God’s love is different . . .

 

 

READ 1 Corinthians 5-8

Some of the believers in the church at Corinth had misconceptions about the grace of God. They assumed rightly that forgiveness covers past, present and future sins but thought that meant they should forgive anyone who was continuing in sin. That is, they tolerated a man who was sinning and were proud of this ‘grace’ they were showing toward him, even though he continued in his sin even without evidence of confession and repentance.

Paul told them what to do when anyone falls into immoral behavior yet professes faith in Christ:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:9–13)

In other words, God would deal with the sin of unsaved people but He was charging the church, the Body of Christ, to deal with sin in their midst. He illustrated with another example, a lawsuit. If two Christians have a legal issue between them, they must deal with it rather than go to court. He told them that doing that was shameful and asked, “Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?” Lawsuits defeated them and they would be better to suffer wrong and be defrauded rather than publicly doing such a thing. (1 Corinthians 6:5–8)

This position of dealing with in-house sins was not just about ‘how we appear to outsiders’ but based on the purpose He has for His church in the future and what God has done in redemption in the past. He’d already challenged them: “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!” (1 Corinthians 6:1–3)

Then he reminded them that redemption means radically changed lives. They should know better than to tolerate sin because they knew what it was like to be sinful before being transformed:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: 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. 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 6:9–11)

After more reminders of who they are in Christ and how they must live accordingly, he repeats how they were to watch out for one another. He illustrated with food and made it clear that if they were not convicted by eating food offered to idols (because an idol is not real and what we eat isn’t about earning God’s favor) they still did not have freedom to eat it in front of those who think that is a sin. A contemporary example might be drinking a beer on a hot day alongside redeemed alcoholics without considering how it affected their conscience.

These chapters are later summed up with instruction on how to love one another, the missing grace in this young church. Love is misunderstood and pushed aside by personal pride and a competitive attitude based on ‘I can do whatever I want and my ideas are better than yours.’ This is fleshy, sinful thinking.

Jesus said, “Not my will, but thine be done” and prayed with drops of blood in the hours before His sacrifice for my sin. Paul wrote, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, 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 2:5–8)

Jesus died so I would not be ruled by self-centered pride or any other sinful attitude but empowered by the grace of God and His Holy Spirit. Lord, enable me this day to “walk by the Spirit” so I “will not gratify the desires of the flesh” and instead love others as You love me.

 

WWJD? or How does Jesus think?

 

 

In the months before my sister died, she struggled with knowing what to do in unfamiliar situations. This became obvious when she travelled with us. As we walked from place to place, she lagged behind, watching us so she could copy what we were doing. While this makes me sad, I realize this also revealed her Christian character; she was willing to follow a good example. That is what Jesus wanted and the fruit of her obedience shows up in her sons and grandchildren who also follow Him.

I am also called to follow the EXAMPLE of Jesus, not go my own way or figure out my own path. I’m to watch Jesus and others who follow Him to see how I should live. But this is not merely copying; it goes far deeper.

When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He told them, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:15) As humbling as it is to wash someone’s feet, or be washed this way by another, this wasn’t necessarily a ritual. It is more about serving others in whatever need presents itself, doing what I can do to bring blessing to them.

Following Jesus involves denial of self. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it . . . .” (Matthew 16:24–26)

Giving up what I want is one thing, but admitting my weaknesses also goes against my pride. Jesus asks me to do both. In contrast to following the dictates of my intellect, emotions, and will, I’m to live in the power and motivation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ did that, doing only what the Father told Him to do, even in Gethsemane when He said, “Not my will but thine be done.” All the more outstanding is the fact that Jesus was sinless, without that willful self-centered nature that pits itself against everything God wants.

Romans 15:5 tells me to live in harmony with others “in accord with Christ Jesus” meaning to think and act the same way as Jesus did. Paul lived that example and he encourages me to do the same:

2 Corinthians 10:1–6. “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

This requires a different way of thinking. Philippians 2:5–8 spells it out: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, 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.”

Thinking like Jesus produces actions contrary to the behavior of selfish me. For instance, Colossians 3:13 tells me to bear with others and if I have a complaint against someone, I am to forgive them just as the Lord has forgiven me. This means obedience also to 1 Peter 2:21–23:

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

1 John is plain: “If I say I am abiding in Christ, I ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” Hebrews 12 defines that as an attitude of faith and obedience that can “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” and enable me to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Hebrews 12:1–3)

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. ‘What would Jesus do?’ is answered by another question; How does Jesus think? I cannot play-act or fake this stuff. Instead, the Bible says I have His mind and must rely on His thoughts and allow Him to transform me, making faith visible as well as practical. For this, I must keep my eyes on Him.