Loving Others. Not Self.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? – 1 Corinthians 9:1-7 ESV

While Paul was on the issue of rights and the Christian’s need to die to them, he took the opportunity to address his rights as an apostle. There were evidently those in Corinth who were questioning if he really was an apostle at all. Others may have been by confused by some of Paul’s actions, because at times he did not appear to behave as an apostle. Some of this had to do with how Paul had handled himself when he had ministered among the the Corinthians. Rather than allow the Corinthians to meet all his financial needs and provide him with food and shelter, Paul and Barnabas had chosen to work (Acts 18:3). Evidently, other apostles, like Peter, had a reputation for bringing their wives with them while doing ministry and the churches were expected to cover their expenses as well. Paul didn’t fall into this category because he had no wife. But Paul’s point is that he had every right to expect the Corinthians to care for him while he was ministering among them. And if he had been married, he would have had the right to bring his wife with him and expect the church to pay her way. But Paul didn’t do those things. And yet that did not make him any less an apostle of Jesus Christ. He met the criteria. First of all, he had seen the risen Lord and had been commissioned by Him to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He was every bit an apostle as much as Peter, James or John. And the Corinthians themselves were living proof of his apostleship, because their lives had been changed because of his ministry.

Paul gives three illustrations from daily life to prove his right to expect compensation and care from the Corinthians. First of all, he uses the example of a soldier. No member of the military is expected to pay his own way. He serves on behalf of the people, giving his time and, if necessary, his life in defense of his nation. In return, the citizens of that nation pay his salary and supply his needs for food, clothing and shelter. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. The second illustration Paul uses is that of a farmer and his vineyard. No farmer in his right mind would plant a vineyard and not expect to benefit from the fruit that it yields. He is the one who tilled the soil, planted the vines and harvested the grapes. As a result, he had every right to enjoy the fruits of his labors. The final illustration Paul gives is the shepherd. To deny a shepherd the benefit of the milk his flocks provide would be ludicrous and unfair. He is the one who has provided for and protected the sheep, keeping them well-fed and safe, so he should be the one who enjoys some of the benefits of his hard work.

As we will see a little later on in this same chapter, the main concern Paul had was not regarding his rights but about the integrity of the gospel. His primary goal was that the gospel not be hindered in any way. That is why he and Barnabas had chosen to work rather than demanding their rights and expecting the Corinthians to pay their way. These two men did not want the Corinthians to resent their presence or reject the gospel because of a financial burden. So they willingly gave up their rights. Remember, this goes back to chapter eight and Paul’s warnings about those in the church who were allowing their “knowledge” of right and wrong to cause their brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble. They were allowing their rights to cause them to do wrong. And Paul was simply using himself as an illustration of how dying to one’s rights is the right thing to do some times.

At the core of the gospel is the message of love – God’s love for mankind. He sent His Son to die in the place of sinful men and women, out of love. Jesus had told His disciples that they were to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12 ESV). In the very next verse, Jesus gave what He believed to be was the greatest expression of love for another human being. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ESV). And in keeping with His teaching, Jesus would do just that, giving His life as the consummate expression of His love for mankind. The apostle John wrote, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:12 ESV). And that was Paul’s primary point in his letter to the Corinthians. Just as Paul had been willing to give up his rights and lay down his life for them, he was expecting them to do the same. The gospel is not about rights, but about righteousness. It is about dying to self and living for God, which means loving those whom He has made in His image. God did not save us to make us isolated islands of self-righteousness where our rights rule the day. He saved us so that we might die to self and live for Him. And one of the best ways we can express our love for God is by loving those around us, sharing the gospel message of reconciliation in both words and actions. Jesus Himself made it perfectly clear and simple: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 15:35 ESV).

Undivided Devotion.

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 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. 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.

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. 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. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

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. Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. – 1 Corinthians 7:32-40 ESV

There is little doubt that Paul’s view is a bit idealistic. His motivation is sincere, but he is looking at the situation through the lens of his own life. He was a single man who had totally dedicated his life to the mission of spreading the gospel among the Gentile nations. He was totally committed to the commission given to him by Christ and would not allow anything or anyone to distract him. When Paul said, “I wish that all were as I myself am” (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV), he was referring to his singleness. To the unmarried, he stated his opinion that “it is good for them to remain single as I am” (1 Corinthians 7:8 ESV).

Paul knows that life is difficult. It is full of commitments and requirements on one’s time. There are the daily demands of life such as work, providing for one’s family, relational issues, societal demands and expectations. And for the married individual, those things multiply exponentially. Which is why Paul advocated singleness. But this is where his idealistic nature comes out. He says, “the unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:32 ESV). Not necessarily, Paul. There are plenty of unmarried men and women who find themselves anxious about anything and everything but the Lord. Singleness is not an antidote to spiritual distraction or the cure for an anemic commitment to Christ. There is no doubt that the fewer earthly commitments and distractions we have, the easier it should be for us to dedicate our time and attention to the things of God. But it doesn’t always work out that way.

Paul writes, “the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:33 ESV). He is not saying a husband’s commitment to care for the needs of his wife and family are wrong. He is simply emphasizing the reality that the married individual will have a more difficult time finding the time to serve God without neglecting his family. Again, Paul is not indicating that caring for one’s wife and family is somehow non-spiritual or insignificant. In reality, Paul knew well that a Christian was required by God to love his or her spouse and family well. They were required to live out their faith in Christ within the context of the marriage union. To be a godly wife or husband was a huge commitment. That seems to be Paul’s point. As a single man, Paul was completely free to go and do whatever God demanded of him. He had few, if any, commitments that would keep him from responding to God’s call on his life.

Ideally, “the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit” (1 Corinthians 7:34 ESV). For Paul, singleness brought a singularity of focus and he longed for others to experience that same freedom from earthly commitments and concerns. It wasn’t that he experienced no anxiety in his life, but that any anxious moments he had were usually associated with his mission as God’s apostle. Any worries he had were not about domestic issues, but about the state of the church. At one point, he told the Galatians, “I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” (Galatians 4:12 ESV). His concern for their spiritual growth was like a woman anxiously enduring the pains of labor as she waits for her child to arrive healthy and whole. Paul had few worldly distractions. He didn’t have a “honey-do” list. He had no car pool duties, no soccer games to attend, recitals to sit through, or do-it-yourself tasks to perform around the house. He was free to worry about the things of God. And Paul wanted that for each and every believers. Which is why he wrote, “ I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible” (1 Corinthians 7:36 NLT).

Paul makes it clear that he is not making the single individual more spiritual than a married one. To get married was not a sin. To remain single did not make you a super saint. For Paul, it was a matter of practicality. Single people have fewer distractions and demands on their time. They have more discretion regarding their time.  Paul told Timothy, “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4 ESV). He seems to have had in mind a stipulation within the Mosaic law that read, “When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken” (Deuteronomy 24:5 ESV).  Undivided attention is difficult when you have divided allegiances. Paul’s primary point in all of this has to do with devotion to God. He believed strongly that he was living in the last days. He lived as if Christ was going to return at any moment. There was no time to waste. The gospel needed to be taken to the ends of the earth. The message of good news in Jesus Christ needed to be heard by every person on every continent. To accomplish that formidable mission, Paul knew he needed the help of every able-bodied believer. He simply wanted the Corinthians to know that he was out to “secure your undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:36 ESV). As Jesus had sia,d “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2 ESV).

Wasted Wisdom.

1 Kings 3-4, 1 Corinthians 16

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV

Solomon was given the opportunity of a lifetime. God spoke to him in a dream and basically told him that He would grant Solomon one wish. It was as if God was saying, “Name it and you can have it!” But instead of asking for more money, fame, power or military success, Solomon asked for “an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people” (1 Kings 3:9 ESV). Given the chance to have God grant his one wish, Solomon asked for godly wisdom. And as a result of his request, God also granted Solomon what he had not asked for: “both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days” (1 Kings 3:13 ESV). While this had been a dream, it had real-life implications. God gave Solomon great wisdom and blessed him with great wealth, incredible success, and a reign marked by peace rather than war. But God's provision of wisdom came with a condition. Solomon was required to live obediently according to God's statutes and commandments. This was going to prove to be a real challenge for the king, in spite of his wisdom. God made Solomon wise, but Solomon was going to have to choose to be obedient.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Chapter three of 1 Kings opens up with the seemingly innocent statement: “Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt” (1 Kings 3:1 ESV). But this one sentence speaks volumes regarding Solomon and his struggle to remain faithful to God's commands. In Deuteronomy 17:16, God had made it clear that the king of Israel was not to “return to Egypt” and make alliances of any kind with that nation, because God had told the people of Israel, “You shall never return that way again.” Not only that, God had commanded that the king of Israel “shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV). In Deuteronomy 7:3, God had warned the people of Israel against intermarriage with foreign nations because He knew that these marriage alliances would end up in idolatry and unfaithfulness.

In Deuteronomy 12, God had commanded the people of Israel to destroy all the high places in the land of Canaan, where the pagan nations had worshiped their false gods. God had said, “You shall tear down their altars and dash to pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way” (Deuteronomy 12:3-4 ESV). God went on to tell them that they were to seek a solitary place and establish it as their only center of worship. And yet we read, “Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places” (1 Kings 3:3 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

Solomon loved God. He also knew that if he was to rule the people of God successfully, he was going to need the wisdom of God. And while God would grant his wish, and provide Solomon a wise and discerning mind, this did not completely eliminate his tendency to make unwise choices. Wisdom still requires obedience. Knowing what to do and doing it are two different matters. Solomon's wisdom was indisputable. He was world-renowned for his wisdom and displayed it on a regular basis for all to see. The people “stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice” (1 Kings 3:28 ESV). But Solomon was going to struggle with obedience. His God-given wisdom was not going to prevent him from making unwise choices and self-destructive decisions. God was clearly blessing Solomon, providing him with incredible wisdom and discernment, as well as peace and prosperity. But Solomon amassed for himself thousands of chariots and horses, in direct violation of Deuteronomy 17:16: “Only he must not acquire many horses for himself.” In the midst of great peace made possible by God, Solomon was building up a might army. The psalmist would later write, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7 ESV). It seems that Solomon had a trust problem. It would also appear that he had a pride problem. And it is painfully clear that he struggled with an obedience problem.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In the closing paragraphs of his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). These were people who had placed their faith in Christ, who had received the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God, and who were assured eternal life. But Paul still reminds them to be on the lookout against sin and to remain steadfast in their faith. He knew that they were going to continue to face difficult days ahead, so he told them to stand firm and act like men. He encouraged them to remain strong. And then he added, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). They had been saved. They had the Spirit of God within them. They were assured of future life with God. But in the meantime, they were going to need to live obediently, faithfully, and firmly grounded on the Word of God. They had the wisdom of God residing within them in the form of the Spirit of God, but they were still going to have to obey what He told them to do. They were going to have to live in faithful dependence upon God's Word. We have available to us the wisdom of God in the form of the Spirit of God and the written Word of God. But all the wisdom in the world, if not obeyed, will never do us any good. A Bible that is read, but not applied, will never change us. A Spirit residing within us, but regularly ignored by us, will never transform us. Solomon had received a great gift from God, but it was up to him to avail himself of it. I have been given a great gift from God, but I must choose to be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like a man and be strong.

