It's Day 23 and we're in 1 Corinthians 5.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 9-12 - We reverse this so often: we are quick to judge those outside the church and quick to excuse sin within the church. We need to recognize that the world is doing what you would expect them to do in their condition: sinning. (That doesn't excuse it, but it shouldn't surprise us.) We need to also recognize that God has called us to have high spiritual expectations for each other within the church and push each other in that direction.
Help:
- Verse 3 - "passed judgment" - This throws some people off because all they reference about Christians and judgment is the Sermon on the Mount's "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Matthew 7:1-5). They don't read the rest of the verses: Jesus immediately uses the example of getting the plank out of your eye so that you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. That's an act of judgment and discernment - seeing what's wrong and helping him remove it. See also John 7:24 - "Do not judge by appearance, but judge with a righteous judgment." See also all the passages in Paul's writing that speak of church discipline. We are not to be callously or hypocritically judgmental, but we have to use judgment and discernment in our Christian lives.
- Verse 5 - This is the act of asking God to remove the "hedge of protection" that normally a Christian would have against Satan. It is, essentially, asking God to allow this Christian to experience the consequences of his sin in the hope that it will lead him to repentance.
- Verse 6 - A little bit of pride can puff up a whole church.
- Verse 7 - He's telling them, "Throw out the old way of thinking where you think you're really something spiritually and bring in a new understanding of how everything you have spiritually is through the power of Christ."
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have questions or comments, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Your Questions and Comments:
- "In your comment you said, 'Father, I want to see Your church overflowing with evidence of Your power, not merely talking about You.' How would our church be different if it were overflowing with his power? What would we see?" - I think it's easier to answer this question looking at the American church in general. There are a number of ways that this might manifest, but two large categories stand out. First, numeric growth. Most American churches are plateaued or declining in attendance. In other parts of the world (Africa and Asia, for instance) there is rapid growth, as many people express faith in Christ. Second, spiritual depth. People with a passion to know Christ as deeply as possible who prioritize spiritual growth in their lives. Certainly there are some in that category, but the number is not impressive. A final comment: before I die I would like to see a move of God among the American church that is so substantial and impressive that everyone who sees it says, "Wow! That had to be from God!"
