Sex: A Touchy Subject

1 Cor 7:1-7

To touch or not to touch, that is the question. Is it nobler to suffer the pangs of lust, and in celibacy oppose them to their end? Or shall we fall headlong into lust’s embrace, drinking deeply of all she has to offer? Ay, there’s the rub.

There is no rub for the Christian who has a balanced understanding of the Scriptures. However, the Corinthians were anything but balanced. They were vacillating between two extreme positions concerning sexual relations for Christians: if it feels good, do it, and running away from all of it.

On the libertarian end, there is incest (5:1-13) and sex with prostitutes (6:12-20), and on what some perceived to be the holy end, there is celibacy. This then begs the question; which position is correct? Free-wheeling, care-free, and uninhibited sexual behavior doesn’t sound very Christ-like, so the holier route must be to suppress all sexual expression and live without it. Paul’s response is that both extremes are wrong (1 Cor 6:18-7:1, 7:3-5).

Sex; meant by God to be an incredible gift, but to some, it is an incredible curse. What was meant to be beautiful, shame-free, and monogamous, is exemplified by the Corinthians as crass, self-indulgent, and destructive. The immorality of the Corinthians was well known, so Paul responds to their question about sex and its appropriateness (7:1); it is well and good for people to engage in sex, but only in the context of marriage (7:2-5).

We read in the last chapter that during the sexual union, there is more going on than just a physical act, there is a spiritual connection, a bonding (6:16a).

In marriage, as a man and women leave home and cleave to one another (Gen 2:21-24), they share unity, a bond, and themselves with one another in an exclusive relationship. In this special relationship, there are mutual rights to each others bodies (7:4). A husband is to satisfy his wife just as he is to receive satisfaction from her (v.3). Sex is to be enjoyed within the stable, safe, and shameless context of marriage, providing pleasure for both spouses.

There may come a time when sex must be set aside, but that should be during times of fasting and prayer (v.5a). There may be other legitimate reasons, but it should never be in the context of punishment or leverage against your spouse. And once you are able to get back to it, get back to it. Satan will use sex, and the weakness of men (and women) to wreak havoc in your life if you do not stay on your guard (v.5b). How many people have succumbed to sexual temptation because they did not keep the home fires burning?

We live in a perverse society, and I know I am not telling you anything new. I can get so used to saying no to everything that is wrong with our culture, including the vulgarity of the sex that I forget to say yes to the Gospel and righteous living. Christ died so that nothing in this world can claim mastery over me, including sex, and I am now empowered to say NO to unrighteous behavior.

Say YES to the Gospel and begin to reclaim the beauty of sex as God created it. Enjoy one another, but if you must stop, do so and return to one another ASAP. Pleasure and enjoy your spouse so that both of you will be able to stand against Satan and his temptations, which are meant to destroy what God has joined together (Matt 19:5-6; Mark 10:8-9).

Sexual immorality doesn’t belong in your life and celibacy doesn’t belong in the marriage bed.

Grace and Peace,
Rich

You Are Not Your Own

1 Cor 6:12-20

I am still trying to find time to learn how to play my banjo. In the meantime, I can listen and dream of pickin’ some classics like Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Dueling Banjos, and of course, The Ballad of Jed Clampett. Revisiting the old episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies brings back some fond memories and quite a few smiles. Even as a youngin’, I didn’t quite understand how the poor hillbillies became wealthy and still lived like they were poor. I guess the old adage holds true, you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy. Now that I am older, I still laugh and enjoy the show, but I see it in a different light.

I can understand the down-home attitude of the hillbillies who refused to become people they weren’t because of their new money and status; they stayed as they were because of habit and familiarity. Paul understands that similar attitude in the believers at Corinth and made it a point to change their thinking. There were believers, formerly in bondage to all manner of sin, who were bought with the blood of Christ, but continued to live as if they never received a new life, an inheritance of inestimable worth (1 Cor 6:9-11). They came to the conclusion that their lifestyle did not have to match their faith; their walk did not have to match their talk.

Paul may have understood that some Christians were not living up to their inheritance, but he in no way endorsed their cavalier approach to God.

Three times in verses 15-20, Paul uses the term “Do you not know?” The answer the apostle is expecting in response to his rhetorical questions is yes. Yes they do know! Yes they do know that their bodies are members of Christ (v.15); his hands and feet in the world. Yes they do know that they should not unite themselves with a prostitute (v.16); some translations use the word cleaves or join. Regardless of the translation, uniting, cleaving, or joining to a prostitute is much more than a physical act, there is a spiritual component to that level of intimacy; a bonding (v.16a).

