LOOSE ATTACHMENTS

 

LOOSE ATTACHMENTS

I Cor. 7:30-31 Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God’s work. Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away. NLT

As children of God, there is nothing that should keep us from serving the Lord. Serving the Lord is not dependent on external circumstances; it is the natural response of the heart that loves the Lord and is grateful for all He has done for us. Serving is not an option for those who are truly living in Christ; it is a necessity.

We are given many resources in life to use for God’s glory. The Lord blesses His children in different ways and in varied degrees. No matter what we have available to us, we should use what we have to serve Him.

We have a tendency to get attached to the things we have instead of using them for God’s glory. We get our eyes off of the Lord and onto the things we have. We must guard our souls in this area. No matter what you have or how much of it you have, it will all pass away and turn to dust. No one who builds his life on what the world has to offer will ever find in those things the happiness or satisfaction he is looking for.

Be aware of your blessings and be thankful for them. Ask the Lord to show you ways to use them for Him. Give Him ownership of you and all you have, and you will find the peace, contentment and joy your soul longs for.

DO NOT SUE

 

DO NOT SUE

I Cor. 6:1-2 When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular judge to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right? Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide these little things among yourselves? NLT

It is so easy to take people to court. The reasons vary, but the courts are full of people suing other people over often trivial matters. I believe one of the reasons why there is so much of this going on is that we are driven by selfishness and greed. We want what we want, and we don't care how we get it. If we have to make life miserable for others, then so be it.

We, as the body of Christ, should be different. We should not allow self-interests or greed drive us to treat others in an ungodly way. We ought to love each other in Christ and when differences arrive, settle things with godly advice and wisdom and not the guidance of the secular world. There may be times in which going to court is unavoidable, but it should be done only if all other means of reconciliation and restoration have failed. Church business should be done in the church, not the courts.

When it becomes necessary be for the church to decide matters amongst her members, it should always be done at the feet of Jesus. Prayer should always guide and govern our thinking so that the will of God can be discerned.

How we settle our disagreements speaks volumes about the integrity of our hearts before God. It is better to right and wronged than it is to be vindicated and create a broken fellowship that cannot be mended.

ONE;S SIN AFFECTS THE WHOLE

 

ONE’S SIN AFFECTS THE WHOLE

I Cor. 5:6 How terrible that you boast about your spirituality, and yet you let this sort of thing go on. Don't you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all we be affected? NLT

There was a terrible sin going on in the church at Corinth. One of the church members was having an affair with his, mother. It evidently was going on in public and no one in the church seemed to care too much about it. The sinning parties were a part of the church. They were not held accountable for their sinful actions.

Yet, the church was testifying to their godliness. They were professing faith in Christ and encouraging others to do so. They didn't seem to believe that what one of them was doing mattered as far as their witness was concerned.

The Church is a community. The lives of the community are intertwined. What is done in the community affects the whole community. When sin rears its ugly head in the church, it cannot be ignored. The witness of the life-changing Gospel is directly affected.

The standards of the Gospel have no value if they don't change the living of those who profess to live by them. When godliness is compromised, the body is weakened and soon many parts of the body are infected. When sin is allowed to be displayed in public, the church loses her right to proclaim the Gospel. It is hypocrisy to preach one thing and then to blatantly live another.

We need to be careful that we don't go on a witch hunt and make public every sin that is committed in the body. Some sin affects the integrity of the body and some don't. We all sin and all sin should not be made public. Some sin should only be dealt with between individuals and God. Others may be between two individuals. There should be great caution used when sin is exposed and dealt with publicly. Great harm to lives and the cause of Christ can happen when we don't. It's a terrible thing to ignore sin in the church. It is equally terrible to bring to public light every known sin in the body. Let us be wise in how we deal with sin. Let us be certain that our actions are directed by the Lord and not us.

And, lest we forget, the Lord clearly told us to look inward at our own sins before we look at the sins of others and judge them.

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW

 

LIVE WHAT YOU KNOW

I Cor. 4:5 So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, he will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due. NLT

Don’t jump to conclusions about another person’s soul. We are so prone to do it. We see what we think determines the status of one’s soul and judge whether or not someone is a child of God or not. While there are certain things that should be true of every believer’s life, we must be very careful about this. We don’t know the heart, only God does. Only God is able to determine whether or not a person is worthy of being His child or not.

