The Apostle’s Rights

Posted on by korgrocker

“This is my answer to those who question my authority. Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?”
1 Corinthians 9:3-6 NLT

Paul declared that he was an Apostle, as he wrote previously, “Am I not an Apostle”? And he argued that even if some didn’t consider him as such, he certainly was to the Corinthians, holding them up as the proof for his apostleship. Consequently, Paul also declared that because he was an Apostle, he was due certain benefits, such as accommodation and food, because such was included as a “right” for this man, who was working for the benefit of the Corinthian church. But Paul also reminded them that he was prepared to work at a different kind of job to support himself if necessary. 

The issue of “rights” is a thorny one, much used and abused. It seems everyone today has a “right” to something. So in the UK, we have a free Health Service, paid for by general taxation, and everyone has a “right” to free medical care. We have a right to travel anywhere in the British Isles. We have a right to certain social benefits, which are means-tested in most cases, so that only the needy receive them. The UK has a Bill of Rights, which was established in 1689. The Bill firmly established the principles of frequent parliaments, free elections and freedom of speech within Parliament – known today as Parliamentary Privilege. It also includes no right of taxation without Parliament’s agreement, freedom from government interference, the right of petition and just treatment of people by courts. But that’s just a summary of its intentions. Since then, there have been many laws passed that clarify and occasionally restrict the rights of individuals. Recently, laws were passed that limit the rights of individuals to demonstrate and even pray outside abortion clinics. And there is much discussion going on about the rights of people in the “free speech” debates, where people who disagree with other people’s ideologies are prevented from doing so. The issue of the rights of an individual is a mess, and society seems to have lost its way, instead embarking on a course of “it’s all about me”, selfishly declaring that only my rights matter, and other people’s don’t. There is a quote from a rather belligerent ghost in C.S. Lewis’s “The Great Divorce” who had just attacked a fellow ghost, and after he had done this, he said, “I’m a plain man that’s what I am and I got to have my rights same as anyone else, see?” A bit later in the book, we meet up with him again, arguing with a friend whom he had previously known in life, and who was now a citizen of Heaven. He said on this occasion, “I’m asking for nothing but my rights. You may think you can put me down because you’re dressed up like that (which you weren’t when you worked under me), and I’m only a poor man. But I got to have my rights, same as you, see?” The poor man’s view of his “rights” had survived his death, and here he was still presenting his selfish demands in Heaven itself. A fictional story I know, but it illustrates the fact that some people develop an egocentric view of themselves and feel that the world around them must recognise and accept their view because it is their “right”. 

But back to Paul. His demands were simple and limited to his basic needs for shelter, food and drink, extended if necessary to the family members of a visiting Apostle, or even anyone who had come to minister to the church in Corinth. This was something that Paul considered was his “right”.

Do we, pilgrims, have any rights? In a spiritual sense, we don’t. Here’s a quotation from John C Lennox, in his book “God, AI and the End of History: Understanding the Book of Revelation”. He wrote, “The fact that the Lord Jesus has paid an incalculable price for our sins gives him the right to expect something from us, does it not? He therefore has the right to criticise us and discipline us, not to destroy us because he hates us, but to bring meaning and value into our lives because he loves us“. There is a sense in which a Christian has no “rights” of his own, because he has surrendered his life to Christ, who “owns” the believer. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “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“.

However, in our natural lives, a person has certain fundamental human rights, and of the Ten Commandments, five of them promote the ethical treatment of our fellow man. So, everyone has a “right” to be treated in accordance with the ethical standards laid out in God’s laws. We are all equal before God, and He shows no favouritism. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus”. We could add to this list other suggestions, such as “black or white, race, gender, cultural background, or social standing”. Sadly, there are many human rights abuses taking place around the world, and it often falls to Christians to correct the injustices. According to a recent survey, it has been found that 60 per cent of all faith-based charities working in overseas aid are Christian, and Christian charities lead the way in working in human rights, with 43 per cent of all faith-based charities working in this area being Christian. So, we pilgrims look for opportunities to stand up for the oppressed at every opportunity.

The Apostle James wrote, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 2:14-17).

