“You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you.”
1 Corinthians 4:8 NLT
It seems some sort of arrogant pride had crept into the Corinthian church, and the people there had come up with a new worship song – “We’ll do it our way”. They had this view of life that they had “arrived” at the Christian destination here on earth, a place called “Utopia”, where they had pleasures, possessions, and power. They didn’t think they had any need for preachers and leaders like Apollos and Paul, and they spent their time criticising and judging them rather than listening to what they had to say. But Paul said that the world they were reigning in, the one they thought was God’s Kingdom, was not one that he recognised. And so perhaps they were in danger of becoming a self-serving cult with no need of an outside influence. In fact, they had reached a situation without any accountability, and because of that, they were in danger of irrelevance and error. The ultimate place for such a church was as Jesus warned the Ephesians about in Revelation 2:5 – a church marginalised and irrelevant. “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches”. Paul said that the Corinthian Christians were so self-reliant that they were acting as wealthy people who already had all they wanted instead of as people who would have much to gain from Christ. They were living as if they were kings, passing judgment on others and doing as they pleased when they pleased. They were not living as people under authority and in submission to God’s will.
Fast forward to 21st-century churches today, and what do we find? Western Christians have a huge obstacle, and that is their wealth. In an environment with no persecution, and one in which people go to church every now and then because it is the socially accepted thing to do. They go home to a nice house, food in the fridge, an expensive car in the drive, and no fear of a knock at the door and being hauled off to a gaol somewhere because of their beliefs. Back in the home, they “roast” the preacher during their Sunday lunch and cast judgments over his sermon. They live as though they are already kings, with no fear of the future, thinking that God Himself has that in hand. Of course, there will be mild but fearful thoughts of death one day, but in the meantime, “let’s eat, drink and be merry”. Jesus said some strong words to the church in Laodicea that we would do well to listen to today. Revelation 3:15-19 (MSG), “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless. “Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see. “The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!” So many believers today have trouble discerning their spiritual lives, instead equating their “riches” with God’s favour. Of course, there may be an element of truth in that, but living a life God’s way will lead to riches that most worldly people know nothing about. Unless such people can see something before their eyes, they reject its existence.
Regarding riches, Jesus warned His generation about the trap waiting for people to fall into. He said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21). As usual, Jesus put His finger on the very problem that exists in our society today. A timeless statement that has echoed down the centuries and generations since. And the sad thing is that so many people have nothing but think they have everything. God’s economy is opposite to that in the world’s kingdom.
Paul was quite sarcastic with the Corinthians when he exposed their problem. Wrong thinking had crept into their church, bringing with it a view of Christianity that had abandoned the simplicity of the Message of the Cross. They had extracted the good bits about power and kingship and had abandoned the basics such as humility and openness to God’s teachings. Was it a universal problem in their church, impacting the whole congregation, or were there still some who were on the right path? In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”. Jesus said to the Laodiceans, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:20-21). There was hope for the Corinthians just as there is hope for our churches today. Not every congregation of believers in our generation is afflicted with the Corinthian spirit. There are many who hear the voice of Jesus through their preachers and leaders, and such fellowships are growing spiritually and in numbers. But sadly, there are also others that are fading away, as the congregation slowly dies out. Paul warned Timothy about such a congregation in 2 Timothy 3:4-5, “They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religiously, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
But we pilgrims are not like that. We pursue the God of the Bible and are obedient to all He says to us. When the messages from the pulpit are difficult to hear, then we get before God and ask for help, always with a humble spirit, expressing the willingness to learn. And day by day, we grow in the light of God’s grace, chosen and loved, and assured of our salvation.
Dear Father God. Is that a knocking we hear at the door of our hearts? We pray that we will always allow Jesus to enter and will never lock the door, keeping in shut before Him. In His precious name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 