We must understand that not everyone has the same knowledge and understanding of God’s ways. We are responsible for living by what we know to be true. The more aware we are of God’s ways, the more like Christ we must be. There is no excuse for disobedience. We must live by what we know is true.

I believe as well that if we are ignorant of God’s way yet have the opportunity to learn and know His ways more than we do that we will be held responsible for not knowing. We cannot plead innocence when we fail to take advantage of the opportunities we are given. God requires of us responsible learning.

The Lord will expose all of our heart’s hidden secrets. He will examine our every motive. He will determine rightly and justly every soul and reward those who are truly His. It is not our right or role to judge another’s soul. Instead, we are to love one another with the love of Christ. We are to build each other up and not tear each other down. There is no room in God’s family for self-righteousness that leads to condemnation.

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

 

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

I Cor. 4:5 So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, he will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due. NLT

It is so easy and tempting to jump to conclusions about another person's faith or lack of it. As long as others fit into our notion of what they should be like, we are comfortable with believing they are one of us. However, if someone breaks the mold and lives (or looks) differently than we do, we are quick to question the rightness of their life before God. Let's admit it. We are all guilty of judging by appearances.

Only God knows the heart of man. God knows whether or not someone is among the faithful. We are very poor in our assessments. We are easily fooled. We are given certain criteria to live by in the Scriptures, and we can be reasonably sure that if someone is not even trying to live by God's standards that they are not among the faithful. But, only God knows for sure. We progress in faith at different rates, and so we must not be quick to conclude that people who are acting in an ungodly way are truly ungodly in heart.

When the Lord comes, He will bring every heart to light. He will embrace those who are in the faith and reject those who aren't. We will be surprised by some who will be embraced and by some who won't be. God knows the motives of the heart and will do what is right. He will reveal every motive and it will be quickly understood why our judgments failed us.

If anyone deserves a pat on the back on Judgment Day, God will do it. We are prone to praise people quickly, whether they deserve it or not. We like to be praised and seldom reject it. But, when God dishes out the praise, it will be a time of great rejoicing. All heaven will rejoice with us, for we will have come home at last.

God's acceptance is all the praise we need or should ever want.

A FLAWED CONSCIENCE

 

A FLAWED CONSCIENCE

I Cor. 4:4 My conscience is clear, but that isn't what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. NLT

It has often been said, "Let your conscience by your guide." There is the assumption that we all know the difference between right and wrong and we will sense guilt or shame when we are tempted to do wrong. While in principle this may be good advice, it simply does not work for many people.

Sin plays havoc with the conscience. Sin can deceive us, distort our perception of right and wrong, and destroy our desire to do right to the point where following our conscience can easily lead us into sin. It is not too hard to look at ourselves in the mirror and feel pretty good about what we see. We may think we are doing alright, when in reality we aren't. When our sense of right and wrong is dulled by sin, our standards are way too low. It is not how we see things that matter, it's what God says about things that matter.

The Lord is the one who will judge us and decide whether or not we are right before Him. The standard upon which He judges us is His holiness as revealed in His Word. He tells us clearly how we are to be, what we are to do, and what ought to be on our minds. It is the Lord we must please, not ourselves.

Do not depend on the world to help you know what is right from wrong; depend on God’s Word to show you. Man’s thinking is flawed. The world’s standards are much lower than the Lord’s. The world will try to justify sinful behavior and pass it off as normal and good for man. The higher your standards are, the more you will be able to depend on your conscience to keep you on the pathway that leads to God.

Can you look into the mirror of God's Word and still say your conscious is clear?

CHRIST, OUR FOUNDATION

 

CHRIST, OUR FOUNDATION

I Cor. 3:10-11 Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have---Jesus Christ. NLT

The Church is big and diversified. There is a church for just about any preference. And, if none is found, new churches are started. We are created with a need for worship. We all worship someone or something. The thing that plagues us is that we can't agree on how we ought to worship God. We are convinced that our own experience with God is the only really valid one and that all should conform to our understanding of Him. The more the population grows, the more diversified the Church becomes. It makes me wonder if it is selfishness that is at the root of our diversity, or God. Does God really want the Church to be so fragmented? I wonder.