In all that we do, we pray that God will lead and direct us through the whole issue of “rights”. We may not be an Apostle, expecting to be fed, followed by access to a bed, but we look for opportunities to help others. We may not receive a reward in this life, but Jesus will one day say to us, “Well done …” as we live our lives of service to Him.

Dear God. We thank You for Your presence in our lives, filling us with love and kindness for those around us. Please help us to correct what we can in our societies, and leave what we can’t to You, as we pray for those in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Apostle’s Freedom

Posted on by korgrocker

“Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.”
1 Corinthians 9:1-2 NLT

Paul is still referring to the issue about meat offered to idols, even though we have started a new chapter in 1 Corinthians. He now refers to his authority, rights, and freedom as an Apostle. He suggests that he is no one special, even though he has “seen Jesus our Lord with [his] own eyes”. However, Paul claims that he is just as “free” as anyone else, implying that with such freedom, he can make the right choices. Paul also makes the point that the Corinthians are living proof of his status as “the Lord’s Apostle”, even if he isn’t to other churches that someone else founded. Perhaps he detected that there were some, even in the Corinthian church, who perhaps thought that, as he wasn’t one of Jesus’ original disciples, then he wasn’t a “proper” apostle, but from the Acts 9 account, we know that this wasn’t true. Paul was very aware of his origins, as he wrote later in 1 Corinthians 15:9, “For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church“. What a memory this must have been for Paul to carry for the rest of his life. Those times when he arranged for the arrest of the new believers in Jesus, tearing families apart, putting people in jail, sowing despair and anguish everywhere he went. Thankfully, Jesus intervened directly in his life and commissioned him to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. There was a man called Ananias in Damascus, and he received a word from Jesus about Saul, who was blind and probably suffering from shock after the encounter with Jesus just a few days before. We read what Jesus said to Ananias in Acts 9:15-16, “But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake””. Suffer Paul did, but he remained firm in his faith and ministry right until the executioner’s axe descended, ending his life. 

Paul claimed, rightfully, that through Jesus he had been set free from the shackles of sin and death. He knew that it didn’t matter what happened to him, because one day, sooner or later, he would leave this life and be with the Lord. In fact, he wrote to the Philippians, saying, “I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23). But while present on this earth, Paul highlighted that through the freedom he had, he could make right choices, and one of them was that he would never eat meat again if it made a fellow believer stumble in their faith. 

We pilgrims, too, are in a position of freedom, but not freedom as the secular world around us believes. If we asked a random person in the street if they were free, they would probably look at us very strangely, and if we received a response at all, it would be something along the lines of “Of course I am”. However, an unbeliever often fails to understand what real freedom truly means. In Paul’s day, slavery was common, and the slaves were owned by someone, with no freedom to do what they wanted. They would be at the beck and call of their master or mistress, with severe penalties for those who disobeyed. 

There were some Pharisees present one day when Jesus was teaching the people. He had just made the claim that He was the Light of the World, and during His teaching we read what He said: “Then many who heard him say these things believed in him” (John 8:30). Then we read in the next two verses, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free””. The Pharisees objected to this statement because they claimed that they were free because they were descendants of Abraham. Still, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:34-36). A sinful person is not truly free because they are constrained by their sinful nature and therefore cannot make the right choices. 

In this life, our physical freedom is taken for granted because we have not been locked up in a prison somewhere with our liberty restricted. But Paul was not talking about this kind of freedom because he was referring to freedom in the spirit, the sort of freedom that can only be received through Jesus. One day, everyone will leave this life and will lose the opportunity to be free from the clutches of sin and death. Unless we believe in Jesus, we face a disastrous future, because one day our freedom will be taken away from us, and we will find that the reality of a life spent in sin will bring about a situation from which we will have no choice. 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”. 

So Paul lived his life of freedom, making right choices, and the one he referred to in his letter to the Corinthians concerned his freedom to decide not to cause a fellow believer to stumble and fall into sin. We pilgrims have the same choice, and we prefer the needs of those around us over our own. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul wrote, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some”. Sound advice from the Apostle, and advice that we would do well to follow.

Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You that You have set us free from the spectre and consequences of sin and death. Please lead us in Your ways because we have chosen to follow You forever. Amen.

