A Clear Conscience

Posted on by korgrocker

“We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12-14 NLT

Can we say, as Paul did, that our consciences are clear? He wrote he had “lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all [his] dealings”. Quite a claim and one that confirmed God’s grace and his confidence in God, in everything that he did. I read something the other day: “no matter how often we sin, God will forgive us through the blood of His Son, Jesus”. But believing this is a subtle way of behaving in the same way as the Romans, and Paul berated them for assuming that they could continue to live a sinful life, as we read in Romans 6:1-2; “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” The writer of the Hebrews letter put things even more forcefully in Hebrews 10:26-27, “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies”. 

But was Paul’s claim just focused on his dealings with the Corinthians? When we read his first letter to them, Paul was certainly very confrontational at times, and it may have been that some in Corinth were challenging or disputing his credentials and behaviour as an Apostle. In that context, Paul claimed that his conscience was clear because of his integrity, honesty, holiness, and sincerity. But as we pause for a moment, fast-forwarding to today, is such a claim present when we deal with other people? Do we tell lies to save our skins, or do we tell the truth and face the consequences? In our societies today, integrity and honesty are qualities of character not often seen in our political leaders, our bosses at work, or, sadly, sometimes even in our churches. Or even more sadly, in our own lives.

Paul mentioned that he had put aside human wisdom, replacing it with God’s grace. There is a principle here that every Christian would do well to follow. How often is it that we launch into a course of action, something that seems right to us, and before we know it, we are having to dig ourselves out of a hole in a way that violates our integrity and honesty? It is far better to wait and seek God in these situations, as doing so will help us avoid unintended consequences.  This is nothing new: Proverbs 14:12, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death”.   People can easily deceive themselves into believing something is right, even if it contradicts God’s will or leads to negative consequences. The problem is that something that starts with human-centred wisdom, which can seem appealing at the time, ultimately violates God’s divine perspective. 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart“

So how can we ensure that we pilgrims live with a clear conscience? A “clear conscience” isn’t about being perfect; it’s about living honestly before God and others, staying aligned with what we know to be right, and dealing promptly with anything that disrupts that alignment. We do this by taking time to reflect on our thoughts, actions, and motives. Our goal isn’t to look for guilty feelings but to be honestly aware of our thoughts and actions. Perhaps we could use moments of quiet prayer to ask if we have ignored something that we know we should have done. Or in our interactions with others, have we acted in love, or have we wronged anyone? If our consciences are pricking us, then we can bring the issue to God. Confession isn’t about informing God—He already knows—but about aligning oneself with truth. Repentance means turning away from what we have done wrong and turning toward what is right. The Psalmist David wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).

” Christ … is at the right hand of God and is … interceding for us“

To ensure that we have a “clear conscience” there are other things that we must do, such as putting things right with those we have wronged. We must stay close to God in prayer and by reading His Word, the Bible. In faith, we believe that the Holy Spirit guides believers, nudging them away from harmful choices, and strengthening them to do what’s right. A clear conscience grows from staying attentive to that inner prompting. Lastly we must avoid being too hard on ourselves. Many people are walking aroud with a sort of false guilt, still feeling guilty about things that were confessed to God and forgiven some time ago. In times of attack we also remember what Paul wrote in Romans 8:34, “Who then is the one who condemns? No-one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us”. We pilgrims are children of a wonderful loving Heavenly Father, who is for us not against us.

Dear Heavenly Father. We love You and worship You today. We thank You that You forgive us for our wickedness and will never again remember our sins. Thank You Amen.

Confidence

Posted on by korgrocker

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.”
2 Corinthians 1:9-11 NLT

Where, or in whom, do we place our confidence? Paul and his fellow missionaries went through a situation in Asia that brought them close to death, and from what he wrote, there was nothing that they could have done about it. Paul found that the only place they could be confident was in God, and God came through for them, rescuing them from mortal danger. In our Western societies, much is made of self-confidence. It seems to me, as I look around in public places, that younger people, particularly those born around the Millennium, are so full of confidence. And yet, to counter that, there is so much said about mental illness in this demographic. Is it possible that the majority of our younger people are placing their confidence in the wrong place? Come to that, this is not just a question for the young: it also applies to older generations. 

