Living Word August 2013 by Sharon Full Gospel Church

Living Word Magazine Going Deeper into Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word Issue 24 August 2013

Bible Studies This Month from: W i l l i am F . P. B urt o n , M at he w B a r tl e tt , R e i nh ard B o n nke , D an i e l K o l e n da , E dw i n & Li l l i an H ar ve y, K e n L e g g & m o re !

The fields are white for harvest John 4:35

Bible Studies Online International

www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk MY FOOD IS TO DO THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME AND COMPLETE HIS WORK JOHN 4:34 ©Photos above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov

In this month’s issue: 3.

The Law Will Help Me Fight Against Sin? Ken Legg (Australia)

The God-Blinded Soul

Have I Misunderstood God’s Plan?

Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)

Prophet of the Broken Heart (8)

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

10.

Faith-builders: Matthew 3 Bible study

12.

Poem: I Never Knew

14.

Truth for Today – Laodicea

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

17.

In Depth Study – 1 Corinthians 6

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

22.

Bible Teachings: GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)

Derek Williams (UK) Anonymous

William F. P. Burton (Congo)

©Photos above © Photoquest. Cover: © Rtimages Left © from top: Blaze 86, Pidiyath100,Godfer, Sebastian Grecu, and Littlemacproductions. Back Cover: Rorem

Living Word Magazine is published in the United Kingdom by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett

IN THIS ISSUE

The Message of Mark

The Blessings of God’s Grace – Ephesians

Paperback

Kindle

Les Benedictions de la Grace de Dieu

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

French Paperback

Kindle

Paperback

French Kindle

The Pentecostal Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians

The Message of Amos – A Warning for Today

Paperback

Kindle

www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk 2

Myths about Grace: #1 The Law Will Help Me Fight Against Sin

by Ken Legg A common belief is that the law will help us to fight against sin and lead a godly life. This is a myth. Even Paul was deceived by this lie.

Probably 1-2 weeks. You, like Paul, were deceived.

sin, it actually made him want to sin.

The Law Incites Us To Sin, Not Holiness!

Most Christians know that we can read an account of Paul’s salvation in Acts 9. What many do not know, however, is that in Romans 7 we are given his own testimony of how, after he was saved, he tried to beat sin’s power by means of the law. He explains how he thought that if he worked together with the law he would live a holy life. He later confesses that he was conned:

Paul explains that the law has the exact opposite effect. Instead of making you a better person it incites you to sin. “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death” (Rom.7:5).

Dear friend, God’s way for you and me to experience holiness is not by marrying us to an external law, but by giving us an indwelling Saviour. We don’t have law, but life; we don’t have rules, but relationship. God doesn’t work from the outside in, but from the inside out.

“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me” (Rom.7:11). Most likely you too have been taken in by this lie. You may have heard preaching that goes something like this: “If you want more power in your life you need to spend more time in prayer.” And you have responded, “Yes! That’s what I am going to do. From now on I am going to get up earlier each morning and pray for two hours. I am going to be a person of prayer. I am going to be a powerful Christian!” Did that result in more power in your life? No. (Remember, everything God wants to do in your life is already paid for.) And how long did you keep that up?

Why is that? Because the law touches the point of our rebellion. It places thoughts in our minds that weren’t previously there. For example, on some stretches of the motorway in Australia the speed limit is 110 kph. That limit puts a rebellious thought in the minds of some motorists. The thought is this: “I can drive at 115 kph, just beyond the legal limit, and get away with it. Police have to allow for a margin of error so I’ll be OK.” In a similar way the law kept putting sinful desires into Paul’s heart. “But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead” (Rom.7:8). He later goes on to explain that the very things it prohibited were the very things he wanted to do. Not only was the law powerless to help him in his fight against 3

This is what He promised us under the new covenant: “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts” (Heb.8:10). The One who completely fulfilled all of God’s laws, lives inside of us. As we walk by faith in the Son of God we work out that perfect life which indwells us. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil.2:12&13).

Grace Roots by Ken Legg

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The God-Blinded Soul An extract from “Royal Insignia” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey

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For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. . . . that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men (1 Cor. 2:2,5). THOMAS Kelly was Professor of both Eastern and Western Philosophy in various Quaker colleges and secular universities throughout the United States. He came into a living, vital relationship with God at forty-four years of age which changed his entire outlook for the four brief years remaining to him. We quote from his deeply devotional book, A Testament of Devotion: “What trinkets we have sought after in life, the pursuit of what petty trifles has wasted our years as we have ministered to the enhancement of our own little selves! And what needless anguishes we have suffered because our little selves were defeated, were not flattered, were not cozened and petted! But the blinding God blots out this self and gives humility and true selfhood as wholly full of Him. For as He gives obedience so He graciously gives to us what measure of humility we will accept. Even that is not our own, but His who also gives us obedience. “But the humility of the Godblinded soul endures only so long

as we look steadily at the Sun. Growth in humility is a measure of our growth in the habit of the Godward-directed mind. And he only is near to God who is exceedingly humble. The last depths of holy and voluntary poverty are not in financial poverty, important as that is: they are in poverty of spirit, in meekness and lowliness of soul. . . . “The fruits of holy obedience are many, but two are so closely linked together that they can scarcely be treated separately. They are the passion for personal holiness and the sense of utter humility. God inflames the soul with a craving for absolute purity. But He, in His glorious otherness, empties us of ourselves in order that He may become all. “Humility does not rest, in final count, upon bafflement and discouragement and self-disgust at our shabby lives, a brow-beaten, dog-slinking attitude. It rests upon the disclosure of the consummate wonder of God, upon finding that only God counts, that all our own self-originated intensions are works of straw. And so in lowly humility we must stick close to the Root and count our own powers as nothing except as they are enslaved in His power.

“But O, how slick and weasel-like is self-pride! Our learnedness creeps into our sermons with a clever quotation which adds nothing to God’s glory but a bit to our own. Our cleverness in business competition earns as much selfflattery as does the possession of the money itself. . . . Our status as ‘weighty friends’ gives us secret pleasures which we scarcely own to ourselves, yet thrive upon. Yes, even pride in our own humility is one of the devil’s own tricks. “But humility rests upon a holy blindness, like the blindness of him who looks steadily into the sun. For wherever he turns his eyes on earth, there he sees only the sun. The God-blinded soul sees naught of self, naught of personal degradation or of personal eminence, but only the Holy Will working impersonally through him, through others, as one objective Life and Power.” Worldlings prize their gems of beauty; Cling to gilded toys of dust; Boast of wealth, and fame, and pleasure; only Jesus will I trust. Since mine eyes were fixed on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside; So enchained my spirit’s vision; looking at the Crucified. —Mary D. James.