I also wonder, "What other kind of foundations are being laid in Jesus' name that are not Jesus?" Is it reasonable to assume that every church that bears Jesus' name has Jesus as her foundation? Or, can we agree that many things being done in Jesus' name are missing Jesus as their foundation? To what extent are we confident that Jesus is the foundation upon which we are building our lives? Do you know for certain that you are living for Jesus alone? Is He the reason why you do what you do in life? Any foundation in life that is not Christ, will crumble and fall.

If you are building your life on Christ, then you will do so carefully. You will take great pain in being sure that you are doing it right and not shoddily. You will be sure that others can easily build on what has already been built in your life. You will be a good example of godly living so that those who look up to you or look at you will know that Jesus alone is why you are who you are and the way to live and die. You will pave the way for others to continue your legacy of faith. You will count it a privilege to be an example to others and rejoice when others build on the foundation of faith you laid.

You only have one opportunity to get the foundation right. Once the building goes up, it is too late. Don't mess around. Be sure your foundation is right so that those who come behind you will build their lives on a sure foundation. Your life does matter. Don't waste it.

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

 

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

I Cor. 3:16-17 Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple. NLT

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. He is reminding them that together they are God's dwelling place. Individually and collectively, we are the temple of God. We are where God chooses to live. We have been given a sacred trust by God, to take care of His temple. Historically, God's chosen people did a very poor job of taking care of the Temple. They allowed it to fall into ruin because of their sinful rebellion against God. They chose to leave God out of their lives, despite the many warnings God had given them to repent and obey him.

We must ask ourselves, "Are we taking care of God's temple?" Individually, are we striving to please God in all we do? Are we seeking Him out through the disciplines of faith---meditation and study of His Word, prayer, service, and fellowship? Do we notice when we slack off and the temple begins to weaken and crumble? Are we careful to attend to the problems we notice before they get any worse?

Collectively, are we attentive to what is going on in our church? Are we addressing issues before they become real issues that divide and destroy? Do we insist on accountability within the body? Are we striving to do what is right in God's eyes in all we do? Is your church in disrepair? If so, are you setting a good example for others to follow? Are you insisting on submission and obedience to God's Word?

And, if the church you worship and have fellowship in refuses to change and submit to godly teaching and living, what are you doing about it? We become like those whom we associate with. The longer you stay amongst a wayward people, the more like them you will become. Sometimes we need to move on for our soul's sake. We need to be in an environment where spiritual growth can take place. We need to be challenged and nourished. We need others who will spur us on and not hold us down.

Are you taking care of the temple of God, your soul? You are responsible for the shape it is in and God will hold you responsible for it.

CHRIST, OUR FOUNDATION

 

CHRIST, OUR FOUNDATION

I Cor. 3:10-11 Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have---Jesus Christ. NLT

The Church is big and diversified. There is a church for just about any preference. And, if none is found, new churches are started. We are created with a need for worship. We all worship someone or something. The thing that plagues us is that we can't agree on how we ought to worship God. We are convinced that our own experience with God is the only really valid one and that all should conform to our understanding of Him. The more the population grows, the more diversified the Church becomes. It makes me wonder if it is selfishness that is at the root of our diversity, or God. Does God really want the Church to be so fragmented? I wonder.

I also wonder, "What other kind of foundations are being laid in Jesus' name that are not Jesus?" Is it reasonable to assume that every church that bears Jesus' name has Jesus as her foundation? Or, can we agree that many things being done in Jesus' name are missing Jesus as their foundation? To what extent are we confident that Jesus is the foundation upon which we are building our lives? Do you know for certain that you are living for Jesus alone? Is He the reason why you do what you do in life? Any foundation in life that is not Christ, will crumble and fall.

If you are building your life on Christ, then you will do so carefully. You will take great pain in being sure that you are doing it right and not shoddily. You will be sure that others can easily build on what has already been built in your life. You will be a good example of godly living so that those who look up to you or look at you will know that Jesus alone is why you are who you are and the way to live and die. You will pave the way for others to continue your legacy of faith. You will count it a privilege to be an example to others and rejoice when others build on the foundation of faith you laid.

You only have one opportunity to get the foundation right. Once the building goes up, it is too late. Don't mess around. Be sure your foundation is right so that those who come behind you will build their lives on a sure foundation. Your life does matter. Don't waste it.

ARE YOU FAITHFUL?

 

ARE YOU FAITHFUL?

