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.

In The Spirit

Posted on by korgrocker

“For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 5:3-5 NIVUK

Just to recap, a man in the Corinthian church is having a sexual relationship with his stepmother, and the church seemed quite comfortable and accepting about what was going on. The news about this had reached Paul, but how did he find out, in that age, without the internet and mobile phones? In 1 Corinthians 1:11, we read, “For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters”. ‭‭So some people from this family must have travelled to Ephesus, and there they found Paul and updated him about what was going on. I suppose the other thing we can infer from this is that not all the people in the Corinthian church were in agreement about what was happening there.

In this day and age, a true Christian church would not accept any form of sexual immorality and would deal with it along Biblical lines, but it is true to say that some denominations are quite “liberal” in their teaching and ethos, believing that the verses highlighting the need for sexual purity don’t apply today. Quite how they overlook verses such as Galatians 5:19-21 is a mystery to me. These verses read, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God”. Sadly, today, as an example, the Anglican church has a liberal or modernist faction that views scripture as being interpreted through reason and tradition, an approach that acknowledges that Christian beliefs and practices can evolve over time and that social and political action can contribute to God’s kingdom. But in the process, they have abandoned what the Bible says. So perhaps in the Corinthian church, there was the start of a liberal theology that gave more weight to love and acceptance rather than sin and restoration. But Paul was having none of it, and perhaps it is a shame that he cannot speak today in the Anglican corridors of power.

Paul called for the Corinthians to hold a church meeting, and Paul said that he would be with them “in the spirit”. Did that mean that Paul had some form of supernatural power able to transport him to their meeting? Or was it less dramatic, by Paul announcing his spiritual authority as an Apostle and making his views clearly known to the meeting as though he was there in person himself. We note from the previous verses in 1 Corinthians 5 that Paul treated the matter extremely seriously, and he expected the church there to adopt a state of mourning and evict the man from their congregation. 

There was an occasion in the Bible where someone was transported by the Holy Spirit to another location. Philip was one of the early deacons engaged to serve the church in Jerusalem, but an angel told him to go to a certain place where he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a civil servant to the queen there. We can read the account of the interaction between Philip and the eunuch in Acts 8, which resulted in a baptismal service taking place in an adjacent lake or river. And we then read in Acts 8:39, “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing”. In another place, we read what happened to the Apostle John in Revelation 1:10, “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet“. John was caught up into a spiritual realm where he received his amazing Revelation. But as far as Paul was concerned, there was nothing more dramatic than the spectre of his letter and the instructions contained therein hanging over the Corinthian congregation as they discussed what to do. 

What happened to the man that Paul said should be evicted from the church? We don’t really know, although this might have been the man in 2 Corinthians 2:5:8, “I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him“. If it was the same man, then Paul’s presence “in the spirit” was enough to bring about change and reconciliation. 

Practically, today, for us pilgrims, we too must be careful and observant in listening to the Holy Spirit about what is happening in our churches and fellowships. The enemy will always try to find a way to drive wedges between believers over something that starts small and apparently insignificant, but in the end grows into a big issue that splits a church. There is a tendency for believers in a congregation to “go with the flow” when it comes to certain matters, but instead, believers must be led by the Spirit to make sure a situation as occurred in Corinth never happens. We must pray for our leaders and congregations that God’s wisdom will prevail.

Dear Father God. We do indeed pray for our pastors and other leaders, that You will grant them wisdom and power through Your Spirit. Please also fill us afresh with Your Spirit so that we can walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Living In Sin

Posted on by korgrocker

“I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.”
1 Corinthians 5:1-2 NLT

What a mess! A man in Corinth, presumably a member of the Corinthian church, had remarried and introduced another wife and mother to a family that included at least one male child, and this boy, now a man, and his new stepmother were having a sexual relationship. And not one apparently undertaken behind closed doors and in secret. The whole church knew about it, and the scandal was such that news of it reached Paul in Ephesus. Worse, the Corinthian church apparently condoned it. First of all, this was a situation that the Jews took extremely seriously, as we read in Leviticus 20:11, “If a man violates his father by having sex with one of his father’s wives, both the man and the woman must be put to death, for they are guilty of a capital offence”. In other words, in the days when this was written by Moses, stoning to death would have resulted. What was happening in Corinth was an incestuous relationship, and even the secular standards of those days in the Greek culture did not think this right. From a Christian perspective, this was a terrible situation because any sexual relationship outside of marriage was considered a sin. 