Have I Misunderstood God’s Plan for My Life? A Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda (CfaN) Photo: © Sebastian Grecu

Here is another common misconception: God Wants Everyone to Go Into Full-Time Ministry I have often seen how people have experienced disasters in ministry because they felt the tugging of God’s call on their lives and they misinterpreted that as being a call into full-time, fivefold vocational ministry. Even if you have an anointing to preach or teach, a strong desire to win the lost, or a unique charismatic ministry gift such as prophecy or healing, it does not necessarily mean God wants you to quit your job and start a church. Like the apostle Paul I have the tendency to wish everyone were like I am, going to the nations and preaching the Gospel full time. But we must not forget that “each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another” (1 Cor. 7:7, AMP). If you venture outside the call and gift of God, you will not have the grace to do the job, and this could be disastrous for the one who has wrongly discerned God’s call and all those

unfortunate enough to wind up under his leadership. I come from a long line of ministers. I am the fifth generation of preachers coming from my father’s side of the family. My grandfather on my mother’s side was also a pastor. My wife’s father is also a pastor. Needless to say, I’ve been around a lot of ministry. I think a lot of people assumed that I went into the ministry because that is what was expected of me by my family, but it is quite the opposite. In fact, my father often counselled me by saying, “If you can do anything else—do it.” In other words if you can be happy doing something other than fulltime ministry, you’re probably not called to it. The truth is that occupational fivefold ministry is not for everyone and should not be assumed without a clear and certain call. Yet many people who have not received the call to “ministry” still have a burning desire to serve the Lord. The good news is that serving God does not always mean becoming a preacher. 5

The Kingdom of God needs ambassadors in every area of society. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells two stories with the same moral. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spoke he unto them; the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. MATTHEW 13:31–33 The picture Jesus is painting through these two parables is clear. The Kingdom of Heaven is designed to grow, multiply, and infiltrate all that it comes in contact with, just like the small, seemingly insignificant mustard seed grows to become the greatest of the herbs in the garden, a tree large enough for birds to live in. And just as the small measure of leaven infiltrates

every ounce of the lump of meal in which it has been hidden, in the same way God’s kingdom is intended, not to be confined behind the stained-glass windows of beautiful churches, but to permeate the planet. That can never happen if the only ones doing the work of the ministry are the apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. Instead God’s plan is for the real work of the ministry to be done by the plumbers, the high school teachers, the landscapers, the lawyers, and the doctors. We need men and women who carry the glory of God and the Gospel witness into the White House, Hollywood, Wall Street, Main Street, and every other area of culture and society. Through the years a fundamental disconnect has evolved between two parts of the church commonly known as the clergy and the laity. A hierarchical concept of ministry has evolved, which has segregated the two groups. This has resulted in a crippled system in which the career ministers, who are a minority of the church, have assumed the majority of the work of the ministry. Meanwhile the rest of the Body of Christ, the majority, have been taught that they are not qualified for ministry and have been reduced to a crowd of spectators. But when Ephesians 4 talks about the role of the apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists, the concept that emerges is very different from what has been modelled in the modern church. The New Testament pattern is for those in fivefold ministry offices to serve the Body of Christ by equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). If the Body of Christ were compared to a

football team, those in fivefold ministry would be the water boys, serving the team and helping to keep them equipped and refreshed. The real ministers and ambassadors of God’s Kingdom to the world, the real players on the field, are the hundreds of millions of blood-washed saints who make up the body of Christ. What a tragic loss we have incurred by perpetuating the mentality that the few of us in fivefold ministry are the “real” ministers and the rest are just spectators. My friend, God wants to use the gifts, talent, and calling that He’s given you to impact the world for His glory. Use whatever sphere of influence He places you in to further His Kingdom and authority!

Reproduced with kind permission Christ for all Nations.

Good News – Gospel Quotes by Reinhard Bonnke By preaching the gospel we plunder hell to populate heaven. The gospel is living water. No man has invented water, yet no man can live without it. The gospel is not reformation, decoration or renovation. It is liberation.

An extract from Daniel’s new book- Live before you die. £9.99 BUY NOW.

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The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by young and old. Jesus did not come to shame sinners. He came to save sinners.

Prophet of the Broken Heart: The Cry of Hosea

themselves to be “dead trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

8:2-3 Israel cries out to me, "My God, we acknowledge you!" But Israel has rejected what is morally good; so an enemy will pursue him.

Extract from our new book: not yet released! Chapter 8 God’s Word Despised 8:1 Sound the alarm! An eagle looms over the temple of the LORD! For they have broken their covenant with me, and have rebelled against my law. Hosea is told to set the trumpet to his mouth. A trumpet blast was a warning signal, the sign of an impending invasion, and by these words God warns Israel of the impending invasion of Assyria, who would come like a bird of prey to tear the guilty nation because of its sin. Some translators have chosen to render the bird of prey referred to as a vulture. Vultures only eat dead flesh and by continually sinning, violating the covenant and breaking the laws of God, Israel could aptly be referred to as “dead meat”, for they had shown

Israel cried out to God, but in pretence. Claiming to know him with religious language, they actually denied him by their impious actions. The life they lived proved that they did not have an experimental knowledge of Jehovah (see Luke 13:25-27). They did not accept his teaching or walk in his ways. They loathed what was right, and considered the holy precepts of God to be wrong. Indeed in v 11-13 God says that although he had given them his law and the many rules for life and conduct which it contained, they had regarded God’s word as something strange, old fashioned and irrelevant. I imagine I can hear them now saying, “Just fancy, suggesting that there is a God up in heaven and that he is saying these things to us. Absurd nonsense. We know it to be wrong for our ways are right.” We can see the same thing in our present day. People are not only unconcerned about the word of God, they openly scorn it. Occasionally we may see letters in newspapers, declaring the need for the values of scripture to be upheld; but invariably these letters are scorned and ridiculed by other writers, editors or politicians. When campaigners for morality 7

oppose the media’s craving for ever more sex, violence and excessive bad language, they are almost universally branded bigoted; whilst those of senior years are thought of as old “fuddyduddies”, prudes who need rescuing from their morals. In our own local press I recently read two letters sent to the editor concerning the local health authority’s policy of issuing free condoms to girls aged as young as 14. It was the opinion of these contributors (I do not think they were Christians) that this policy would only serve to promote under-age and promiscuous sex. However, the following week these letter-writers were harangued as extremists who wished to psychologically damage the minds and ruin the lives of teenagers by giving them guilty consciences. The opinion of many professionals was that young girls should be free to have sex as often as they wish and with whomever they like; and they should not be made to feel bad about it. The efforts of the government were aimed at preventing pregnancy and disease, not to instil any particular moral code in the young. The enemies of righteousness refuse to accept that those who speak out for truth are seeking the welfare of young people, being fully aware of the consequences of promiscuity in this life and the next. Like many modern Western countries, Wales is in an alarmingly similar condition to Israel in

