Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Wednesday,
Have you discovered there are two places on earth which should be the SAFEST places, the most LOVING places, but sadly are too often ferocious battlegrounds? Do you know why? Those two places are FAMILY and CHURCH. And they have long been war zones because the dark kingdom, led by Satan who hates Jesus, is always opposed to God and His work in our world. Satan’s kingdom attacks most ferociously in the Family and the Church because if someone can be wounded there, the chances are very high they will disengage from both family and God!
From the time you were born, your family, by God’s design, should be the place you are most accepted, most understood, most supported and encouraged, most loved. But do you know any families which are actually so dysfunctional the children don’t want to go home after school, or the spouses have divorced, or there is abuse and these families are actually dangerous, violent places which wound those who live there deeply?
I hate to ask the next question, but have you ever seen a church which is not safe and people leave that church wounded, sometimes angry with God, and sometimes walking away from Jesus, determined to NEVER darken the door of another church?
In our daily journey through God’s Word we are looking carefully at the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Corinth, which Paul wrote from the great city of Ephesus in 55ad. Today let’s look at chapter six. Paul was writing this letter in response to a very troubling report he had received about several significant dysfunctions among the Christian group in Corinth.
This 6th chapter deals with TWO major issues. One is lawsuits and the other is sexual immorality. Now both of those are found rampant in most societies, but Paul wasn’t writing a general letter to all people in Corinth. Paul was writing to the followers of Jesus in Corinth and these two problems were happening among the Christians!
Do you see in 1 Corinthians 6:1 Paul challenged them with these words: “If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?…Is it possible there is no one among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believer’s? But instead, one brother takes another to court – and this in front of unbelievers?” (1 Cor. 6:1-6)
This matter of greed and retaliation rather than forgiveness and reconciliation, at least in the part of the world where I live, has produced an entire branch of the practice of law solely dedicated to lawsuits, especially those related to traffic accidents or work-related accidents or family disputes or even perceived emotional damage caused by online social media postings.
Roadside billboards or television commercials or internet spots all invite people to look closely at their life experiences to see if they have possibly been wronged, even by friends or family, so they might consider a lawsuit and engage an attorney to sue for damages.
Do you see Paul challenging the Corinthian Christians, and all Christians, to be very careful? Our behavior, our motives, our attitudes, our words are ALWAYS being watched by a world who has no interest in Jesus but is quick to point out hypocrisy in Christians. Do you see the irony and potential damage to the reputation of Jesus by lawsuits between believers in Jesus Christ, brought into the public court, to be argued by lawyers who have no interest in Jesus, or juries who place no value in God’s Word?
Paul declares that even complex disagreements between Christians, should be able to be settled OUTSIDE the public court arena, with wise Christian leaders mediating or even arbitrating. These resolutions of disagreements should be accomplished with Bibles in hand and the Holy Spirit leading clear thinking, which brings God honoring resolutions, for God’s glory and the restoration of relationships.
Those types of disagreement resolutions not only preserve relationships and resources, they defeat the dark kingdom, they shame Satan, and they celebrate Jesus! And the watching world is drawn to consider the power of God’s peacemaking rather than the destruction of Satan’s conflicts.
Finally, did you notice Paul’s statement about the Lord’s people judging alongside Jesus? In 1 Cor. 6:2,3 Paul wrote: “Do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? …Do you not know we will judge angels?”
What do you think Paul means? Hebrews 4:13; Revelation 20; Matt. 25:31-46, and other Scriptures make it clear that Jesus Christ Himself is the ultimate judge, before whom every human being will stand accountable for their lifetime. We’ve looked at that judgment of the Great White Throne before. (Rev. 20:11-15)
2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6 and Revelation 20 make it clear those angels who rebelled against God in heaven, before the creation of the world, and were thrown out of heaven along with Satan, (Is. 14:12-15; Ez. 28:14-17) will receive their final judgment. and will be sent to the lake of burning sulfur. at a future time when Jesus will invite some resurrected, redeemed saints to judge these demons alongside Him! Rev. 20:4 says “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” Now, why would Jesus invite redeemed human beings to join Him in judging fallen angels?
Because Jesus died on the cross to pay the atonement sin price for sinful human beings, NOT sinful angels. There is no redemption possible for the angels who were in God’s presence but rebelled. In that future time of judgment redeemed sinners, saved by the blood of Jesus and the grace of God, will be elevated by Jesus above angels, by virtue of their regeneration as a new creation in Christ! (2 Cor. 5:17) What a glorious celebration of the supremacy of Jesus Christ and the eternal condemnation of sin, Satan, evil and all those, human and angelic beings, who followed Satan rather than King Jesus.
Because of that future, glorious scene, Paul challenges Christians caught in disputes, contemplating lawsuits, to set aside sinful desires and resolve their disputes for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ, our Savior and king!
The lessons learned’ notes will be very helpful to you at the link below, and the worship song will draw you to Jesus, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow, my friends.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Cor. 6:1-11
Choose below to read or listen.
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Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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