Father, Your incredible wisdom is available to me every day. I have access to wisdom beyond that of even Solomon. And yet, far too often, I ignore it or simply disobey it. I choose to live based on my own ignorance, driven by selfishness, and motivated by my own sin nature. Help me see the reality of my own condition and turn away from living life on my own terms. I want to apply Your wisdom to every area of my life and live in obedience to Your Word and in submission to Your Spirit. Amen

The Ultimate Victory.

The Ultimate Victory.

1 Kings 1-2, 1 Corinthians 15

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ESV

Ultimately, David had to die. Death is the eventual and unavoidable outcome for all men. David had reigned as king of Israel for 40 years, but that reign had to come to an end. And even as David prepared to pass from the scene, the soap-opera-like atmosphere continued to take place all around him. His son, Adonijah followed the example of his late brother, Absalom, and determined to make himself the next king of Israel. Sin continued to raise its ugly head in the household of David, resulting in an eventual confrontation between David's two sins, Adonijah and Solomon. To prevent Adonijah from splitting the kingdom, David has Solomon anointed his successor and transfers the kingdom over to him. But the influence of sin continues to impact the lives of those who will outlive David. Solomon eventually is forced to have Adonijah executed because he poses a continual threat to his kingdom. Solomon also has Joab, the former commander of David's army, executed for having taken the lives of two innocent men. Shemei, the man who cursed David as he was fleeing Jerusalem after Absalom had taken over his kingdom, is eventually executed for having violated his house arrest. Sin and death continue to rule and reign even after David has disappeared off the scene.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Sin is a constant reality for all of us on this planet. David experienced it. His son Solomon would soon recognize its undeniable influence not only over his kingdom, but his own life. God, who had created mankind to have an intimate, uninterrupted relationship with Himself, knew that sin would continue to cause chaos, confusion and destroy any chance of men having a right relationship with their Creator. But God had a plan. He had a solution to the problem of sin. David was simply a conduit through whom God would eventually bring a descendant who would conquer mankind's greatest enemies: sin and death. David had been a mighty warrior, but he could never defeat the sin in his own life and he was totally incapable of conquering death. His son, Solomon, would be one of the wisest men who ever lived, but he would still find himself susceptible to sin and prone to living in broken fellowship with God. Paul told the Corinthians, “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:50 ESV). Man, in his natural state, is infected by sin and, therefore, so contaminated that he is unworthy to live in the presence of God. Just as Adonijah could not live as a citizen in Solomon's kingdom, no man can be allowed to live in God's kingdom. Our sin and propensity for insurrection make us unworthy and unacceptable.

What does this passage reveal about man?

David was a man after God's own heart, but he still struggled with sin. He still failed to successfully live up to God's righteous standards. His son, Solomon, was filled with wisdom, but he wasn't smart enough to escape the influence of sin over his life. His disobedience and rebellion would eventually result in God's division of the kingdom. Man's only hope was going to come in the form of regeneration and resurrection. Man had to be completely renewed from within. He required a new nature, not a slightly improved version of the old one. God would have to give man a new heart and place a new spirit within him. God's solution to man's problem was a Savior. He sent His own Son to solve the sin problem by having Him live a sinless life in perfect obedience to the righteous commands of the Law. Jesus did what no man had ever done before – live without sin. His sinlessness made Him an acceptable sacrifice and substitute for man. Someone had to pay for the sins of mankind, and that someone had to be sinless. Jesus met the criteria and He gave His life so that God's righteous judgment might be satisfied. God had to deal justly with the sin and rebellion of men. He couldn't just overlook it or ignore it. Jesus had to die. Paul states it clearly. “…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5 ESV). Christ's death was not enough. If all He had done was died, then He would simply have been a martyr. But Jesus died and was given back His life by God the Father. He was restored to life, proving that He was not just another man whose life ended in death. He actually conquered death. He proved that God was more powerful than death itself. Peter said of Jesus, “But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip” (Acts 2:23-24 NLT).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

David's death didn't change anything. The world he left behind was just as screwed up as when he lived in it. His sons would continue to feud and fight over the kingdom he left behind. Sin would still influence and infect daily life. But the death of Jesus accomplished something incredible. It not only provided me with forgiveness of sin and payment for my penalty. It guarantees me eternal life. I no longer need to fear death. Physical death will eventually come to all. But eternal death, or permanent separation from God the Father, is not something I ever need to fear again. Because Jesus was raised again to new life, I will be given new life as well. “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:51-55 ESV). There is a day coming when I will leave this sin-filled world behind. I will leave my sinful nature behind. I will be renewed, regenerated and remade in the likeness of Christ. My sin nature will be done away with. This old body will be replaced with a new, spiritual body that will no longer be susceptible to sin, sickness, or death. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV).

Father, thank You that I no longer need to fear death. There is a future for me and it is because Your Son has made it possible. I am undeserving of it, but I am grateful for it. Help me live my life on this earth with my focus fixed on the reality of heaven. This life is not all there is. There is more to come and it has been guaranteed by the death, burial and resurrection of Your Son. Amen

To Build Up.

2 Samuel 23-24, 1 Corinthians 14

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. – 1 Corinthians 14:12 ESV

As David neared the end of his life, it appears that he was somewhat reflective, and felt compelled to do something to evaluate the success of his reign. He was a warrior and as such, part of his perceived worth would have been based on the numbers of his victories and the size of his army. So David determined to conduct a census in order to ascertain just how large his fighting force really way. It appears that the sin David committed in doing so was in placing his trust in his army rather than God. Actually, the passage doesn't tell us exactly what David had done to deserve the anger and punishment of God, but it is clear that he had sinned. Perhaps part of David's sin was that he had become focused on his own reputation rather than God's. It is interesting that the previous chapter speaks of “the mighty men whom David had” (2 Samuel 23:8 ESV). These mighty warriors were part of David's inner circle. They were valiant fighting men who had accomplished great deeds on behalf of David. But the passage makes it clear that their exploits were actually the result of God's actions. “And the Lord brought about a great victory that day” (2 Samuel 23:10 ESV). “And the Lord worked a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:12 ESV). It would have been easy for David to lose sight of the fact that his reputation, reign, and apparent success as a king were all the result of God's divine influence over his life. Numbering his troops could have given David a false sense of self-accomplishment and independence. It seems from the passage, that David was driven by a self-obsession that focused more on himself than on God or the people over whom he reigned.

What does this passage reveal about God?

When God determined to punish David for his sin, he gave the king three options from which to choose. He placed David in a very difficult position, forcing him to decide between three equally unattractive forms of punishment: Famine, the sword or pestilence. It would appear that whichever one David chose, the end result would be similar in its outcome. While the famine would last three years, it would take longer for its full impact to be felt on the lives of the people. The sword and pestilence, while shorter in time, would be swifter in their devastating influence on the lives of the people. No matter which one David chose, there was going to be innocent people who died as a result. David's selfish sin was going to have a significant impact on the lives of others. Unable to choose, David told God, “I am in great distress, Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14 ESV). In essence, David chose NOT to accept the sword as an option, but rather asked that God would choose between the other two. David was willing to accept the punishment of the Lord and count on Him showing mercy. So God chose to bring pestllence for three days, resulting in the deaths of 70,000 men. While we may struggle with the events recorded in this passage, we must understand that God acted righteously and justly. His actions were well within His rights as God. Sin had been committed, and the degree of the punishment reflects just how great David's sin really was.

What does this passage reveal about man?

In chapter 23, we read the last words of David. It is interesting to note what he said. “When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes the grass to sprout from the earth” (2 Samuel 23:3-4 ESV). A king who rules justly, in the fear of God, has a positive, healthy influence on the lives of those over whom he reigns. It would appear that David's decision to take the census was done without any fear of God. He didn't think about what he was doing. He was too focused on his own life and interested in his own reputation.

Over in 1 Corinthians 14, we see an apparently different scenario at play. Paul is writing to the Corinthian believers about spiritual gifts and their role within the body of Christ. It would appear that the Corinthians were struggling with pride and jealousy over the allocation and use of the spiritual gifts. Evidently, there was some belief that the gift of tongues was superior to any of the other gifts. It was more flamboyant and extraordinary. Perhaps they believed that those who practiced this particular gift were somehow linked in significant to the apostles because that is the gift they exhibited at Pentecost. But Paul repeatedly warns the Corinthian believers to remember the whole point behind all the gifts: the building up of the body of Christ. He tells them to “strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12 ESV). He warns them that, while speaking in tongues, they may experience some personal satisfaction and benefit, “but the other person is not being built up” (1 Corinthians 14:17 ESV). Paul makes it clear: “Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV). This is a continuation of his theme in chapter 13. The point behind all of the gifts was mutual edification motivated by selfless love. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV). The gift of tongues, practiced without love, was worthless and completely non-beneficial. God was the originator of the gifts and He handed them out according to His divine will and wisdom. They were intended to build up, not divide. They were to be selfless, not selfish. Like David, the Corinthians had taken their eyes off of God and placed them firmly on themselves. They had turned the spiritual gifts into a competition.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I love the line Paul writes to the believers there in Corinth: “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind” (1 Corinthians 14:20 NLT). Don't act like children, selfishly focusing on your own desires. Don't make it all about you. Think like adults, remembering that God gave you your gift for the good of the body, not just for your own personal pleasure or to satisfy your ego. It's interesting to note that in his opening to this letter, Paul writes the Corinthians and reminds them, “you are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1 Corinthians 1:7 ESV). The church in Corinth had every spiritual gift represented. God had given them exactly what they needed to build up the body of Christ. But they were jockeying for position, fighting over the gifts and selfishly attempting to one-up each other by comparing and contrasting the significance and value of their particular gifting. And in doing so, they were missing out on the whole purpose behind the gifts: to build up the church. Had David kept his focus on God, he would have spent less time worrying about his own significance and reputation. Had he remembered and lived by the words he wrote, he would have ruled justly, in the fear of God, having a positive impact on the lives of his people. But instead, his self-centered actions brought death. It's interesting to note that the Corinthians, in attempting to practice the very gifts God had given them, were having a negative influence on not only the local fellowship they were called to build up, but on the lost community around them. Nothing harms the name of Christ more than believers who can't get along. Nothing damages our witness as believers like infighting, pride and jealousy. But if our focus is on building up the body of Christ, and our motivation is mutual love, the church prospers and the lost are attracted like moths to a flame.