Most people today will never experience a life-threatening situation like Paul’s, but on occasion, we hear tales of people who cried out to God in terrible circumstances, with no one else to turn to. They didn’t spend the time of day with him at any other time, but to so many, God is the last resort when all else has failed. Inbuilt within people is the vague knowledge that there is a God, but He never appears in their thinking when things are going their way. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, wrote, “For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort” (Philippians 3:3). “Human effort” is translated elsewhere as the flesh, that part of our beings that it is not a good idea to put our confidence in. Accompanying that is the confidence that people put in their qualifications, their jobs, their upbringing, and their genes. But to put our confidence in our human nature is to believe a lie, because we are totally incapable of fixing all the adversities that come our way.  I remember that some years ago, at a company where I worked, a particularly high-flying young manager aggressively chased promotions, upsetting and trampling on people in the process. He was particularly self-confident in his abilities and rose to a very senior position in his career very quickly. But he had a hobby that was potentially dangerous, and one day his parachute failed to open, and he fell to his death. A sad day for his wife and young family, but his self-confidence was of no help to him during his final moments. 

There is much good advice about where our confidence should lie in the Bible. For example, Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”. The next verse is similar: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes”. Another place where confidence would be misplaced is in the “princes“, politicians in government and others in authority. Our princes of power are not known for their sensible and Godly decision-making; instead, they are more likely to let us down when life becomes difficult. But to trust in God is the ultimate security, as Paul and his companions found out. Only God can rescue us from adversity, and as we go through our lives trusting in Him with our life decisions, He will keep us on the right path. Through our faith in Jesus, we are children of God, and, as the writer to the Hebrews said, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. 

In our lives, there will be occasions when we make poor decisions, and God will not necessarily protect us from the consequences. For example, a thief who has been caught stealing from a shop will have to face the consequences of his actions, no matter how many times he calls out to God for help. But God’s grace is there for the thief, as one found out in the final hours of his life spent on a Roman cross. God will accept any person’s repentance and cleanse them from all sin.

So we, pilgrims, place our confidence in God and His Word. Biblical self-confidence is confidence in God’s Word and His character. We put no confidence in our flesh, but we have every confidence in the God who made us, called us, saved us and keeps us.

Dear Father God. We can come into Your presence, graced with the robe of Jesus’ righteousness. We thank You for Your Son Jesus and all that he did for us two thousand years ago. Amen.

Paul in Trouble

Posted on by korgrocker

“We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”
2 Corinthians 1:7-9 NLT

Paul and his companions seemed to be in trouble. In fact, the trouble was so devastating that they thought they “would never live through it”, and they “expected to die”. We don’t know what this trouble was, but in other Biblical accounts, we can find out the extent of Paul’s sufferings. 2 Corinthians 11:23b starts the list, “ …I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again”. Why did Paul do it? Whereas today a preacher of the Gospel in the UK can expect to do so without fear of reprisal, it hasn’t always been so, and in some parts of the world, a missionary would be treated in the same way as Paul was. There is something about the Gospel that introduces a dichotomy into society, separating people into those who support the things of God and those who don’t. And the schism can become violent, on occasion. But sadly, the majority sit between the two extremes: people who are disinterested and uninvolved. Jesus had something to say that applies to this majority as well as the Laodiceans to whom it was addressed, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15-16). 

For people with strong opinions on anything, there are always consequences, and that was true in Paul’s day as well as in 21st-century Britain, and the USA, from all accounts. Lifting our heads over the parapets of societal norms can put such people in the firing line for legal action or fear of arrest. Public preachers of the Gospel in the streets of our towns and cities are at the mercy of malicious accusations, and if they try to talk about Jesus near an abortion clinic, then they risk arrest for breaking a law designed to quash what should come under the heading of “free speech”. But the worst that can be expected is arrest, a court appearance, and a fine. Not so, however, in Paul’s day, where summary “justice” was the norm, with public whippings and beatings designed to keep order in a fractious society. 

But in all this, Paul never stopped trying to convince people of the truth about Jesus and all that He had done for human beings. Personal danger was something he ignored. But Paul put his finger on an important factor in all this: the need to rely on God. The threat of death was no barrier to Paul because his faith in God was unshakeable: God can raise the dead. Having experienced so much, Paul was uniquely positioned to help those facing the same persecution that he was. Paul’s suffering was so severe that it brought him and his companions to the end of themselves. They were helpless and forced to put all their hope in God. Suffering can do the same for any believer, removing whatever we falsely hope in and landing all our hope in the powerful God we trust. Earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote, “Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer” (2 Corinthians 1:6). Paul wrote this to the Philippians while chained to soldiers in a Roman prison cell: “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it” (Philippians 1:29-30). 

