Today in the Word for July 20-28
Today in The Word
Monday July 20, 2020
Do I have a right to do what I want with my body? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. As Americans, we would quickly say yes. Paul dealt with this question with the church in Corinth in I Corinthians 6:12-15:
“” I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial…The body…is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!”
Paul quotes those in that church as saying they have the right to do anything with their body. They see no connection between their sex life and their spiritual life. But Paul is reminding them that as believers, they are the Body of Christ. When we take communion, we are remembering that we are the Body of Christ. Paul is saying, to them and to us, that of course we have a right to our body, but Jesus has a right to our body too. Our bodies collectively are his Body. And even casual sex is not something we should involve Jesus in.
And that’s The Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday July 21, 2020
Does our spiritual life have anything to do with our sex life? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul speaks to the Corinthian church about the value of our bodies in I Corinthians 6:13-14:
“You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.”
That church had a saying that it doesn’t matter what you put in your body or even how you use it. Our physical bodies don’t really matter to God. They’ll just be destroyed. However, Paul strongly disagrees. He reminds us that God raised Jesus’ body from the dead. And at the end of things, he will raise us too—bodily. We will not spend eternity as disembodied spirits, but rather as humans with transformed bodies that can last forever. God cares so much about our bodies that he is going to make them eternal. And so, it matters very much what we do with our bodies. Our spiritual life has a lot to do with our sex life.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday July 22, 2020
Do we have the right to do anything we want, as long as we are not hurting anybody? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul says a qualified ‘yes, but...’ to the church in Corinth in I Corinthians 6:12:
“” I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to day anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”
The people in that church were proclaiming that they could do whatever they wanted. They had the right to do so. Paul says yes, but… will what you do be of any benefit? Is it worthless? And he goes further to say, will your action lead to you being ‘mastered.’ He is challenging them to not be enslaved or addicted. Humans are prone to habitual behavior. That is very good when it comes to brushing one’s teeth, but not so good when it comes to abusing drugs or alcohol. You could find yourself stealing from your grandmother’s purse! Many habits can turn into addictions, and addictions will enslave us. Then we will do anything to get that positive feeling, whether it is a drug high or a gambling high or a porn high or a food high or an Amazon purchase high.
The question when we are arguing to ‘do anything we want’ is this—could this behavior lead to my addiction and enslavement? If so, it might not be such a great idea to exercise your rights.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly. Join our Wednesday adult Bible Study at 6:30 for more of the Word.
Today in the Word
Thursday July 23, 2020
Do we have a right to follow our conscience? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. One of the great foundations of our country is on the concept that each person can follow his conscience—especially in matters of religion and faith. But Paul offers a qualified ‘yes, but…’ in I Corinthians 8:9-12:
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”
Paul is affirming their conscience. He agrees that eating food that has been ritually offered to local gods that they bought in the market doesn’t really matter. But to a young Christian, they might be confused about that. So, Paul is saying ‘yes, but…’ He is saying the we have to work out our own moral code, but we also go past that code to consider the conscience of our fellow Christ-follower. Sometimes we rein in our personal freedom in deference to the other guy’s tender conscience.
After all, Jesus died to save more than just you, didn’t he?
And that is the Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday July 24, 2020
Do we have a right to our own independence? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Politically, our independence is a very important right. But what does Paul have to say about this to Christ-followers? I Corinthians 9:19-22 reads:
“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible…To those under the law I became like one under the law….so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law… so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak…so that by all possible means I might save some.”
Paul makes it clear that he is a free man. He is independent. And then he says, ‘yes, but…’ He says he will do all he can to meet the other guy at his or her level in order to reach them with the gospel. He understands that he is not on this planet just for his own benefit. He is on the planet to help others come into the Kingdom of God. And he will go to great lengths to relate to them and their situation. He will give up some of his so-called independence in order to try to reach them.
And when we do that, we are participating in God’s purpose for humankind: “…so that by all possible means I might save some.”
And that’s the Word. You can enjoy more of the Word this Sunday at 10:30 at Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Monday July 27, 2020
What is a practical way to understand what it means to look out for the other guy? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul gives an example in I Corinthians 10:25-28:
“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience…If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.”
The believers of that time dealt with the issue of meat market paganism. They debated whether to eat what came from the open market or not. This makes sense when we remember many of these believers used to have extensive dietary restrictions as Jews prior to conversion. Paul simply says, don’t make a deal out of it. Your neighbor invites you to dinner, don’t ask questions. Another neighbor is concerned about the meat being offered to idols, then politely decline so as to not offend. The issue is about the other guy, not about the dinner. The dinner is neither here nor there. It is people that matter. And that is still true today. It is people that matter.
And that is the Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday July 21, 2020
Do we have a right to ‘do what is best for me’? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul offers a ‘yes, but…’ answer to this question in I Corinthians 10:23-24,33:
“” I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “” I have the right to do anything,” —but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others…I am not seeking my own good but the good of many so that they may be saved.”
Paul again affirms we have rights, but they are balanced against a greater point. Is our action constructive. In other words, does it build others up? Paul is not looking out for #1. He is seeking the good of the many. He is the pre-Star Trek version of Dr. Spock. ‘The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.’ I was a statement of self-sacrifice. And there are many decisions to make that take into account the needs of others over ourselves. We already do this with our spouse and our children. We need to do it for the larger world around us. It will be very constructive if we do. After all, it is better to build up than to tear down.
And that’s the Word. You can enjoy more of the Word this Sunday at 10:30 at Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.