The Important Thing

Posted on by korgrocker

“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.”
1 Corinthians 7:17-19 NLT

In the context of marriage, even between an unbeliever and a believer, Paul’s advice was that this should not change, even if there were spiritual advantages in doing so. He also used the example of circumcision, a topical subject in those days because there were some Jewish converts who thought that it was a good thing for new believers to do. Again, Paul’s advice was to leave things as they were at the point of conversion, with both circumcised and uncircumcised men remaining unchanged (I’m not sure how the circumcised could affect a reversal, but there we are). Paul was clear that the “important thing” was “to keep God’s commandments”. There is a human tendency that demands an alternative, less painful way when under pressure to make changes in our lives. So we look for a scapegoat if things go wrong in the office. We look for an alternative spiritual focus when the Holy Spirit reveals something within us that needs to change. And so it seems this was the situation in Corinth, where Paul had to suggest to the believers there that they should stop thrashing around looking for a new or better spiritual way when all that was needed was for them to get down to the coalface of their lives, and deal with their sin. Paul wrote something similar to the Ephesian church. “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbours the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good, hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:25-29). These things were all associated with God’s commandments, and the important thing was to keep them.

In our churches today, there are outward things that can distract and divert our attention away from the true and narrow way. In years past, there was a tendency among the female members of the congregation to try to outdo one another with their dresses and hats. With the quality of the cakes baked for the church fete, or with a similar domestic creation. The men would also tell their tales of fishing or golfing, all in a way that introduced a hierarchy in the social order. Back in our churches, the flower arrangements became increasingly amazing, and the brass work on the font or pulpit had to be polished to the brightest possible standard. In relation to the liturgies, certain unliked or boring hymns, or their tunes, sometimes became distractions, as did the quality of the minister’s singing voice, or the poor state of repair of the hassock used for kneeling in the prayer times. Closer to today, think about the difficulties in introducing a new song or making a change to the seating layout in the hall. But in it all, a good pastor will help the congregation focus on the “important things” and not become distracted by the unimportant matters that can so easily impact or degrade church life. As an aside, in one church I attended, the pastor became very frustrated by the intransigence of a small group of people who insisted in populating the back row of the seating arrangement, so one day, before he started preaching, he asked the congregation to stand, at which point he lifted the pulpit and carried it to the rear of the church, whereupon he then asked the congregation to be reseated by turning their chairs round. So the back row became the front row, and the congregants there received the benefit of his sermon without distractions.

In God, all believers are new creations. Think about it. We were born physically, just as Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:6, but we are also born again through the Holy Spirit. “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life”. We may still be human beings, physical marvels of God’s creation, but we are also spiritual beings, reborn in a mystery of creation that we will not fully comprehend until we reach Heaven. The problem is that we allow our physical beings to dominate our spiritual lives. So physical tiredness will stop us from praying or reading our Bibles. A busy diary will perhaps cause us to miss a few meetings. But it shouldn’t be that way. Sadly, our sinful natures get in the way of how we should really live our Christian lives. Paul wrote to the Galatians and said, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions” (Galatians 5:16-17). 

For us pilgrims, the “important thing” is to live God’s way by us putting ” … on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). There is no other way because when we leave this life, our sinful natures will be left behind, and it will be our spirits that will be found in Heaven. The next time we become distracted like Martha did in the Luke 10 Gospel account, we must remember what the “important thing” is. It’s all about Jesus, folks, and we mustn’t ever forget that.

Dear Lord Jesus. In all our distractions, we remember the One who has done so much for us. We worship and praise You today with deeply thankful hearts. Amen.

Is Divorce Allowed?

Posted on by korgrocker

“But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife. … (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)”
1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 15 NLT

On the one hand, Paul received a command from the Lord that neither a husband nor a wife should leave their spouse. But then there seems to be some grounds for divorce in certain circumstances. Jesus said, “But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery” (Matthew 5:32). The prophet Malachi also had some Spirit-driven words about divorce, ““For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife”” (Malachi 2:16). 

The Roman Catholic point of view is very strict when it comes to matters of divorce. A quotation from the Catholic Answers website: “Divorce that “claims to break the marital contract” is never morally allowed. In fact, note that divorce only claims to break marriage but cannot achieve it” … “there is no such thing as a spouse “breaking” the marriage bond or contract. It is immoral to attempt, and a grave sin for the one who has that intent”. However, the Catholics will allow what they refer to as a “civil divorce” to protect the legal interests of an injured party and any children resulting from the marriage, but as long as this course of action is not intended to annul the marriage. 

