PASSAGE: Lawsuits Among Believers, Sexual Immorality
MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8
NOTES: (v.7) "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. 9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?...11But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God."
Wow, I really liked this passage because it completely defied many worldly beliefs and values apparent in society today. In the grand scheme of things, why is it so monumentally bad to be cheated and/or wronged when we can inherit the kingdom of God?
(v.12) "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.
When I read this, I immediately thought of A. W. Tozer and his book, The Pursuit of God (we're covering this book in fellowship). In one chapter referring to worldly idols, Tozer points out that God doesn't necessarily call us to not have anything, but to not possess anything. This passage in the Bible is titled "Sexual Immorality," and Paul emphasizes the importance of physical sexual purity. However, I was also reminded of the book of Hosea, which we covered in Sunday School. God uses Hosea's wife, Gomer, who is a prostitute, to illustrate Israel's spiritual adultery with God. He commands Hosea to marry someone who will be sexually unfaithful to him to show how disgusting Israel's sin is in distancing themselves with God. In a way, perhaps 1 Corinthians 6 could also relate to spiritual "sexual immorality" like that mentioned in Hosea?
ACT OF LOVE: Today, my sister and her husband came to visit with the baby for his one-month birthday. Since the whole family was busy taking care of the baby, my act of love was helping out with random chores in the house (doing the dishes, taking care of the dog, cleaning the shower drain, etc).
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