In Genesis 2:24, the basis of marriage was laid down as God’s order for husband and wife relationships. “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one”. The writer to the Hebrews was also very clear about any sexual relationship outside marriage. Hebrews 13:4, “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”. This man in the Corinthian church was committing adultery with his stepmother, and Paul was angered enough to write to the people there. Adultery is defined as voluntary sexual activity between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse. It is included in what the Bible calls sexual immorality, and there are plenty of verses that warn against getting involved with such a sin. For example, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6, “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honour— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before“.  

Jesus upheld the Law concerning adultery, but He went further in His definition of adultery. He said, “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Jesus called out the men in these verses, but it equally applies to women as well. And He went on to include divorce in His definition of adultery. “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). But in these 21st Century days of provocative dressing, it is very hard for believing men and women to follow Jesus’ teaching and we need to call upon the help of the Holy Spirit to keep us pure and holy before God.

God gave us very strict laws about any form of sexual immorality, and that hasn’t changed since the days of Creation. So, it is a damning indictment of the Corinthian church that they allowed an adulterous and immoral sexual relationship to flourish within their midst. Paul was quite right to call it out and deal with it. His remedy was for the man to be removed from the church.

For Christians today, “living in sin” is prohibited. It is joked about in our society, but in reality, it is a serious situation. Records of marriages in recent years show that over 90% of them were between couples who were previously “living in sin”, perhaps indicating that such relationships outside of marriage have become socially acceptable in our secular societies. So what happens when one of these cohabiting couples comes to church, wants to become members, and the congregation finds out? There has to be an acceptance of them in love, of course (not accepting what they are doing, though), but the pastoral team will embark on a course of correction, involving repentance and restoration to the way God has ordained. But with an adulterous relationship that involves a couple who refuse to change their ways, there is no alternative but to ask them to leave the church or fellowship. Sad, but that is what our faith teaches.

As with any sin, restoration to a position of righteousness and holiness comes through repentance involving turning away from committing the sin any more. In Ephesians 4:30, Paul wrote, “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption“. Just a few verses before, Paul also wrote,“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21-24). In God, we are a new creation, living for Him. This life is a training ground for what is to come. We can’t get to Heaven with one foot in the kingdom of the world and the other in the Kingdom of God. Look what Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

But as with any sin, we pilgrims are always on the alert. Our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, and leading people, even believers, into sexual sins is one of his weapons. Remember the snake in the Garden – “surely God didn’t say …”?

Father God. We repent of all our sins, sexual or otherwise. And for those who are weaker in the faith and caught up in situations seemingly beyond their control, we pray for opportunities to help them and restore them to Your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Belonging

Posted on by korgrocker

“Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”
Romans 13:13-14 NLT

We mustn’t forget that Paul was writing to the Roman Christians, early trail-blazers of the movement that has changed the world. The followers of Christ found themselves in a place that was totally incomprehensible to the pagans around them, and they would have been under constant pressure to join the customs prevalent around them. Paul lists a few of the darker attributes of this society, and he mentions “wild parties” and “drunkenness”, “sexual promiscuity and immoral living”. And the early Christians would have been invited to join in with the practices of their neighbours and previous friends. Only a strong person filled with the Holy Spirit would have been able to stand firm and give a resounding “NO!”. 

For those in our Western societies, Paul’s admonition is just as valid. I know from my own experiences in the workplace of the pressure to join the after-work drinking sessions, or the invitations to join in with the special functions to places of dubious morality. There was always the office banter that had its roots in the darker sides of life, and that merged with reality when guards were down. Inevitably I found myself on the outside of the social life promoted in the office environment, but that was ok for me. Unfortunately, I have known Christian friends who were less resilient.