Father, may our churches be increasingly more recognized as places where the building up of the body is more important than the building up of our own reputations. Forgive us for making more of ourselves than we make of You or of the well-being of Your people. Open our eyes so that we might see You more clearly. Help us to love You more by loving others more than we love ourselves or our own reputations. Amen

The Love of God.

2 Samuel 21-22, 1 Corinthians 13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

We tend to sentimentalize love. It can easily become the sweet and saccharine staple of Valentine's cards and Hallmark made-for-TV movies. But real love is about much more than hearts and cherubs, sweetness and sentimentality. The kind of love God exhibits and expects from His people is not for the weak. It is not a byproduct of our emotions that shows up as a warm feeling or simply as a response to being loved by another. Love is an active, aggressive, powerful force that can manifest itself in a myriad of ways. As David grew older and more reflective, he couldn't help but see the loving hand of God all over his life. In 2 Samuel 22, he paints a vivid picture of his God, that is really an expression of his understanding of God's love for him. David describes God as his rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, salvation, stronghold and savior. He writes of responding to his cries and rescuing him from trouble. God provided him with security, strength and skill for battle. It was God who gave him victory over his enemies. David knew that his kingship was all God's doing. He fully understood that any success he had experienced was due to the hand of God in his life. And all of this was simply a visible expression of God's love. David wrote, “Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever” (2 Samuel 22: 51 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

God is love. It is the essence of His being. All that God does is filtered through His love. God can do nothing without love. Even His judgment is an expression of His love. Love is not an attribute that God possesses, but the very nature of who He is. So when God rescued David from his enemies, it was an expression of His love for David. When God punished David for his sin with Bathsheba, it was because God loved David enough to teach him the life lessons he needed to learn in order to be the king God intended him to be. When God allowed David to spend all those years in exile, living under the constant threat of death at the hand of King Saul, it was because God loved David and wanted to prepare him for his future kingship by allowing him to go through a period of trial and training. God loved David and this fact did not escape David as he looked back on his life. He could SEE the love of God expressed in a variety of ways. God's love appeared as protection and provision. It could be seen as strength for battle, deliverance from difficulty, stability in the midst of uncertainty, victory over enemies, and peace in the midst of the storm. God's love was far from sentimental. It was practical, powerful and undeniable.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Paul gives us a wonderful description of the kind of love that God expects to see from those who claim to be His children. It differs greatly from the self-centered, what's-in-it-for-me kind of love we see modeled by the world. The love Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 13 is the love of God. It is heavenly, not earthly. It is spiritual, not natural. This kind of love is indispensable and non-negotiable. Without it, everything we do becomes worthless and without value. Life lived without love is pointless. Words spoken without love become meaningless and just so much noise. Knowledge without love leaves me ignorant. The ability to perform miracles is a waste of time if it is not based in love. Even the willingness to sacrifice my life, if it is not done out of love, is in the end just wasted effort. Love is the most important thing we experience from God and it is to be the most common attribute that we express as children of God. Love is not self-centered. Love is not done for the sake of payback or mutual satisfaction. It is selfless, sacrificial, patient, enduring, hopeful, abiding, and all-encompassing. It is not just an emotion. It is a way of life. It is the way of God.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The best way to measure my own love is to look at the love of God. That's what David did. He saw the loving hand of God all over His life. He had learned to see God's love in every area of his life. David didn't just see God's love when things went well or when everything turned out the way he expected. He saw God's love in his difficulties. He saw God's love revealed as patience and constancy. David saw his own strength and skill for battle as an expression of God's love. Love is sometimes best expressed in ways that aren't recognized as love. Loving discipline is not always welcome, but it is necessary. “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6 ESV). Preparing someone to handle the difficulties of life and allowing them to go through them on their own is an expression of love. Watching our children endure hardship is hard to do as parents, but sometimes it is the best way we can show our love to them. Allowing them to learn life lessons through personal experience may be the most loving thing we can do for them. Love ultimately has the best interest of the one being loved in mind. Love is not based on how the other one WANTS to be loved, but on what will be best for that individual in the long run. Love must be measured from God's perspective, not our own or anybody else's. What would God have us do? How would God have us love? It will almost always involve sacrifice and selflessness. It will be focused on the one being loved. It will expect nothing in return. It will endure. It will be patient. It will hope for the best. It will sacrifice.

Father, Your love for me is amazing. Your constant, consistent, unwavering love shows up in so many ways in my life every day. Show me how to express that same kind of love to others. May my life be characterized by the kind of love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Amen

A House Divided.

2 Samuel 19-20, 1 Corinthians 12

“We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel.” – 2 Samuel 20:1 ESV

No sooner had David been restored to his rightful place as king of Israel, then everything seemed to fall apart right before his eyes. Absalom was dead. The insurrection had been defeated. But a rift had developed between Israel and Judah. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin were slow to recognize David's restored kingship and had not yet invited him back into Jerusalem. It took some persuasive words from David to finally convince them to welcome him back as king. But the ten tribes to the north became jealous, and complained to David, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?” (2 Samuel 19:41 ESV). This all results in an argument between the people of Judah and Israel, with David stuck in the middle. It created the perfect atmosphere for Sheba, “a worthless man,” to lead the tribes of Israel in a rebellion against David. “So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 20:2 ESV). So while David was back on his throne in Jerusalem, he reigned over a divided kingdom.

What does this passage reveal about God?

At first blush, it would appear that God is virtually absent from the narrative of 2 Samuel 19-20. He does not speak. He is not even mentioned. But we know that He was there. Much of what we see taking place is a result of His curse on David for his sin with Bathsheba. God had told David, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Samuel 12:9-10 ESV). David was still reaping the consequences of his sin. God was allowing things to unfold just as He had predicted they would. God had restored David to his throne, but his difficulties were far from over. The circumstances surrounding David's life at this time were not an indication of God's absence. He was there. He was still in control. But David was learning the painful lesson that our sins always have consequences.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Division amongst the people of God is not a new thing. Jealousy, pride, self-importance and the constant need for recognition are always lurking in the hearts of those who are called to be brothers and members of the same family. So much of what we see taking place in the story recorded in 2 Samuel 19-20 has to do with the sinful attitudes of men. The men of Israel are driven by jealousy. Rather than rejoice that David is being restored to his throne, they are jealous that he is returning to Judah and once again making Jerusalem his capital. They feel slighted. They feel betrayed. In this story, David replaced Joab with Amasa, making him the commander of his army, because David had never forgiven Joab for killing Absalom. As a result, Joab murders Amasa, taking back his generalship and restoring himself to power. The amazing thing is that all of this is taking place within the household of God. Jews are rising up against Jews. Brothers are rebelling against brothers. The people of God are destroying one another.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Even in the New Testament, long after Christ had come and the good news of salvation had begun to spread, division was still a problem, even among the growing numbers of believers. Paul had to deal with disunity and division within the church at Corinth. They were even fighting over spiritual gifts. They were experiencing jealousy over who had particular gifts and how they were being used. There were those who were teaching that some gifts were more important than others. This created a hierarchy of gifts, leaving some gifts looking as if they were sub-par or less significant. But Paul reassures them that all the gifts come from the same source: the Spirit of God. And all the gifts have one purpose: to build up the body of Christ. The gifts were intended for the common good of the body. They were not meant to be signs of individual significance and worth. One gift was not any better than another. But the presence of jealousy, pride, egos, and selfishness was turning the gifts of the Spirit into a cause for division and disunity. But Paul reminded his readers, “God arranged the members in the body, each on of them, as he chose” (1 Corinthians 12:18 ESV). There was no need for jealousy. There was no cause for arrogance or pride. “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26 ESV). The key was unity. The goal was mutual love and accountability. A house divided cannot stand. When we allow jealousy and our own self-importance to infect our community as believers, we destroy our effectiveness. We damage our witness. The greatest threat to God's kingdom is when His people try to establish their own kingdoms and make their will more important than His.

Father, we can find ourselves so easily fighting one another, rather than focusing our attention on the enemy. Too often, we allow jealousy and pride to rob us of power and destroy the unity that You so long for us to experience. Our sin natures get in the way and tend to cause us to focus on ourselves rather than the common good of the body of Christ. Help us to see that we all part of one body and that we have been gifted and equipped to serve one another, not ourselves. Amen

Disunity and Division.