I Cor. 4:2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. NLT

Are you a faithful servant? No matter what or who the Lord has put you in charge of, are you faithfully serving Him? In all you do, are you representing Christ well?

We cannot take a vacation from our responsibilities as ambassadors for Christ. There is no part of our lives in which we can't faithfully serve the Lord. In fact, if we are not faithful servants of Christ all the time, we are not living rightly with God. His presence influences every part of our lives every day.

The command is clear, faithfulness is required of all. We are to manage our homes and businesses in a God-honoring and glorifying way. Being a manager is often a very difficult and stressful role to play. People don't always cooperate and some are downright defiant. Some people will go out of their way to challenge a manager's authority. Some think they know better than the boss does and will do all they can do to prove it.

A good manager doesn't abandon the ship when the going gets rough. He knows the bigger picture and how to get there. He stays the course on that which is right. He doesn't cave in to the pressure of those who would resist him. He remains faithful to the task given him to do.

A good manager does not take his job lightly. He takes responsibility for his actions and does his best to make sure that what he does is done right.

The Lord has placed certain people in your life to manage well. He wants you to stand strong on that which is true and not bend to the pressure of abandoning ship. The Lord has placed His confidence and trust in you to do your job and serve Him well.

Are you a faithful servant?

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

 

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

I Cor. 3:16-17 Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple. NLT

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. He is reminding them that together they are God's dwelling place. Individually and collectively, we are the temple of God. We are where God chooses to live. We have been given a sacred trust by God, to take care of His temple. Historically, God's chosen people did a very poor job of taking care of the Temple. They allowed it to fall into ruin because of their sinful rebellion against God. They chose to leave God out of their lives, despite the many warnings God had given them to repent and obey him.

We must ask ourselves, "Are we taking care of God's temple?" Individually, are we striving to please God in all we do? Are we seeking Him out through the disciplines of faith---meditation and study of His Word, prayer, service, and fellowship? Do we notice when we slack off and the temple begins to weaken and crumble? Are we careful to attend to the problems we notice before they get any worse?

Collectively, are we attentive to what is going on in our church? Are we addressing issues before they become real issues that divide and destroy? Do we insist on accountability within the body? Are we striving to do what is right in God's eyes in all we do? Is your church in disrepair? If so, are you setting a good example for others to follow? Are you insisting on submission and obedience to God's Word?

And, if the church you worship and have fellowship in refuses to change and submit to godly teaching and living, what are you doing about it? We become like those whom we associate with. The longer you stay amongst a wayward people, the more like them you will become. Sometimes we need to move on for our soul's sake. We need to be in an environment where spiritual growth can take place. We need to be challenged and nourished. We need others who will spur us on and not hold us down.

Are you taking care of the temple of God, your soul? You are responsible for the shape it is in and God will hold you responsible for it.

CHRIST, OUR FOUNDATION

 

CHRIST, OUR FOUNDATION

I Cor. 3:10-11 Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have---Jesus Christ. NLT

The Church is big and diversified. There is a church for just about any preference. And, if none is found, new churches are started. We are created with a need for worship. We all worship someone or something. The thing that plagues us is that we can't agree on how we ought to worship God. We are convinced that our own experience with God is the only really valid one and that all should conform to our understanding of Him. The more the population grows, the more diversified the Church becomes. It makes me wonder if it is selfishness that is at the root of our diversity, or God. Does God really want the Church to be so fragmented? I wonder.

I also wonder, "What other kind of foundations are being laid in Jesus' name that are not Jesus?" Is it reasonable to assume that every church that bears Jesus' name has Jesus as her foundation? Or, can we agree that many things being done in Jesus' name are missing Jesus as their foundation? To what extent are we confident that Jesus is the foundation upon which we are building our lives? Do you know for certain that you are living for Jesus alone? Is He the reason why you do what you do in life? Any foundation in life that is not Christ, will crumble and fall.

If you are building your life on Christ, then you will do so carefully. You will take great pain in being sure that you are doing it right and not shoddily. You will be sure that others can easily build on what has already been built in your life. You will be a good example of godly living so that those who look up to you or look at you will know that Jesus alone is why you are who you are and the way to live and die. You will pave the way for others to continue your legacy of faith. You will count it a privilege to be an example to others and rejoice when others build on the foundation of faith you laid.

