life that you want others (your children or students) to imitate?

• A spiritual parent equips his children to teach others.

Are you teaching others to become teachers? 

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.     (1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.   John 6:44 (NLT)

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  John 14:6 (NLT)

• No one can come to Jesus unless the Father who sent Jesus draws them to Jesus.
• No one can come to the Father except through Jesus.

¹⁴ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? ¹⁵ And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”  Romans 10:14-15 (NLT)

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere …  Acts 1:8 (NLT)

•  God uses Spirit-filled people to tell others about Jesus. (Tell others about Jesus.)

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.  1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

• God has given each of you (Christian) a spiritual gift (or gifts). Use your spiritual gifts to serve others.

 

Teach Truth.  Teach Scripture.

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.  2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”  Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)

¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.  Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)

• God’s word is alive and powerful.
• Use Scripture when telling others about Jesus.

⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 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. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT)

• Repetition enhances memory.

The Goal

Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.  2 Peter 3:18

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,  1 Peter 2:2 (NLT)

 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.  Matthew 13:12

•  Work to stimulate the appetites of your students.
• Create an environment where students can grow in knowledge and understanding.

Our Prayer

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

 

 

 

 

 

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…

2 Peter 1:12-15 (NLT)  ¹² Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. ¹³ And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. ¹⁴ For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, ¹⁵ so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

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

2 Peter 1:2-3 (NLT)  ² May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.  ³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

• It is crucial to be growing in the knowledge of God and Jesus.
• As we grow in our knowledge of God and Jesus, we become better equipped to live godly lives.

2 Peter 2:1 (NLT)  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.

1 John 4:1-5 (NLT)   Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. ² This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. ³ But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. ⁴ But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. ⁵ Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to 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!

• There will be false teachers in the church and in the schools cleverly promoting false philosophies.

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.

Jude 3-4, 17-19 (NLT)
A Call to Remain Faithful
³ Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. ⁴ I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.
¹⁷ But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. ¹⁸ They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. ¹⁹ These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

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.

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

The reminder:

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.

Psalm 145:4 (NLT)
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power.

• We need to tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.

Proverbs 23:12
Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge.

Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)
A Warning against Drifting Away
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.