2 Samuel 17-18, 1 Corinthians 11

But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. – 1 Corinthians 11:17-18 NLT

The house of David was divided. His own son, Absalom, had turned against him, taking over his throne and occupying his royal city. Ever since Absalom had taken revenge against Amnon for raping his sister, Absalom and David had been in a less-than-ideal relationship. They had never fully healed the wounds between them. Absalom had developed a growing resentment for David and had lost respect for him as both a father and a king. So he plotted to take over his father's throne and was even determined to take his father's life in order to solidify his own kingship. The amazing thing to consider is that this is all taking place within the nation that had been hand-picked by God to be His chosen people. The Israelites were to be an example of what it was like for a people to live under the leadership of God Himself, experiencing His presence and power, and obeying His righteous commands. But ever since the days of Moses, they had struggled with the concept of unity, constantly finding themselves arguing and whining against one another. Division, disunity and in-fighting were a constant problem among God's people. We can only imagine how the Philistines and the other enemies of Israel must have loved watching Absalom destroy the nation of Israel from within. The enemy has always preferred watching the followers of God destroy themselves, which is why he has made division and disunity such a high priority in his war against the people of God. It is also why Jesus prayed for our unity in His high priestly prayer recorded in John 17. “ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me” (John 17:21 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

Unity is important to God. It was important to Jesus. The Father and the Son enjoyed perfect unity. There was no division between them. They were unified in their love for one another, their love for mankind and in their plan to provide a solution to man's sin problem. Jesus knew that our unity was just as important, even intimating that the unity of the people of God would be a testimony to the world of God's presence among us. Jesus went on to pray, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me” (John 17:22-23 ESV). Our unity is a work of the Spirit. It is not human or natural. It is made possible by the power and presence of God in our lives. And our ability to live in unity is a testimony to God's love, Christ's redeeming work and the Spirit's power. Without God's help, we are prone to selfishness and self-centeredness. Division and disagreement are a constant threat because they are manifestations of man's sin nature. But God's love has unified us. We share a common Savior and have been made part of the body of Christ. Paul writes, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit” (1Corinthians 12:12-13 ESV). Our common dependence upon Christ's saving work has unified us into one, unified body. We share all things in common. None of us are more deserving of God's love than anyone else. We have no more value in God's eyes than any of His other children.

What does this passage reveal about man?

But even among the people of God, disunity and discord can raise its ugly head. Just as Absalom was led to see himself as superior to David and worthy of taking his place as king, so too can one believer view himself as more important or worthy than another believer. Paul witnessed this very problem taking place among the believers in Corinth. He wrote, “when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you” (1 Corinthians 11:18 ESV). In other words, when they gathered together for their church services, they were doing so with divided hearts and a spirit of disunity. Their times of corporate worship were marked by selfishness, self-centeredness and an unhealthy spirit of arrogance. Even their marriages were being impacted by this disunity, as wives and husbands failed to properly maintain their god-given roles and responsibilities. Husbands were failing to lead spiritually and their wives were abusing their new-found liberties in Christ to the point that they were undermining God's order of authority and responsibility. The end result was disunity. There was a spirit of independence that had infected the church and was destroying not only their unity, but their witness in the community. Which is why Paul reminded them, “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11-12 ESV). Their self-centeredness had caused them to remember that it was God who was to be at the center of the homes, marriages, and worship services. He was to be the focus, not themselves.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Absalom was driven by anger, resentment, pride, arrogance and a growing self-centeredness that eventually caused him to forget that God had chosen his father to be the king of Israel, not him. Absalom's will had taken precedence over God's will. He had no problem dividing the kingdom God had established in his efforts to create his own kingdom. And as a result, many would die needlessly, including himself. His actions would bring shame on the nation of Israel and joy to the hearts of the enemies of Israel. How much easier it is to sit back and watch us destroy ourselves from within. If Satan can get us to live together in DISunity, he has won a major battle. If he can divide us from within, he has won a major battle without having to lift a finger against us. This is why Jesus prayed so fervently on our behalf, “the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth” (John 17:14-17 ESV). Like the people of Israel, we are surrounded by a world that is hostile to our very existence. Which is why our unity is so important. We cannot afford to allow internal strife, division and disunity to weaken us. We cannot allow our pride and selfishness to get the best of us. We must remember that God has joined us together. He has placed us in His family. He has unified us through a common faith in His Son's death, burial and resurrection. Together, we make up the body of Christ. But it is our unity that makes us effective. It is our love for one another that proves we are His disciples. It is our supernatural harmony that witnesses to the world of God's presence and power among us.

Father, the world longs to see what true love, harmony and unity looks like. They are dying to see marriages that are marked by Your power and presence. They desperately need to see believers who have been transformed by Your Spirit loving one another regardless of color, class, nationality, income or social standing. May we truly be one as Your prayed that we would be. So that the world may believe in Your Son. Amen

Staying Faithful When Life Gets Stressful.

2 Samuel 15-16, 1 Corinthians 10

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

Life can get messy. There are times when things don't go quite like we expected them to go. Sometimes this is a result of living in a fallen world. Other times, we may be experiencing the consequences of our own sin. But regardless of the cause of our particular circumstances, the real test will be whether we remain faithful to God in the midst of them. David's life seems to have been a series of ups and downs, successes and failures. While he was a man after God's own heart, that does not mean his life was free from difficulties or moments of despair. Even as God's chosen and anointed king, David had to face his fair share of trying times. He had to bear the news of his son Amnon's rape of his half-sister, Tamar. Then he had to learn of Amnon's death at the hand of his brother, Absalom. And David knew that these events were in fulfillment of the prophet Nathan's words, spoken in response to David's sin regarding Bathsheba. “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house’” (2 Samuel 12:10-11 ESV). Absalom would end up running away and living in exile. And even when he finally allowed by David to return, Absalom would plot a conspiracy against his father's throne that would end with David abandoning the city of Jerusalem and escaping to the wilderness once again.

What does this passage reveal about God?

In the midst of this soap-opera-like story, David exhibits an unlikely reliance upon God's sovereignty. He was sad. He was likely disappointed in the outcome of his life, but he continued to place his life in the hands of God. “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him” (2 Samuel 15:25-26 ESV). David did not fully understand his circumstances. He didn't necessarily like them either. But he did his best to trust God with them. Even when David was on his way out of the city and found himself subjected to the curses and rants of a disgruntled relative of Saul, he refused to let his men rebuke his assailant. Instead, he said, “ It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me,and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today” (2 Samuel 16:12 ESV). While his life appeared to be falling apart all around him, David did not abandon his trust in God. He believed in the sovereignty of his God and would place his life in His hands. David knew that nothing happened by luck or happenstance. His God was in control.

What does this passage reveal about man?

It is amazing to think that one family could be so dysfunctional. Lust, rape, murder, conspiracy, and rebellion – all in one family. But not just any family – the family of the king of Israel, the mighty David, son of Jesse and the man hand-picked by God to lead His people. The depth of the sin described in these chapters is staggering, but it should not be surprising. The sin nature of man is active at all times, even in godly families. And the consequences of our own sinful actions will always catch up with us eventually. While David had been forgiven for his sin with Bathsheba, he still had to face the ramifications of his poor choices and disobedience against God. There are two truths when it comes to life: First, that sin is a real and ever-present reality. But the second is even more important. God is always fully aware of our circumstances and always there. We tend to be surprised by the first and doubtful of the second. But David knew that the only real constant in his life was his God. He was familiar with the instability of life and the constant possibility for sin to rear its ugly head. But he also knew that God could be trusted even when everything seemed to be falling apart all around him.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Paul reminds us, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV). In this passage, Paul was discussing the Israelites and their journey out of slavery in Egypt. While all of them had experienced the same miraculous deliverance by God and enjoyed the same provision of their needs, they didn't all remain faithful. Some turned away from God and put their trust in idols, and as a result, they never made it into the Promised Land. And Paul tells us that these things happened to them as an example for us. They gave in to their physical appetites. They put God to the test. They grumbled against God because they didn't like their circumstances. So Paul warns us to watch out so that we don't repeat their mistake. We must remember that God is faithful. There is no circumstance in life that He is not aware of and that He has not provided for us a way of escape. We don't have to rebel. We don't have to give in to our physical appetites or natural, sinful desires. We don't have to end up putting God to the test. We can trust. We can remain faithful. We can place our hope in Him and wait to see what He is going to do to bring about a resolution. As Paul writes in that often quoted and yet seldom believed verse, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV). David was going to leave his life in the hands of his God. We would be wise to do the same thing.

Father, life is messy and sometimes a bit confusing. But help me to keep my eyes focused on You, not my circumstances. You are the one constant in life. You never change. You never leave. You never run out of strength, power or love for me. May I seek You and see You in all that happens to me and around me. Amen

Rights Run Amuck.

2 Samuel 13-14, 1 Corinthians 9

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 9:12 ESV

We put a high priority on our rights. But the problem with rights is that they can become expectations, and those expectations, when unmet, can lead to disappointment which can culminate in sin. So much of what we label as rights have more to do with what John refers to as “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life” (1 John 2:16 ESV). There are things in this world that we believe are “rightfully” ours to have. It could be a new car, a bigger house, nicer clothes, a better paying job, respect, popularity, good health, or more money. And while God has not necessarily promised us these things, if we convince ourselves that we somehow deserve them, we will not be content until we have them. We will see it as our right, and anyone who stands in our way of fulfilling that right will be seen as our enemy. Many of the things we want or believe we deserve are perfectly fine to have, but the issue is less about rights than it is about lust. And when our perceived rights become an obsession for us, the result is an incapacity to love those around us. Our love of our rights takes precedence over our God-given responsibility to love others.

What does this passage reveal about God?

When asked what the two greatest commandments were, Jesus was quite specific. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV). So according to Jesus, we are to love God and love others. Everything else found in the law of Moses and in the writing of the prophets could be summed up in these two commands. But our rights have a way of hindering our ability to faithfully fulfill either command. If I don't get what I think I deserve or what I believe is rightfully mine to have, I will become frustrated with God. I might even find myself falling out of love with God, because I am disappointed in His failure to give me what I want. But my obligation to love God should take precedence over any obsession I may have regarding “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life.” I must be willing to die to my rights for the sake of loving God and loving others. Paul knew this well and lived it out in his everyday life.

What does this passage reveal about man?

What an amazing contrast there is between the life of Paul and the life of Amnon. At first glance, you might think there is little to compare between these two men, but at the heart of both passages is the subject of rights. Amnon believed he had a right to satisfy his lust for his half-sister, Tamar. The author makes it quite clear that Amnon desperately wanted Tamar, and while it says that he loved her, his real attraction seems to have been sexual in nature. He was so obsessed with her that he literally made himself sick. “Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar” (2 Samuel 13:2 ESV). And with encouragement from “crafty” friend, Amnon eventually demanded his rights, forcefully raping Tamar against her will. He believed he had a right to what he wanted, and he did whatever he had to do to get it. Interestingly, the passage says that “Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her” (2 Samuel 13:15 ESV). Not only had Amnon failed to love God by violating His commands, he had allowed his rights to get in the way of his love for Tamar. Lust superceded love. Perceived rights got in the way of doing what was right in God's eyes.