The Anglican viewpoint on divorce is similar but is less dogmatic when it comes to the situation regarding the remarriage of divorcees. Quote from anglican.org, “Without compromising its teaching that Christian marriage is ‘in its nature’ lifelong, the Church of England has, after much debate, now accepted that, sad as this is, marriages can break down. It has been further accepted that, even for clergy (including bishops), a further marriage can be possible, and can be solemnised in church, where a former spouse is still living – providing that an enquiry has been made into the circumstances surrounding the ending of the first marriage and the inception and coming to fruition of the subsequent relationship. They reflect the Church of England’s emerging view that where a marriage has failed, a fresh start is possible. In part (and perhaps in origin) this development came in response to the reality of civil divorce; one party may, as a point of fact, cause a marriage to end in law, even against the wishes of the other”.

The Elim Movement’s position on the breakdown of marriage is Biblically based; the following is from their “Statement of Beliefs”: “Marriage can only be broken by marital unfaithfulness involving adultery, homosexuality, or incest. While the Scriptures give evidence that the marriage vow and “one-flesh” union are broken by such acts and therefore recognize the breaking of the marriage relationship, the Scriptures do recommend that the most desirable option would be reconciliation”. Regarding divorce, the same Statement reads, “We, therefore, discourage divorce by all lawful means and teaching.  Our objective is reconciliation and the healing of the marital union wherever possible. Marital unfaithfulness should not be considered so much an occasion or opportunity for divorce but rather an opportunity for Christian grace, forgiveness, and restoration. Divorce in our society is the termination of a marriage through a legal process authorised by the State.  While the Church recognises this legal process as an appropriate means to facilitate the permanent separation of spouses, the Church restricts the idea of divorce, in the sense of dissolution of marriage, to reasons specified in Scripture”.  

Across our denominations today, it seems that marriage and divorce are topics that are treated very seriously. However, for the Corinthian church, Paul added an extra possibility regarding the annulment of a marriage, specifically for couples who were unequally yoked. That is, one spouse was a believer and the other an unbeliever. This was to address the specific situation that had occurred when the congregation there was considering celibacy and holiness in their marriages. In this context, he wrote, “If the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go“. However, this is less applicable to married couples today.

As we pilgrims know, the secular society in which we live accepts marriage, but without taking the vows too seriously. Divorce is treated by unbelievers as one of those things, and a better option than having to make the effort to make the marriage work. Many couples today decide that cohabiting is the best option, and that has become a social norm, sadly. But holding fast to the Biblical stand on marriage is something that we do, and we find that it drives another wedge between the two kingdoms, the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of Heaven. When it comes to relations between believers, whether in marriage or not, the standards of love, acceptance and grace set a very high bar, unthinkable to our secular friends. But then we pause, setting aside all our prejudices and legalisms, and remembering instead all that Jesus has done for us. Those in any sort of Godly relationship, marriage or not, will have difficulties at times, but through Jesus and His Spirit, we are more than conquerors, with the strength to be overcomers. 1 John 5:4-5, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God”. We are not in a position without hope, as our unbelieving friends are. Through our faith in the King of kings and Lord of lords, we have a fantastic future and the means to defeat the enemy who comes to steal and destroy. The devil’s hold over our marriages has been broken.

Dear Father God. Thank You for our spouses and our friends. Please help us to take the fragrance of Jesus into all our relationships, this day and every day. Amen.

Unequally Yoked Marriages

Posted on by korgrocker

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

A larger-than-usual passage of Scripture today to fuel our thoughts, but Paul is addressing the subject of marriages that contain a believer and an unbeliever. To warrant such attention, this must have been a not uncommon experience in the Corinthian church, and even today, the situation of unequally yoked marriages continues. Similarly, in my own experience, my wife became a Christian a year or so before I did. Although this introduced a new dynamic into our relationship (not always positive initially, dare I say!), there was never any suggestion of a marriage breakdown. 

