1 Corinthians 5-7
Carnal Relationships
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Psalm 135:1-21 Praising Our Great God
Your Name Endures Forever
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD,
give praise, O servants of the LORD, 2 who stand in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God! 3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant! 4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps. 7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast; 9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants; 10 who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings, 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan, 12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages. 14 For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands. 16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see; 17 they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD! 20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! 21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the LORD!
Application
Fear, trust, and bless God, praising Him for the specific things He has done.
Prayer
God, You are most worthy of praise, for You are great and good to Your people. May I fear and trust You, and declare the things You have done for me, so You are glorified. Amen.
TMS 2 Timothy 3:16 How To Have A Quiet Time
Observations
3:16 This is the second of the 7PASSAGES, explaining your relationship with the Word of God. The only way we, as finite beings, can know infinite Truth, is if an Infinite Being reveals it to us (see the first of the 7QUESTIONS in sidebar). Problems arise when we base our understanding of and relationship with God on anything other than His Revelation (although all truth is God's truth, if we neglect revelation for speculation, we wind up believing lies). All Scripture is “God-breathed,” the basis of inspiration (breathe into). What was written was what God spoke, or wanted written, so we'd be able to trust it, and obey it. See “Is There A Supernatural Being and Can He Walk and Talk” under the 7QUESTIONS for the reliability of Scripture.
As a result of being “God-breathed,” Scripture is profitable in four areas, for a purpose:
- Doctrine or teaching which marks out the path or way in which we should walk; it would make sense that if God wanted us to do something, He would tell us; and He has. When we read, we should first seek to understand what God has said, which is what the Observation part of DailyTruthbase is all about. This is step number one of a Biblical Quiet Time, read the Bible.
- Reproof means to bring to light, and as we read God's word we see that what we are doing is or isn't in accord with His will for us; doing what is right in His sight is essential for righteousness so when we read we should be looking for not only what we should or shouldn't do, but be transforming ourselves by the renewing of our minds (Rm 12:1-2 post) so we think, value and feel as God wants us to. This is step number two of a Biblical Quiet Time, meditate on the Bible: think through the implications of what you've read for applications (see comments on Joshua 1:8).
- Correction means to bring to a straight or upright position, in line with the Truth. Doctrine shows the “what” you should do, Reproof shows “where” you're off, and Correction shows you “how” to get back on the path. There are 613 commands in the OT, and 613 commands in the NT (see “What God Wants” on Truthbase.net). Many of those commands tell us how to obey, repent, draw near, submit, pray, rejoice, trust, give, receive, etc. The commands are not random restrictions on our happiness, but what God wants us to do so we can be in a position where He can bless us, and we can glorify Him for doing so. This is step number three of a Biblical Quiet Time.
- Training in Righteousness is a better translation than teaching, which is implied under doctrine. This is the motivation or “why” you should apply the correction and stay on the path. In any long journey or race, people get tired and want to wander or quit. Scripture provides the motivation to keep at it, by showing the consequences, positive or negative (blessing or cursings) that God has sovereignly determined will follow your choices. In the physical realm we catch on relatively quickly that stoves are hot and the laws of gravity make jumping off a cliff a bad idea. We're a little slower to learn the laws of the spiritual life. However, when we're tempted to quit, we're usually not thinking rationally, which is why God has given us lots of repetition and object lessons, and fellow believers to remind us (see 3:17). This is step number four of a Biblical Quiet Time, look for the motivation that God gives for following His way.
DailyTruthbase is arranged around the above paradigm, and adds the element of response which Paul gives to Timothy in the next chapter. The essence of worship is a response to Revelation (see comments on Genesis 22), so the prayer is an example of how to respond initially to God's word, and the application is what should eventually find its way into your life (actually, you need to put it there).
3:17 God didn't give us His word so we could just learn about it, but so we can use it to bless others. In Ephesians 2:8-10, the first of the 7PASSAGES, we're told that works don't get our sins forgiven, but that we are saved to do good works. So how do you know what good works you should do? This verse answers that question. The word of God equips us to do good works, which in Timothy's case was to teach it to others (in chapter 4).
Application
You can't give to others what you don't own, so commit to mastering the word: Learn it; Live it; then Love others with it, and don't stop.
See
"Getting a Grip on God's Word" 10minuteBible on YouTube
Prayer
1 Corinthians 5-7 Carnal Relationships
Carnal immature Christians have carnal relationships, because they seek to fulfill their desires in them rather than God's desires. His plan is that He meets our needs, so that we're free to meet the needs of others. But for those who don't know and obey Him, that process gets short-circuited. Those who seek to gratify their desires for power (significance/security), pleasure, and possessions on this earth, will miss out on those blessings in the Messiah's future kingdom. Those who use others to meet their needs for worth or pleasure/companionship, forfeit the privilege of having God meet those needs, and suffer the inevitable pain of disappointment in this life, and the next. Instead of behaving badly, believers should live in light of the identity and promises God has given them. This section deals with lawsuits, church discipline, immorality, sexuality, discriminatory relationships, singleness, marriage, divorce and remarriage.
1 Corinthians 5 Discipline and Separation
Immorality Rebuked
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Expel the Immoral Brother
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”Application
All of our associations must be governed by God's principles; it is better to suffer temporal loss to get eternal gain.
Prayer
God, may I view my stuff and relationships through Your eyes, and accomplish Your purposes in my interactions with others, rather than seeking to meet my needs through them. Amen.
1 Corinthians 6 Glorifying God with “His” Body
Lawsuits among Believers
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 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 incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!Members of Christ
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. 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. 12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.The Temple of the Holy Spirit
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.Application
If we use all we have to glorify God, He will glorify us; otherwise we lose out on the inheritance He has reserved for us.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, may I be a holy sanctuary in which Your Spirit can dwell, empowered to glorify You and live the life You can bless. Amen.
1 Corinthians 7 Sex in the City of Corinth
Principles of Marriage
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 10 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?Live Your Calling
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.The Unmarried and Widowed
25 Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. 32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. 36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.Application
Prayer
God, thanks for providing all I need to do Your will, from information to power and grace; thanks that I can trust You to guide me into what's best. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God requires holy behavior in the individual and corporate body of believers. He judges those who defile either, depriving them of reward.
Build-a-Jesus: Jesus indwells believers by His Spirit, and desires holiness in His people, whom He purchased with His life.
Us in a nutshell: Believers have the responsibility to judge sin in their midst, and separate from the sinner until there is repentance. Believers should also be willing to suffer and be wronged in the short term to glorify God, and gain in the long term.
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