But Paul gives us a model of what it means to hold on to our rights loosely. The entire ninth chapter of 1 Corinthians has to do with the issue of rights. Chapter eight dealt with a problem in the Corinthian church regarding meat offered to idols. There were more mature believers who were demanding their right to eat this meat because they knew that there were no such thing as other gods. They were spiritually mature enough to know that the meat was perfectly fine to eat. But Paul was telling them to give up their rights out of love for their weaker brothers. If someone else, who had just come out of a pagan religion where those false gods were very real, still believed that eating meat sacrificed to those gods was wrong, the last thing you would want to do is to flaunt your rights and cause them to violate their own conscience. Paul refused to make a big deal out of his rights. “Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:12 ESV). Rather than demand his rights, Paul died to them. He didn't want anything to stand in the way of the gospel, including his rights.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

It is so easy to let our rights get in the way of our primary objective as followers of Christ. We are to love God and love others. Our focus is to be outward, not inward. But as soon as I start making a big deal out of my rights, I lose focus. It becomes all about me. But Paul would remind us, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV). Put others first. Don't make it all about you. Be willing to die to your rights. And Paul provides Jesus as a perfect example of this very attitude. In fact, Paul tells us to have the same attitude that Christ had: “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8 ESV). Jesus gave up His rights as the Son of God and came to earth. He gave up His divine privileges and position of power and honor next to the Father. He set aside His rights in order to love mankind. Rather than look out for His own personal interests and demand His rights, He placed our well-being ahead of His own. When we allow our rights to rule us, we will end up loving ourselves more than we love God or others. Amnon is a perfect example of this truth. But Paul provides us with a viable alternative. He gave up his rights, so that he might keep his eye on the prize: the faithful presentation of the gospel and the unselfish expression of God's love for others through his own life and ministry.

Father, forgive me for making far too much out of my rights. Don't let me be like Amnon, who was driven by his own desires and convinced himself that his rights were worth doing anything for. I want to be like Paul, willingly giving up my rights for the sake of the gospel and out of love for others. May I increasingly have the same attitude that Christ had. Amen

When Physical Passions Become Spiritually Destructive.

2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Corinthians 8

So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. – 1 Corinthians 8:13 ESV

As human beings, our physical appetites can get us into trouble. Our love of food can cause us to overeat, making ourselves sick and even overweight. Our love for sexual pleasure can cause us to have immoral thoughts or even put those thoughts into action. The simple pleasure of good wine can turn into drunkenness. There is nothing inherently wrong with physical pleasures or even the desire to fulfill them, but we must always understand that our sin nature will attempt to transform these God-given appetites into opportunities for sin. The apostle Paul knew this well. “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions” (Galatians 5:17 NLT).

In the story of David and Bathsheba we have a sobering illustration of what can happen to a good man who allows his physical passions to get the better of him. David found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he should have been at war, he was at home, with far too much leisure time on his hands. While his men fought, David was relaxing on his rooftop, and that's where his trouble began. He saw Bathsheba taking a bath on an adjacent rooftop. David lusted. But rather than stop there, he allowed his passions to take control of him. David experienced what James warned about. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15 ESV). David's desire turned into full-blown adultery. He satisfied his sexual appetite in an immoral and improper way. And the result was death.

What does this passage reveal about God?

David's sin was against God. He would later acknowledge that in the Psalm he wrote in response to his sin and God's response to it. “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Psalm 51:4 ESV). Yes, David's actions were damaging to Bathsheba. He coerced her to sin against God and her own husband. David even resorted to taking the life of Uriah in an attempt to cover up his sin. But at the end of the day, David had sinned against God. He had broken God's commands and allowed his physical appetite to become his god. The apostle Paul wrote about this very thing. “…there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth” (Philippians 3:18-19 ESV). David let his sexual appetite control him. He obeyed his desires rather than obey his God. And the result was death.

What does this passage reveal about man?

This is a constant reality for all of us. Our physical appetites are real and ever-present. But we cannot afford to be ruled by our passions. We can't let our physical desires become our gods. When we allow them to control us, the results are rarely good. “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (1 John 2:16-17 NLT). “Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away” (1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT). We should never let the temporal things of this world control us. David's sexual appetite was God-given and good, but when he let it control him, and he gave into its desire for something outside of God's will, he sinned. Gluttony is a serious sin in the life of the believer. It literally means “to gulp down or swallow.” It has to do with over-indulgence and over-consumption. It is to take the desire for something good and to turn it into an overwhelming and uncontrolled obsession for even more. David had wives. He had appropriate means for expressing and fulfilling his sexual desires. But when he let his passions control him, he wasn't satisfied with what he had. He wanted more. His god was his appetite, because he obeyed it rather than do what God had commanded him to do.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The enemy loves to distort and twist the truth. All the way back in the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve with forbidden fruit. God had give Adam and Eve all the fruit of the garden and had only denied them access to one particular tree. But it was that ONE tree that Satan used to tempt Eve. He tried to confuse her by twisting the words of God. “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1 NLT). He appealed to her sense of right and privilege. He preyed upon her physical appetite. “She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too” (Genesis 3:6 ESV). And the result was death. Eve knew better. She was fully aware of what God had said. But her appetite for food and her desire for power got the best of her. She gave in to her physical passions and disobeyed God.

But there is another area in which I can allow my desires to end up in death. Paul deals with it in 1 Corinthians 8. I may have every right to satisfy my physical desires by eating certain foods or partaking in certain activities because they are NOT sinful. But if I have a weaker brother in Christ whose conscience is uneducated and who wrongly assumes that those activities are sin, I must be willing to give up my rights for his good. “But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:9 NLT). I may have the right to drink wine, but if my doing so causes another brother to sin against his own conscience, I have sinned against Christ. “And when you sin against other believersby encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:12 NLT). I must never allow my physical appetites to rule or run my life. Paul was willing to give up eating meat altogether if he thought it might cause a brother to stumble. What am I willing to give up in order to protect my brothers and sisters in Christ? Too often, we allow our physical appetites to control our lives. But all these things are temporal and fading away. They have little to no lasting value. We eat, only to get hungry again. When we try to satisfy our lives with temporal pleasures, we always end up wanting more. The things of this earth cannot satisfy. Only God can.

Father, forgive me for letting my physical passions rule and reign in my life. I am so prone to giving in to my appetites. Give me the strength to say no when necessary. I don't want my stomach to be my god. I don't want sexual desires to control me. I want to be under Your control. I want to do what You could have me do. But this sinful flesh is always at war within me. Give me the power I need to say no to the flesh and yes to Your Spirit. Amen

The Kindness of God.

2 Samuel 9-10, 1 Corinthians 7

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet. – 2 Samuel 9:13 ESV

The story of David and Mephibosheth is a remarkable picture of the grace God has extended toward undeserving mankind. After becoming king over all of Israel, David could have taken vengeance out on any of the descendants of Saul. After all, Saul had repeatedly tried to eliminate David as the God-ordained successor to his throne. It would have made perfectly logical sense for David to eliminate any of Saul's potential heirs in order to solidify his rule. But instead, David sought out the remaining household of Saul, not to destroy them, but to show them mercy and grace. David said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” (2 Samuel 9:3 ESV). David's words are significant. He wanted to show the kindness of God – the same kindness God had shown to him. David recognized that his position as king of Israel was not deserved. He had not earned it. It had been made possible by the grace and kindness of God. So he wanted to extend that same kindness to the remaining heirs of Saul. When Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul, was brought before David, he was told, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always” (2 Samuel 9:7 ESV). Shocked by this news, Mephibosheth could only respond, “What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” (2 Samuel 9:8 ESV). Mephibosheth knew he was undeserving of David's kindness. He did not merit the grace, mercy and unbelievable generosity of the king.

What does this passage reveal about God?

As has been said before, David was referred to by God as a man after His own heart. He had a sensitivity to the ways of God. In this story, we see that David was fully aware of God's kindness and grace towards him, which made him predisposed to turn around and extend that same kindness toward others – not because they deserved it. What is amazing is that David was willing to extend this kindness to a young man who had nothing to offer in return. The passage makes it clear that Mephibosheth was crippled. He wasn't even a real threat to David's kingdom. He was lame in both of his feet and would never have been considered a viable candidate for the kingship of Israel. But David showed him kindness anyway. And what David did for Mephibosheth was shocking. He restored to him all the lands that had belonged to his grandfather, Saul. He gave him a permanent place at his royal table. David made Mephibosheth a part of his royal family, and Mephibosheth is stunned by this turn of events. He recognizes his undeservedness and couldn't help but marvel at David's astounding kindness. But all of this is just a shadow of what God has done for us as believers in Jesus Christ. He has taken sinful men like us and made us His heirs and permanent residents of His eternal kingdom. Paul reminds us, “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10 ESV). To the Colossian believers Paul wrote, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (Colossians 1:21-22 ESV). There was a time when all believers were in the same state as Mephibosheth. We were living in exile, separated from God, deserving of death, and incapable of doing anything to save ourselves. But God showed us mercy. He extended to us grace. He showered us with kindness. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

Mephibosheth had everything going against him. He was not only the grandson of Saul, David's arch enemy, he was crippled. In that day and age, to be lame was seen as a curse from God. The Jews believed that physical illness was directly tied to sin. Even when Jesus and His disciples encountered a blind man, the disciples asked, ““Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2 ESV). The disciples wrongly assumed that the man's blindness was a result of sin. As a crippled man, Mephibosheth would have been viewed with disdain. He would have been an outcast, even as the grandson of the former king of Israel. And as a descendant of Saul, Mephibosheth would have had another strike against him. He would have been seen as an enemy of David, a constant reminder of the former regime and fully deserving of the wrath of the newly appointed king. But again, Mephibosheth represents us. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Like Mephibosheth, I am undeserving of God's kindness. I was a sinner, as good as dead, unable to save myself or do anything to redeem myself from the righteous judgment of a holy God. And yet, I was shown mercy and grace. I was the recipient of God's kindness and love – not because of me, but in spite of me. David had experienced the kindness of God. He had been rescued from his exile in the wilderness where he was hiding from the wrath of Saul. He had been restored to fellowship with the people of God. He had been placed on the throne of Israel as their king. And none of this escaped David's notice. In return, he wanted to show that same kindness – the kindness of God – to others. He chose to show it to the “least of these.” David extended mercy in the same way that he had received it. He didn't base it on merit. He didn't do it in order to get something in return. Paul makes it clear that the mercy we have received from God was undeserved – “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 ESV). I must be willing to show others the same kind of mercy, grace, and kindness I have received from God. Not based on their merit. Not based on what they can do for me in return. But solely based on the kindness that God has shown me.

