Lesson 1256

(Lesson 1256)(03-07-15) 1 Corinthians 4:8-21

"Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?"

　

In today's lesson Paul provided examples of what he and the other early disciples had gone through during their efforts to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. He said they were treated as the "offscouring of all things".

He again warned the Church that, though they would have "ten thousand" instructors, they should adhere to what he had brought them directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ.

It would be such a wonderful thing today if all those who claim to preach the gospel would actually stick to the pure gospel message Paul so eloquently taught.~

Lesson 1255

(Lesson 1255)(03-06-15) 1 Corinthians 4:6-7

"And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"

　

In today's quote Paul again made it clear that those who take up the gospel to preach it are never to puff themselves up as someone who sits in judgment over others. Rather, they are to humble themselves before everyone, always being faithful and careful to give God the glory for all things, even their own knowledge of the gospel of Christ. ~

Lesson 1254

(Lesson 1254)(03-05-15) 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God."

Today's quote is a lesson aimed directly at the long robed hypocrites who fill the pulpits of many "churches" today. It also applies to their followers who love the messenger more than they love the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today, sadly, the message taught by too many so-called messengers of Christ has become more about making judgments against others than it is about teaching the "babes in Christ" what they need to learn and practice from God's divine word.

To those of us who are truly born again the actions of those around us, even though we perceive that action to be sinful according to the word of God and unless it affects a brother of sister in Christ, are to ignore it and leave the judgment of the perceived offender to God.

Paul, in Romans 2:1-2, said, "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things."

As Paul said in essence, preachers are no more than conveyors of the gospel for those who earnestly seek the grace of God. No human is qualified to judge nor condemn the sins of others. All of us whom are born again by the blood of Jesus Christ are charged to learn the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and to be living examples of it. We are also to be willing and educated messengers of that same gospel.~

Lesson 1253

(Lesson 1253)(03-04-15) 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."

　

In this lesson Paul told those Corinthians who had been saved by the grace of God, that their bodies were the "temple of God". True Christian people are God's representatives to the world. If we defile ourselves (God's temple) by conforming to the evil of the world, God will surely destroy us, just as He destroyed the true temple when the Jews disobeyed.~

Lesson 1252

(Lesson 1252)(03-03-15) 1 Corinthians 3:7-15

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

　

In today's quote Paul explained again how neither the planter nor the caretaker has anything to do with whether or not a plant lives or dies because whether or not that plant grows is totally in the hands of God. That same rule applies to eternal salvation. Nothing beyond that mankind can do, beyond teaching, will affect it one way or another.

Paul said in essence that salvation only comes when it is underpinned by absolute faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that those who try and make themselves a part of that underpinning, or distort and try to add or take from that underpinning will be judged by fire.

The point of this lesson appears to be that we who take on the responsibility of teaching the word of God should be careful to teach it as Jesus Christ, and Paul, taught it. We should neither embellish the gospel with our own ideas, nor should we take away any part of it.~

Lesson 1251

(Lesson 1251)(03-02-15) 1 Corinthians 3:1-6

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."

　

Today's quote relates how the hearing stage of the gospel is a vulnerable time for those who might believe. It is a time when new converts who don't yet fully understand can easily be led astray by their own misguided ideas or the smooth tongues of those who teach heretical doctrines.

Referring to their still carnal nature, Paul referred to those new disciples as "babes in Christ" and assured them that they had not yet fully understood the true gospel of Jesus Christ. He said, in essence, that it takes time and and much study to fully understand all of God's plan to usward.

Sadly there are still thousands upon thousands of would be Christians who are more devoted to the words of some preacher than they are to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That spiritual laziness allows for all manner of heresy to be taught to, and practiced by, the otherwise innocent.~

Lesson 1250

(Lesson 1250)(03-01-15) 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

"Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

　

Today's lesson contains some very precious and misunderstood information. In today's quote Paul explained how that after a person is born again and has become a child of God the mind of that person is changed so that it can understand, not only the physical things, but also spiritual things that abide in the realm of God. Speaking of the saved, Paul said, "we have the mind of Christ."

Being saved and having the "mind of Christ" gives us an insight into the wonderful mystery and purpose of the entire plan of God. It allows us to understand why God presents Himself to mankind in three distinctly different forms, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It allows us to understand how each member of the Holy Triune works and how the three work together to grant and assure us everlasting life.That special spiritual insight allows us to understand why mankind is not worthy to be a part of his/her own salvation and that the righteousness required for redemption can only come through the righteousness of God imputed into us by Him.

That spiritual insight allows the saved to understand that their sins are not merely forgiven, but rather wholly "justified" in the sight of God. (To forgive a sin means to simply tolerate the sin and not penalize the person who committed it. To justify a sin means that the sin itself has been made righteousness.) "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that JUSTIFIETH the ungodly, his FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Romans 4:5)

The greatest struggle for the lost is understanding the simplicity of God's plan for the eternal salvation of mankind.~