I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yesa"feed them justice! . . . I will judge between one sheep and another, separating the sheep from the goats.
Ezekiel 34:16-17
People who believe that they have been abused seek justice. The abused want wrong to be punished and right to be rewarded. Where wrong has triumphed, they look for rest.i.tution. Where right has been ignored, they look for recognition.
By contrast, people who have abused others seek mercy. When their wrongs go unnoticed, they hope it will remain so. When their wrongs are exposed, they hope they will not be caught. Should those people be brought to justice, they look for mercy. When mercy is granted, the abused cry, aWhereas the justice?a When abusers are dealt with firmly, they complain, aWhereas the mercy?a There were similar complaints in Ezekielas time, directed against the Lord! The people were saying, aThe Lord is not just.a To this the Lord replied, aI will judge each of you according to your deedsa (Ezek. 33:20). The adeedsa of which he spoke were the dealings that the people of Israel were having with each other. They all belonged to the same nation, were all beneficiaries of the same covenant, and were all suffering the same punishment for unfaithfulness. But there the similarity ended. From a distance, they all looked the same. But the Lord knew the difference and promised that he would separate athe sheep from the goatsa (34:17). The Lord would deal with the afat and powerfula who were abusing the ainjureda and the aweaka (34:16). What would be the Lordas treatment of the abusers? He promised to feed thema"but to afeed them justicea (34:16).
The Lordas indignation and promised judgment were leveled at those whose behavior showed scant regard for anyone other than themselves. Maintaining the sheep and goats a.n.a.logy, he complained, aIs it not enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? . . . All that is left for my flock to eat is what you have trampled down. All they have to drink is water that you have fouleda (34:18-19).
Social justice is the name we give to concerns of this nature today. It has always been a concern of the Lordas. But it has not necessarily been a concern of his people. The Lord repeatedly sent his prophets to remind his people that they must treat their neighbors justly. And he constantly reminded them that failure to exercise justice would mean they would be subjected to divine justice! But they dished out injustice and craved mercy. Nothing has changed.
Fortunately for us, our just and righteous Lord is full of compa.s.sion and grace. When we appreciate this and appropriate his mercy, we will demonstrate a concern for justice. This separates the sheep from the goatsa"and the men from the boys.
April 23
TO READ: Psalm 30:1-12
Health and Wealth
O LORD my G.o.d, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health.
Psalm 30:2
Benjamin Franklinas saying, aEarly to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,a contains more than a grain of truth. Whether or not there is an exact correlation between good sleep habits and athe good lifea is hard to say. But Franklinas epigram certainly identified three areas of concern for men in all ages: health, wealth, and wisdom.
Issues related to health, wealth, and wisdom are often discussed in the pages of Scripture. David, for example, said, aO Lord my G.o.d, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my healtha (Ps. 30:2). We do not have details of his ailments, but they were serious enough for him to say, aYou brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of deatha (30:3).
Many a man has been brought to his spiritual senses when his health failed. The healing of his body has led to a cleansing of his soul, and he has lived to thank G.o.d for illness. Some men only look up when they are put on their backs! But a little thought shows that, if we thank G.o.d for healing, we should praise him for health. Health is perpetual healing. Given the intricacies of our bodies, the prevalence of viruses, and the incidence of accidents, it is quite remarkable that we are ever well. Yet most of us are. We live our lives a.s.suming that the robust health we enjoy will continue unabated. In fact, we a.s.sume that it is a right, not a privilege. The problem is that the more we enjoy good health, the less we depend on the Lord for it; the less we know of suffering, the less we turn to the Lord for help.
As it is with health, so it is with wealth. Davidas lost health, once restored, led him to worship and thanksgiving. And his lost wealth led to a similar conclusion. He said, aWhen I was prosperous I said, aNothing can stop me now!a Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountaina a (30:6-7). But sadly, the prosperity the Lord had granted him led him away from a life of trusting obedience: aThen you turned away from me, and I was shattereda (30:7).
