1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7 verse 17 says:

Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.

Pre-Christian experiences are not all bad. Every believer was once first a citizen of the kingdom of the darkness before becoming born again into the kingdom of light.

From the world we have been called, saved and redeemed by the perfect work of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. God will save us where we are. Wherever we find ourselves in life, we are not too far from the reach of His arm of salvation!

The context of the verse above is marriage. Paul writes that if you get saved and your wife or husband is not saved, then you don’t need to go and divorce him / her. Who know, Paul writes, your life and words may even lead to them getting saved, whereas divorcing them certainly won’t.

Whilst this has been written about marriage, I believe the same can be true of other circumstances we find ourselves in when we get born again. Whilst there will be some radical changes the Holy Spirit will convict us of, other facets of our life can undoubtedly be redeemed in salvation.

• Where you work – You don’t necessarily need to quit your job (although it depends on the work you do) when you get saved. Let your workmates see the change and the light of Christ in your new life!
• Where you live – God does move people, but don’t make a sudden decision to move on unless it is God. If God saved you where you are, He might have plans to use you there too!
• What you are good at – Some of your interests can be redeemed by Christ too. Are you musical? A tech-geek? Good with your hands? A great networker? Able to design? God can use it!
• What you like – You have tastes, you have style – some of it God may change, but its ok to be you. God made you and will use you! Cookie-cutter Christianity is not Spirit led Christianity!

The fact remains, when we give our lives to Christ changes will follow. Some radical, some internal, some quickly, some over time. But God can also redeem much of where you are when you surrendered to Him. It makes the kingdom of God as rich and varied on earth as it is in heaven.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for saving me. Thank you for redeeming me, all of me! I ask you to lead me by your Spirit to discern what in me you want to change, what you want to redeem. I ask you to use me Lord. In Jesus name, Amen

1 Corinthians 5 verse 11 says:

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. even to eat with such a one.

How judgmental of Paul! Right?!

Some might read it that way. But the issue Paul raises here is not one of self-righteousness or superficial judgment, but of unrepentance.

The issue is a man in the church is sleeping with his Father’s wife (see verse 1-2). And what is worse is, apparently, the church, thinks nothing of this! This is the church!

This unrepentant attitude in the church towards such grievous sin is serious. This is a sin that Paul tells us is of those that won’t inherit the kingdom of God. It is one thing for a man to partake in this sin. It is another for it be tacitly endorsed by the church.

Paul describes it as leaven. Like yeast worked into flour, it is impossible to separate from the entire batch. So too the leaven of sin that is tolerated in the church. The entire body becomes corrupted by it and the name of Jesus is tarnished.

The effect of this unrepentant view of sin is that the purpose of the entire church is eschewed and pulled off track. Therefore, the body needs to act. The first hope for the individual is repentance. The second is to remove the propagator of the sin leaven that he / she may be saved and the church be delivered.

There is a time and place for church leadership to deal decisively with unrepentant sin. But daily we must deal decisively with our own sinfulness, knowing to tolerate it has important implication for the church and its mission and our own eternity.

PRAYER: Father, I confess my need for you. Reveal to me where I have tolerated sin in my life, that I may confess it to you, renounce the place it has in my life, and walk free of it. Forgive Father, in Jesus name Amen.

1 Corinthians 3:2-3 says:

2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

There is one major cause of Christian immaturity and that is worldliness.

Too many are unable to digest the meat of the Word and instead remain on an inadequate diet of milk. Why is this? They have not recognised it is a requirement of their walk with God to live lives that are sufficiently different from the world around them.

So what is worldliness?

Amongst other things, here Paul tells us it is “jealousy and quarrelling”

Do you notice, both of those sins are based in pride and unbelief? Neither allows the work of the Spirit in your life to go beyond human reasoning or carnal desires.

Such a person looks to themselves and their own abilities. They look to others in comparison and superiority / inferiority. They look to the latest ideas and feed their intellect, ready to ‘mind-wrestle’ those around them.

They look to all these things. But not to the Holy Spirit. As a result, there is jealousy and quarrelling, and the power of the Spirit is missing from the worldly person’s life. And sadly, their lives end up resembling everyone elses.

It’s time to put off the worldly, immature ways and become “people who live by the Spirit” (verse 1).

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you that I don’t need to compete or strive or prove myself as those in the world, because I know I am accepted 100% as your child. Thank you Lord, I love you, Amen.