“Preach the Gospel and if necessary use words.”
St Francis of Assisi

There is a cost to being a Christian. Jesus never wanted us to sit in a pew and be a passive Christian, never interacting with others in society. In my morning prayer walks and at other times whenever I can, I try to invade people’s personal space as inoffensively as possible because the message I have to share is too important to consider individual sensitivities. I may be rejected, but I always hope to plant a Gospel-seed that will ultimately lead to eternal life. A frosty reception sometimes needs to be endured for the sake of Jesus. Of course, not everyone has the opportunity to share their faith in this way, but we do what we can as the Holy Spirit leads. But whatever we do, I hope we never get into the trouble that Paul did.

Dear Lord Jesus. You commissioned us to make disciples wherever we are in this world. Please lead us and guide us through Your Spirit, so that we can introduce You and Your saving grace whenever possible. In Your precious name. Amen.

Suffering For Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
2 Corinthians 1:5-7 NIVUK

In our Western societies, very few Christians suffer for their belief in Jesus. Those who do are those brave souls who stand up for what they believe is Biblically right and clash with the authorities in the process. But the street preachers here in the UK face the risk of arrest if they so much as touch on the sensitivities of those who believe in anti-God ideologies. Those silently praying outside abortion clinics face arrest for their thoughts. But in all such protests and activities, there is nowhere near the levels of persecution suffered by our brothers and sisters in places like North Korea, China, and Afghanistan. There, Christians face death and injury at the hands of the authorities, much as believers did in the Roman first-century provinces, where there was only one lord allowed, and that was Caesar. 

But suffering for Christ is more than persecution, terrible though that is. Paul wrote that he wanted to experience Christ’s sufferings. Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead”. Paul was prepared to lose everything he possessed, as we read in Philippians 3:7-8, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”. What was it that made Paul seem to want to pursue Christ’s sufferings? 

“take up your cross, and follow Me”

To the Corinthians, Paul wrote that as their sufferings for their faith in Jesus increased, so would God’s comfort. There seemed to be a belief in those first-century days that Christians had to share in Christ’s sufferings if they wanted to share in His future glory. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Peter wrote, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world” (1 Peter 4:12-13). In fact, Jesus warned HIs disciples of the hard road they were following, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me”” (Matthew 16:24). Jesus also warned us that our fellow unbelievers in society will not like us very much. John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 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”. 

We don’t hear many sermons in our churches today about suffering for Christ. I’m sure that if we did, the pews might empty a bit, as the congregants faced the reality of living the life in Jesus. Here in the UK, we might not suffer in the same way as our brothers and sisters do in other parts of the world, but there is still a cost to being a Christian. In the UK, we are labelled as being intolerant or homophobic when we take a stand for Biblical values and ethics. We may be marginalised socially or even experience job discrimination. We might face legal challenges over our beliefs, as some have found in recent years. We find that our beliefs are being restricted in our schools and other public places, even though this country was founded on Christian principles. Often, we are misrepresented in what we believe, as any street evangelist will tell us. In the workplace, and as a young Christian, I was tormented by an atheist who had a habit of quoting verses from the Bible out of context and asking me to justify them, which I struggled to do sometimes. But in all of it, we have the comfort that comes from knowing Christ. Jesus promised never to leave us alone, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus also said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

“It is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me“

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). We must never forget that we are no longer imprisoned in our old selves, our human bodies. We are new creations, “created to be like God, truly righteous and holy“. From that perspective, and with God’s comfort lavishly poured out upon us, we are overcomers in a world where we will never be destroyed. And one day, we will be in a wonderful place free of any of the troubles that beset us in this life.

Dear Father God. You are the Source of all that we need for life in this world. Thank You for all You have done for us, through Jesus and His death for our sins at Calvary. Amen.