Lost health can shatter us; so can lost wealth. It is drastic medicine, but men absorbed with their own lives respond to little else. When the Lord restores lost health and wealth, and men respond by praising the Lord, they get wise. So be wisea"get to bed early, but rise up to bless the Lord.
April 24
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
s.e.x Scandals
You must cast this man out of the church and into Satanas hands, so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved when the Lord returns.
1 Corinthians 5:5
The pagan world in which Paul lived was similar to ours, not least in that it was a s.e.x-saturated society. Corinth, in particular, was known for its s.e.xual promiscuity. The Christian church had taken root all across the Roman Empire and was set apart from the rest of society by her convictions. Christiansa view of s.e.x as a divine gift to be enjoyed exclusively in the confines of monogamous, heteros.e.xual marriage was well-known and widely disparaged.
The believers in the Corinthian church were an unfortunate exception. They prided themselves in their afreedom,a which had taken a particularly unsavory turn. One of the men in the congregation was aliving in sin with his fatheras wifea (1 Cor. 5:1). If this was not serious enough, the church was proud that they were aspirituala enough to accept what was happening. Paul found it necessary to point out to them that even pagans would draw the line at that kind of behavior. The church was so out of step with spiritual reality that they had not only done nothing about the manas behavior, but also had taken pride in their failure to do so! He asked, aWhy arenat you mourning in sorrow and shame?a (5:2).
Paul had no doubt about what action the church should take: The man should be removed from membership of the church for at least two reasons. First, his removal from the protective spiritual environment of the fellowship of believers would acasta the man ainto Satanas hands,a not in order to destroy him but aso that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved when the Lord returnsa (5:5). The drastic action was intended to be remedial, not vindictive. Second, his removal would counter the serious danger that his continued presence presented to the fellowship. Paul asked, aDonat you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected?a (5:6). This is a serious consideration indeed!
This kind of teaching is rare in many churches, which usually has one of two results. In some churches, s.e.xual scandals are either carefully ignored or promptly forgiven. In other churches, the church embarks on a witch hunt where the wounded are shot, the believers withdraw from all contact with sinners, and a hard, harsh, separatist, and irrelevant church emerges.
There is nothing new about scandalous s.e.xual behavior inside and outside the church. And there is no shortage of teaching in Scripture about how to deal with it. Sadly, there is often a shortage of firm, loving discipline that prizes the churchas integrity. And there is often a shortage of loving, caring concern for the erring person that prizes their redemption. Contrary to popular belief, love and discipline are not mutually exclusive. The church needs both.
April 25
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Conflict Resolution
Donat you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of G.o.d? Donat fool yourselves. . . . There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for G.o.d.
1 Corinthians 6:9, 11
b.u.mper stickers can communicate messages that might not otherwise be heard, but never take your theology from them! For example, consider this popular b.u.mper sticker message: aChristians arenat perfecta"just forgiven.a The sentiment that Christians are painfully aware of their sinfulness is correct, and they know how necessary forgiveness is. Christians also affirm that while their sins are forgiven, that does not add up to an ongoing life of perfection. But to suggest that Christians are just forgiven is surely to miss the point. Christians are forgiven, they are not perfect, but they are more than ajust forgivenaa"they are called to and empowered for a new life.
Paul explained this truth quite bluntly and plainly. Having listed some of the common sinful behaviors of the daya"behavior patterns that disqualify the behavors from partic.i.p.ation in G.o.das kingdoma"he concluded: aThere was a time when some of you were just like that, butaa"and it was a big buta"anow your sins have been washed away and you have been set apart for G.o.d. You have been made right with G.o.d because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our G.o.d have done for youa (1 Cor. 6:11). The Corinthians were undoubtedly forgiven sinners, but in light of the fact that they had been awasheda and aset aparta and amade right with G.o.d,a a higher standard was now expected from them in their lives.