Paul gave some pragmatic advice to those in a marriage where one spouse was a believer and the other wasn’t. To make doubly sure, he laboured the point a little, specifically mentioning that the wife should not leave the husband and the husband should not leave the wife, and he gave a very good reason for the advice. Paul wrote, “For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage”. And the spin-off was that the children resulting from their union would also become holy. A win-win situation all around, as the marriage would remain intact and the children would be blessed. And Paul finally suggested that the one-sided relationship would nevertheless leave the door open to the possibility that, through the believing spouse, the unsaved partner might come to know God and be saved themselves. However, Paul did say that this was not a command he had received from the Lord, so it was simply good, sound, practical advice designed to keep marriages together whenever possible. We remember, of course, that marriage between a man and a woman is a God-ordained relationship, regardless of the partners’ individual beliefs. 

Paul, however, also addressed the situation where a husband and wife failed in their attempts to keep the marriage together, and where the believing partner decided to leave the relationship. There may have been good reasons for this in the Corinthians’ culture of sexual immorality and general debauchery. Perhaps the wife or the husband was deeply involved in practices that were highly offensive and degrading, refused to change their ways, and made it impossible for the believing partner to live with them. In those cases, Paul released the believer because God had “called [them] to live in peace”. This would have been the doomsday scenario, but one that couldn’t be ignored. 

So, what do we pilgrims make of this? A good question and one that demands an answer to a situation we hope we never have to face. But God, in His grace and mercy, has put in His Word advice that has encouraged and helped countless people over the millennia since Paul wrote these words. I have two good friends, each of whom has gone through divorce, and they have come through the situation strong but still wearing the scars in their souls. Marriage is a God-given institution and one that aligns precisely with His commands. We do well if we sustain it, both in our own lives and, if we can, the lives of those we know. And we pray for our friends and family who are considering marriage, that God will lead and guide them in His ways.

Dear Lord Jesus. We thank You for the institution of marriage, and those of us who enjoy the relationship with a believing partner, we give You many thanks. But there will be many who are not so fortunate, and we pray for them today that Your Spirit will be with them and will bless them in all they do. There will also be others who have experienced a painful schism, a divorce between them, and we ask for your forgiveness for the wrongs committed. In such situations, please bring good out of the bad and even a reconciliation where possible. We ask all this in Your precious name. Amen.

God’s Counsel

Posted on by korgrocker

“So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust. But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.”
1 Corinthians 7:8-11 NLT

There are responsibilities in being married. For married people, the Scriptures provide the clear principle “once married, always married”. One thing the Anglicans have got right (in my opinion) is the text of the vows used by the applicants in a marriage ceremony, “I, (name), take you, (name) to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow“. The implication of Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians was very clearly about “till death us do part”, because Paul wrote, “A wife must not leave her husband” and, “the husband must not leave his wife”. But Paul added a caveat about the wife, “But if she does leave her husband” with further instructions following. What was going on here, with an apparent conflict, and the advice only applying to the woman, not the man? If we look at the context of this chapter, it started with answering a question about celibacy, about being single, so that the person concerned would not be distracted from spending more time with the Lord, in prayer and service, as Paul was. So, in that context, perhaps some wives in the Corinthian congregation had already left their husbands for this purpose. Perhaps even some husbands were thinking about doing the same. Perhaps either partner was in the process of thinking about it. But Paul was clear because he added the weight of saying, “I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord,” applying to the sanctity of marriage. So Paul endorsed the principle, “Once married, always married”.

Jesus taught about marriage in His Sermon on the Mount, when He said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery” (Matthew 5:31-32). There was only one ground for divorce, and that was adultery. But sadly, in our churches today, I suspect divorced people can be found, feeling uncomfortable when these verses are read, remembering the pain and the shame of the time leading up to the final schism, feeling once again the guilt over their contribution to the divorce and the fallout afterwards. They remember the estranged children and a trail of broken relationships as the previously-married couple’s friends took sides. A good friend of mine was a minister in a church near where I live, and some years ago, his wife left him for another man. It took my friend five years to get over the breakup of his marriage and the divorce, although in his case, at least he still has contact with his children. I’m sure we all have in our families at least someone who has a broken marriage somewhere in their past.

Paul’s instructions to the wife who left her husband so that she could spend more time with the Lord were to either remain single or be reconciled to her husband, but it would have been better to have stayed married in the first place. Was it the case in Corinth that the groundswell of opinion was taking them towards a celibate congregation? Have we ever met a situation in the church where a particular teaching has been so powerful that it results in a knee-jerk reaction and behaviour that swings too far in the wrong direction? For example, some years ago, an independent congregation near where I live had a period of teaching that resulted in the congregation wearing black to represent their mourning for the state of the world and the society around them. Harmless enough, I suppose, but it was thought a bit strange at the time. Sometimes particular topics can be over-emphasised, or taken out of context, and used to underpin a particular church’s direction. In the Corinthian congregation, perhaps the tendency was for celibacy to be promoted, and here was Paul trying to introduce balance and the proper perspective before the believers went off the rails completely, destroying marriages in the process. 