Paul’s admonition to those early Christians, and to us, was and is clear. Because we are Jesus people we live in the light of His presence. Not for us the cohabiting with deeds of darkness. We belong to Jesus, a daytime experience that is there for all to see. Jesus Himself preached about living in the light. In Matthew 5:14-16 He said, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father”.

In our societies, our workplaces, our schools and colleges, and anywhere else where we find ourselves, what message are we portraying? Are we a Jesus-beacon, bringing His light into an otherwise dark place? Or is our presence not very illuminating? That is the challenge to Christians everywhere. To whom or to what do we belong? Paul’s message was clear – because we belong to the light we have to act in that way. So we don’t get involved in activities more suited to the dark places of life. We keep away from places of temptation. We shun promiscuous opportunities. If we have a predisposition to the love of alcohol, then become teetotal. If internet pornography is an attraction, then we block the websites, or even turn off the router. Paul wrote, “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ”. And as we look into His face we will see Him clearly, and as a result “the things of earth will grow strangely dim”. We pilgrims belong to the light. With God’s help we can stay that way.

Father God. We thank You for Your help in righteous living. Please help us to stay away from temptation. In Jesus’ name. Amen

A Hint Too Far?

Posted on by korgrocker

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: no immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Ephesians 5:3-5 NIVUK

These three verses need a bit of unpacking. Paul covered a lot of ground in the theatre of human behaviour when he wrote them. It’s all very well for him to be writing about things like “sexual immorality” but what did he mean, specifically? Similarly, with “impurity”. Can we, or should we, develop a set of rules and regulations, a sort of New Testament version of the Jewish Halakha? The questions continue with “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking”. Again, what was the Holy Spirit saying to him as he wrote this? And how can we avoid violating these “must nots” and “should nots”? The last verse today ends with a warning – “no immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” I think we can all agree that there is something important, no – essential, in these verses. 

But before we head for Google to try and throw some light on the dilemma, here are a few thoughts for today’s pilgrims. Firstly, regarding sexual immorality, is what we are doing based on and grounded in love? Not love of ourselves, but love of another? Is what we are doing or saying honouring the other person? Thinking about their highest good? And are we aware of possible consequences further down the roads of life? Scriptures that come to mind are 1 Corinthians 13. But also, how about 1 John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters”? There have been many examples where the short term seeking of pleasure has led to long term grief and distress. The act of sex is a wonderful God-given gift and not one to be abused, distorted and violated. Instead, it is an essential part of humanity, to be enjoyed in God’s presence and in accordance with His guidance.

Paul continued to write about impurity and greed. Impurity is the opposite of what God demands of His people – Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Impure people, it seems, won’t get into God’s presence. In a chemical sense, impurities can corrupt and reduce the worth of a compound. And so it is with us; if we allow anything into our lives that corrupts and destroys our integrity, we become impure. A lie perhaps. A slanderous comment about someone we know. The potential for impurity is limitless. We need to be on our guard at all times.

Greed is normally associated with the excess consumption of food but it can apply to anything we do. A hoarder of money perhaps? Greedy people grab what they can, often to the detriment of those around them. The last sandwich on the plate. Or chocolate in a box. Buying two hamburgers when one would have been sufficient. But in the process of greed, we can become corrupted in our behaviour, always looking out for ourselves and not putting the interests and needs of others first.

But in everything we do, we should shine on it the light of God’s perspective. I remember rubber wrist bands being handed out at a youth conference some years ago, with the letters WWJD written of them. The letters forming an acronym, “What Would Jesus Do”. Perhaps the best advice of all. Because Jesus loved everyone. He had compassion on all those He met. His grace for others knew no bounds. He knew the right way to behave and live a life to purity.

Paul finally wrote that thanksgiving should replace “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking”. This is a hard one, especially in the work place, where group talk can quickly descend into a negative place. But such difficulties can occur anywhere in society around us. And as pilgrims we have to develop the skills to step back from such offence, instead elevating ourselves into a zone of thankfulness.

Summing up, impure behaviour at any level moves us into a sin-zone. Into dangerous territory. But thankfully, our loving Heavenly Father knows our human frailties and will always welcome a repentant sinner home.