1 Co 7 "Live Life Through The Lens of the Gospel
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Let’s revisit some things from last week...
Let’s revisit some things from last week...
During the message last week, I got to a list of behaviors that were NOT welcome in the church. They were so “not welcome” that Paul calls them out very specifically.
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. 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.
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Last week as I said there is a nuance that is part of “list” if you will. I want to explore that a bit before we move on to Chapter 7.
First of all… this list is written to Christians. If you are here today and you are not a believer in Jesus listen but don’t pass judgement on yourself or others.
Chapter 6 cannot and should not be forced upon, used to berate or condemn those who have tasted the truth, participated in truth but have failed to release themselves completely to the truth.
We all know those who are expert enough to talk circles around us in the bible.
But have failed to take a leap from facts to faith.
This passage should never be used to drive someone away from a redemptive relationship with Christ.
But is a standard that professing Christians, who accept and turn themselves over to Christ should hold themselves to.
Let me just say one final thing before we look at the list.
Jesus came to love, to heal, to draw all sinners towards a relationship with God.
He did NOT come to condemn. There will come a time that He condemn’s NOW IS NOT THAT TIME!!!
How dare we as “Christians” condemn anyone… It is our job to love!
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
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V.9a - Structurally, goes with the previous verse to read like this..
8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
...Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? That behavior is wicked!
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Those brothers and sisters who cheat and do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Beginning in V.9b
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
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Paul is talking specifically to “brothers,” and sisters. Within the Corinthian church. They were those who joined the “Christians” not to develop a relationship with Jesus or other brothers and sisters in Christ but for there own, wicked reasons.
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“the sexually immoral” - this would have been a prostitute looking for his or her next paying partner. The culture of the day was rampant with sex… even more than today in our world, if that is possible.
“idolaters” - 1Co 10.7 “ Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”
The reference here is directly from Ex 32.6
6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
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This is the story of the Golden Calf… As Moses went to the Mountain Top to receive the 10 Commandments, the people gathered their gold, melted it down and made a golden calf that they worshipped. Moses came down and saw the abomination and destroyed the tablets.
This is the idolatry that V.9 is talking about.
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
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“nor adulterers” - those in the Corinthian church who dodged out of there own husband and wife relationships and engaged others in a sexual affairs.
This is another of many instances that we impose our 21st century lens on the culture of the 1st century. In the Roman world...
Marriage was nearly 100% arranged, the men would have been considerably older than the women AND in the Roman world polygamy was acceptable.
So… in context. Men must NOT come to the church and search for the next woman to add to his harem.
This statement allows for women to worship freely, in groups of men and women without fear of being “hit on” and married.
Who belongs in this church..? All those who are seeking a relationship with Jesus. Who does not belong?
“nor male prostitutes” - Do male prostitutes who are earnestly seeking a relationship with God belong in the Corinthian church… YES!
Do “male prostitutes” who are looking for their next partner, willing or not belong in the church..? NO! NO! NO! NO!
“nor homosexual offenders” — This is NOT I repeat NOT a condemnation of those who are homosexual.
Condemnation rests solely with God. It’s our job to “love” and give God opportunity to work.
God CANNOT work if we step in and try to make his judgments for Him.
This narrowly looks at those who are in the church looking for their next partner. If it means stealing that person away from a heterosexual relationship.
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
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“Thieves,” “Greedy,” “Drunkards,” “Slanderers,” or “Swindlers.” There is a nuance and a cultural explanation to each of these...
My guess is that one or more of these could be a snapshot of our lives and stories before some of us came to Christ.
NO ONE should claim perfection… if we did, who needs Jesus?
If you belong to any of these groups that are mentioned in Verses 9 and 10. You belong here at First Baptist!
Listen to V.11
11 And that is what some of you were. 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.
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As you encounter God here during this service, enter into a discipleship relationship with someone, as you grow, my hope and prayer is that you commit your life to Christ and then can leave these things behind you.
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17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
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Context is so important in our study of the New Testament. When we hear and see things that are out of character for Jesus.
That are out of character for what we know of the Gospel.
Let’s make sure that we have Gospel lens on as we explore: the scriptures,
talk with others,
seek counsel and wisdom and
first and foremost ask God to send the Spirit to reveal the truth to us of passages like this really difficult one.
I hope this clears up for you lots of lingering questions that you may have had last week!
OUR MESSAGE TODAY IS FROM 1Co7.