We pilgrims are more balanced, we hope. We promote and apply the full counsel of God to our Kingdom lives here on earth, don’t we? How do we do that? By reading and re-reading the Bible. And not just reading it, but studying it. We are blessed today with a whole selection of Bible versions and helps that will enable us to really understand what the Scriptures say. We hear a message from the pulpit and we overlay it on our own understanding of the Word and put to one side anything that doesn’t seem to fit with our understanding of God’s counsel, so that we can explore and study what has been said, and if necessary update our own Christian beliefs. That is one way in which our pastors and teachers disciple their flock. Our preachers often follow a topic or series helpful to believers, and those of us who have been around for many years also benefit from hearing the truths once again. We pilgrims never tire of hearing God’s Word expounded from the front, and that is why we try and never miss a church meeting. Those who do always run the risk that they will miss something that God wants them to hear. 

We worship a wonderful God who wants His children to become more like His Son, Jesus, and we believers here on earth embrace all that He has for us, and we do our best to grow in His grace and love, day by day.

Dear Father God. You have wonderful and helpful truths in Your Word, and we thank You for Your servants who open our eyes through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. Please help us to hear what You want us to hear so that we can grow to be the children of God that You want us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Sexual Lusts – A Remedy

Posted on by korgrocker

“So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust. But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.”
1 Corinthians 7:8-11 NLT

In today’s verses, Paul continues to set out various instructions about marriage. They provide good, practical help for those believers confused about trying to live their lives in the sexually debauched society in Corinth. Marriage, Paul told them, was ordained by God and should be treated as such, regardless of what was promoted otherwise by the unbelievers around them. Society in those days was a reflection of what went on in Sodom and Gomorrah before sulphur rained down from the heavens and destroyed them, a society that adhered to ideologies promoting all kinds of sexual immorality. They must have known that what they were doing was wrong, because every human being is made in God’s image, but such feelings within them were suppressed, and their consciences seared to extinction. Fast forward to the 21st Century, and nothing has changed. The same human lusts and behaviour, but now new ideologies have emerged to replace those previously present two thousand years before, such as the notion that men can become women and vice versa, with the authorities somehow hoodwinked into endorsing such behaviour. We pilgrims, quietly getting on with our lives in accordance with God’s ways, look on in dismay, trusting that God’s grace will continue for the sake of our children and grandchildren. 

But here Paul is saying that marriage is the only outlet for those with insatiable sexual desires. We know from our news reports that there are those in society, mainly men, who occasionally lose their self-control and prey upon women and girls to find an outlet for their sexual lusts. The sexual urge is incredibly strong, but placed there for a purpose that finds its origins right back in Genesis. We read in Genesis 1:27-28, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground””. Sometimes it is hard to consider the idea of bringing up children in a society that so often seems so hostile to the concept of procreation. I am writing this at a time when children are returning to school after the summer holidays, and there are news reports of the struggle some parents are experiencing in finding the money for school uniforms. But this is just one factor. I met a retired lady the other day who was mourning the fact that her two married children were not going to have children themselves because they feared for the future of the world and didn’t want their offspring to have to face the global and societal issues they were so fearful might happen. So the poor lady was deprived of the opportunity of having grandchildren, something that is such a pleasure. It is not an easy or painless process to bring up children, but this is what God has commanded.

There will, of course, be those in society who lack the sexual urges that Paul was aware of. He himself was obviously able to control them and devoted himself to a life of celibacy so that he could direct his energies into serving the Lord. And he advised the same for those believers who, like him, were on top of managing their own bodies. We know from well-publicised scandals in certain Christian denominations that some ministers do not find themselves in a comfortable place, being celibate. They find, sometimes much later in life, that their terrible actions against members of their congregations become exposed for all to see, and they then suffer the disgrace of public trials and vilification by the society around them. We should note, of course, that the Bible never promotes celibacy as an essential way of life for a minister. Paul may have advised that such a lifestyle choice is an option for some, but it is unnecessary for life in the Kingdom. 