Father, what an amazing picture of Your grace. I was Mephibosheth, crippled, hopeless and helpless, and yet You showed me kindness. You restored me to fellowship with You and made me Your heir. You have given me a permanent place at Your table and now call me Your Son. Help me to extend that same amazing kindness to all those I meet, whether I think they deserve it or not. Amen

Such Were Some of You.

2 Samuel 7-8, 1 Corinthians 6

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. – 1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV

It would be easy to read the story of David and assume that he was somehow a better person than Saul. God must have looked down from heaven, taken stock of the two men and concluded that David was spiritually superior to Saul. After all, God did refer to David as a man after His own heart. But to conclude that David somehow deserved God's selection of him would be in direct contrast to God's law and His nature. David was a sinner just like Saul. Yes, he had a heart for the things of God, but that is not why God chose him. From the opening chapters of the book of Genesis to the final words of the book of Revelation, the Bible is the story of the grace of God – His unmerited favor poured out on the lives of undeserving men, and David was no different. David was far from perfect, as the rest of his life's story will clearly reveal. He was a sinner just like Saul. And yet God had chosen him to be His servant and to lead His people. He would give him victory in battle and anoint his kingship. God would even promise to extend his kingdom long after the day of his death, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12 ESV). David didn't deserve these blessings. He had not earned God's favor. And David seemed to recognize that fact. “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!” (2 Samuel 7:18-19 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

“And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6 ESV). God's hand was on David. He chose to prosper David. He had a plan for David's life that went well beyond David and his ability to live faithfully and obediently to the will of God. God's promise to extend David's kingdom and to “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:13 ESV), project far beyond the life of Solomon to the coming of the Messiah, the true King of Israel. David was part of God's plan to redeem mankind through His own Son, Jesus Christ, who would be a descendant of David. God would use a flawed man like David to accomplish His divine will for mankind. God made it clear to David that this was all His doing. “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth” (2 Samuel 7:8-9 ESV). The story of David is really the story of God, working through the life of David. It gives us a glimpse of how God works behind the scenes, orchestrating the affairs of me to accomplish His divine will and, ultimately, bring about His plan of redemption for mankind.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Being chosen by God could lead anyone to conclude that he was somehow special or deserving of God's love and mercy. But the apostle Paul reminds us that “the unrighteouswill not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV). Elsewhere he wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV). All men are sinners. All have rebelled against God and deserve His righteous judgment and punishment. Paul makes it clear that “neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV). And before any of his readers can proudly assume that this list does not include them, Paul adds, “And such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV). They were just as guilty, just as sinful, and just as deserving of God's penalty of death. But Paul reminds the, “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV). This was God's doing, not their own. God had mercifully, graciously chosen them for redemption, not because they deserved it, but because He lovingly chose to do so. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God chose David. He placed His Spirit within him. He gave him victory in battle. He promised to extend his kingdom and prolong his reign, long after he was gone from the earth. God even chose to bring the Savior of the world through the lineage of David, in spite of the fact that David was far from sinless and anything but perfect. Even in these two short chapters in 2 Samuel, we see God blessing David and giving him victory in battle. But we also see David violating the law of God. “And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots” (2 Samuel 8:4 ESV). God had specifically commanded the kings of Israel not to do this. “Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again’” (Deuteronomy 17:16 ESV). Why? Because where it could all lead. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!” (Isaiah 31:1 ESV). The kings of Israel were not to mimic the ways of the world or turn to the nations of the world for help. He had a different standard for His kings and His people. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7 ESV). David's greatness was a result of David's God. His triumphs were the result of God's presence in his life. So rather than trust in chariots, David was to trust in God. The same thing is true of me today. I must continually learn to trust in God. He chose me. He redeemed me. He graciously provides me with His presence and power. Not because I deserve it, but simply because He chose to call me His own, so that He might accomplish His will through me.

Father, like David, I was undeserving of Your selection of me. I had done nothing to deserve Your choice of me as the beneficiary of Your love, grace and mercy. I was a sinner just like everyone else. Never let me forget that fact. I stand before You, not because I earned that right, but because You graciously, lovingly redeemed me and gave me life when I was dead, hopeless and helpless. Amen

The Curse of Compromise.

2 Samuel 5-6, 1 Corinthians 5

Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? – 1 Corinthians 5:6 NLT

Sin has a subtle way of creeping into our lives and into the church, and it left untreated, it can spread like a cancer, causing all kinds of damage. But the temptation is always to compromise our convictions and see sin as something far less serious than God does. We tend to justify our own actions and excuse the sinful behavior of others, even though we know they are in direct violation of God's Word. But we have to realize that God has called us to live lives of holiness – set apart and distinct from the world. We have a different standard for our conduct, and any time we begin to compromise our convictions and tolerate obvious sinful behavior, we leave ourselves open to spiritual discipline and the further spread of sin in our midst.

The story of the life of David is one that is filled with examples of faith and failure. He exhibits for us how to live in obedience to God, seeking His will and following His commands; but he also shows us just how easy it is to walk in the flesh, allowing sin to creep into our lives and bring about devastating consequences.

What does this passage reveal about God?

It is clear that it was God's will that David be the king of Israel. He had anointed him to be the next king, and He had protected David all those years he spent running from Saul. God had arranged for Saul's defeat and death in battle. He had orchestrated David's acceptance as king by the people of Judah and, eventually, his anointing as king by the tribes of Israel. During the early days of David's kingdom, he regularly sought out God's will and tried to rule and reign according to God's direction. As a result, “David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10 ESV). God's hand was on David. But this did not mean that everything David did was in full compliance with God's will. David was still a man and like all men, he had a sin nature. He was sometimes prone to doing things his way or, at least, doing things without seeking the direction of God. When David turned to God for help and guidance, things always seemed to turn out well. God answered. God directed. And David prospered.

What does this passage reveal about man?

There are subtle indications that David didn't always do things the right way – God's way. His life is marked by seemingly small sins that, on the surface, don't look that serious, but their impact over the long-haul was huge. We read, “And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David” (2 Samuel 5:13 ESV). God had made it clear that the king “shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away” (Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV). And yet, David did just that. When David attempted to move the Ark of the Covenant from Baale-judah to his new capital of Jerusalem, he didn't follow God's directions for how to transport the Ark. Rather than have it carried by Levites, he put it on a cart and had it pulled by oxen. It all sounds innocent enough, but it was in direct violation of God's law (Exodus 25:14-15). As a result, the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark, and God struck him dead. God had warned that anyone who touched the Ark would die (Numbers 4:15), but David compromised and took the easy road, and Uzzah died as a result. David was a man after God's own heart, but he was also a man with a sin nature. He had the capacity for great faith and subtle sin. As God's chosen king of Israel, David was expected to live a life of distinctiveness and set-apartness. He was not to be like all the other kings. He was God's man, leading God's people. He was not to compromise his convictions or rationalize his behavior. He was not to tolerate sin in his own life or among the people of God. But this would be a constant temptation and struggle for David.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In writing to the church in Corinth, Paul confronted them about sin in their midst. They were tolerating the presence of a young man who was having a known sexual relationship with his stepmother. And the church was not only well aware of this sin, they were openly tolerating it. They refused to deal with it, and Paul was appalled. He called them out and demanded that this young man be removed from their midst. He was like a cancer in their midst. Rather than mourn this situation in their fellowship, they were arrogantly tolerating it, acting as if nothing was wrong. But Paul knew that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6 ESV). If left unattended, this sin would spread and infect the whole fellowship. Sin always has consequences. And their sin of compromise and toleration was going to have dire consequences for the future health of the church. Which is why Paul so strongly demanded, “Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:12 ESV). That sounds so harsh and judgmental, but Paul knew that unrepentant sin was a dangerous thing. Sin in the midst of the fellowship of God's people must be dealt with. Paul makes it clear that we as believers have an obligation to judge one another, refusing to tolerate sin within the fellowship – “…it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning” (1 Corinthians 5:12 NLT). This is always to be done in love, but it is to be done nonetheless. We can't afford to tolerate sin and compromise our convictions. David did and it cost him dearly. The Corinthians believers did and they risked the further spread of sexual sin in their midst. Compromise is a dangerous threat to the life of any Christian, and yet it is a constant reality. We must encourage one another to live differently and distinctively. We must take sin seriously and treat our calling to holiness with the utmost respect.

Father, compromise comes so easy. The temptation to tolerate sin in my own life is always there and the pressure to look past the sins of others for fear of coming across as judgmental is always a reality. Help me to take sin seriously and to recognize that You have called Your people to live lives of holiness, not compromise. Amen

Faithfulness to God.

2 Samuel 3-4, 1 Corinthians 4

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. – 1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

One of the primary things that set David apart from Saul and just about every other Israelite of his day was his heart for God. It wasn't just an internal thing that difficult to see, but it showed up in how he lived his life and how he interacted with others. David had a healthy love for and fear of God. In spite of all that he had been through over the years and the injustices he had suffered, he refused to compartmentalize his life and live with a secular-sacred split. But the temptation for all followers of God is to view life as a kind of dichotomy that includes the spiritual as well as the secular dimensions. In other words, we can easily see church and Bible study as one part of life and work and recreation as another. We can end up acting one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the week. But for David, there was only one set of behaviors that were appropriate: those that honored God. So when two men showed up at his door with the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, they were expecting to receive a reward from David. “And they said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring’” (2 Samuel 4:8 ESV). But instead of a reward, they lost their lives. David remained faithful to God. He did not place himself as judge over Ish-bosheth any more than he had over Saul. David's response was not what these two men were expecting. “But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ‘As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, when one told me, “Behold, Saul is dead,” and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?’” (2 Samuel 4:9-11 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

God desires our faithfulness. He wants His followers to view life from His perspective, not their own. It would have been easy for David to have seen the actions of these men as beneficial to his kingdom cause, but he knew that, ultimately, his kingdom was up to God, not himself. It was not his job to act as judge over Ish-bosheth or any other descendant of Saul. David seemed to know inherently what Paul would write centuries later: “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV). David knew that God wanted him to remain faithful – not to his own kingdom, but to God Himself. This was not about David's kingdom, but God's. The whole reason Saul's reign had ended poorly was because he had lost sight of his role as nothing more than a servant of God. Saul had neglected to see himself as nothing more than a steward of God's kingdom. When he saw that David was to be his likely successor, rather than rejoice in God's choosing of him, he attempted to kill him – all in an attempt to prolong and protect his own kingdom. But the Israelites were God's people, not his. The throne was God's, not his. The kingdom was God's, not his.