Troubles and Comfort

Posted on by korgrocker

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT

Four mentions of the word “comfort” over these two verses, so Paul must have considered it an important subject, and, making it the first thing he wrote about after his greeting, emphasised it more. The dictionary defines the word “comfort” as “a state of physical ease and freedom from pain and restraint”. In those days, being a Christian wasn’t an easy choice, particularly for those in a society hostile to the suggestion that there was a God higher and more powerful than their gods. Providing comfort to the persecuted was essential, and Paul reminded the Corinthians that God was the Source of all comfort. Another theme emerges from these two verses: the necessity for the Christian family to pull together, comforting one another in the many troubles they were experiencing. So, we have God as the Source of all comfort, providing the resources His children need to comfort one another. As Jesus taught, “ … I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34). John also wrote, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). There is a connection between love and comfort, and they go hand in hand to help those in trouble. 

“God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted“.

What sort of troubles did the Corinthians experience? Early on in the Beatitudes, Jesus mentioned a big one: “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). As we read in Psalm 34:18, God draws close to those who are grieving after losing a loved family member or a dear friend: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed”. To such people, there is also the comfort of knowing that our believing loved ones will be in a place that Jesus called Paradise, the comfort He gave to the penitent thief on the cross. Heaven is a better place free from the troubles people face in this world, and it is a tragedy that so many of our fellow members of society have rejected eternal life there. John had a revelation about Heaven, and he wrote, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’” (Revelation 21:3-4). 

Another trouble that people experience is weariness. Jesus offered an invitation in Matthew 11:28-20, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. People are often carrying heavy burdens they are not designed to bear. Burdens such as the worries of bringing up a family as a single parent. Burdens such as having to work at a job that is making us anxious. Sometimes, our brothers and sisters are burdened with the cares and troubles of living, but whatever they are facing, Paul wrote something just for them: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). By so doing, Christians are providing comfort to each other. 

Jesus promised His disciples that He wouldn’t leave them as orphans after He left this world. John 14: 16, 26 (KJV), “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; … But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”. It is an amazing truth that within each believer is a home for the Holy Spirit, and through Him we will receive all the comfort that we need. 

We pilgrims are never alone, having to experience troubles in our lives. With God with us, and close to us, we have the Source of comfort available at all times. Psalm 139:5-6, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” and Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever”. Peter also wrote, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). Repeating the verse where we started today, “God is [indeed] our merciful Father and the source of all comfort“.

Dear Father God. Thank You for caring for us. This world is a lonely and hostile place without the touch of Your gracious and loving hands. We worship You today. Amen.

False Teachers

Posted on by korgrocker

“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.”
2 Corinthians 1:1-2 NLT

In most of Paul’s letters, he starts by laying out his credentials, and particularly his appointment as an Apostle. This was important in those days because there were many false prophets and “messiahs” that Jesus warned about in Matthew 24:23-25, “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time”. The apostle John also picked up the theme when he wrote, “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” (1 John 4:1). Peter also was aware of the problem when he wrote, “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. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves” (2 Peter 2:1). The early church was very aware of false prophets and teachers and the believers then were warned to stay on their guard. 

In Acts 17:11, we read about the Berean Jews, who heard the preaching of Paul and Silas in their synagogue: “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth”. We have to remember that in the first century, there was no Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, or New Testament canon at hand to guide the new believers. All that they had was the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament, to refer to, and, as Paul’s teaching was grounded on the Scripture, and the fulfilment of it in Jesus Christ, he taught from a solid foundation that bore scrutiny. But not by everyone. There were the Gnostics, who had Judeo-Christian roots and preached a message that included special and secret knowledge. They taught that salvation came not through faith or works, but through secret, spiritual knowledge or gnosis. There was more, though. False teachings in the early church were diverse, challenging core doctrines such as the nature of Christ (Docetism denied His humanity, Arianism denied His divinity, Nestorianism split His person), the Trinity (Monarchianism denied it), and salvation (Monetarism added new revelations, some emphasising baptism over faith). But thankfully, over the next two to three hundred years, and with the writing of the Apostles, Christianity as we know it became established. One thing I always do when I hear about a new church or movement is to check out their beliefs, always with an eye on what the Bible teaches.

We might look back at those turbulent years, considering them all history, but we must always be on our guard. 1 Peter 5:8-9a, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith …”. Even today, there are people, good Christians amongst them, who accept teaching that is a bit “off the wall”, and others who deny certain parts of the Bible as being irrelevant today. Much as the Bereans did, we must “search the Scriptures day after day” to ensure that we never get led astray in our faith. Hebrews 13:9, “So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them”. 