“Superior Knowledge”

Posted on by korgrocker

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”
1 Corinthians 8:9-13 NLT

There was a significant problem in Corinth, as idol worship was deeply ingrained in every aspect of their society. No one could go anywhere or do anything without bumping into something to do with an idol. According to the historians, a temple might be no more than a large room which doubled up as a meeting place or social venue, so those early believers somehow had to reconcile meetings that took place in these centres of idol worship with their Christian beliefs. Inevitably, some believers still retained some vestiges of idol worship, not being fully and irrevocably convinced that the idols and “gods” concerned were just useless and dead lumps of stone. They knew that there was only one real God, but on the other hand, there were little niggles in their minds. These were therefore the Christians with weaker consciences. But some of their fellow believers had settled the matter in their own minds and had a strong faith in God to the extent that they were pretty happy to join in the meals with the idol worshippers. These were the ones with what Paul called “superior knowledge”, which had set them free from the shackles of idol worship. Presumably, they sat down at one of these meals, giving thanks to God for the food and drink, and proceeded to enjoy a good feed without thinking about the idol in whose name it was being held.. 

Paul’s instruction to the firm believers was to back off and remember the weaker believers with sensitive consciences that would have been terminally offended by the actions of their stronger brethren. Paul has agreed that idol food, in and of itself, is not evil, just as the false gods are not real. He does not disagree with the Corinthians with “superior knowledge”, but he does disagree with the application of their knowledge, because of its effect on their weaker brethren. 

In Matthew 18, Jesus was asked who the greatest is in the Kingdom of Heaven. In reply, He called a child to join Him, and there in the middle of His group of disciples, “ … He said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). But Jesus didn’t leave it there. We read in the next verse, “Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”. We must pause at this point and reflect on who a small child is and how they behave and think. The one thing that strikes me, after many years of fostering, is the innocence of these children and how easily it can be corrupted by those in authority, particularly their parents. My wife and I have been deeply saddened by children whose innocence has been taken away or violated, leaving them damaged, with a life skewed and even destroyed by the actions of those entrusted to bring them up. Of course, we did our best to repair what we could, but in those early years, a small life is formed and developed into either something good and fully equipped to face their life ahead, or corrupted with a future damaged almost beyond hope. Jesus warned those who failed one of the little ones in Matthew 18:6-7, “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung round their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” 

We must remember that a new believer has just been born, born again, and that therefore puts them in the same position as the little child standing amongst Jesus’ disciples. The more mature believers around the “little children” in our churches and fellowships have a responsibility to be careful not to do anything that would make them stumble and even fall. We pilgrims may have strong consciences that will carry us through worldly situations, but if a new believer happens to see what we are doing, it might even, in extreme circumstances, cause them to leave the faith. Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven”. In one church I attended, the leadership decided that they would refrain from drinking any alcoholic beverages because of an alcohol-related sensitivity amongst some in the congregation. That was an application of exactly what Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to consider.

But we pilgrims, with our faith and sensitivity to the ways of God, know all of this, and we pray for the new believers amongst us, as we help them in their early years, discipling them when we have the opportunity, and all the while being careful in how we behave. And we must always be aware that it is not only the new believers who are watching us. There are those in the world around us who observe the behaviour of Christians and who are quick to condemn if they find an opportunity.

Father God. A sobering message today, but one in which Your desires for Your children come to the fore. We pray for our fellow believers and ourselves as well, that Your Spirit within us will lead and guide us in Your ways. Please help us to guard our tongues so that we will never cause anyone to question their faith in You. Please also direct our steps away from anywhere that would lead to places where You don’t want us to go. We praise and worship You today, deeply thankful for Jesus and all He has done for us. Amen.

One Lord, Jesus Christ (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many Lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.”
1 Corinthians 8:4-6 NLT

Paul made two unambiguous statements about God and Christ in the last verse of our reading today. He said we live for God the Father, but through Jesus Christ. They identify two separate roles for God the Father and God the Son, in that all things were created by the Father, but through Jesus. These statements are foundational to the Christian faith, and there is no alternative way of life for any pilgrim. We considered the Father yesterday, and now we turn to Jesus, “through whom we live”. 