A Husband and wife become one flesh in marriage and are united one with the Lord. When one breaks that bond with their spouse, they also break their bond with the Lord. Now you may be thinking that since you have never been with a prostitute, this does not concern you; Oh contraire. The word used for immorality, porneia, throughout the Bible connotes all manner of illicit sexual behavior. That’s why the admonition is to flee from all manner of sexual behavior (v.18). Here is where I am reminded of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Joseph, righteous and God-fearing, is presented with an opportunity to commit adultery, and instead of rationalizing the situation and caving into powerful pressure, he flees, leaving his coat behind (Gen 39: 6-20).

Do we as believers flee from sin like Joseph? Do we actually believe that our sexual immorality, whatever that may be, is truly a sin against God first? When we get a grasp that God has purchased us at great cost to Him and His Son, and understand that we are no longer our own but belong to God, it is then we see that our infidelities insult our Owner before anyone else (vv.19-20). Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Christian has the power to say no to sin and live in the purity God has called him to (v.19). Will you take a risk and believe that is true for you (Rom 7:6)?

It’s good to know this stuff, but even better, for the sake of your soul, to put it into practice. You can begin to put it into practice by Repenting of your sin. Confessing your sins to God and repenting of your actions. Believe that God’s forgiveness is for you and powerful enough to cleanse you thoroughly (1 John 1:9). And finally Fight. Fight like your life depends on it. Fight for your purity knowing that it is possible because of God, His Son, and the residence of the Holy Spirit. Repent, Believe, and Fight.

Why? Because you are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Dr. Seuss has a word for those who may need encouragement to stay away from certain things in order to live righteously. From Oh, the Places You’ll Go, he writes in part:

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

OK, maybe that’s a stretch. For me, as a metaphor for avoiding sin, I like it.

Because of the Gospel, and only the Gospel, you can live the life God has called you to live. You have a millionaire’s wealth in Christ, don’t squander it.

Grace and Peace,
Rich

Honoring Mom

2 Tim 1:5, 3:14-15

The first Mother’s Day was officially established in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, and henceforth would be celebrated on the second Sunday of May. This day is set aside as a holiday to celebrate the mother’s of America. Other presidents as well have declared the role their mothers have played in their lives. John Quincy Adams is quoted as saying, “all that I am my mother made me,” and Abe Lincoln declared, “all that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother.” These are great men of success who owed much to their mothers.

Mom, your role is crucial in the makeup of the family and society at large.

The apostle Paul, addressing his child in the faith, Timothy, remembers him fondly and cannot wait to see him again. He is a godly young man who is sincere in his faith (v.5) and is worthy of the apostle’s trust, love, and ministry. As Timothy’s spiritual father, Paul recognizes that his young protege did not become the kind of man he was in a vacuum. He learned his faith from someone, and that someone was dear old mom (and grandma too). Timothy’s biological father was a pagan, but that didn’t stop Eunice and Lois from being a godly influence to their son and grandson.

That is an exemplary example for us today. The women in Timothy’s life were compelled to share and train up this young man in the faith, despite the lack of spiritual leadership in the home. Moms, are you living with an unbelieving husband? Train your child in the faith. Is your husband indifferent to the things of God? Train your child in the faith. Teach your child the Scriptures as early as you can, because in them there is wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 3:14-15).

Look at us today, praising God for Timothy’s faith because of the example of his mom and grandma. As mothers embark on training their children in the ways of the Lord, they should do so with a greater vision in mind; a vision that includes the lives that their children will affect because of their faith.

My wife and I are teaching our daughter biblical truths and praying that she will be a godly woman and turn the world upside down for Christ. We want our immediate actions to have long-term, God-honoring results. Lois and Eunice may not have thought about the future, or the ripples their faithfulness would cause, but because of their obedience to their Savior, we are blessed.

Children, you may get sick of hearing about righteousness, purity, and faith, but understand that we who are parents have an obligation to teach you things of God and to guide and direct you. The Bible calls us to rebuke, correct, and encourage (2 Tim 4:2) those under our care so they will know the truth about God, Jesus Christ, and salvation. We love you enough to do that for you; and dad, if you won’t do it, may you be blessed with a wife who will.

