1 Cor. 10 [The Message]

Your boss should never have to check up on your work if you do everything as if the Lord was inspecting. In this sense, committed Christians should be the best employees a company can have. Paul made reference to doing all to God’s glory with respect to eating .. not worrying about whether food had been sacrificed to idols. This meat was cheaper at the market, a good deal if you didn’t get tripped up with where it came from. Just don’t eat it if it causes a weaker Christian to stumble.

J.S. Bach, the famous Baroque Church composer, dedicated every piece of music to God’s glory. This would be a healthy practice for us all. Say a prayer before you do any task, asking for God’s help and thanking Him for the life opportunities He provides. He will never let us down!

1 Cor. 9 [The Message]

“I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people.” So was Paul’s MO as he ministered to people. He obviously didn’t want there to be any hindrance or clouding the issue that he was all about communicating the message of Christ. He supported himself while he taught and preached so no one could accuse him of an improper financial motive. In reality, this position on receiving support is somewhat unhealthy for believers. It’s good for those who work in the Gospel to live off the Gospel. Offerings are not a dirty word. Setting your heart upon riches is the problem.

Our overall goal must be clear; to win people to Christ.

1 Cor. 5 [The Message]

Although this is not an easy subject to deal with, Paul makes it clear that it cannot be swept under the rug. He makes statements like;

• Shouldn’t this break your hearts? Shouldn’t it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn’t this person and their conduct be confronted and dealt with?
• You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master.
• Hold this conduct up to public scrutiny. Let them defend it if they can! But if they can’t, then out with them! It will be totally devastating to them, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want them on their feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

Promiscuous inclinations are best dealt with early, before families have to suffer the damage.

Nobody wants to eat “wild oats.”

1 Corinthians 1 [The Message]

Such comforting words … Christ Jesus will never give up on you. God is faithful and keeps all of His Promises.

David said, “The Lord will fulfill his plan for me. Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the work of your hands.” [Ps. 138:8 NCB]

In his letter from prison to the Philippian church, Paul also said, “I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.” [Phil. 1:6 CEB]

Even when you mess up, the Lord is ready to pick you up, dust you off and put you on the right path. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. [Ps. 34:19]

Romans 15 [The Message]

Strength is for service, not status.

We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves. [Rom. 15:1 AMPC]

In Christ, it’s our duty, our obligation to help those weaker than ourselves. We lend our strength and faith to assist them with their frailties, their weaknesses, their infirmities, their problems. Why else do we have spiritual strength?

Romans 12 [The Message]

Do we conform or are we transformed? We are called to be different, not in an attention-grabbing way, but in a way that reflects God’s glory to the sinking culture around us.

My parents were raised in a church culture that took great pride in being different. Their standard of holiness, especially for the women, was how long your skirt and sleeves were, how little makeup you used, and abstaining from shaving your legs. You shouldn’t cut your hair and my mom wasn’t even supposed to wear a wedding ring when she married. You get the point.

The Christian’s standard is not based upon the world’s styles or norms, but on God’s Word. It’s an inner standard that’s reflected in true modesty and an excellence of demeanor that tells the onlookers there is a Holy God in heaven we are wanting to please. His indwelling grace is our fuel.

Romans 10 [The Message]

We believe in our hearts (mind, will, emotions) but we confess with our mouths. Nobody (except God Himself) can cut a contract or covenant by merely thinking about it. Verbal agreements can stand up in court. Just thinking can be called intent, but can’t convict you.

When I married Patty, it wasn’t good enough for me to merely think “I do” in my mind. She needed to hear the actual words come from my mouth. That sealed the covenant.

The KJV puts it this way … The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 9 [The Message]

Too many in our world think THEY are the creator when they are merely the creation. This leads to seriously WRONG THINKING! When God’s Master Design is so rudely maligned and disregarded, we end up with a reprobate society not unlike our own.

For instance, a pregnant woman thinks SHE created the amazing human life within her womb. It’s HER body, she argues. HER welfare is placed above that of the innocent baby she is carrying .

CASE STUDY: “The father of the family had syphilis and the mother tuberculosis. They already had four children. The first child is blind, the second died, the third is deaf and dumb and the fourth has tuberculosis. Now the mother is pregnant with her fifth child. She is willing to have an abortion, if that is what you as her doctor suggests”. Medical students overwhelmingly voted to terminate the pregnancy. Their mentor’s response, “Congratulations, you have just murdered the famous composer Ludwig Van Beethoven!”

Romans 6 [The Message]

Eugene Peterson describes the ground rules of Christian living as being in a different country than the sinful one you left. The proof of citizenship? Baptism into Christ’s name. You are now living in God’s Kingdom and Christ is your husband. You are not legally bound to be obedient to your old master, sin and the appetites of the flesh.

This is a transformed mindset that is critical. As Christians, we are to have the mind of Christ. In the same way a good school prepares children for successful adult living, Christian discipleship (Church membership, daily devotions, Bible studies etc.) cultivates the desired behavior for citizenship in God’s country. It’s a FOREVER thing.

Romans 2 [The Message]

It is so easy to peer down from our personal piety upon those less fortunate, others who have made life-changing mistakes etc. Our eyes constantly behold the short-comings of others rather than being sensitive to our own errors and sins. This leads to a miserable existence of what some call “Navel gazing.”

The Bible says, “Don’t criticize people, and you will not be criticized. For you will be judged by the way you criticize others, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive.” [Matt. 7:2 PHILLIPS]