Hosea’s time. Then, the law of God was considered an alien thing as it is today; and it was because of this that Hosea declared God’s judgment - the nation was about to be overthrown by disaster and forced to flee from its enemies. 8:4 They enthroned kings without my consent! They appointed princes without my approval! They made idols out of their silver and gold, but they will be destroyed! At the highest level of national and political life, the people did not consult God or his word. Leaders and kings were appointed as the people saw fit without inquiring of God. In this way they had severed the cord between themselves and heaven. God scathingly says “I didn’t even know about it”, “I was last to know.” Of course, this is a figure of speech, for God knows everything, but it illustrates that the people were not on speaking terms with God. They had put God behind them and lived their lives without him. Instead of worshipping and obeying the true God, they had made idols of silver and gold to help them forget the reality of the one whose laws they hated and whom they had rejected. This made their sin complete and led to them being cut off as a nation. Since they had severed links with God, God would sever links with them. 8:5-6 O Samaria, he has rejected your calf idol! My anger burns against them! They will not survive much longer without being

punished, even though they are Israelites! That idol was made by a workman — it is not God! The calf idol of Samaria will be broken to bits. The god which Israel had chosen for itself was a golden calf. To God this was repulsive. It denigrated his deity, reducing the Eternal to the level of a creature which he had made. This breach of the first and second commandment caused God’s anger to burn against the people, as it did at Sinai (Exod. 32:8-10). For it was at Sinai that Israel had first made a calf for itself to worship and they had continued their idolatry ever since. How long, asks God, would it be before they put idolatry away from them and become pure in his sight? How long could they be so blind? The craftsman who made the idol was only a man, so the idol was manmade, how could it possibly be a god? It certainly was not the true God, and the indestructible God would see to it that this idol was broken to pieces.

Reaping the Consequences 8:7 They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind! The stalk does not have any standing grain; it will not produce any flour. Even if it were to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it all up. Here is the rule of cause and effect. Hosea says that the nation had sown the wind and would reap the whirlwind. Since in their spiritual lives, Israel had chosen to worship a useless idol, they themselves had become barren and useless. They 8

would be punished by overwhelming destruction. Jesus used an illustration which has a strikingly similar meaning when he said “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”. Israel had not produced the fruit of lives which were obedient and pleasing to God, but had lived fruitless lives far from God. The fruitless tree was to be uprooted and destroyed. Because of their sin, their crops would fail (a total disaster for an agrarian community such as Israel) and if any food were to be found for them, this would be destroyed or consumed by the invading army from Assyria. 8:8-10 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations; they will be like a worthless piece of pottery. They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers. Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, I will soon gather them together for judgment. Then they will begin to waste away under the oppression of a mighty king. Just as their food was swallowed up so the nation itself was to be swallowed up. They would be overrun, captured and sent into exile. In this way they would be scattered among the nations. They had been chosen to be the special people of God; but the vessel that was meant to bring honour was now reduced to being a vessel of dishonour. Israel was like a common pottery mug which its owner might readily discard.

Israel had paid tribute to Assyria in return for their help to secure their borders, and to make a treaty so that they might not invade Israel themselves. Because of this, God accuses them of being as stubborn as a mule, taking their own wilful way and not his. God had told Israel that the only way to avoid Assyrian invasion was to repent and return to him; but instead of this, they tried to buy a peace for themselves. Their plan did not work; they had spent their money in vain, for God would see to it that his word was fulfilled. It was he who lay behind the judgment which would soon overtake them. Therefore it was not time for diplomatic negotiations discussions with the enemy but for direct discussions with the God who alone could save them. When judgment came upon them, God would for a time remove the Davidic dynasty as kings. Yet this was only to be for a little while in God’s sight. A future day was promised by Ezekiel when the nation of Israel will be reunited with Judah. At that time, rather than appoint their own kings, they would accept the king whom God had chosen from eternity and anointed - the Lord Jesus Christ (Ezek. 37:16-22). Today Israel and Judah are united in the land, yet the majority of the nation remains in unbelief. One day Jesus will come to reign and so far as we are able to understand the scriptures, the nation of Israel living at that time will be converted to him.

A Backslidden People 8:11-13 Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning! I spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them! They offer up sacrificial gifts to me, and eat the meat, but the LORD does not accept their sacrifices. Soon he will remember their wrongdoing, he will punish their sins, and they will return to Egypt. The people had built many altars on which to offered sacrifices for sin to appease God. Later, when the worship of God was abandoned, these altars had become centres of idolatry: the sacrifices supposedly offered for sin were eaten by the worshippers, most probably in drunken revelry as they engaged in the immoral sexual rites of the fertility cult associated with Baal. Thus the play on words, the altars for sin had become altars for sinning. They enjoyed their sin, even as they supposedly offered sacrifices to atone for it. Thus God refused to accept the people or their so called sacrifices, which were not made with a broken nor contrite heart (Psa. 51:16-17). The time had come for God to remember and punish their sins by taking them back into captivity and slavery. The text may mean that they were to return to the condition of slavery in which they had been in Egypt rather than to that nation literally. However, during the dispersion it seems that 9

some did settle in Egypt (Zech. 10:10). Believers today must heed the unchanging truth which lies behind this warning. God has brought us from spiritual darkness into light, and from slavery to sin the freedom in Christ; but if we turn away from God, despise his word and become idolaters, them our last condition is worse than the first. We will have irrevocably returned to bondage (2 Peter 2:2021). 8:14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces, and Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will send fire on their cities; it will consume their royal citadels. Somehow the nation had come to believe that it could live without God. Many people today think the same. Israel thought that by building strong cities and defences that they could deliver themselves from any attack. But their confidence was unfounded. The very defences on which they relied would be swept away in God’s judgment. Indeed, it would have been far better for the nation to have had no defences at all and yet to have God on their side than to turn their backs on their defender. The question for those who live independently of God is “what defence will save you from the wrath of God?” The only refuge for sinners is the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other refuge. Only in him are we safe eternally, and I would urge you reader, if you have not already, to take refuge in him.