Paul had a personal and dramatic revelation directly from Jesus that day on the Damascus Road. In fact, Paul’s revelation was so real that through it, a relationship with Jesus started that shaped the faith to which we belong. There has never been another Paul, and the Holy Spirit stayed with him throughout the rest of his life, guiding his pen as he wrote the Epistles we are so grateful for today. He greeted the Corinthians through his second letter, which followed closely behind his first, with his standard greeting, from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.” He wasn’t boasting. He just stated the truth. Paul knew his foundations with a surety that we would do well to copy.

Dear Father God. Please grant us the knowledge of Your grace in all that we do, keeping us true to Your Word and to Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Final Words

Posted on by korgrocker

“Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 16:21-24 NLT

Final words from Paul after his long letter, the second-longest (after Romans) that Paul wrote. He had answered all the questions from the believers in Corinth, so it was time to sign off. While the authorship of this letter was attributed to Paul, he probably had assistance from Timothy and others, and according to early church historians like Jerome, the letter was dictated by Paul and written by an amanuensis called Titus. So at the end of the letter, Paul wrote a greeting in his own handwriting. In the final verses of the epistle to the Galatians, we read, “Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting” (Galatians 6:11). It is thought that Paul had poor eyesight, preventing him from writing letters himself. That was perhaps confirmed by the episode in Acts 23:1-5, where Paul appeared unable to distinguish the High Priest’s person in the meeting of the High Council.

“whosoever believes in Him
will never perish
but have eternal life”

But in his final words, Paul summarised much of what he had said in this letter by saying that all those who didn’t love the Lord were cursed. Of course they were, and will be when they find themselves standing before Jesus, unless they repent of their sins and believe in Him. In Galatians 3:13, we read, “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree””. Why is it that Christians, then and now and in the ages in between, get so preoccupied with liturgies and doctrines, when the important thing is so simple – “whosoever believes in Him will never perish but have eternal life”. The colour of the altar cloth, or who sits in which pew, the beauty of the stained glass windows, or the splendour of the Prayer Book, will make no difference to those still living under the curse of sin.

1 Corinthians 16:22 ends with the Aramaic saying, “Marana tha”, meaning in this translation, “Our Lord, Come”. That thought must have often occurred to Paul, as he suffered so much for sharing the Gospel throughout his years of ministry. Those times he spent in jail, often chained and beaten, cold and hungry. If only Jesus would come and end his suffering, but it wasn’t to be just yet. He still had work to do. There was more gracious theology yet to flow from his pen to encourage the saints scattered through the Middle East.

“God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”

Paul then went on to give a blessing: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you“. Grace is a word much overlooked by believers today because we take it so much for granted, but the acronym “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense” defines it well. But if we really stopped to think about how God’s grace has impacted our lives, both now and for all eternity, we can do nothing else but fall on our knees before our wonderful and amazing God. The tragedy is that God’s favour in sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us and take on the punishment that we deserved, so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven, is largely ignored and rejected by the majority of our fellow citizens. Society today has no place for God, let alone His grace, and it has pushed our Christian faith to the margins, considering it a domain for rather wacky and delusional people. But we pilgrims need God’s grace to live in this sad and bad world, because we are the only ones who have the words of eternal life. Imagine a society without God and His grace. Some would define that as hell on earth. And we thank God for those of our faith who are prepared to stand up and be counted, challenging, often at great personal cost, the evil ways in our society. One day, they will be vindicated, as those who have persecuted them stand before God to give an account of their evil ways.

Finally, Paul expressed his love for the Corinthians. It hasn’t been an easy letter to write, as he wrestled with how to put into words the Holy Spirit-inspired thoughts within him. But it was that love that he first experienced through his encounter with Jesus that he extended to the believers in Corinth. From all accounts, they responded positively to it, and a second letter followed a few months later. But more of that tomorrow.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your obedient servant Paul, and the legacy that he has left us. May we too be gracious and loving servants, looking out for each other in this increasingly belligerent world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Holy Kiss

Posted on by korgrocker

“The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss.”
1 Corinthians 16:19-20 NLT

1 Corinthians 16:20 is translated in the NIV, “All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss”. Sacred or holy, the meaning in this verse is the same. In the culture of Paul’s day, a kiss was a common form of greeting between family members and close friends. In some parts of the world, this custom has continued, and we find the same instruction from Paul in Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings”. Peter wrote the same, “Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ” (1 Peter 5:14), so it was not just Paul’s suggestion.