All the way back in Genesis 1, we see that God “spoke” the heavens and the earth into being. Genesis 1:3, “Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light”“. But if we now turn to John 1, we find out about what was said. John 1:1-3, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him“. So we find the Trinitarian relationship between the Father and Son, because God spoke and Jesus was the Word, a partnership that has always existed. In Genesis, we read that humanity was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26f), and we must consider what that truly means. God had already created the angels – we don’t know exactly when, but this probably occurred before the world was created – and He then created human beings, populating both the spiritual realm and the natural world. Two separate kingdoms have existed, one eternal and one bounded by time, but it was God’s desire that He brought them both together under the authority of His Son, Jesus, as we read in Ephesians 1:9-10, “God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfil his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth”. 

The mind-boggling truth is that through the Word, the logos, we find the God-man Jesus walking this world, bringing God’s love and grace to people dying in their sins. Jesus was, and is, the Logos, as described by John, who went to great lengths to explain and correct false beliefs and ideas about God, and to provide us with the proper and correct facts about Him. In discussions with the JW’s, we will find that they do not believe that Jesus is God, a member of the Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Their version of John 1:1 (New World Translation) reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god”, and that identifies the JW’s as a sect that denies the divinity of Jesus as He went about Palestine showing His love and grace for the people. There are other differences, but we need to beware of a religion claiming to be Christian but one which has been infiltrated by the devil.

One of the first things that Jesus said when He started His public ministry was, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We are all very familiar with this verse but the word “perish” is often overlooked. We go for the “love” bit and how we must believe in God’s Son, but the consequences for people who don’t are that they will perish. Back to Genesis 1:26. Being created in God’s image means that with the package came free choice, a huge responsibility that is avoided by most of the people in our unbelieving society. It is a responsibility because those who don’t believe will “perish”and we know what that means if we read Revelation 20. And to those who claim a God of love would never send anyone to hell, we have to respond with the message that He would not overrule their right to free choice and turn them into an automaton. Instead, He sent His Son, full of unlimited love and grace, to take on the punishment they deserve and by His sacrifice ensure that they will never perish. 

There was a time in Galilee when Jesus addressed a couple of local news reports, brought to Him by the people there. The first was concerning Pilate, who had murdered some people in the Temple while they were offering sacrifices, and the second was when eighteen people died after a tower in Siloam fell on them. But Jesus turned the emphasis around, ““Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too” (Luke 13:2-5). Jesus’ response was clear. Don’t get caught up with temporal matters and neglect the reality that unless we believe in Him, repenting of our sins, then we will “perish”. 

We pilgrims live our lives through the lens of the Cross, where we lay our burdens down and believe that Jesus died for our sins. Paul reminded the Corinthians of that, and, with a sober and realistic perspective, we too take on board what it means to live through Jesus, the Son of God.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your Son Jesus and all He has done for us at Calvary. Thank You that through Your plan for salvation You have saved us from perishing in a terrible place. Amen.

Being Engaged

Posted on by korgrocker

“But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.”
1 Corinthians 7:36-38 NLT

In these closing verses of 1 Corinthians 7, Paul is addressing the situation that applied to engaged couples. He still emphasised his belief that marriage is second best to being single, but only from the perspective that singleness avoids the distractions that marriage brings. The culture in Paul’s day in Greece was different from today, when it comes to such things as engagements. In those days, a woman had very few rights, and her father would have wielded much influence over her marital status and the engagement to her future husband. Being a believer had the potential to change much of the process because it brought God’s perspective into the relationship, present and future. Today, in 21st-century Western society, being engaged to be married remains a significant step towards the future of two people, a man and a woman, as they spend the rest of their lives together. Still, it means little in many cases because such an engagement is easily broken. But things change today when an engagement happens between a Christian man and a Christian woman. The couple would probably have met in church, perhaps at a youth meeting, or in a singles group, and the bigger churches may have in place a “Preparation for Marriage” course. Pastoral support would have helped and supported parental advice, and the build-up to the big day, when the bride walked down the aisle towards her groom, would have been complete.