New Bible Study Resource Out Now! The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles. Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will benefit from using Faith-builders studies. Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand. Each chapter had thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided. Below are the study notes with discussion questions and sample answers for chapter 3.

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Matthew Chapter 3 By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem John's Call to Repentance 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming, Matthew does not record the details of John's birth; in fact it is only Luke who does so. Matthew begins his account of John at the commencement of his ministry. "In those days" is clearly not a reference to the time of the previous chapter, as John was only six months older than Jesus. Barnes suggests that Matthew was referring to the time when Jesus still lived in Nazareth (from 2:23). John took as his pulpit the desert area of Judea to proclaim his message. 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." His message consisted of two headings, repent and the kingdom of heaven is near. The call to repentance is fundamental to the message of salvation. At the time of John's ministry, salvation had not been provided since Christ had not yet died for the sins of the world; nevertheless the people needed to repent. The word “repent” simply means to "think differently" to "reconsider" (Strong's Dictionary); that is, to have a change of heart or direction, to be sorry for our sins against God (2 Cor. 7:10). Indeed it is only against God that we sin (Psalm 51:4), although it is by the action of our sin that we cause others to suffer. But it is not only a turning away from sin but a looking to God as the only one who can save (Isaiah 45:22; Heb. 7:25). The kingdom of heaven does not refer to the kingdom of glory that is in the heavenly places but to the coming of the Messiah into the world. It was near at hand, because Jesus Christ was about to commence his ministry on earth; a ministry that would culminate in his death on the cross as an atonement of sin and thus open the door of the kingdom of heaven for all that believe.

3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight." The coming of John and the message he proclaimed had been prophesied in the Old Testament (Isaiah 40:3). John was the forerunner, the herald who went before the Christ to announce that he was on his way. Therefore people had to get themselves ready for his coming. 3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. John was unmistakable; he was distinct from everybody else of his day. The clothes that he wore were woven of course camel hair tied with a leather belt around the waist. His diet consisted of locusts for meat and the honey of the wild bees that made their home in the desert. 3:5-6 Then people from Jerusalem, as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. John had no problem getting the people to come out to hear his message; they came from the city of Jerusalem and from all over Judea to the banks of the River Jordan. They not only came and heard the word but responded to it with repentance and were baptized confessing their sins. 3:7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

There were sceptics who came too: the Pharisees and Sadducees. John knew that they did not come to listen, repent or be baptized; they had come to criticize. John told them plainly that they were a bunch of snakes. Jesus later said the same of them (Matt. 12:34) and that they were of their father the devil (John 8:44). John was fully aware that these people were self-righteous hypocrites who considered themselves to be the elect of God and without sin and therefore rejected his message. So he asked them who had warned them to escape from the wrath of God that was coming. 3:8-9 Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don't think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! John appealed to the people to prove that they had repented of their sins and yielded their lives to God by living a godly life (Matt. 7:20). The biggest boast of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees was that they were descended from Abraham and they thought that this guaranteed them acceptance with God. John made it clear to them that since God is able to raise up children from the very stones around them, their natural descent – apart from repentance – is of no worth in his eyes. 3:10 Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Already the hand of God was outstretched in judgment against those to whom he had entrusted his word and whom he had separated to Himself, the 11

people of Israel. Everyone who did not produce the fruits of righteousness would be destroyed.

The Greater One 3:11 "I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. John's commission from God was to baptize with water those who repented and turned to God. The one who came after him would be mightier, having greater ability and the power to do anything. In comparison to him, John was not worthy to be his slave, the one who carried his sandals. This coming one, the Messiah, would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Acts 1:5). 3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire." To separate the chaff from the wheat a winnowing fork or fan was used. Jesus Christ is pictured here as having a winnowing fan in his hand with which he will sort out the real from the false. The wheat, those who are truly his people, he will gather to Himself but those that are not his will be cast into the never ending fire (Revelation 20:15).

The Baptism of Jesus 3:13-14 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. But John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?" While John was still by the banks of the Jordan Jesus also

came to be baptized by him. John had the witness within him that Jesus was the Christ. In John 1:29 it says "the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"” John, knowing who Jesus was, strenuously objected to baptizing him for he saw his own need of being baptized by Jesus. 3:15 So Jesus replied to him, "Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfil all righteousness." Then John yielded to him. Although Jesus had no need to repent or be baptized in water (1 Peter 2:22), he asked John to baptize him in order to show that they were carrying out what God required of them. So John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. In this act Jesus, although sinless, was identifying himself with the sinners whom he came to save. 3:16-17 After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight." After he was baptized Jesus came up out of the water. It is quite clear from this that John's baptism was by full immersion and not a sprinkling of water. As he was coming up out of the water the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; settling on him, before entering him. This was the sign that God had given to John in order to reveal to him who the Christ was (John 1: 33). At the same time the voice of God spoke from heaven declaring that Jesus to be his beloved Son in whom he delighted (Psalm 2:7).

I NEVER KNEW A reader recently sent us this poem which he found hand written in his elderly mother’s Bible. Author unknown.

Bowed beneath the garden shades, where the eastern sunlight fades, Through a sea of grief He wades and prays in agony. His sweat was of blood, his tears like a flood for a lost world flowed down, I never knew such tears could be, those tears He wept for me. Hung upon a rugged tree, on the hill of Calvary, Jesus suffered death, to be the Saviour of mankind, His brow pierced by thorns, His hands and feet were torn; with broken heart he died I never knew such pain could be, this pain He bore for me. Love which conquered death’s own sting, love which has immortal wing, Love, which is the only thing my broken heart could heal. He burst through the grave, and rose to save, opening heaven’s gate. I never knew such love could be, this love He gave to me. When my heart was sorely pressed, by sin and fears distressed, Wings committed un-conferred, His pitying grace I sought, My sins were forgiven, my heart made new, my life he now controls I never knew such grace could be, free grace enough for me.