Mom’s (foster moms, step moms, grandmas, and the like), you have a wonderful biblical example of faithfulness that has spanned the ages. You will not know what your future impact will be, but like the women in our text, you are to be faithful to the things of God and pass that faith along.

Moms, do not underestimate the influence you have; use that power for good and not for evil.

Washington Irving said, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

Thank you mom for all you put up with from me and all the heartache I have caused. Thank you that no matter how bad it got/gets, I can always count on you to be there for me. Thank you for letting me go and make my own mistakes, and reserving critique and criticism until my heart could handle it. Thank you mom for persevering through your own trials and showing me you were stronger than I gave you credit for. Thank you God for giving me my mom and for her being the person You made her to be.
On this Mother’s Day, I want to say thank you mom, I Love You!

Grace and Peace,
Rich

One Bad Apple Spoils the Bunch

1 Cor 5:6-13

Maybe you have heard that phrase when you were a child, or said it as an adult to your own child. It is a nicer way to tell someone that their choice of friend(s) will affect them in a negative way. Bad influences have been around for a long time, and good people have been influenced by them for just as long. The Book of Proverbs has something to say about bad character and its influence on the good: A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm (Prov 12:26, 13:20). The principle that applies to us personally, also applies to a group corporately.

After all, it is one apple that contaminates the whole barrel. In a similar way, Paul uses the imagery of leaven and dough to explain the results of something small thoroughly affecting something much larger (v.6).

Leaven, when added to dough, causes the dough to rise; all of the dough reacts. Paul uses the familiar picture of leaven and dough to show the Corinthians what will happen to them unless the decisively deal with the sin in their midst. The Corinthian believers, left alone in their arrogance, will allow the sin of one individual to contaminate the whole church. Achan’s sin and subsequent death, stand for all time as an example of the seriousness of sin (no matter how small it seems to us), and the purity God expects from His people (Josh 7:1-26).

Getting rid of the leaven (v.7) so it won’t infect the whole lump is imperative. This is the same as saying, “And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?” (v.2), or “God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you” (v.13). Putting this man out of the church in Corinth, or putting someone out of our church today is not only for his or her good, but also for the good of the church.

God has always been serious about sin (Deut 17:2-7, 24:7). It was true in the Old Testament; it was true in Corinth, and it is true in the covenant community today. It is a scary thing to be under the discipline of the church, knowing that the ultimate result of an unrepentant heart may be an early death. An unrepentant person may choose his sin over righteousness and ultimately be turned over to Satan for his own good; that’s pretty bad. However bad that may seem, remember that Satan is still God’s Satan, and he is on a leash whose length is determined by God, for the glory of God.

Sin is serious. So much so that Jesus became it and died upon a cross to pay for it so we who believe could be righteous (2 Cor 5:21). There is no other way to please God. The sin in our lives may not be of church discipline proportions, but God still requires us to be pure. Jesus lived and died as an acceptable sacrifice for our sin, and by faith, his life becomes ours. Lay aside those things that cause you to stumble and come and walk in the light.

Bad apples are rotten to the core; don’t be a bad apple.

Grace and Peace,
Rich

Church Discipline: Really?

1 Cor 5:1-5

When is the last time you heard of someone going through church discipline? OK, how about church discipline done correctly? If you took a poll among Christians about the validity of church discipline, you might hear some of these responses: If I am to “love my neighbor,” I will be contradicting the law of love by doing something so unloving. Maybe you’ll hear: “Don’t judge so that you won’t be judged.” Or even: We’ll be sued for trashing someone’s character.
I am sure these reasons, and others, exist because they have happened in the church. But does poorly done doctrine negate its use and necessity in the body? I do not believe it does.

Church Discipline is a necessary doctrine of the church, in place to protect the integrity of the church.

Just ask the apostle Paul. A member of the Corinthian church was in an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife (v.1). That wording, “has his father’s wife,” is an indicator that the woman involved was not the son’s mother biologically, but his stepmother relationally. A loophole you say, hardly. Jewish law had a strict penalty for a son and stepmother who dishonored the father/husband in this way; death by stoning! (Lev 18:8, 20:11; Deut 22:30, 27:20). The Old Covenant law was very harsh in sexual matters. In The New Covenant, God is hardly the love emoting pacifist the culture, and some Christians, have made Him out to be; One who turns a blind eye to sin, including sexual sins. He is the same God, requiring the same standard of holiness and righteousness. Thanks to the Gospel, my position before God is that of a righteous man, which practically, is something I am not.