Being engaged to be married starts with two people making a promise to each other. The promise forms a commitment and provides the future couple with the opportunity to make plans and preparations. Subjects discussed and agreed upon range from the mundane, such as the colour of the bedding, to the subject of having a family and how to raise them. Change and compromise will be involved, so that when the day arrives, there are no nasty shocks, such as happened to a young woman I knew who found out on her honeymoon that her husband was a drug dealer. As we would expect, it was a major disappointment for her, and she quickly returned to her parents’ home, devastated, her world and future in ruins.

There is a marriage parallel with being a believer. God has made promises to His children which He will never break, and those promises will come together with the Church becoming the Bride of Christ. Isaiah 62:4-5, “Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride. Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride“. In this context, Isaiah was referring to the Jews, God’s chosen people, but in the New Testament we read, “For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Saviour of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22-23). And then we read about the Wedding Feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7-9, “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. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God””.

Finally, we must turn to the Book of Songs, a rather explicit, even mildly erotic, account of the King and his betrothal to a young woman. How did this book find its way into the Canon of Scripture? In answering this question, we cannot ignore the fact that this love poem between a man and a woman is only there because God wants it to be, and we have to look at its application as being a “type” of the intimate relationship between Christ and His church, His bride. In a significant sense, we pilgrims are a part of the Bride of Christ, engaged to be married, and we will one day take our seats at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Isaiah wrote, “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). We have our wedding clothes already prepared, and these were given to us at the Cross of Calvary, where we repented of our sins. We have been saved from the punishment our sins deserved, and, more, we have been given Jesus’ righteousness as a cloak to enable us to stand before God, pure and spotless, a suitable bride for our Bridegroom, Jesus. It all reads like a fairy tale, but that is not what it is. The reality is that God made a promise to us through Jesus, who is the ultimate Bridegroom, because He laid down His life for the sake of His bride. Too good to be true? Too good not to be!

Dear Father God. To be a part of Your Son’s bride and being able one day to partake of the wedding feast is beyond all that we can ever expect in this life. And so we are deeply thankful, worshipping before You once again. Amen.

Divided Interests

Posted on by korgrocker

“I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 NLT

Was Paul correct with his advice concerning the distractions of marriage? After all, marriage is an ordained feature of human life, and in its most basic sense, it is intended to continue the human race. However, anyone reading these verses can draw several conclusions that all perhaps point to marriage being something second-best for a Christian. For example, Paul wrote that an unmarried man can spend his time being devoted to serving God. Being married just gets in the way because it comes with “earthly responsibilities” and divides the man’s interests between those of marriage and those of Christian service. Paul continued with much the same theme for a married woman, referring to her “earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband”. It is interesting also to see from Paul’s words that an unmarried woman “can be devoted to the Lord” and is “holy in body and in spirit”, something that implies that a married woman lacks the same holiness. It’s all a bit confusing at first sight and something that needs much prayer to discern what the Spirit is saying, not least to someone who is considering marriage, or is already married and wants to know how he or she could avoid “divided interests”. But we note that the main issue that concerned Paul was about distractions. He wrote, “I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible”. 

As a pilgrim today, getting the right balance between the Lord’s work and our earthly lives is very important. Too many Christians are passive believers, happy to attend church on a Sunday, or even the weekly prayer meeting, but do little else to further the Gospel or do anything else that serves God. Is that a bit harsh and judgmental? Possibly, but I have no one in mind except myself. Each believer has to get before God and ask Him what He wants them to do, and then make sure that they are obedient to His call. Paul was intent on furthering the Gospel in his day and was totally sold out to God in that process. Although we are not all Pauls, God has provided each one of us with something that He can use for His service. We read the parable of the three servants in Matthew 25, and note that each of the servants was entrusted with a sum of money while their master was away on a long journey. The important point to note was that each servant was given the money “in proportion to their abilities”. What the three servants did with their money we can read in Matthew 25:16-18, “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money”. Note that Jesus made no mention of servants who were given nothing, with the implication being that all servants would have had something to invest. Elsewhere in Scripture we read “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10). We should also note that God does not expect more from what he has given us than is possible for us to give. Therefore, the servant with two bags of silver was not expected to return five bags. 