In the end, Paul said there was a choice that men and women can make about their sexual urges. If they can’t be controlled, then the only outlet is marriage. There is no middle ground, involving all sorts of proxy counterfeits, such as prostitution or pornography. There are no grey areas, where a couple live together, abandoning the relationship when the attraction of sex becomes swamped by the other pressures and demands of living with another person. And certainly all the rainbow ideologies of today are totally off-limits, more the result of a devil-inspired society than anything else.

We pilgrims are called to live a life of purity and holiness, and we must always remember that within us dwells the Holy Spirit. We remember the last two verses of the previous chapter in 1 Corinthians 6. Paul wrote, “Don’t you realise 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, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body”. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul also wrote, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behaviour 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”. We may have all sorts of urges within us, but when we look at all that Jesus has done for us, we have no other option than to live a life His way. Paul put his finger right on the issue we face when he wrote, “give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you”. That is what our pilgrim lives are all about. We live a life that is acceptable to God, and we reject the ways of the world. One day, we will find that our dedication and faith will bring us to our Heavenly home, away from everything that the devil has conjured up to destroy God’s people. We stand firm in the face of societal pressures and live our lives God’s way.

Dear Heavenly Father. Please lead us and guide us through this minefield of sexual ideologies that have even penetrated Your holy churches. Please forgive us for our sins, we pray, and please strengthen us for our journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Gift of Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.”
1 Corinthians 7:5-7 NLT

Paul was obviously celibate, unmarried, and single. His dedication to Jesus and his life were all that mattered to him, and he went through terrible times of physical and mental torment on his missionary journeys. But nothing was going to stop him from propagating the Gospel around the towns, cities, and communities of the Middle East. And if that wasn’t enough, he wrote letters that set out important theology referred to today in what we call the New Testament. Paul was an extraordinary man, God’s messenger to many, and foundational to the early church. But in all that, he had a compassionate and pastoral ministry that provided light and hope for a fellowship of early Christians based in Corinth. The culture and society, in many ways, were sex-based, but Paul cut through all of that with advice, Godly advice at that, about the importance of sexual relationships confined to a marriage alone. However, in response to their questions, he agreed with the Corinthians that, for some, it might be better for them to pursue celibacy, becoming as he was. Paul found great freedom in being fully devoted to Christ, without any distractions, particularly of the sexual kind. However, we note that celibacy is not commanded by God because if it were, the human race would quickly die out. Instead, when it came to matters of serving God, Paul “wished” everyone were single, “just as [he] was”. 

Paul wrote, “Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another”. In the context of this passage of Scripture, he was referring to the gift of singleness, of celibacy, and the gift of marriage. In both cases, this was a God-given gift, but the key is to recognise where God has placed the person involved, who would then have to face the consequences of the decision faithfully. Both marriage and singleness are a calling, and one that should be carefully worked out before God, who supplies the courage and strength required. Paul did not want anyone to try to overcome a God-given desire for sexuality out of a mistaken idea that lifelong abstinence is the best path for every person, in all cases. God has simply given the celibate and the married different gifts, not a lesser purpose. In no way does the Bible suggest unmarried and celibate Christians are more spiritual than married Christians.

This “special gift” referred to by Paul can also be viewed in the context of life itself. Think about it for a moment. Life is granted by God, but when do we thank Him for it? Did we thank Him when we emerged from sleep this morning? Yes, for some, the wakening might be accompanied by pain and suffering, especially if they are struggling with an illness or disability, but life is still there. Nick Vujicic wakes up every morning to face another day without arms and legs. I have a friend who has regular hospital visits for a urological procedure that comes with very painful and debilitating after effects. But God has granted us gifts of life for a reason, because in many ways, life here on this earth is a training ground for what is to come. Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord”. One day, there will be no more sickness and death, but also no more having to consider sexual matters. Jesus said, “For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). Because there will be no more death after we leave this life (Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever“), procreation to repopulate Heaven or the New Earth will not be required. 

We pilgrims have been granted many spiritual and natural gifts, but it is pointless just to leave them still wrapped up and unused. God may have given us a wonderful spouse in the gift of marriage, but He might also have given us a gift of being single. But we mustn’t forget that He has given us the gift of life. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). Through Jesus, we have a wonderful life. Let’s not waste it.