The church (believers gathered) was bought and paid for by Jesus Christ, and it is a body characterized by holiness. Maybe now it makes a little more sense why Paul wants to discipline this man so swiftly and severely.

Simon Kistemaker says, “Christians dwell in a glass house, so to speak, and the world is free to observe them. When the church fails to check a sin which the world condemns, the church has become ineffective.” The covenant people of God must deal quickly and thoroughly with sin in its ranks. Don’t think so? Ask Achan (Josh 7:25-26) and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Sin left unchecked in the local body will reap disastrous results.

J. Hampton Keathley, III lists what he believes are the 7 Purposes Of Church Discipline:

1. To bring glory to God and enhance the testimony of the flock.
2. To restore, heal, and build up sinning believers (Matt. 18:15; 2 Thess. 3:14-15; Heb. 12:10-13; Gal. 6:1-2; Jam. 5:20).
3. To produce a healthy faith, one sound in doctrine (Tit. 1:13; 1 Tim. 1:19-20).
4. To win a soul to Christ, if the sinning person is only a professing Christian (2 Tim. 2:24-26).
5. To silence false teachers and their influence in the church (Tit. 1:10-11).
6. To set an example for the rest of the body and promote godly fear (1 Tim. 5:20).
7. To protect the church against the destructive consequences that occur when churches fail to carry out church discipline.

Paul wants this man handed over to Satan (v.5), not to remove a pain in the neck, and pain in the ministry, but to give the man an opportunity to repent, return to the community, and receive grace from the Lord on judgment day. A person’s soul is of inestimable worth, making the misery of the sinful life worth every tear shed, and every curse uttered if its end result is the coming to the senses (Luke 15:11-32) and a prayer of repentance to God.

If there is unrepentant sin in your life, come to your senses and repent before you are handed over to Satan for your soul’s sake. Church discipline is sometimes necessary, it really is.

Grace and Peace,
Rich

Servants and Stewards of Christ

1 Cor 4:1-13

I would like to think that I always think biblically, but I think that’s not the case; like right now. I am dwelling on the Scripture at hand, and yet my mind is not picturing Paul serving the Corinthians, but Alfred catering to Bruce Wayne. Alfred is a well-dressed, elderly, stately gentleman whose station in life is to be the personal assistant, friend, and confidant to a wealthy home owner. He is in on all of the secrets and can be trusted with the information. Alfred, it would seem, is important to the success of the Dynamic Duo’s reputation as the saviors of Gotham City. However, Alfred never takes any credit. He is happy to be a helper, server, subordinate, friend, and wise listener if needed, but he never steals the glory that was never his to begin with.

I think Paul would like Alfred. Paul gives his readers in 4:1 the proper titles he and other workers are to be known by; servant and steward. Paul is using his God-given gifts to serve the church; a body that does not belong to him but belongs to another (God), and deserves the greatest amount of care possible.

The stewardship of God’s people in Corinth, or any other church Paul plants or is in charge of, means that he is accountable for those entities to one person, and one person alone, God (v.4). That is both scary and encouraging at the same time for those of us in pastoral ministry. Scary in that we are accountable to God for our actions, inactions, and motives. Encouraging in that our fellow man, minister or congregant, whether well-meaning or not, are not the ones we are to please. God will test and prove the intents of the servant’s heart and reward them accordingly (v.5).

Paul was the kind of leader who applied the same criteria to his own life as he required from his children (v.6). There is no “do as I say, not as I do” mentality with Paul. As a spiritual father, he tells his children to do as he does, because it matches what he says (v.16). As a natural father, I want my daughter to emulate me, not for my own vainglory, but because I am following Christ in word and deed. I have a very long way to improve as an example, but improve I must if I am going to point my family to Christ and be the person God needs me to be.

And lest we think that pastoral ministry is 1.5 hours per week (Sunday mornings) and lunch and coffee breaks the rest of the time, Paul’s words bring us back to reality. The Message sums up verses 10-13 nicely: You might be well-thought-of by others, but we’re mostly kicked around. Much of the time we don’t have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, “God bless you.” When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We’re treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture’s kitchen. And it’s not getting any better.

Welcome to service for the Lord. Even as the Corinthians were puffing themselves up and arguing about who followed the best leader, Paul, and then Apollos were pouring themselves out and suffering derision for the Corinthians sake. When we love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will suffer because Jesus suffered. The world will hate us and that’s the way it is.