You only have one opportunity to get the foundation right. Once the building goes up, it is too late. Don't mess around. Be sure your foundation is right so that those who come behind you will build their lives on a sure foundation. Your life does matter. Don't waste it.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT

 

WHAT IS IMPORTANT

I Cor. 3:7-9 The ones who do the planting or watering aren't important, But God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God's field, God's building---not ours. NLT

This text ought to be engraved on every pulpit, and etched on every heart. Every church ought to become so convinced of these truths that they become the governing practice of the church. Every college and seminary that prepares students for ministry ought to preach and teach these verses in every classroom until everyone gets it. In God's kingdom, there is no hierarchy! God does not elevate one person over another and give them special honor among men. God does not deem anyone better than anyone else. So, why do we?

We somehow have gotten the idea that certain individuals are more important or special to God because of what they do or who they are. In some circles we adorn ourselves in order to make a distinction between us and them. Some people begin to believe their attention is justified and relish in it. Some people use their position of leadership to serve themselves rather than God or His people.

We must understand and believe what Paul is saying in our text today. Each one of us is given a role to play in the body of Christ. Where we are placed is based on how we are created and led through life by God. Every role is equally important to the work of the kingdom. We are responsible to God for the faithful fulfillment of our role and for the attitude we have about our role. Every person in the body of Christ is an equal partner with everyone else. No one is better or worse than anyone else. God makes no distinction between His children. We are all on equal footing.

When we distort our standings in the church and honor some over others, it is sin. No one, no matter who they are or what they do, deserves to be put on a pedestal. There is no distinction of people in the church, just different roles to play. Do not let anyone put themselves above you because their role may be more visible than yours. Do not compare yourself with others. Everyone in the Church must answer to God for the role they have been given to play in the Church. Faithfully do what God has given you to do and leave the rest up to Him.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUTH

 

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUTH

I Cor. 2:14 But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. NLT

Don't be surprised or alarmed because the world "doesn't get it". Unless the Spirit of God reveals it to them, the Gospel seems foolish and not worthy of attention. When the Spirit reveals wonderful truths to you and you think that you have discovered the key to convincing someone that they need Christ, don't be surprised when they don't see what you see. Only those who have the Spirit to guide them into the truth can grasp the truth. What we learn as we grow in Christ is not understood by those who are not growing with us. The Spirit does not give anyone more of the truth than they can handle.

The simple truths of the Gospel are given to those who can only grasp simple things, and the deeper truths of the Gospel are only given to those who by faith have grown in their relationship with God. Don't expect more out of people than they can handle. Unless the Spirit of Christ draws them to Him, the world will reject the Gospel message as foolishness.

The light shines in the darkness, but it is not seen by most to whom it is shown. Most in the darkness prefer to stay in the dark so that they don’t have to deal with the light or change because of what they discover in the light.

If you can understand the truths of the Gospel, thank the Lord for helping you understand. Thank Him for His wisdom and guiding you into all truth. If you can’t understand what the Spirit wants you to know, don’t give up. Seek the Lord sincerely with all your heart, and He will guide you into all truth.

INSIGHTFUL LIVING

 

INSIGHTFUL LIVING

I Cor. 2:14 But people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. NLT

Those who aren’t Christians will never understand the things of God as revealed through His Spirit. It seems foolish to them that man can have a personal relationship with God. It is beyond their ability to know what it is like to be forgiven of their sins and have a pure heart before God. They cannot know how awful the punishment will be for sin or that there can even be a punishment. They cannot comprehend what life is like without elusive peace or how anyone can have joy and satisfaction of soul.

Only those who live in Christ can understand these things. We understand what it is like to have a real relationship with a real God. We understand what it is like to have a reason to live and a reason to die. We understand that this life is not all there is, that there is a glorious life ahead for those who die in Christ. We know that life can be lived without guilt and shame as we resist sin in our lives. We experience the joys of sins forgiven and sins forgotten by a holy God.

Everything the Spirit reveals to us about God makes sense to us. We are not confused about spiritual things. We know the truth and it frees us from our confusions about life and the holy life. The Spirit guides us into all truth and reassures us all the time that we are indeed children of God. And the Spirit enables us to accept those things we can’t fully understand through faith in God as true. We learn that it is okay to not know and understand all things.

Don’t expect non-Christians to know what you know about the Christian life. It is hidden from them unless they repent and surrender their hearts over to Christ.