Our message for today is from 1Co 7. I’d like you to turn there or go there on your device.
If you think you know the meaning of something… especially those passages that we use, incorrectly, to judge, to condemn to exclude or to separate ourselves from the world then you need to keep reading.
Such is the case with Chapter 7
Question For Today: If it’s so GOOD why is it so difficult..? That is marriage?
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
So Christian men… it is “good not to marry.”
So celibacy is actually better than marrying.
Better translated this is “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
We have no context, the literature has no context to what this means… There are a couple of “possibilities.” These are only a couple of possibilities.
Paul was an ascetic, one who remains single, at least at this point in his life. He may be talking about himself.
The marriage bond in the pervasive evil of Corinth was so loose and ungodly that not marrying was better than what was going on.
2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
Because of all of the things that we talked about earlier this morning… things that are here called “immoralities.”
Each man should have a wife and each woman a husband.
There is an interesting note here… At this point there really was NOT a wedding ceremony the way that we think of them in the 21st century.
So… “Husbands and wives” had a somewhat different meaning than we have an image of.
The idea of marriage is fixed deep in the old testament
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
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Let’s move forward… First and foremost, sex belongs in the marriage bond.
Come on Jeff, you’re so old fashioned.
It has nothing to do with how I’m fashioned.
Sex belongs in marriage. Well you ask… I’m having sex but I’m not married.
That takes some unwinding and restating of values on the part of both the man and woman.
But it is GOOD to not be having sex outside of a committed marriage relationship.
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
This was all this non-Christian needed to know about Christian marriage...
Here I think this the way that we as Christian husbands and wives should look at this...
First of all this is NOT an order… marriage does NOT allow one or the other to abuse, manipulate, force, or punish using sex. If that’s the case, professional counseling is needed.
This pause in the relationship is must be agreed by both parties. For a “time” may be for a season.
For a time of concentrated prayer… two meanings here. Prayer should not be used to avoid sex. Nor should sex be used not to pray.
Your avoiding this part of your relationship is the devil’s playground for both husband and wife.
Sexual issues within marriage are some of the most difficult to unwind and re-establish. Professional counseling is available and vital in these instances. I have referrals if you need, see me.
Let’s move on V.7-9
7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
In V.8 - Some translators think it is stronger to use “widower” here. So that those once married whose spouse has died it would be perfectly normal to remain unmarried.
It is good to be married… It is also an option to remain unmarried. I believe that Paul since his conversion to Christ remained unmarried. But he probably was married before his walk with the Lord.
This is the chapter of difficult stuff
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
Once again… through our 21st century eyes, a wide variation from the first century.
Some observations
Probably for the first time in the history of God’s people. The woman had some recourse with a graceful and merciful God to separate from her husband.
Modern men and women, media stars, “professionals” and plain ol folk like us… cheapen marriage and the quickness we toss it away.
There are reasons for divorce that transcend time. These apply to both parties and my counsel is that you get professional counsel.
Abuse - physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual and any other abuse perpetrated by another. Remove yourself from the situation, call 911. Call your pastor
Unrepentant, unchanging, even after counseling refusal to mend, bend and change who you are to accommodate your husband or wife.
God has NOT designed us to be miserable the rest of our lives. Nor has he given that as an “easy out.” We have way too many of those.
Let’s see how we did with our BIG QUESTION...
Question For Today: If it’s so GOOD why is marriage so difficult..?
Primarily because we make it difficult.
Secondarily because satan himself is trying to destroy it.
How is satan trying to destroy my marriage? The same way he has done it since the Garden of Eden. By temptation... Because he knows we handle temptation!
Proceed carefully when going into marriage and most carefully when you are in a tough spot, tough season before you run away from your relationship.
Ultimately… And most importantly… There is GRACE and FORGIVENESS available for the asking for your part of a broken marriage.
Divorce is NOT the unforgivable sin…
There is a summary statement that I believe is valuable in regards to the issues that we have talked through today.
Summary statements and final instructions are difficult. We generally have to agree on the ideas that I have laid out in order to have a successful summary.
God calls people to himself who are in various situations and circumstances in our lives.
He calls us specifically from those circumstances into a redemptive life.
That is a complicated process for us.
For him it is simple. It is His desire that none perish and that everyone possible hear the Gospel, respond and in doing so make the decision that Jesus becomes the Lord and Savior in ones life.
To God it is all about introducing and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.
That is the life we live through the lens of the Gospel..