Tue, May 28th - 7:57PM
Saints (G 40 hagios),turning a wicked person over to Satan is shown to be just one of the super powers given by God, and belonging ONLY to the apostles; hence the apostolic ministry. Brothers and sisters, we find other instances of apostolic power invoked by apostles: Acts 13:11; 1 Ti. 19-20. Nevertheless Paul commands the whole church that there can be NO passivity in the toleration of those practicing wickedness amongst them. Paul gives explicit commands that the church is to use its God- given authority to put wicked people out of the church. Sadly there are too many instances today where the church has failed to root out wickedness, leading to great scandals and notoriety, causing mockery of the Gospel..
6Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth.
1 Cor. 5:6-8 KJV.
Dearly beloveds, Paul tells them that there must be an absolute purging out of those practicing wickedness amongst them, because if left alone they will corrupt the whole church. The whole church is to be known as the new man, growing in grace as a reflection of the final, finished and complete work of Jesus Christ.
Expel the Immoral Brother
9I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13But them that are without God judgeth {5719}. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 1 Cor. 9-13 KJV. Paul takes the church to school (of the Holy Spirit). He points out the works of the flesh that ANYBODY IN THE CHURCH WITHOUT EXCEPTION who practice these things without repentance must be absolutely put out of the church. This is the God given authority of the whole church. This command is just as valid today, and tomorrow to God’s people on earth. Shamefully so much wickedness is tolerated today. Addictions groups flourish of all kinds in the church, of people actively practicing wickedness. Drunks and woozy drug addicts stagger in amongst some congregations, while coddled sex addicts enter in looking for the next conquest.
All because such churches refuse to obey God, and use their God given authority to put these wicked people out. When the church disobeys God's command to deal with any sinning unrepentant brother or sister corruption is wrongfully allowed to spread amongst their congregations, unchallenged.
Its a sad fact that wicked persons in the church are too often brought to justice outside of it by civil authorities, because the church refuses to expose it. love serola
Comment (0)
|
Mon, May 20th - 10:15AM
1Cr 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
The apostle Paul takes the Corinthian body of believers to the spiritual woodshed. He well understood that they were not in the dark about what was going on amongst them. He well understood they were undermining the Gospel message, and damaging the image of the church in the world. Instead of purging out wickedness amongst them the Corinthian believers were embracing it-whole heartedly, with gusto.
Outline of Biblical Usage (puffed up)
1) to make natural, to cause a thing to pass into nature
2) to inflate, blow up, to cause to swell up
a) to puff up, make proud
b) to be puffed up, to bear one's self loftily, be proud.
1Cr 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, [concerning] him that hath so done this deed,
1Cr 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Cr 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Paul has got their number. He was not going to stand by and allow the Corinthian church to besmirch the name of Jesus Christ. He didn’t sit around wondering if he would lose favor with them if he confronted them about their wrong doing. He didn’t sit around hand wringing in fear that they might reject him. He didn’t waste time agonizing whether or not he had the right to tell them what to do. He did not refer the wicked person to a self-help group. He did not consult an psychologist or any other –ologists, to try to understand or treat this person whom he called wicked.
In full apostolic power what Paul does is to tell the church leaders and the whole church, “get that wicked man out of here! Put that wicked person out”! The apostle Paul knew you cannot improve, reason with, implore, or beg a wicked person bent on continuing to sin to change. You cannot allow such a wicked person to remain amongst the church body, as he or she will only be a corrupting force, turning people away from God and bringing slander upon the name of Jesus Christ.
Love
serola
Comment (0)
|
Tue, May 14th - 5:30PM
Beloveds, we must pay close attention that the apostle Paul is commanding the Corinthian church to kick out that wicked person, to offer him no safe haven nor comfort to enable him to continue wickedness.
Today, to some at least, the apostle Paul might seem cruel and “unloving”. Perhaps a more “liberal” church of today might even be against “labeling” anybody. Instead they might send this “broken person” to the local talk guru to help him heal from his pain; or the various sex addictions groups among other types of such groups so prolific today.
Now I suspect that there are some that if they could, would speak directly to Paul saying:
“look Paul, why be so hard nosed, we are all sinners, so let’s be understanding, because we all have problems from time to time.” However, God did not buy this kind of logic then and He ain’t buying it now.
Let’s back track brothers and sisters to see how Paul is dealing with this issue:
1Cr 5:1 It is reported commonly [that there is] fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
Whoa! A church well known for rabid fornication in the body, and so off the charts that not even the unsaved gentiles were doing it! Paul is not talking about secret sin here; he is talking about open sin rampant and rapacious amongst saved people-the church.