What does this passage reveal about man?

One of the things we men struggle with most is the biblical concept of servanthood. We have been conditioned to make everything about ourselves. We have been trained to put ourselves at the center of our world. We have developed a highly myopic outlook on life that focuses all our attention on ourselves. But as believers, we must always remember that God is to be the focus of our attention. We exist for His glory, not our own. David was not seeking glory, but instead, he was seeking to remain faithful to God. That's why he did not rejoice in the death of Saul or Jonathan. He wasn't grateful to the young man who claimed to have killed Saul. He wasn't happy when Joab killed Abner, the commander of Saul's armies. He didn't reward the two men who took the life of Ish-bosheth. Because David wasn't focused on his kingdom. He was focused on God's. When we focus all our attention on us, we can become cocky and proud. Paul saw this attitude in the Corinthians believers. “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!” (1 Corinthians 4:8 ESV). But like David, Paul had a different perspective. “We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things” (1 Corinthians 4:10-13 ESV). For Paul, faithfulness was more important than popularity or significance. Honoring God with his life was more important than receiving the honor of men.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

David may not have looked like a king, but he acted life one. His actions reflected the heart of a man who had a heart for God. When David mourned the death of Abner, rather than celebrate it, the people of Israel noticed. “And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people” (2 Samuel 3:36 ESV). His actions were pleasing to men because David was attempting to please God. His focus was on remaining faithful to God. When I get that reversed and attempt to please men rather than God, it never goes well. If I attempt please me, it ends up even worse. My life is to be lived out with God as the focus and my faithfulness to Him as the objective. Paul would remind me, “So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due” (1 Corinthians 4:5 NLT). I am to live my life with an eye on pleasing God, both now and in the future, when I stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ. I am to live with a future perspective, not a temporal one. My rewards are coming later, not now. If I seek the praise of men now, that will be my reward. But if my actions today are motivated by the future praise of God, they will exhibit my faithfulness to Him and protect me from making self-centered decisions and seeking the praise of men.

Father, I want to be faithful servant. I want my life to be an example of what it means to live with Your kingdom s the focus, not my own. Thank You for this timely reminder from the life of David and the pen of Paul. Amen

The Wisdom of this World.

2 Samuel 1-2, 1 Corinthians 3

 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. – 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 ESV

After years of running for his life, you would have thought David would have rejoiced over the news that his archenemy was dead. But instead, David mourned, wept and fasted. He found no joy in Saul's death, and even executed the young man who claimed to have taken his life. Having come upon the slain body of Saul, this young Amalekite came up with the brilliant idea to take Saul's crown and arm band, bring them to David, and present himself as the one who took the life of Saul's mortal enemy. Conventional wisdom told him that David would reward him. But instead, he was put to death. “David said to him, ‘How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?’” (2 Samuel 1:14 ESV). God had not given David permission to take the life of Saul, so why did this young man think he could do so? Worldly wisdom proved to be folly in his case.

With David's anointing as king over Judah, there appears to be a turning point in the life of the people of God. He will prove to be a different kind of leader than Saul. David was a man after God's own heart. He had a sensitivity to God and a desire to do things God's way. When he heard the news of Saul's death, he didn't rush into Israel demanding to be crowned king. He had every right to do so, because he had been crowned king by the prophet of God. Instead, he sought the mind of God. He wanted to know what God would have him do. He wanted God's wisdom, not the wisdom of men. This characteristic of David would set him apart from his peers. It would mark him as God's servant. He didn't always act wisely or seek God's will entirely, but David attempted to live his life according to God's direction.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God had always wanted to guide and direct the lives of the people of Israel. He wanted them to submit to His will and obey His commands. He had promised to bless them if they would. But they had a track record of disobedience and unfaithfulness. They had an insatiable love for the world. Paul could have been referring to them when he wrote, “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh” (1 Corinthians 3:1 ESV). They were driven by their passions and controlled by their sinful nature. You see in this story the actions of sinful men acting out in selfish, unspiritual ways. Abner refuses to recognize David as king, anointing Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, the king of Israel instead. There are murders, intrigue, deception, political positioning, and revenge killings. Everyone is doing what they perceive to be right. But few, if any, of them are doing what God would have them do. The only one who seems interested in seeking the will of God is David. Everyone else simply does what is right in their own eyes. But Paul reminds us, “He catches the wise in their craftiness” (1 Corinthians 3:19 ESV) and “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:20 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

It was God's will that David be the next king of Israel. But men muddied the water. Abner refused to acknowledge David as king, putting the heir of Saul on the throne instead. So for a number of years, there was a divided kingdom. On top of that, there was war between the people of Judah and the people of Israel. This unnecessary conflict resulted in the deaths of countless Israelites, including Asahal and Abner. It resulted in a curse on the house of Joab. The wisdom of this world is futile and results in folly. No matter how good it may sound, worldly wisdom will always disappoint. It will never deliver as promised. It is marked by jealousy, strife and conflict, because it is almost always self-centered and selfishly motivated. It is centered around man's glory, instead of God's.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

When Paul accused the Corinthians of being people of the flesh, he was referring to their petty divisions regarding who had baptized each of them. They had actually allowed divisions to develop within the church over who was baptized by Paul and who was baptized by Apollos. Some were claiming to be followers of one or the other. And Paul told them that they were “behaving only in a human way” (1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV). Rather than focusing their attention on God, they were making it about men, and they were missing the point. The key to discovering true wisdom is recognizing our own stupidity. Without God we are all lacking in wisdom. What we have is a human wisdom that is ultimately futile and foolish. God is not impressed with our wisdom. “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:20 ESV). So we need to recognize that man's wisdom, no matter how impressive it may appear to be, is no match for the wisdom of God. And there is no reason to boast about or place our hope in men. Like David, we must turn to God. We must seek His will and desire to know His wisdom. James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5 ESV). God's wisdom is available at all times. He desires to give it. All we must do is recognize our need and ask Him for it.

Father, I need Your wisdom each and every day. There are so many things that happen in a given day that require me to make decisions or choices. If I rely on the wisdom of this world, it almost always results in disappointment. I need Your wisdom. I want to live according to Your will. Help me recognize my need and turn to You for help. And give me the patience to wait until I hear from You. Amen

A Final Charge.

1 Corinthians 16:10-24

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be Strong. And do everything with love. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT

As Paul wrapped up his letter to the Corinthian believers, he summarized all that he had said in one simple, memorable, and thoroughly jam-packed sentence. Mixed in with his final greetings, instructions, news, and words of encouragement, Paul provided them one last succinct charge. He warned them to be on their guard. They were facing dangers from within and without. They were attempting to live the Christian life in the midst of a hostile, pagan culture. Many of those pagan influences had found their way into the church itself, brought there by the Corinthian converts to Christianity themselves. Paul warned them to stay alert, like a watchman on the wall, keeping their eyes open to the threats facing the unity of the church. The enemy would love nothing better than to destroy the body of Christ from within – like a cancer, spreading and infecting the entire body until it can no longer function as God intended it to. They were to keep their eyes open for signs of pride, arrogance, jealousy, division, disunity, and self-centeredness masquerading as freedom and rights.

As they watched, they were to stand firm in the faith. They were not to falter or fall. But they had to remember that their spiritual stability had to based on one thing and one thing only – their faith and trust in God. Their hope was to be placed in the gospel message they had received, not on their feeble attempt at self-righteousness. Nothing else would support them in the storms they were facing like the message of salvation in Christ alone through faith alone. Attacks were going to come. False teaching would attempt to rock their world. But they were to be strong and immovable in their faith – trusting God regardless of their circumstances.

Paul also warned them to be courageous. In the original language, he actually told them to "act like men." Instead of responding to the difficulties of life like immature children, with fear and faithlessness, they were to act like mature men. Paul wanted them to face life boldly, confidently, and courageously. They were not to run and hide. Rather than fear and flight, they were to exhibit faith and fearlessness – even in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. And on top of that, Paul told them to be strong. The interesting thing about his word choice is that it conveyed an on-going action. They were to continually increase in strength. As time wore on, rather than growing weaker, they were to grow stronger. Their faith and confidence would increase as they watched God faithfully work in their midst. Our job is to stand firm, confident in what God can and will do. Then the rest is up to Him. And as we watch Him work, we will increase in strength and our faith will grow.

What's interesting is Paul's final words of exhortation. He wraps up all his admonitions about watchfulness, stability, strength and courage with a call to love. "And do everything with love" (1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT). As Paul so clearly stated earlier in his letter, anything we do as Christians that is devoid of love is little more than wasted effort. To be on guard, stand firm in the faith, and show courage and strength would all be worthless if it was done without love. We have a tendency to take so much of what Paul wrote to the church and apply it to ourselves. We individualize what he meant for the community of faith. Christianity is not a solo sport. This admonition from Paul is for the church corporately, not individually. What good would it do if I stay alert, firm in my faith, courageous and strong, but only think about myself? If I fail to care about those who God has made my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am missing the point. I am to be alert and watchful because I love and care for my fellow believers in Christ. I am watching out for them. I am to stand firm and secure in my faith out of love for those around me, so that when they begin to doubt, they can be encouraged by my faith. I am to be courageous and strong, out of love for those God has placed in my midst. There is no place in the Christian life for self-preservation. We are part of a body. We are to care for and lovingly protect one another. As Paul so eloquently wrote earlier in his letter, "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance" (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT).

The Christian life is not easy. But the Christian life was also not meant to be lived alone and in isolation. It is a community effort where each person plays a vital role in the well-being of the entire body. Love is what should motivate us. Our mutual care and concern for one another should drive our actions and be the glue that holds our community together – even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.

Father, make us a people of love. Remove our selfishness and self-centeredness. Forgive us for always making it about ourselves. May love permeate all that we do. And may all that we do be done for others, not for ourselves. Give us the same attitude that Christ had – a selfless, sacrificial attitude motivated by love for others rather than love for self. Amen.