So, on the premise that God has given each of us something to invest in His Kingdom, what are we doing with what He has entrusted to us? To Paul, marriage would have seriously curtailed his ability to freely roam around the Middle East on his missionary journeys, because he would have to consider his wife in all his plans. However, on the other hand, a prominent figure in Jesus’ band of disciples was Peter, who was a married man (see Matthew 8:14). We also know that Moses, one of Israel’s most outstanding leaders, was married. So, referring to Jesus’ parable of the three servants, perhaps Paul was a “five bags of silver” servant, and his diligence in investing that gift can be found both in the New Testament through his letters and in churches planted all over the Middle East. So how many “bags of silver” has God entrusted to us? We all will have at least one bag, and consequently, we need to invest it in God’s service.

Paul realised that the believers in Corinth would have been either married or not, and he set out a higher call for God’s people there, that being the importance of “serving the Lord” in the best way possible. That call is still reverberating today, counter-culturally balancing the worldly distractions that are constantly being applied to us pilgrims. We are not all called to become missionaries, heading off to a foreign land to preach the Gospel to a heathen nation. But we are called to a mission field amongst our families and friends, who desperately need to hear the Gospel.

Dear Father God. Please clarify our gifting so that we can do Your work diligently wherever You have called us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Many Troubles

Posted on by korgrocker

“But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.”
1 Corinthians 7:28-31 NLT

Marriage is not a sin, wrote Paul, but because of the times, he said that those who do go ahead and get married will have “many troubles”. Were there any different challenges for married people in those days compared with those faced by married people today? Probably not, although the “troubles” would be of a different nature. Since the beginning of time, a marriage has taken place between a man and woman because of the strength of the love bond. Still, in this Biblical context, we are considering marriage between a believing man and woman, although the principles apply to all marriages. In Ephesians 5, Paul wrote about mutual submission, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:21, “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ“. In the following few verses, Paul’s instructions about mutual love and submission include references to Christ Himself. “For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Saviour of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her” (Ephesians 5:22-25). And he finished the chapter by writing, “So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (Ephesians 5:33). 

At wedding ceremonies held in church, the passage about love from 1 Corinthians 13 is often included. Remember what it says? The part frequently emphasised is, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The love referred to by Paul is the most critical kind, agape love. A definition of agape is that it is “an ancient Greek term for a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial form of love, often considered the highest type of love in Christianity. It emphasises commitment to the good of another, regardless of their actions or any personal gain, embodying a profound love for God and fellow humans that persists through all circumstances“. In the marriage environment, an agape love is needed because two people with different and unbending agendas can otherwise cause the “many troubles” to be amplified, with unwanted consequences. Peter knew about this kind of love as well when he wrote, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

But what about the “many troubles”? We who are married know all about them, and the relationship can become toxic if Biblical principles are not applied. It is a wonder that sinful human beings stay married at all, particularly those who are unbelievers, until we realise that every person, man or woman, has been made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”). How does that work out in a sinful and evil society? Often with great difficulty, because the devil loves to see marriages break up, but God’s qualities of love, righteousness and justice will prevail in any relationship. The troubles in a marriage can come between two people with different points of view, as they face external pressures such as a lack of finances, difficulty in finding suitable housing, and families, followed by health challenges, diets, and all types of preferences, some important but others relatively trivial. Most of these issues are best sorted during a courting period, but many couples rush headlong into a relationship before considering the consequences. Near where I live, there is a single man, now in his forties, who lives on his own with his dog, quite content with his singleness. But he shared with me one day that he had nearly got married and had even paid for all the expensive items, including a lavish honeymoon, before the enormity of what he was doing suddenly frightened him, and he walked away from the relationship. He has never dated a woman since. There are also anecdotal stories of couples who decide not to proceed with marriage after visiting a furniture store, such as IKEA, and their differences in taste lead to strife and the realisation that there is much to be resolved between them.

“Many troubles”? There are indeed many, too many to list here, but for sinful human beings, troubles in a marriage are inevitable. There is only one way to a successful marriage, and that is through mutual love, submission and respect. Together, and with God at the centre of their relationship, all troubles can be overcome.

Dear Father God. You ordained the sacrament of Holy Matrimony for a reason, because that is what You have desired for Your children. We pray that Your perfect arrangement prevails in our lives and the lives of our families. And we pray for all those we know who may be considering marriage or who wish to stay ummarried, that You will continue to love and bless them in their choice. In Your precious name. Amen.