Love
Serola
Comment (0)
|
Sun, May 12th - 3:00PM
PUT ON THE NEW MAN
1Cr 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Cr 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Cr 6:11 And such WERE some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1Ti 1:12 ¶ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.
1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1Ti 1:15 This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
The apostle Paul gives us a wonderful example of God’s mercy. Before Paul was saved he was guilty of horrendous acts of merciless persecutions and worse against the church. Of course Paul repented, believed on Jesus and led a life that reflected the new birth. Paul states in 1 Ti. 1:16 that he is an example and a pattern for all those who would come later to faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches us that if God saved such a person as Paul, God will also be faithful to all who come unto Him in like manner.
Shamefully some misinterpret this verse to conclude that the apostle Paul endorses living sinfully after salvation. This has wrongfully allowed many unruly people amongst the church to escape discipline and correction, making a mockery of the church, and bringing slander to the name of Jesus Christ.
The Bible is clear that we are not to allow any person claiming to be a Christian, yet living in flagrant sin to go unchecked in the church. Through church discipline in love, by its correction, restoration and conviction, the sinning brother or sister is firmly convinced to live God's way as the only right way. On the other hand church discipline exposes corrupt false brethren, and removes them out of the church. Church discipline can restore or if necessary remove those who reject discipline and refuse to repent.
1Cr 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. Wow! What could have made the apostle Paul make this statement to the Corinthian church. It is clear that whatever kind of sinner we were before salvation, we are absolutely forbidden to continue in. The new birth, through the power of the Holy Spirit is to be reflected in spiritual growth of the new man. The church through its leaders and the body as a whole is never to be passive in the face of wicked behaviors by those claiming to be Christians.
love
serola
Comment (0)
|
Sat, May 11th - 2:54AM
The apostle Peter continues to address Ananias and later Sapphira, his wife.
Acts 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own
power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Acts 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried [him] out, and buried [him].
Acts 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
Acts 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband [are] at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Acts 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying [her] forth, buried [her] by her husband.
Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
In this story the idea that somebody can compel, command/demand a Christian to vow to give a certain amount of money (or tithe) is laid to rest here, under the New Testament New Covenant. The message is clear that God is not interested in any external rituals of giving. We get the intent of New Covenant giving.
The apostle Peter makes it clear in plain English. Ananias and Sapphira had the choice to frankly give any or all the amount they wanted without any problem. The fact is that they chose to lie about it. In doing so they maliciously dealt with God as though God was just another human being to be duped.
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work... For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
-2 Corinthians 9:6-15
love serola
Comment (0)
|
Wed, May 8th - 4:45PM
Enter Ananias and Sapphira:
A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Acts 5:2 And kept back [part] of the price, his wife also being privy [to it], and brought a certain part, and laid [it] at the apostles' feet.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land?
There are those who falsely teach that Ananias and his wife Sapphira were Christians. They were absolutely not Christians. The Bible teaches us so many profound lessons and gives us such great insight into the hearts of both the good and the evil. It takes time to sell a property. So long before they joined with the brethren; it is clear that they hatched a plan of deception motived by greed, which allowed satan to fill their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit. Aninias and Saphira came to God with hearts of greed and filled with the devil who is the father of lies. They will pay dearly for their deception-do not mess with the Holy Spirit, for He is the line that no one is allowed to cross.
In earlier chapters, it is clearly expounded that all those who gave all benefitted and suffered no lack. Absolutely none of the apostles benefitted more or at the expense of flock. Under the direct leadership of the Holy Spirit the brethren were enabled and freed from lack to spread the Gospel freely. What a beautiful picture of the church operating in love/true unity, that Lord Jesus presents to the world-brothers and sisters taking care of one another and working together to spread the Gospel message with the apostles.
We do not find the apostle Peter wringing his hands agonizing over what to do about Ananias. Peter immediately deals with Ananias. Look, children of light, Peter was not for one minute going to allow a lying corrupt person to go unchallenged and to enter the church as a self- willed corrupting influence. Neither should the church, for the sake of Jesus, today or ever allow known corruptors to gain entrance into the flock. True church overseers protect the flock.
love serola
End notes: Since Ananias and his wife were determined to embezzle, the devil filled their hearts to the full to carry out their deed.
Comment (0)
|
Back to Blog Main Page
|