For example, some of the Corinthian Christians were trying to resolve their differences by taking each other to court. There was nothing unusual about Corinthians suing each other, but Paul said it was not acceptable behavior for Christians. Christians will one day ajudge the worlda and also ajudge angelsa (6:2-3), so Paul argued that they ought to be capable of settling conflicts among themselves without seeking a legal remedy imposed by unbelievers.
How strictly modern Christians should apply this principle to their business lives is a subject of earnest debate and genuine disagreement. But Christians should, at least, be willing to aaccept the injustice and leave it at that,a and they should be willing to alet [them]selves be cheateda (6:7-8). n.o.body likes to be treated unjustly or to be cheated. And rather than accept such treatment, the natural response is to take whatever action is available to avoid it. Paulas point is that Christians respond to lifeas injustices in ways that are not anormal.a They have been aset aparta for something different. Their model, of course, is Jesus, who suffered monumental injustice on a cross without complaining. And their empowerment comes from the Holy Spirit. Christians are not ajust forgiven,a theyare definitely different!
April 26
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Freedomas Limits
Our bodies were not made for s.e.xual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. . . . G.o.d bought you with a high price. So you must honor G.o.d with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:13, 20
Freedom of speech does not allow you to shout aFire!a in a crowded cinema. Freedom of religion does not grant you the right to make human sacrifices. Freedom of movement is limited, too: Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins. In other words, freedom has limits. So an intoxicating statement, like aI am allowed to do anything,a is simply not true. Even if it were true, such freedom would have to be handled with extreme care. Sometimes freedom can mean freedom to do harm, and as Paul said, aNot everything is good for youa (1 Cor. 6:12). Not to mention whether it is good for others!
Moreover, the exercise of a freedom can dominate you. Ironically, you then become freedomas slave. Take the matter of s.e.xual liberation, for instance. It is not uncommon for s.e.xual freedom to become s.e.xual addiction. This situation removes a man far from Paulas dictum, aI must not become a slave to anythinga (6:12).
Even apart from the possibility of freedom leading to bondage, the limits of s.e.xual freedom need to be clearly understood. It may be argued that, in the same way that when the body is hungry for food it is right to eat whatever is available, so when the bodyas s.e.xual appet.i.tes are stirred, it is right to have s.e.x. In fact, that was one Corinthian argument. But it contained a fatal flaw. For while it may be right to say aFood is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food,a it is not correct to infer that our bodies were made for s.e.x. On the contrary, the body was amade for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodiesa (6:13).
Food and stomach will pa.s.s away, but not our bodies. aG.o.d will raise our bodies from the dead by his marvelous power, just as he raised our Lord from the deada (6:14). Bodies are made for the Lorda"and for eternity. In fact, Paul tells the Corinthians, aYour body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by G.o.da (6:19). As a result, it is possible to say, aYour bodies are actually parts of Christa (6:15).
The Corinthian Christians who had freely engaged in s.e.xual promiscuity prior to their conversionsa"sometimes in the name of religiona"were being required to rethink their s.e.xual morality. In summary, they needed to recognize that as.e.xual immorality is a sin against your own body,a and they were told, aHonor G.o.d with your bodya (6:18, 20). In practical terms that meant, aRun away from s.e.xual sinaa" for Christians, it is off limits.
April 27
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
Marriage Matters
Because there is so much s.e.xual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. . . . I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. G.o.d gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness.
1 Corinthians 7:2, 7
Marriage is a divine idea. Right from the beginning of creation, G.o.d ordained that a man and a woman should devote themselves to each other in a mutually loving, caring, marital relationship. He made it clear that marriage was to be a fundamental building block of society.
But in Corinthian society, as in our modern societies, there were some people who, for a variety of reasons, did not wish to be married. They glorified the unmarried state, and they believed that it was a superior lifestyle. They asked for Paulas opinion, and he agreed: aYes, it is good to live a celibate lifea (1 Cor. 7:1). Paul went even further and said, aI wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I doa (7:7). But having said that, he stopped far short of advocating that being single was morally superior to being married. On the contrary, he insisted, aG.o.d gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singlenessa (7:7). To those who have the gift of being married, Paul says, aEach man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husbanda (7:2).