Discussion Questions & Answers Sample Answers

Discussion Questions for Chapter 3 1. vv. 1-3. In what ways did the ministry of John the Baptist prepare the people to meet with and accept Jesus? ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

2. vv. 13-17. The baptism of Jesus is referred to in all four gospels – what do you think is so important about it? ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

3. vv. 11-12. John referred to Jesus as the “one greater than I”. In what ways was Jesus greater than John? ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

4. vv. 16-17. What do you think is significant about the way the Holy Spirit came on the Lord Jesus Christ? ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

1. John the Baptist prepared the people to meet with Jesus by calling them to repent of their sin and turn back to God. He told them that the kingdom of heaven was near, and that they should be genuinely ready for it, not just trusting in the fact that they were Jews. He told them that a greater than he was coming – meaning Jesus. 2. In his baptism Jesus is identified by God (and John) as his only begotten son, and this is the beginning of his ministry. 3. Jesus was greater than John in that he was more than human, but God in human form. He had existed before John and was his creator.

5. Have you – as Jesus was – been baptised? Take a moment to describe your own experience. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________

4. The Holy Spirit came on the Lord Jesus Christ as a person, in complete fullness. This was not an anointing like that received by an Old Testament prophets, it was a complete residing of the Spirit of God in a man. This denotes the divinity of Christ – only the Son of God could receive the Spirit without limit. 5. Yes, I was baptised in water at the age of seventeen in the church where I became a Christian. The pastor asked me to confess publicly that I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour with all my heart, and then he immersed me in the pool of water, baptising me “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.

Truth for Today A brief extract from another of our forthcoming books. By Mathew Bartlett

So far as we have examined Christ’s messages to the seven churches we have seen the Lord both commending the good and confronting the bad. Laodicea is different – for it is the one church about which he Jesus nothing good to say. Even so, rather than disown them he rebukes and chastens them, challenging them to repent. As with all Christ’s messages, what he has to say to Laodicea applies to us today, for “he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Photo: © Pidiyath100

Christ’s Introduction To the Laodiceans (v14) Christ introduces Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. By the title Amen, Christ indicates not only that he is God’s last word to humankind, but also that He is the fulfilment (Yes and Amen) of every promise which God has given, that through Him we might receive God’s fullness of blessing. Christ is faithful to us, and true in his appraisal of us. We are so often untrue in our appraisal of ourselves, but Christ is an infallible witness of our souls’ true condition. He does not hold anything back which might be beneficial to us, speaking the truth even when it hurts. By His title “the beginning” or origin, Christ’s infinite resources are emphasized, for those whom he calls to “buy” from him, He has everything they need.

Laodicea the Wealthy Church

Christ’s Charge In their own appraisal of themselves they were sadly mistaken (v17). Since they were rich in this world’s goods 14

they thought themselves to be in need of nothing. They had settled down in the wrong sense, trusting their material wealth, which was all that their eyes could see. Their present comforts were all that mattered to them. They had become like Moab, of whom Jeremiah said, "Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,” (Jer. 48:11). Nothing stirred them anymore. These were the sort of people who would be present in church meetings, take part in communion, use spiritual gifts, pray in public, sing worship songs and YET deep down be unaffected and unchanged in their hearts. Like the deaf adder that cannot be charmed, so Paul warns Timothy that in the last days, God’s people will NOT LISTEN to God (sound teaching) - nothing would move them. The Laodiceans needed to be unsettled, turned upside down and made to face up to the truth about their lives by a stinging rebuke from Jesus Christ. Just as Christ came into the Temple and turned over the tables of those who were satisfied with their wealth, so he comes to your heart and mine to do the same thing - to take hold of the tables of our material security and tip them up. Christ warned his disciples not to trust in worldly goods when he said (Mark 10:24) "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!” Riches are always going to be uncertain (1 Tim 6:17). They can come and then go as quickly as they came; which is why Psalm 62:10 says “if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Christ overturns the tables of their comfort by describing them as lukewarm - a suitable description for those who treat the things of God lightly. It was not that they did not

wish to know God at all, Christ could have put up with that more easily. It was that they did want God and Christ in their lives, but not in control of their lives. God was a welcome addition to their general sense of well-being - it was God, Christ, a wide screen TV and central heating. As long as they came to church to get a blessing, they felt they had done their religious duty, and could go home to a hot bath without having to face any difficult demands. This attitude to God and His word is one Christ cannot endure. His judgment is “I will spit you out of my mouth”. No one likes lukewarm food and Christ did not find these Christians palatable. Christ is telling them, if they are going to persist with their unconcerned attitude then they had just as well leave his church completely.

The apostles clearly had no use for it – since Peter said to the man at the Temple gate: “silver and gold have I none”. Clearly the kind of gold Jesus wants them to possess so that they might become truly rich must be the kind of gold which endures eternally; which has been “refined in the fire”. When the Bible speaks of gold in this way, it is usually with reference to the work of grace done in the lives of believers through their trials. Peter wrote: “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 1:7) Job said “when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23.10). Zechariah said:

Christ’s Challenge: By speaking in these terms the Lord Jesus wanted the church to see themselves as he saw them. They were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. But Christ did not want to leave them in their pitiful condition. He offered them a solution to their need. If they would ask and seek then he would give them the answer; which he describes in terms of:

Gold tried in the fire Christ describes the Laodiceans as poor, for despite their material wealth there is no poverty greater than spiritual poverty. The material of gold is of no value in the sight of God, for it is not enduring. Even though it takes far longer than iron to decay, gold is nevertheless corruptible (1 Pet. 1:18).

“I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The Lord is my God.'” (Zech. 13:9) When men and women of God go through the fires of affliction and persecution but overcome them by remaining true to the faith they become heaven’s gold. The likeness of Christ has been formed in their souls through their afflictions. They are heavens champions who inhabit its street, which is why the street of heaven (singular) is paved with gold (Rev. 21:21). Malachi 3.3 speaks of the Lord Jesus being a purifier of gold, purifying, or sanctifying God’s people. He wants to do this in your heart and mine purging away the dross of sin, making 15

us holy until we become more like him. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians reminds us that God’s method of grace is to work in us both to will and then also to do his good pleasure. In other words, God does not force us to do what is against our will, but works to bring our wills into alignment with his. He does this through the teaching of his word and the correction of our souls, which is often accomplished through affliction. To learn God’s ways is to obtain true knowledge and wisdom, which the Bible describes as being of more worth than gold: “Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.”(Prov. 8:10)