Paul wasn’t looking for pity, he was trying to encourage believers to get their eyes on Christ, and that no matter what the world did to them, they would be rich in the Lord and payday would come in heaven. The Corinthians needed to quit honoring themselves and pick up their crosses, that way God would be the One who would honor them and that’s all that should have mattered.

It is much easier said than done. Those Corinthians should have known better, right? What about us? Are we more concerned about God’s opinion of us or the world’s opinion of us? Are you willing to be considered something that is scraped off someone’s shoe for the sake of the Gospel? Paul was. Apollos was. The martyr’s were. And by God’s grace I will be too; it is much easier said than done.

Alfred was a good servant to his master, with his impeccable speech and dress, but that is hardly the picture of a servant of Christ. Strange, isn’t it? Seems backward and upside down. And it is here that we have one of the paradoxes of the Christian faith; For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matt 23:12). Serve God and let Him exalt you instead of the other way around.

Grace and Peace,
Rich

Resurrection Sunday: Doubt No More

John 20

As is typical of the Easter season, questions about the “real” Jesus abound: Was he a real person? Did he really rise from the grave? How much of the story is myth turned fact? What’s the point? As a believer, I am neither threatened, nor do I waver on what I believe to be the truth. There are others who are not so sure. The group that comprises those who are unsure, or disbelieve that the resurrection took place is a large group indeed. Whether you are an ardent believer or a skeptic, this Easter can be both thought provoking and joyful.

Skeptics are welcome to explore the claims of Christ. Even as we enjoy the telling of the wonderful resurrection story, we can hardly pass over the fact that Jesus’ inner circle of disciples had a hard time accepting the news of the resurrection. The Bible minces no words telling the reader that the eleven disciples thought the news of an empty tomb was nonsense (Luke 24:9-11; Mark 16:9-14 [early manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9–20]; Matt 28:17; John 20:25).

Doubters can and do become famous; the most famous just may be Thomas. Since the time of Jesus, he has been the poster child for skepticism, unwilling to believe unless he sees and touches with his own eyes and hands (John 20:25). And it is here that we witness the beauty of Jesus’ response to the skeptical, yet open seeker; see me, touch me, stop doubting and believe (John 20:27). Thomas does not get excoriated for his skepticism, but is given an opportunity to experience Jesus personally. Seeing and touching was all it took for Thomas to worship Christ (John 20:28), but what about the rest of us?

We can be encouraged by the honesty and doubt of Thomas because that is where many of us are right now. Jesus is big enough to handle our doubt. Bring it to the cross and decide for yourselves how you will respond. The Bible and history are filled with doubters turned Christian. Some of the more notable ones are, but not limited to: Thomas, the apostle Paul, C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, and Lee Strobel. Not all who have searched for the truth have accepted the claims of Christ. However, in the event that you come to the conclusion that Jesus is who he says he is and the Bible is a faithful witness to that fact, you will find that Jesus has been waiting for you.

One thing you cannot be for the long-term is undecided. There comes a time when one must decide for him or herself whether to believe in Jesus or not. After a time, no decision plainly means NO, not interested.

Thomas was blessed because he personally saw and touched Jesus and believed (John 20:27-29a), but Jesus also blesses those of us who believe without seeing (John 29b). I have never seen, heard audibly, or experienced physically Jesus Christ. I have had something in my mind and my heart change as I contemplated the implication of Jesus and his mission for God, and I said yes, I believe it! I am not smarter or better than those who are still searching, only very grateful to God for opening my eyes to the truth of the gospel.

So, was Jesus a real person? Yes he was. Did he really rise from the grave? Yes he did. How much of the story is myth turned fact? It is all fact. And finally, what’s the point? The point is that we have an issue between God and us. Adam started it all through his rebellion and disobedience, and every subsequent generation from then until now suffers from his decision. But just as one man ruined it for all of us, one man, the second Adam (Jesus) has come to set things aright. His life, message, and mission culminated in his execution, which was meant to silence him, but fulfilled God’s purpose and plan for him from days of old (Isa 53:6, 10; Matt 16:21-24, 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46, 24:44-47; John 10:16, 12:23-24; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:1-8; 1 Peter 2:21-25).

Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension accomplished God’s purposes and provided sinful man with a way to fix his broken relationship with God. The horror of the cross gives way to the glory of the resurrection, which is why every believer can shout with joy on Resurrection morning; He is Risen-He is Risen Indeed! Doubt no more and live.

Grace and Peace,
Rich