About Virgins

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.”
1 Corinthians 7:25-28 NIVUK

Paul’s assessment of the Corinthian church was that there was a “crisis” there, and in the context of this chapter, this referred to issues related to sexual matters. Marriage, sexual immorality, societal attitudes, idolatry, virginity, and celibacy were all wrapped up in a potpourri of challenges that had caused Paul to devote much time and energy to try to unravel what was going on. There were unmarried people, virgins,  who had never had any sexual relations with anyone, and Paul was concerned for them. He didn’t have any specific, God-given guidance for them, but he did have some thoughts based on his own experiences. He referred to himself as being a person “who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy”, something that both the Corinthians and we would endorse. Paul was putting much weight on his advice, an indication that the situation in Corinth had become a distraction and was getting in the way of the purity of their worship. So his advice was, firstly, if you are married or committed to be married, then get on with it, but be warned; a marriage will bring with it “many troubles”, and Paul wanted to spare those who were thinking of embarking on such a life choice from the resulting hassles. Secondly, Paul suggested that being a virgin was ok as well. But above all, Paul implied, don’t make any rash decisions and instead take time to think things through, and remain as they were.

The word “virgin” isn’t commonly used today, unless it is associated with travel or financial companies originally founded by Sir Richard Branson. To describe a young woman (or man come to that) as being a “virgin”, is not considered politically correct, and in any case, in this day and age, who knows the sexual status of anyone. And what does it matter anyway? But that is the secular viewpoint. In the Kingdom of God, sexual relationships are set out as being between a man and a woman. This couple had previously bound themselves together in a lifelong marriage commitment. The expectation from Genesis 2 was that God decided that man, on his own, even if expected to live forever, sustained by the Tree of Life, needed a companion. Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him””. Don’t forget what God said in the previous chapter, when He spoke into being, from nothing, the world and the universe and everything within them, all with a mind-boggling, detailed complexity. So, God spoke again and made a woman, but not from dust this time. He created a woman from one of Adam’s ribs, a process that recorded the first operation carried out with a general anaesthetic. Why did God create Eve in this way? Genesis 2:22, 24, “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. … This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one”. It was God’s intention that there would be a perfect marriage between men and women, with no need for virgins, or so it would seem. Incidentally, there is an almost perfect 50:50 split between male and female births (statistics record 50.4% male and 49.6% female globally); have we ever asked the question “why?”. The evolutionists will point to “natural selection”, but such perfection, regardless of the devil’s ambitions and interference, has God’s creative fingerprints all over it. 

Paul gave the Corinthians some practical advice, addressing the specific concerns that they had. In similar circumstances today, the same advice applies, but as Paul said, he had “no command from the Lord” about such things. There is, therefore, no substitute for guidance from the Holy Spirit. Human beings are wired to conform to God’s order, male and female, joined together in marriage, but if someone wishes to be a virgin, then that is ok as well. 

We can’t leave this topic without referring to the “gender wars” currently underway. What arrogance, that a person thinks that they are born “in the wrong body”, directly challenging God’s order and creation. But that is just like the devil, who has always tried to frustrate God’s plans, His perfect order. But we needn’t worry about this deviation in human thinking. God has not fallen off His throne. We live in a moral universe, in one where God honours the choice made by human beings everywhere. John 3:16 is clear about God’s amazing and perfect love, and man’s choice. We read, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life“. We must note, because Jesus said it, that it is only those who believe in Jesus who will not perish. That means that those who don’t believe in Him, by their own choice, will perish. Just think about it. Those who say that they were born “in the wrong body” and go to great lengths to correct the situation they perceive as being wrong are committing a grave sin against God, for which there will be consequences. How can God allow such a sin to be left unpunished? So their unconfessed sin will result in their perishing, unless, of course, they repent and accept Jesus before they die. Rather than go through the chemical and surgical procedures that are available today, they would have been far better advised to follow Paul’s suggestion, “for a man to remain as he is”. We note, of course, that “man” involves “woman” as well.

We pilgrims may be in a married relationship, just thinking about it, a widow or widower, or still a virgin. Before God, Paul said, all these conditions are acceptable. Instead of concerning ourselves with such things, we should look to Jesus, seeking to serve Him day by day, in our journey to eternity. He is our Saviour and Lord. Forever.