White Clothing The white clothing again speaks of Christ’s life within us. It is his righteousness, bought for us at the cross of Calvary and worked out by him in terms of practical holiness in our lives. In English tradition, on her wedding day, a bride wears white to show that she is a virgin; so it would not really be appropriate for a bride to wear white on her wedding day if she has lost her virginity. In a similar way Christ wants his people to be chaste and pure virgins for him. This means more than having an outward appearance of holiness; it demands that we are to have eyes only for Christ. He is to be the first and last priority in our lives. Our affections must be set on him and the things above, not earthly things (Col. 3:1); but the wealth and ease of the Laodiceans had made them lose sight of what really mattered. Hence Christ called them to think about the

most important thing of all – their relationship with him. A Christian who does not give Christ first place in his or her life is a shameful individual. Jesus describes such unfaithfulness to himself as like being “naked”; for in Bible days an adulteress would be stripped naked and sent from her home in disgrace. The Laodicean nakedness was their shameful unfaithfulness to Jesus Christ. But there is a remedy for spiritual unfaithfulness - Christ still offers his people clean clothes to wear; for if we are willing to repent and confess our sin, then the precious blood of Jesus will not only cleanse us, but also renew a right spirit within us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

Eye salve The Laodiceans were blind for they could not see that their material benefits were not as important as spiritual ones. Just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians that “the eyes of their understanding may be opened”, so Christ wanted to open their eyes. A fresh revelation of Christ’s love and grace is what we need to motivate us to live for him day after day. To be spiritually blind is to be dulled in our spiritual senses, indifferent to what God has done for us. It is when we have our spiritual eyes opened that we become more alert to spiritual realities, and consequently more thankful. The Holy Spirit is able and longing to reveal to us the true things of God (1 Cor. 2:11); and to know God and the truth of his Word is true prosperity.

Christ is the source of all these blessings (Eph. 1:3). He reveals himself and opens our eyes, for it is as we “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” that we are “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19).

Buy from me This advice from Christ must be wise, for we always receive wise advice from the wonderful counsellor. Of course, when the Lord Jesus Christ says “buy” he merely means obtain, for Isaiah 55:1 says: You who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Christ charges nothing, yet he expects all, for just as we cannot offer anything to him, so we must be prepared to yield up our lives to him in complete surrender, or we will receive nothing. We must obtain what we need from Christ for there is no one else to whom we can go. Some Christians are making the mistake of going from church to church, trying to find something to make up for the lack in their spiritual lives. They speak to pastor after pastor, but are no better off. Go to a hundred churches, speak to a thousand pastors and go away as poor as when you came, for unless you come to Christ, you will go away empty. My own responsibility as a pastor is simply to point or lead God’s children, with their problems, to Christ; helping them realize that their needs are met in him, find solace in him or obtain grace sufficient to carry the heavy loads of life. Christ’s loving rebuke is accompanied by an invitation to return to him with a zealous love that will be proved genuine by their repentance. This invitation still stands and is given to every believer: “I stand at the door of 16

your heart and life and I am knocking”. This seems at first to be a strange picture - Christ standing outside the heart of a believer. Yet Christ’s picture language conveyed the truth to the Laodiceans that they had were locking Jesus out of their hearts by allowing other things to take his place. As he gently knocks his question is, “will you let go of those other things and let me have absolute way in your hearts?” Christ does not force himself in, for God never has and never will override human free will. He speaks softly to your heart, whispering that if you simply open the door to him, he will do the rest. It’s as simple as that. If the message of Christ to the Laodiceans has spoken to your own heart, will you choose to open your heart to the Lord? Let every barrier down, let go of those things you are holding onto instead of Christ. He will come in and begin a wonderful change in your life, so that instead of being pitiful, poor, blind and naked, you may be truly, spiritually, rich in Christ.

CONCLUSION The promise for the over comer Is that they will forever reign with him. Christ has saved us that we might share his throne. He so loves us that he will share all things with us. What grace this is, he deserves all things and we deserve nothing, yet he shares his all things with us. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32) How rich are you? Do you share all things with Christ? If you do not now on earth, you will not then in heaven. If you have ears, then hear and act upon what the Spirit says to the churches.

Legal Disputes A number of disputes had arisen between believers at Corinth because of some who were cheating their Christian brothers and sisters, making unjust gain out of them. The problem had become so severe that Christians were hauling each other to court to obtain settlement in front of unbelievers. In this chapter we find Paul eager to remedy both the cause of the arguments and their effect. 6:1 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? Rather surprisingly, Paul turns his attention initially to the wronged parties, and contends with them for taking disagreements between believers before the magistrates. Morris asserts that in describing these magistrates as unrighteous he does not mean that they were corrupt and that Paul is not implying that the believers would not get justice in the civil courts but rather that God’s children ought not to air their grievances in front of those who were enemies of God. Winter disagrees, pointing out that ‘there seems to be now good evidence of widespread corruption in legal

proceedings throughout the empire (Winter 2001:60-64)’. Whichever is the correct view, the same principle will apply, for it was the unbelievers’ position of being unrighteous before God which lay behind any unrighteous behaviour in their law courts. How can the affairs of believers be rightly decided, according to God’s will, by unbelievers who do not have the mind of Christ (2:16) but who live by an altogether different lifeprinciple? The question is also one of loyalty: do our loyalties lie with Christ and His church? The unsaved can never be our true friends and many would relish the opportunity presented by such a law-suit to malign our Lord and His people. When believer takes believer to court he exposes the church of Jesus Christ to public ridicule and does lasting harm both to the public witness and to the spirit of unity in the church. When judgment is required in a civil dispute between Christians, the case should be brought before the saints. Most usually this would mean bringing the matter to the attention of the 17

local church oversight. Indeed, a wise pastor like Paul would never wish to involve the whole church in such disputes, for church members have the unfortunate habit of taking sides (which is human nature), and this may lead to problems far more serious than the original complaint. As it is better to keep the fire in the hearth than to let it spread throughout the house; so it is better to confine a dispute to those who need to know than to fuel gossip and division in the local church. Many years ago, the church of which I am now minister made it a condition of membership that church business was not to be discussed with outsiders. It is essential to understand the implication of such an instruction. It is not that church finances may not be discussed – for by English law any member of the public is entitled to view the church's balance sheet. Nor does it prevent a church member reporting a criminal offense to the authorities, even though the crime was committed by a Christian, or in a church. And it certainly does not prevent us talking about our services we want people to know about those! Rather, when one Christian has a disagreement with another

Christian, it is not to be blabbed all over the town, especially not to the ungodly, but dealt with in accordance to the words of Christ: If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector (Matt. 18:15-17).