Dear Father God. We thank You for our gifts of life and pray You lead and guide us in the best way to use them for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer and Fasting

Posted on by korgrocker

“Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.”
1 Corinthians 7:5-7 NLT

We remember that this chapter started with a question from the Corinthian believers to Paul about sexual ethics, which even floated, as a possible answer, the concept of celibacy. Paul went on to discuss the subject of marriage and how sexual relations should apply in that context, and he expanded on his theme by saying that the married couple, the husband and wife, should “not deprive each other of sexual relations”, but with one caveat, unless they mutually “agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so [they] can give [themselves] more completely to prayer”. This shows that even the closest human bond must at times give way to seeking God. But Paul warns: don’t stay apart too long, lest temptation creep in. Satan looks for moments of weakness, although unity in marriage protects against this.

The refraining from sexual relations is a form of fasting, which is the voluntary abstention from food or other pleasures for spiritual purposes, aimed at deepening one’s relationship with God, although Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, though, the Bible presents fasting as something good, profitable, and beneficial. We see how this is beneficial with Scriptures such as Acts 13:2, “One day as these men were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them””. Another Scripture about prayer and fasting is in Acts 14:23, “Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust”. Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37, “Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer), but too often the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take our eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.

In 1 Corinthians 7:5, Paul didn’t mention fasting particularly, highlighting prayer as the reason for an abstention from sexual relations, but implicit within the verse is the principle of fasting. We pilgrims should perhaps widen our perspective to include all types of fasting, not just food, but in the process, it is God who leads and guides us. In the end, it is all about Him, not us.

Dear Father God. We want to please You and spend more time with You at every opportunity. Please lead and guide us, we pray, so that all we do is to Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Marriage

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfil his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfil her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.”
1 Corinthians 7:1-4 NLT

At the start of chapter 7 in Paul’s epistle, we find that the Corinthian believers had already sent a letter to him containing certain questions. We don’t know what this letter said, it having been lost in the mists of time, but one of the questions must have been concerned with marriage and sexual matters. The way Paul starts this chapter indicates that the letter from the Corinthians might have included a question asking if celibacy was the best way. We know that in this period of Greece’s history, sexual immorality was rampant, with all sorts of deviant behaviour, so for a spiritual believer in that society, total abstinence might have been promoted as being the best response to the many invitations and expectations coming from a society deeply involved in all sorts of sexual acts. But imagine what the impact of being born again, saved to become a believer in Christ, would have had on a new Christian who suddenly realised how the immoral society around him or her looked to God. They must have immediately asked themselves how they could avoid being caught up in such debauchery, particularly as there may have still been some in their fellowship who remained addicted and compliant, attending the orgies and the like. But perhaps some of those new believers had read Psalm 119:9, where the Psalmist asked the question, “How can a young person stay pure? … “, and the same question must have hovered in the hearts and minds of the Corinthian believers. The answer, of course, is in the second half of this verse – “By obeying Your Word” – and I’m sure this is what the believers attempted to do. But was celibacy the right response? Paul continued to set out God’s order for something we call marriage. 

In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul wrote, “Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband”, a simple yet profound definition of marriage. In the Bible, marriage is highlighted as a sacred, lifelong partnership between a man and a woman, which originated in God’s creation and is intended to represent unity and mutual support between the married couple. Marriage is depicted as a partnership where individuals support and strengthen each other, with a strong emphasis on faithfulness, forgiveness, and commitment to one another and to God. It all started in Genesis 2:24, where we read, “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one“. In the concluding chapter of Hebrews, we read, “Give honour to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery” (Hebrews 13:4). In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul clearly set out that sexual relationships must be between a husband and wife, a man and woman in a marriage-based relationship, where the sexual needs of each person are met in a relationship and atmosphere of mutual love, respect and commitment. 

In today’s society, marriage has, to a certain extent, unfortunately lost its meaning, with the norm being a man and a woman just “living together” without any sort of formal commitment. The general feeling is that if things don’t work out, then either person can just walk away from the relationship. If there are children resulting from the liaison, then the feeling is that one of the couple, usually the mother, will just have to do the best they can, bringing up children without the other partner present. But even marriages today are not honoured in the way that God intended, with divorces recorded from about 38% of marriages here in the UK. 

In Mark 10, we read what Jesus said about divorce and marriage. Jesus had been asked by the Pharisees if a man could divorce his wife, in accordance with the Law of Moses, set out in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Why did they ask this question? We don’t really know, but perhaps they were trying to trip Jesus up, having found an apparent (to them) contradiction in Scripture. Mark 10:5-9, “But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together””. The important point to note from what Jesus said is that no one, meaning either the husband or the wife, or anyone else, should attempt to break up the marriage. 