The Reality of the Resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. – 1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT

The future resurrection of the dead may have been in question with some of the believers in Corinth, but Paul affirmed it's reality. His argument was that if there is was no such thing as a future resurrection of the dead, then Christ Himself was not resurrected. Their rejection of the doctrine of bodily resurrection had ramifications. It eliminated the possibility of Christ having been resurrected from the dead. "And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless" (1 Corinthians 15:14 NLT). And if there was no such thing as the resurrection of the dead, then Paul and the other apostles were nothing more than liars, having taught that God raised Jesus from the dead. Without the doctrine of the resurrection, there is no such thing as a risen Savior, forgiveness of sin, or an eternal estate. All it would leave us with is the present reality of this world, then death.

One of the things that jumps out at me in this passage is the danger of human logic and reason. When men begin to try and explain away what they see as difficult to understand, it almost always leads to heresy. The Corinthians were wrestling with their cultural concept of the dichotomy between the flesh and the spirit, the body and the soul. They had been indoctrinated with the idea that the body was material and therefore evil. But the soul was spiritual and therefore good. So the idea of a resurrection of the body was inexplicable to them. They couldn't fathom how that could be. So their human reasoning kicked in and they simply denied the possibility of a bodily resurrection. It didn't matter to them what God may have to say about the subject. They had reached their conclusion and were completely comfortable with it. But Paul wasn't. He wanted them to understand the dangerous ramifications of their human reasoning. By denying the bodily resurrection of the dead, they were denying the very thing that was the key to their forgiveness and future glorification: The resurrection of Jesus. When God raised Jesus from the dead, it was not just to prove His own power, but as a precursor of what was to come. As Paul said, "Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died" (1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT). Paul made a comparison between Jesus and Adam. When Adam sinned, he brought death (both physical and spiritual) to the world. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He brought new life (both physical and spiritual) to the world. Paul gave them a glimpse into the future when he wrote, "Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back" (1 Corinthians 15:23 NLT). He is referring to the Rapture of the Church. Paul goes into greater detail about this future event in his letter to the Thessalonian believers. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT). Just a few verses earlier in this passage, Paul made it clear that when Christ returns for His Church, He will be accompanied by all the believers who have died. But then he wrote that all "the Christians who have died will rise from their graves." They will return in their spirit form, but will be reunited with their resurrected, renewed bodies. And those believers who are alive at the time of Christ's return will also be given new bodies. Paul addresses that a few verses later in this section of his letter to the Corinthians. "It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:52-53 NLT).

The resurrection of our earthly bodies is a non-negotiable aspect of our faith as believers. God is not redeeming just a part of us, but all of us. He is going to restore ALL things, not just some things. He will redeem and restore what has been marred by sin, including all of creation and our bodies. All that God made in the physical universe He deemed as good. But it has all been damaged by sin. God will restore it all. He will bring back to life even those bodies that have been dead and buried for centuries. But if none of this is true, and there is no resurrection, then as Paul said, "Let's feast, and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (1 Corinthians 15:32 NLT). But Paul also warned the Corinthians to avoid people who thought that way. He wanted them to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the resurrection was a reality. Christ Himself was proof of it. And His own resurrection was ample evidence and assurance of our own future resurrection. It's going to happen. We don't know when or how, but it is going to happen. "So encourage each other with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NLT).

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. We live in a world where everything is growing old, decaying, and falling apart. While I have Your Spirit living within me, my body continues to show the effects of sin. But there is a day coming when I will receive a new, resurrected body. You will make all things new, including my own physical body. Your work of transformation in my life will be complete and whole, because You don't do anything halfway. Amen.

Back to the Basics.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NLT

As Paul began to wrap up his correspondence with the Corinthian believers, he attempted to refocus their attention on what was really important. He took them back to the heart of their faith: The Good News regarding Jesus Christ. It is so easy to get distracted from the reality that without Christ's death, burial and resurrection, we have nothing to live for. All the spiritual gifts in the world, our rights, our reputation in the community, our status within the local body of Christ, and our biblical knowledge mean absolutely nothing if the Good News about Jesus is not true. So Paul revisited the three primary points regarding the Good News or the gospel. It was this message, in its entirety, that had led to their salvation. All three aspects of the Good News are essential for believing faith. Two out of three won't work. Partial belief will not result in salvation. To accept that Jesus died for your sins and was buried are two critical aspects of the Good News, but are incomplete. You must also believe that God raised Him from the dead. Without the resurrection, all we would have is a martyr, not a Messiah. Without His resurrection, we would have no hope. And this seems to be the crux of what Paul is getting to in this section of his letter. It appears that some of the Corinthians were struggling with the concept of the resurrection. It's even clear that some of them were saying there will be no resurrection of the dead. Their struggle was most likely related to the Greek belief that, while the soul was immortal, the body was not. They tended to dichotomize the two. The body was evil and material, so it made no sense that God would resurrect the body. But the soul was another matter. It was spiritual and good. Most likely, they believed that their souls were already born again and reigning with Christ, so there was no need for resurrected bodies. So there was no need for a resurrection. But Paul begged to differ. If their conclusions had been right and there was no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then Christ could not have been raised. "And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless" (1 Corinthians 15:14 NLT).

The resurrection of Jesus was and is the heart of the gospel. Yes, it is vitally important that Jesus died a sacrificial, substitutionary death for our sins. That part is critical. But if all Jesus had done was die, we would have no hope. He would still be dead. And we too would face death. Paul made it clear that Christ's resurrection was essential for His death to be effective in paying for our sins. "And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17 NLT). Jesus had died as a payment for our sins. He was buried as proof that His death was real. And He remained in the grave for three days, in keeping with the prophecies concerning His death and as further proof of its finality. But He was raised by God on the third day – miraculously, permanently, and bodily. It wasn't just His soul that was raised. It was His body. And Paul gives proof. Jesus was seen by more than 500 of His followers in the days following His resurrection, including by Paul himself. They saw His body. They ate with Him. They spoke with Him. And the disciples witnessed His ascencion back into heaven.

Jesus had died for their sins. He had been buried in a grave. But He had also been resurrected from the dead. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote, "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death. So that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:10 NLT). The resurrection of Jesus is the gold standard for God's power in the Scriptures. God raised His Son from death back to life. It is that unbelievable power that is available to each of us as believers. The same power that could transform the body of Jesus from death to life can transform our lives from death to life. The resurrection of Jesus should remind us of the incredible power at our disposal. There is nothing impossible for God. He is the life-transforming, miracle-working God who gives life in place of death – who restores, redeems, revitalizes, and regenerates what has been dead. And Paul believed that fact with all his life. "But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results" (1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT). Paul had been redeemed from the life of hopelessness and sinfulness. He had been transformed from a persecutor of the Church of Jesus Christ to a messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All because of the power of the resurrection.

Father, help me understand the power of the resurrection in my own life. It isn't that I don't believe it. It's just that I'm not sure I fully appreciate it. It has become old hat and I have become too familiar with the message of the resurrection. I won't to comprehend it's impact on my daily life, just as Paul did. Amen.

Order in the House.

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. – 1 Corinthians 14:40 NLT

Our God is not a god of confusion or chaos. He prefers order and unity. Even in the public assemblies of His people. A study of His design for the Tabernacle in the wilderness gives a clear indication of just how orderly our God is. And yet, when Paul received news regarding the state of affairs with the people of God in Corinth, he was not pleased. Their worship meetings had become disorderly and confusing affairs, marked by competition and pride. Even the use of their spiritual gifts were accomplishing the exact opposite of what they were intended to do. Rather than edify and build up the body, they were causing dissension and disorder. Those who had the gift of prophesy were refusing to take turns, trying to outdo each other. If someone had a revelation from God, they would just begin to speak, rather than wait for the other person to finish. Those with the gift of tongues were all talking at once, without the aid of an interpreter. So the end result was that no one was able to understand a word that was being said. Even the women had gotten into the act. It is obvious from earlier in Paul's letter, that he did not forbid women from participating in praying or prophesying in public worship. His only requirement, which appears to be a contextual and cultural one, was that they do so with their heads covered (1 Corinthians 11:5). But in this section, it seems that the issue is one regarding their questioning of or spoken response to words of prophesy uttered by others in the congregation. Paul had said, "Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said" (1 Corinthians 14:29 NLT). It appears that there was a protocol that allows others to examine or even oppose what was said. They could pose questions or raise concerns regarding the individual's statements. And it seems that some of the women were taking part in this activity, which is what Paul was forbidding when he said, "Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says" (1 Corinthians 14:34 NLT). Again, this appears to be a cultural issue. If a man uttered a word of prophesy, and a woman questioned him in public, it would have been unacceptable and inappropriate. It was common practice in both the Gentile and Jewish cultures for men to question public lectures, but not women. This was in keeping with the cultural mores concerning subordination and headship. So Paul was not forbidding women from using their spiritual gifts, but to refrain from ignoring matters of headship by publicly questioning the words of another man during corporate worship. If they had questions, they were to raise them at home with their husband or father. Again, this all has to do with order, decorum and the overall integrity of the worship service. Which is why Paul ends this section with the words, "But be sure that everything is done properly and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40 NLT).

You can imagine what it would have been like to have two to three people all speaking in foreign tongues at the same time, only to be interrupted by someone else trying to utter a word of prophesy, while another person tried to speak over them with a word of revelation. It would have been total chaos and confusion. And this was not something Paul was willing to tolerate. It went against the whole purpose for them having come together as the body. It contradicted the very purpose of the gifts. God had equipped His people so that they might build one another up. Their times together were to be well-ordered and for the mutual benefit of the body, not the individual. It was not to be a competition to see who was the most gifted or who had the latest word from the Lord. All was to be done in love and submission. Paul would write later in his letter to the Ephesian believers: "So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT). Worship should never be a show. Musicians should never perform in order to get noticed. Pastors should never preach to get recognized. Prayers should not be prayed to impress others. All should be done to glorify God and to build up the body of Christ. Otherwise, we miss the point altogether.

Father, may all that we do be done in order and with a heart to build up the body of Christ. Never let us make it all about us. Forgive us for our affinity for showmanship and personal recognition. Give us a selfless attitude that desires the well-being of the body over our own personal good. Amen.