It must again be emphasised that Paul is writing about civil disputes and not the criminal law. Paul's views about criminal justice are clearly expressed in other epistles. If a believer has been found to have committed a crime he is to be handed over to the secular authority and not simply disciplined by the church (Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-17; Rom. 13:1-7). For example, if a Christian youth worker were accused of sexually abusing a child, such a matter must be handed over to the secular authorities for investigation. A criminal offense is a matter for the police and the courts, who will establish the person’s guilt or innocence – it is certainly not a matter for internal enquiry, not even in the church of Christ. 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? Yet in civil disputes Paul insists that there is no

need to go to court to get justice. Since the saints are going to judge the world they should certainly be competent to settle disagreements within the local church. This reference to ‘judging the world’ is not to the final and eternal judgment of sin. God alone can and will judge and punish men for their sins. Instead, Paul is referring to the time when believers shall reign with Christ on the earth for a thousand years. If, during the millennial era, the saints will decide all questions of justice for the peoples of the world, they should be capable of doing so now (see Matt. 19:28). 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! The saints will one day decide questions which relate to the unseen and spiritual realm. There is nowhere else in Scripture that we are told that saints will judge angels either for reward or punishment. It is not clear if Paul means that we will actually pass judgment on each of the angelic host, but what the verse does show is that the saints possess discernment of the unseen spiritual matters of God's heaven. The force of the argument is that if we are called upon to discern and decide spiritual issues, then we should certainly be able to make wise decisions about the ordinary things of life. 6:4 So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? 18

Only Christians have the mind of Christ and so only they are able to judge according to God's standards. Why should believers appoint as adjudicators those whose standards are governed by the world's viewpoint? Paul has previously pointed out that only those with the mind of Christ can comprehend others who have the same mind (1 Cor. 2:16). Only those whose judgment is based on Christ's standard are able to give correct judgment for God's people. 6:5 I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians? The Corinthian Christians should have been ashamed of the lawsuits that had arisen between them. Was it because there was no one in the church wise enough to resolve these issues that believers had to resort to the courts? It is far more likely that they involved the magistrates without even considering any other possibility of resolution. Today many courts realize the value of arbitration as a successful alternative to litigation. In any church oversight there should be those who are able to amicably settle disputes between believers in this way. 6:6 Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian, and do this before unbelievers? The believers had taken matters to civil court without giving arbitration a try. Jesus taught the correct way to settle disputes (Matt. 18:15-17) and to take our brother to court in front of

unbelievers Christ.

disobey

6:7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Whatever the result of the legal process, by going to court the Corinthian believers had already lost more than they had gained; for whatever the verdict of the case, greater harm has been caused to the body of Christ by the suit than was caused by the problem sued over. The attitude of retaliation had left the Corinthians utterly defeated. To win a real victory in Christ, believers must be able to take the wrong done to them as Christ did, with love, forbearance and forgiveness (Matt. 5:39-40). 6:8 But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters! Until now Paul has been challenging the wronged parties to settle matters out of court. But lest we should think he is taking sides, he proceeds to rebuke those who were robbing and cheating their brothers. Unfortunately, such behaviour is not restricted to first century Corinth. The Christian businessman who fails to pay his Christian landlord's rent month after month; the Christian craftsman who is paid in full to do building work on a local church but who leaves with the work still incomplete; the pastor who sells church assets and pockets the

money for himself; the pastor who demands a high salary from a poor church, eventually leaving it bankrupt and near closure. I have personally witnessed all of these instances of unethical conduct and believe that they constitute a very great wrong done to the church of Christ. 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Here is a stern warning for wrong-doers. Don't you know that there is no place is God's Kingdom for those who do such things? We are not to fool ourselves. Those who live immoral lives such as the sexually immoral, idol worshipers, adulterers, catamites and sodomites (both these ancient words denote what we today might call ‘practising homosexual men’) - will have no share in God's Kingdom. Neither will thieves, greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers. Those who live unrighteous lives cannot expect to have a place in the Kingdom of a righteous God. 6:11 Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Paul reminds the believers that this is exactly 19

how some of them lived their lives before they came to know Christ. We, too, may have lived the same way. But Christ has washed and cleansed us from sin in His precious blood (Rev. 1:5), and set us apart to God by His sacrificial death, making us right in God’s sight (Rom. 5:1). All this was achieved through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of the Spirit of God. Every believer has become a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). Since we have died to our former sinful lives, how can we live in sin any longer? We have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:2-4). In his characteristic way, Paul is urging believers to put off the old (sinful) life and put on the new life in Christ (Eph. 4:2224). A life lived in sin is entirely inconsistent with the nature of Christ who dwells in the heart of those He has called and redeemed.

Sexual Immorality Again The city of Corinth was well known for its ‘anything goes’ attitude to sex. Indeed, Blomberg says that ‘the Greek word meaning “Corinthian girl” came to be a slang term for a loose woman’. Having earlier dealt with a specific case of immorality, Paul gives further consideration to the general problem of sexual sin in the church. 6:12 "All things are lawful for me" -- but not everything is

beneficial. "All things are lawful for me" -- but I will not be controlled by anything. Some Corinthians had twisted part of Paul's teaching to justify their own immoral behaviour. Paul admits saying that all things are lawful for me, but proceeds to explain this maxim. The Corinthian believers were misusing their new found freedom in Christ. This was a common error in the early church (Rev. 2:14) and one can readily see the importance of Paul's explanation of Christian liberty. Morris says, Other religions proscribed rules which men must keep if they would be saved. Food laws were especially common [concerning what could and could not be eaten]. Abstaining from forbidden things was in for these religions considered a necessary part of obtaining salvation.