Marriage and divorce can be very contentious subjects, but for now, the Corinthians were more concerned about the situation with the sexual immorality rife in their society, and what they should do about it. Paul’s answer was clear, and as applicable then as it is today – sexual relationships are good, but only in accordance with God’s order for marriage, between a husband and a wife, in a mutually submissive and loving lifelong relationship. 

Dear Father God. We pray that You would protect our marriages, and for all those who are yet to be married, we pray that You will lead and guide them in Your ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our Bodies

Posted on by korgrocker

“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. 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. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.”
1 Corinthians 6:12-14 NLT

The Corinthians seemed to have a warped logic. They thought that because of God’s grace, it didn’t really matter what they did, so, consequently, getting involved in any form of sexual immorality would be permissible. Really? But before we say that such a logic wouldn’t happen today, consider how sometimes our human minds take one thought and twist it to apply to something else. We all do it, I’m sure. We make excuses such as “Just one more glimpse at that magazine won’t matter because it’s only for research”. Or, “I’ll watch this film, but if there is any bad language I’ll switch it off”, but never do. Or even, “I’ll just borrow a pen from the office and return it tomorrow”, but somehow the promise is forgotten. The human mind can get involved in convoluted thought processes that somehow do enough to appease a conscience that otherwise is shouting out, “Don’t do it!”.

How do we pilgrims view our bodies? Extraordinary attempts are made by many people here in the West to maximise physical fitness, with a plethora of gyms and leisure centres available and full of all sorts of equipment designed to hone muscles and improve fitness. A professional athlete often dedicates several hours a day, most days a week, to intense, regimented training to gain the stamina, strength, and speed required to succeed. Near where I live, there is a weekly Park Run where the runners do three circuits of the park, puffing and panting in their lycra-clad attire, some giving concern for the health of their hearts. Joggers abound in most towns and cities, pounding the streets to improve their fitness levels. Other people go through processes to lose weight, attending “fat clubs” such as Slimming World and similar. There is a huge market for weight loss jabs and foods designed to reduce calorie and carb intake. People constantly battle between their bodies’ appetites for all the wrong foods and the need to shed the weight they consequently accumulate, for their own longer-term health. And then we have the people who don’t care about their bodies at all, abusing them with smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. Sometimes it is amazing how much punishment a human body can take before it gives way to illness, and death at an early age. In a town in Scotland’s Central Belt there is a particular drug problem, and to go with it, the tragedy of young men and women who find that their lives are cut short through an overdose. One mother I know lost three sons to drug-related deaths. Such a tragedy.

But back to the Corinthians. In this part of his letter, Paul wrote, ” … 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” (1 Corinthians 6:13b). Regarding “sexual immorality“, Paul earlier in the chapter singled out “adultery“, “male prostitution” and “homosexuality” as being “sexual sin”, but Paul contrasts using their bodies for such practices was at odds with the fact that they were “made for the Lord”. Of course, we know that one day everyone’s body will die and end up in a situation that degrades it to the point that it becomes nothing more than dust, given enough time. But from how our body was will come our new bodies because God will raise us “from the dead by His power, just as He raised our Lord from the dead”. Jesus’ new body was recognisable with the crucifixion scars still present, but it was a body with astounding capabilities, being able to walk through walls and locked doors, and travel distances very quickly. And our Heavenly bodies will be like that as well. 

Paul went on to write about a specific problem that was prevalent in Corinth, and that was the use of prostitutes. He wrote, “Don’t you realise 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! And don’t you realise 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”” (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). The Corinthians may have been a bit puzzled by Paul’s scathing tone because how could their bodies be joined to Christ? The answer lies in the truth that one day the Church that Jesus established here on earth will become His Bride. When people, men, women, and children, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, believing in Him and taking on His righteousness, they became God’s children and part of a great assembly of souls that one day will be the Bride of Christ. Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honour to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself”. Think about it for a moment. Why were we chosen by God in the first place? Ephesians 1:4, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes”. Being joined to a prostitute, Paul was saying to the Corinthians, was hardly an act of holiness. How could anyone guilty of sexual immorality of any kind ever be a part of the holy assembly that one day will be living in God’s presence? The same questions hang in the air today, as churches and denominations grapple with sexual sins on a similar scale to what was experienced in Corinth two thousand years or so ago. God has provided a design for correct and holy sexual relationships between a man and woman, involving marriage and sexual faithfulness. Anything else is abhorrent to Him, and as Paul wrote, “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. Don’t you realise 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, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