The downside of singleness, from Paulas point of view, was that if natural s.e.xual desires were not carefully controlled, single peoplea"particularly those living in the s.e.xually charged environment of Corintha"would be vulnerable to the blandishments of illicit s.e.xual activity. Rather than allow that to happen, they should marry and enjoy mutually satisfying s.e.xual relations.
But marriage is not without its difficulties either. Marriage is particularly difficult when one of the partners becomes a Christian subsequent to the marriage. Rather than working through the difficult tensions that such a situation created, people in Corinth were giving up on their marriages and settling for divorce. Christians who were contemplating taking this way out of difficult marriages were overlooking, or ignoring, the fact that a Christian marriage partner abrings holiness toa her or his marriage, and that the children of such a marriage live under a aG.o.dly influencea (7:14).
The Christian, bearing all this in mind, should not divorce. On the other hand, if the unbeliever decides to leave the marriage, the Christian partner ais not required to staya with that person (7:15).
In marriage matters, modern western society bears striking similarities to ancient Greco-Roman society. So it is not too difficult to make an application of Paulas teachings and of Christas specific commands.
Marriage is good, and in special circ.u.mstances, singleness is a blessing. But marriage is not easy. In certain limited circ.u.mstances divorce is permissible, but it also creates major problems. So honor marriage, respect singleness, and avoid divorce. And remember, aG.o.d wants his children to live in peacea (7:15).
April 28
TO READ: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
What DaYou Know?
While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesnat really know very much. But the person who loves G.o.d is the one G.o.d knows and cares for.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3
That the ancient Greeks were exceptionally clever goes without saying. Anyone who has read their philosophers, attended their plays, studied their buildings, learned their mathematics, or contemplated their art recognizes their unique skills. The problem was that some of them were so smart that they thought they knew it all!
Some of that kind of thinking has seeped into the church, too. In Corinth, there were church members who not only felt they had achieved aperfect knowledge,a but they also thought that aeveryone should agreea with it! (1 Cor. 8:1). The people who embraced this att.i.tude felt very important. They were very impressed with themselves!
So bright as they undoubtedly were, the Corinthians had blind spots that needed to be pointed out. First, as Paul said, aAnyone who claims to know all the answers doesnat really know very much.a(8:2). Second, awhile knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the churcha (8:1). The Corinthians needed to learn that the person who is impressed with the heights of his knowledge should be alerted to the depth of his ignorance. They also needed to be reminded that, if knowledge is not mixed with love, it can become desperately destructive rather than impressive. Being smart is not the whole story.
Here is a case in point. Greek temples often doubled as restaurants, so that is where Corinthians went out to eat. The fact that part of the ritual in the temple included offering some of the food to an idol was of little or no concern to most of them. They were smart and liberateda"remember? They knew that the idol was nothing more than a piece of wood or stone. So as long as the food was good, it was no big deal. The Christians were particularly aware of the irrelevance of idols. They, of all people, knew, athere is only one G.o.d and no othera (8:4). So they went to the temple for a good meal.
But some of them were not so sure. They reasoned that going to the temple meant that they were in some way a.s.sociating with idol worship and, accordingly, it was wrong for them to be there. Not only was it wrong, in their minds, for them to attend such a social event, but they also didnat think other Christians should go! So the Corinthian church had a controversy on its hands. aTo eat or not to eat?aa"that was the question.
From a purely intellectual point of view, Paul apparently agreed with those who saw nothing wrong with eating at the temple. He said, aWe all know that an idol is not really a G.o.da (8:4). But he looked at the issue from another perspective. What happens when an intellectual conclusion is deeply offensive to a brother? Then love for the brother becomes an important factora"even more important, in this case, than knowledge about the issue.