This is not so with Christianity. The believer does not earn salvation by good works for salvation is the gift of grace and depends on what God has done for sinners through Christ. The believer is not subject to a legal code of restrictions, which is why in that sense all things are lawful for him. But even though some things are not forbidden by a written code, they remain harmful or not beneficial. Since Paul belonged to Christ, he would not submit to the power of another master; sin being another master. Paul here recalls Jesus' own teaching about sin, that the person who commits sin is brought into bondage by it (John 8:34). It is a teaching which he enlarges upon in Romans

6:16. Although it is the case that I am free to do as I wish, yet I must take into account that if I choose to sin it will bring me into bondage. Sin can only deceive and ensnare those whom Christ has set free if they allow it; for Christ has given us His power to overcome sin. If we are not prepared to resist temptation, however, Christ’s power to keep us free will avail us nothing, and we shall become enslaved again. It would be a grave mistake indeed to engage in behaviour which, in the name of freedom, will actually lead us away from Christ and back into the very bondage from which He had formerly freed us. It is essential for every believer to realize that they live under Christ's authority. Although Paul claims to be free from the restrictions of a written code, in another place he affirms that he is not without law to Christ (1 Cor. 9:21). He does not live to please himself, but recognizes that belonging to Jesus Christ means submitting to His rule and living in a way that He approves of. The Scripture makes Christ's attitude to sexual immorality in His church very clear (Rev. 2:2021). 6:13-14 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both." The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Now God indeed raised the Lord and he will raise us by his power. The Corinthian believers maintained a casual 20

attitude to sex. In their minds, sex was like eating; a natural and a necessary function of the body to be enjoyed however you like, whenever you like and with whomever you like. Paul strongly refutes this misguided notion, for though God did indeed make the stomach for food, He did not make the body for sexual immorality. Eating is not a moral issue and so our souls cannot be defiled by what we eat; but sex is a moral issue and immoral sexual behaviour begins in the heart, not the body, and results in the whole person being defiled (Matt. 15:17-20). Johnson discusses in more detail the reasons why the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord. Firstly, that since God… will raise us by his power, God’s purpose is for the body to be used fittingly to worship and serve Him in obedience and holiness. In this way ‘fornication is incompatible with the future resurrection of the body’. Secondly, (appealing to verse 15) he notes that our bodies, not merely our souls, are ‘mystically, by the Holy Spirit, united to Christ’ and maintains that it is impossible both to be united to Christ and to an illicit sexual partner. One day the Lord will do away with the stomach and with food. We will no longer need them; but even though this is the case, the believer's body will not be destroyed, but changed, resurrected and glorified. It will remain as a temple for God to dwell in throughout eternity (Philip. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).

6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Paul asks whether his readers were aware that their bodies (and not just their souls) belonged to Christ. Christ was living in them and He wished to live and express Himself through their bodies. Every day our lives and bodies must be surrendered to the Lord for His use (Rom. 12:1). Since I'm joined in union to Christ in the closest possible way; and since my body belongs to Him; and since He intends me to use my body for His glory; shall I take my body and join it to a prostitute? Will that glorify him? Of course not! That would be taking my body away from its proper use in serving Christ and using it instead to serve sin. At the very idea of which Paul exclaims ‘never!’ 6:16 Or do you not know that anyone who is united with a prostitute is one body with her? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." In the quote from Genesis 2:24 (used of a man and his wife), Paul understands the two become one flesh to refer especially to the sexual union. The sexual union is so intimate as to make one body out of the two. Whoever unites himself with a prostitute in this way becomes one with her by virtue of that union. Whilst it is acceptable for the believer to take his or her body and join it in a holy union with a husband or wife in marriage, it is not right to

take that body which is holy to the Lord, a member of Christ, and join it in an unholy union. I have noticed this verse giving rise to some confusion among young people who before their conversion had many sexual partners. ‘Is it true,’ they ask me, ‘that we are one flesh with everyone we have ever slept with?’ No, Paul is certainly not saying that. Rather, he is emphasizing the importance of the life-long marriage union. It is God's purpose for a man to be joined to his wife and that the two should become one flesh. Paul’s meaning in the above verse is that sex outside of a marriage is a perversion of God’s intention for humankind. When a person becomes a Christian, the sin of participating in casual sex before conversion, and all other sins, have been forgiven by God. The Christian must from henceforth seek sexual fulfilment within a Christian marriage. If children have been fathered as the result of casual sex, the wise Christian minister might first recommend prayerful consideration of a marriage union between the two parents, should this be possible and advisable. Sadly, it is not always the case that a relationship can be redeemed, but this ought not to detract from the glorious fact that if someone has become a Christian then both their soul and their life have been redeemed! Paul’s letter to the Corinthians teaches us that, whatever our past failures, we should from this time on live for the glory of God. 21

6:17-18 But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him. Flee sexual immorality! "Every sin a person commits is outside of the body" -- but the immoral person sins against his own body. The believer is one in spirit with the Lord and this fact should govern all our actions. We must share our Lord's attitude to fornication: run away from it and constantly stay clear of it! There is no other way to deal with sin. In these verses, Paul does not imply that sexual sin is the most serious sin of all, but rather that it relates to the body in a way which no other sin does. Other sins may affect our bodies (e.g. drunkenness may lead to organ damage), but when a man or woman takes their body which is united to Christ and with it forms a union which is contrary to Christ, he or she dishonours their God given body and the Christ to whom it belongs. 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? In chapter three, Paul referred to the whole church as the temple of God. Now he refers to each individual believer's body as a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. We must avoid using our bodies for purposes which are inappropriate for the temple of God. It is obvious that sexual immorality would not be fitting inside God's temple, and so should not be present in a believer’s life. The principle has a wider application; nothing which would be amiss

in God's temple should be seen in the child of God. 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (NKJVTM) How is it that we are God's in spirit, soul, and body? It is because we have been bought at a price. On Calvary the Lord's Jesus gave His life to redeem us for God. His death was the price paid to purchase us and having made us His possession, He freed us from the slavery of sin. He did not redeem us so that we could be independent of Him; but that we might be completely devoted to Him. We have an obligation to glorify God, not only in spiritual service, but with our bodies, for they too belong to God. If the previous verse gave us the negative command to flee fornication, then here we have the corresponding positive command: let your whole life and all you do be for God's glory.

GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST by William F.P. Burton God the Father is the greatest. John 14:28. The Father begat the Son. Ps. 2:7; Heb. 1:15; Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Luke 1:35; 9:35. Jesus receives life from His Father.. John 6:57, 58. The works of Christ were given Him to do by the Father. John 5:19. The Father sent Him. John 6:29; 8:29, 42. The Father appointed Him to die and to rise again. John 10:18. He has received all things from the Father. John 13:3. The Father gave Him His testimony. John 8:29, 40; Deut. 18:18. God put it into Christ’s heart to do His Father’s works. John 5:36; 14:11. The Father has made Him King and Lord and Christ. Luke 22:29; Acts 2:36. He will give back the kingdom to His Father (1 Cor. 15:24), but He will continue to reign eternally. Luke 1:33. Men can only come to the Father through the Son. Heb. 7:25; John 14:6. The Father is Head over the Son. 1 Cor. 11:3. The Father is God of the Lord Jesus. John 20:17.

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