We pilgrims also have bodies that are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives within us, gifted by God when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. So, the question is, how are we treating our bodies? Is it in a way that honours Him? Hmmm…

Dear Father God. We confess that we need to seek Your will and purpose for our bodies daily to ensure that we are honouring You in all that we do. Please help us, we pray. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Law and Grace

Posted on by korgrocker

“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. 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. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.”
1 Corinthians 6:12-14 NLT

Much of the Bible is devoted to the sinfulness of man and the grace and love of God. This common theme weaves a path through the Bible as though it were a coloured thread, meandering through the warp and weft of a rich Scriptural tapestry, depicting God’s love all the way from Genesis to Revelation. In the Old Testament, the sinfulness of man was exposed by the Law of Moses, but in the New Testament, God’s grace came to the fore. Paul openly wrote about the conflict between God’s Law and His grace in Romans 7, where we read, “Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet”” (Romans 7:7). But then he wrote, “But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good” (Romans 7:12). Jesus Himself exposed the dilemma caused by the Law when He said, “So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19). But then He went on, saying in the next verse, “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” 

Paul wrote much about the law and God’s grace in his letter to the Romans, and Romans 5:20-21 gives a succinct contrast between the two: “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. So it is understandable how believers became confused by grace and reached a position where they thought they could do what they wanted because God’s grace would cover their sins. But Paul went on to tell the Romans, “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?” (Romans 6:1-2). For those who thought that they could keep on sinning, Paul said, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin” (Romans 6:6-7). And Paul continued to make his point, writing, “Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realise that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living” (Romans 6:15-16). For anyone confused about the Law and God’s grace, sin and righteousness, they should read and study the Book of Romans until the Holy Spirit instils the contents deep within our souls. 

So, back to the Corinthians and Paul’s letter. He mentioned two specific areas of concern that the believers there seemed to be indulging in, and both pertained to their appetites. Of course, being set free from the Law meant that forbidden foods were no longer off-limits. However, Paul pointed out that not all things that went into their stomachs would be beneficial to them. But we pilgrims know that, don’t we? A diabetic will know the foolishness of eating foods with a high sugar content. An alcoholic will know that wine, beer and spirits are beverages to avoid. But the Law listed certain animals that should be avoided as food as well, practical advice that Moses wrote about in Leviticus 11. However, in Romans 14, Paul tied the consumption of certain foods to honouring and thanking God, providing an emphasis that provided the Holy Spirit the opportunity to bring correction and guidance. And further on in this chapter, Paul advised that what we eat and drink should be sensitive to other believers, who might struggle with what is on offer. So, for example, eating meat in the presence of a vegan believer might introduce difficulties for them, and drinking wine while an alcoholic is present would lack wisdom. 

The other appetite that Paul mentioned concerned sexual immorality. This is a very challenging topic for many believers because it strikes at the very reason for a human being’s inbuilt desire to propagate the human species. Our sexual appetites have been designed by God to provide both children and pleasure in the process. But the enemy has once again taken something good and sacred, and twisted and defiled it in a way that degrades our minds and bodies. About our bodies, Paul wrote, “They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies”. Earlier in the chapter, Paul mentioned sexual sins, adultery, prostitution, and homosexuality, all corruptions of God’s design and sacred order, but more of that in another blog.

It may be theoretically possible to achieve God’s standard of righteousness by following the Law. Still, if the Pharisees failed to achieve the right standard, then no one else could either. God could see the difficulties and struggles that human beings were experiencing with sin, and that was why Jesus came, bringing God’s grace to this earth, grace in the person of the God-Man, Jesus. The simplicity of the Gospel, that Jesus died in our place, taking onto Himself our sins, and in the process allowing us access to God’s presence covered in Jesus’ righteousness, is breathtakingly awesome and mind-boggling. That is God’s grace. Yes, the Law is still there and, as Paul wrote, it will continue to remind us of our sins, but through God’s grace we can bring them in repentance to the Cross, assured of His forgiveness. And as we progress in our Christian lives, the process of sanctification continues, making us more and more like Jesus. Paul wrote, “So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21). Amen and amen.

Dear Heavenly Father. Your grace and forgiveness to a sinful world are beyond understanding, and we know that we haven’t earned it. Once again, we come into Your presence as Your children, deeply grateful for Jesus. Amen.