Dear Lord Jesus. We sincerely thank You for all You have done in our lives, through the Cross at Calvary. Please forgive us for getting our priorities wrong sometimes. We pray that You lead and guide us on our journey to Glory, step by step and day by day, through Your Spirit that dwells within each one of us. In Your precious name. Amen.

Remain As You Were

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.”
1 Corinthians 7:20-24 NLT

Being born again was a new experience for the Corinthian believers, and they were unsure of how to navigate this new life within them. Here was Paul telling them to calm down a bit and take things more slowly. Society in Corinth was an immoral hotchpotch of different trades and professions, with a liberal presence of slaves, and, although very different to today, there are many similarities. For a start, we don’t have a population of slaves here in the West, and owning a slave is illegal (although this practice goes on under the authorities’ radar). Our society also frowns upon many of the sexual practices that went on in the Greek societies. Still, we must face the reality that our culture today is no more moral than it was in Corinth nearly two thousand years ago. Human nature hasn’t changed when it comes to matters of sin. 

Being born again is a life-changing event that propels unbelievers into a new realm where spiritual rebirth opens a door into the Kingdom of God. It is a wonderful place, full of all kinds of spiritual treasure, that transforms a human being into a spiritual being, albeit shackled to a dying physical body riddled with sin. But then the struggles start, as Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate“. He continues, “But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong”(Romans 7:20-21). It is only through Jesus that we can find a remedy for the sin that hangs on within us.

However, we can understand why the Corinthians behaved in the way they did because we experience the same struggles. Their approach to their new lives, however, had a tendency to be dramatic, with thoughts of leaving unbelieving spouses or becoming celibates in a very sexually-oriented society. Paul advised them to remain as they were at the time when they were spiritually reborn. If they were married, stay married. If they were circumcised or not, don’t try to change anything. And he advised that if they were in a situation such as a slave, don’t fret about it. 

In the 21st Century, the same advice applies. At the point of salvation experienced by a new believer, they should not make any rapid decisions about their status; whatever profession they were in (as long as it was legal and not immoral) should be continued as before. Paul’s advice, which he wrote about two thousand years ago, remains just as relevant today. He specifically suggested that decisions regarding relationships and marriages should not be rushed, with the new believer waiting until the Holy Spirit provides the necessary guidance. An example from my own experience: when I was reborn by the Spirit of God, I was employed by a UK defence contractor developing an IT-based training facility that would help to teach army gunners to shoot their weapons. I continued for a couple of years until the Holy Spirit suggested to me that this might not be the best profession for me and my conscience. So I moved to another job in a different industry. However, I once knew a couple in a cohabiting relationship who were both saved at the same time and who immediately took steps to remedy the situation by following their pastor’s advice for a pathway towards an early marriage. What they did was right in their situation.

Paul singled out the situation of the slaves, telling them not to worry about their enslaved status, although if they got the chance to become free, they should take it. He put slavery into context by reminding them that they were now slaves of Christ, who “paid a high price for” them, and that is true, because today as well, we know what Jesus did for us at Calvary. However, Paul reminded all believers, then and now, that they must not be enslaved to the world. There is a balance to be struck between living in the Kingdom of God and living in the world. We consist of a physical person and a spiritual person, all wrapped up in the same package, and each part has its own needs. So the physical person needs to be fed and supplied with the necessities of natural life. A spiritual person has spiritual needs, satisfied by communion and fellowship with God. However, the question that needs to be answered is this: how do these two entities live in harmony? Well, the answer is that, more often than we would like, the physical person, complete with their sinful nature, prevails. Thankfully, through the gentle encouragement of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more and more spiritual as we grow in grace and holiness.

Paul’s pastoral love shone out when he referred to the Corinthians believers as “dear brothers and sisters”. From God’s perspective, He looks down from Heaven and refers to us as His dear children. His love and compassion, grace and kindness, know no bounds, and we are fully resourced by Him to face the life that we lead. He knows what’s best for us, and that’s all that matters.

Dear Heavenly Father. We know that we can trust You with our lives and journey towards our Heavenly home. We praise and thank You today. Amen.

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.