Passage: 1 Corinthians 10
Notes: The overarching principle in relationships in the church is: be considerate of
others first, even if you're just not sure of where they stand.
Yet:
inanimate objects are not inherently evil, and while you may avoid something for
the sake of another Christian, you have the freedom to eat/use when there's no
danger of offending another's conscience.
Mind the negative example of those
who have gone before us, and live holy lives.
Showing posts with label Holiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiness. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: 1 Corinthians 5
Notes: Accommodation is exactly what the spirit of this day would have us do...and don't we have a lot of leaven leavening the dough of the Church today. Yet, how do we avoid legalism on the other hand? Who has the spiritual wisdom and the guts to correctly lead a congregation so that church discipline heals rather than destroys? How will an entire community have the spiritual discernment to differentiate between a 'wicked person' and the one who is genuinely desiring to follow God, but still battling the fleshly nature (as in progressive sanctification)? How would a pastor even broach this subject in a culture that looks to cultural values ("live and let live") over biblical teaching? Yet, how do we avoid abuse in so fleshly a Church if the church attempts to practice church discipline? On the other hand, in a large and more anonymous church, how many people does it take so that "the Church" is making a decision - or will anonymity shield any but the most obviously wicked person? "Not associate with" - where we're not sure, may we err on the side of love and associate, or will we then just ignore this teaching, not really knowing anyone well enough?
Notes: Accommodation is exactly what the spirit of this day would have us do...and don't we have a lot of leaven leavening the dough of the Church today. Yet, how do we avoid legalism on the other hand? Who has the spiritual wisdom and the guts to correctly lead a congregation so that church discipline heals rather than destroys? How will an entire community have the spiritual discernment to differentiate between a 'wicked person' and the one who is genuinely desiring to follow God, but still battling the fleshly nature (as in progressive sanctification)? How would a pastor even broach this subject in a culture that looks to cultural values ("live and let live") over biblical teaching? Yet, how do we avoid abuse in so fleshly a Church if the church attempts to practice church discipline? On the other hand, in a large and more anonymous church, how many people does it take so that "the Church" is making a decision - or will anonymity shield any but the most obviously wicked person? "Not associate with" - where we're not sure, may we err on the side of love and associate, or will we then just ignore this teaching, not really knowing anyone well enough?
Friday, September 21, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: John 12
Notes: Worshipping Jesus is not the time to be scrappy, but an opportunity to go all out. While we are called to be stewards, offerings to God, and love for another (even another human?) can be extravagant (God won't run out of resources because we loved too much).
My life is to be an offering to God, to the point that I 'lose out' on life, or even give my life altogether. However, I must be careful to notice where God is working and join in His work. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is needed more than strategic planning. Note also, though, that in this same chapter Jesus condoned expressing extravagant love. Losing my life for Him must then not equal a rejection of my family, and failure to care for them, or perpetual unwillingness to spend any resources on them. Our God is not a pauper who will starve but for our resources. Yet, that I would be sure not to love my life too much to lose it.
Do I love the approval of men more than the approval of God?
Notes: Worshipping Jesus is not the time to be scrappy, but an opportunity to go all out. While we are called to be stewards, offerings to God, and love for another (even another human?) can be extravagant (God won't run out of resources because we loved too much).
My life is to be an offering to God, to the point that I 'lose out' on life, or even give my life altogether. However, I must be careful to notice where God is working and join in His work. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is needed more than strategic planning. Note also, though, that in this same chapter Jesus condoned expressing extravagant love. Losing my life for Him must then not equal a rejection of my family, and failure to care for them, or perpetual unwillingness to spend any resources on them. Our God is not a pauper who will starve but for our resources. Yet, that I would be sure not to love my life too much to lose it.
Do I love the approval of men more than the approval of God?
Monday, September 17, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: John 9
Notes: Have I developed schemas of how I expect God to work, or am I ready to look at His work and receive whatever He chooses to do, and worship Him for it?
What began in unbelief turned to accusing God of sin, reviling the one He healed, and generally turning spiritual leadership into a human endeavor to enforce their belief system about God, or be ostracized and excluded from the community. How deceived and evil we can be once we believe we know it all!
We would be wise to retain the humility of the one still searching for further enlightening, rather than believe we've "got it."
Lord, please help me to always humbly look to you and not build schemas of how you operate and first fail to recognize you, and then possibly fall into all kinds of sin defending my schema.
Notes: Have I developed schemas of how I expect God to work, or am I ready to look at His work and receive whatever He chooses to do, and worship Him for it?
What began in unbelief turned to accusing God of sin, reviling the one He healed, and generally turning spiritual leadership into a human endeavor to enforce their belief system about God, or be ostracized and excluded from the community. How deceived and evil we can be once we believe we know it all!
We would be wise to retain the humility of the one still searching for further enlightening, rather than believe we've "got it."
Lord, please help me to always humbly look to you and not build schemas of how you operate and first fail to recognize you, and then possibly fall into all kinds of sin defending my schema.
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