In our Western and British culture, a kiss is retained for romantic or sensual purposes, and is not associated with a Christian greeting (although I did attend one church where the pastor asked the congregation to greet each other with a kiss – it didn’t go down well!). Instead, when asked, the congregation will greet each other with a handshake, a hug, or no physical contact at all. And in every case, some words of welcome or reference to something known about the other person accompany the greeting.

In the Church of England, they have formalised the greeting into an action called the “Passing of the Peace”. This practice involves a liturgical exchange between the minister and the congregation, after which members of the congregation greet one another. The standard words used during the service are from the Common Worship texts: The minister says, “The peace of the Lord be always with you”, and the congregation responds, “And also with you”. The minister then usually encourages the congregation with words such as, “Let us offer one another a sign of peace”. The practice is intended to symbolise the congregation’s reconciliation with one another and their becoming one body of Christ before sharing in the sacrament of Communion. Parishes are encouraged to ensure that the greeting is inclusive and that visitors or those who do not know many people are not left out. I think it is rather sad that the intent behind the “holy kiss” has had to be formalised in this denomination, and even misinterpreted just to involve “peace”, good though that is. 

So what was the purpose of greeting each other with a “holy or sacred kiss”? Over the centuries, the practice of greeting one another with a holy kiss adapted to fit various cultural contexts. What remained constant, however, was the godly principle of mutual love and respect for our brothers and sisters. In Romans 12:9-10, Paul wrote, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other”. When greeting another person, regardless of the context, social norms and sensitivities must be honoured. I used to know a young man who couldn’t cope with physical contact at all, and when this sensitivity emerged in a church context, everyone quickly honoured him with restraint. At the other end of the spectrum, an old lady in the church loved hugs and really appreciated gestures of love and acceptance.

The adjective “holy” or “sacred” in the NLT translation indicates that this kiss embodies the love, purity, and sanctity of Christian fellowship. Jesus said to His disciples, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). We can demonstrate Christian love in a number of ways, but I sometimes think that those in the society in which we live would never know just by looking at us together. A public greeting that differs from the norm of handshakes might perhaps be a good idea. What do my fellow pilgrims think?

Dear Lord Jesus. You gave us a new commandment to love one another, and we are so sad that we too often fail in this part of our Christian life. Please help us, we pray, to treat each other in the faith well, and with the love that You commanded. In Your precious name. Amen.

Showing Appreciation

Posted on by korgrocker

“You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.”
1 Corinthians 16:15-18 NLT

There was a man called Stephanus in Corinth, and Paul reminded the believers there that he was the first convert to Christianity in that region of Greece. But what it must have been like to find a society that knew nothing about Jesus at all. A virgin territory ripe for the preaching of the Gospel. But it was one corrupted by sin and evil, particularly in the worship of idols. The Greek pantheon of twelve gods prevailed as the religion of the day. However, false gods had so permeated Greek society that reaching the people there with the announcement of the real God with His free gift of eternal life was nothing short of a miracle. Stephanus may have been a rich man because the Scriptures record that his household was saved as well as himself. But regardless, Stephanus was in a position to serve his fellow Christians and even travelled to Ephesus, where Paul was ministering, and there he supplied encouragement. Paul reminded the Corinthians that they must show their appreciation for servants like Stephanus who served them in their church.

What does service in a church look like? I noticed yesterday a lady in my church quietly emptying a rubbish bin and replacing its black sack. No one asked her to do it. She just saw a need and stepped up to meet that need. That’s service. On another occasion, I found her in the toilets mopping the floor with disinfectant. That’s service. Our worship leader lives twenty miles away, but manages to get to the church on a Sunday morning for a practice with the other musicians and singers two hours before the 11 am meeting. That’s service. And that is after she had prepared the songs and loaded the computer to project the words onto the screen at the front of the church.

But outside the church, others show acts of service. What about the pastor who visits those who are sick and unable to attend church services? Or the church members who do the same? We have a treasurer and administrator who ensures the church is well stocked with consumables, keeps the accounts up to date, handles the money, and pays bills. That’s service. These are all practical acts of service without which the church and its mission would soon become ineffective.

We don’t know what role Stephanus played, but I suspect he was a church leader working behind the scenes, getting things done. Our churches in the UK have many such people, but do the congregations ever show appreciation for them? Too often, they are taken for granted. We might express thanks to those who are involved in the up-front ministry, people such as the pastor and preacher, but only rarely to those who are not so obvious in their ministries.

There was a meal one day, and Jesus “ … got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him” (John 13:4-5). Can you imagine the surprise on the disciples’ faces? Gob-smacked would be a modern descriptive word and would probably be quite appropriate. After He had finished, Jesus said to them, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15). In Matthew 25, Jesus told a story about the Sheep and the Goats, and we read what Jesus said to the “sheep”. “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36). These may have been considered minor things, but Jesus concluded, “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” (Matthew 25:40). 

All those people like Stephan’s who worked away behind the scenes are doing it for Jesus. One day they will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the Lord Himself. What a wonderful day that will be for all the people in our churches who serve.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all those who work behind the scenes without reward, doing so many tasks that most won’t want to do. Please help us to show our appreciation to them at every opportunity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be Strong

Posted on by korgrocker

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.”
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT

We’re considering two short verses containing three “Be’s”, a “stand”, and a “Do”, all action words requiring effort to apply in a world where passivity seems to be the norm. Although these verses were written to the early Christians in Corinth, they equally apply to Christians today. Then, as now, society was largely biased against believers in God, choosing instead to pursue gods of the people’s own making. And at the root of the lives of unbelievers was the propensity to pursue sinful activities that titillated their hedonistic tendencies. Such a root often sparked a “what’s in it for me” response when situations arose that required a more positive solution. So Paul, seeing the dangers, wrote about the care a believer should take to avoid being sucked into behaviour that was sinful and against God’s expectations for His children.

Just thinking about Paul’s exhortation to “Be strong” perhaps reminds us of something that Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “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. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it”. In John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, the Narrow Gate, which he also called the Wicket Gate, is the crucial first entrance to the King’s Highway. It symbolises the deliberate choice to begin the Christian life by turning to Christ for salvation from the City of Destruction, representing repentance, faith, and leaving the world behind to find relief from sin’s burden. I always imagine a road on which many people are walking. They don’t know it is going to lead to an eternal death, but it seems a relatively easy path to take, and, anyway, everyone is going that way, so it can’t be all bad, can it? But then, covered in weeds and almost hidden, is a small gate made of wood and of the type found in many a garden. Perhaps curiosity takes a person through the gate onto the way that leads to God. But the path is heavy going, and many obstacles are in the way, and when it becomes too hard, a glance to the rear shows that the broad road is only a step away. In such circumstances, Paul encouraged those early Christians, and by implication, we Christians today, to “Be strong” and keep going on the “narrow road” because, whether we like it or not, there are times when we need to be strong. 

Perhaps we have woken up this morning feeling a bit lazy, but because it is a Sunday, we decide to give church a miss. Just once won’t really matter, will it? And we snuggle down under the duvet to enjoy another hour or two of sleep. Or perhaps someone in the office where we work is organising a night out to somewhere we would feel uncomfortable being in, but we don’t want to upset anyone, do we? Perhaps we decide to join in, with the thought that maybe we could leave a bit earlier. It is on occasions such as these that we need to “Be strong”. As many Christians have found out, the Narrow Way and the Broad Way are paths that we cannot walk on at the same time. 

Jesus made the choice clear when He was teaching about money and possessions. We read in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money”. We cannot live a worldly life and a Godly life at the same time. Joshua set out the choice that must be made to the Israelites, as we read in Joshua 24:15, “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord”. Joshua knew all about what making the wrong choice meant.

“But those who trust in the Lord
will find new strength.“

So today, dear fellow pilgrims, what choice are you making? Yes, the battle is hard to fight. Yes, we’re tired, and we think that sometimes it will be so much easier to slip back into our old ways. There was a time when disciples left Jesus because His teachings were too hard for them. John 6:60, 66, “Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” … At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him”. In the next verse we read Jesus’ response, “Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”” But Peter’s reply was one that has reverberated down the ages ever since; “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God”” (John 6:68-69). That is what being strong means, so we turn to Isaiah 40:29-31, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint”. Can we feel ourselves being lifted up today? With an inner strength, we look forward, not along a path that leads to hell, but one that leads to eternal life.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for supporting us in the hard times and encouraging us when we stumble and fall. Thank You too for carrying us when we’re too tired to go on, and helping us to be strong when we need to be. We worship You today. Amen.