King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Thursday, December 03, 2020
Chapters: I Corinthians 12-14
Message: Purpose From Failure
Hello My Friend,
Charles Spurgeon said, [For them, the Lord Jesus upon Calvary routed every foe, breaking all the weapons of the enemy in pieces by his finished work of satisfactory obedience; by his triumphant resurrection and ascension he completely overturned the hopes of hell, leading captivity captive, making a show of our enemies openly, triumphing over them by his cross. Every arrow of guilt which Satan might have shot at us is broken, for who can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?]
This is what comes to mind as I read this, [John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.] As Christians, we struggle so much with our inability to go one day without failing God at some point that we lose sight of the fact that, [It Is Finished]. We are not trying to maintain our salvation and failing miserably here, Christ ended that at the cross. Amen! What we are doing here is allowing Christ to take reins and let Him guide us, teach us, correct us, and perfect us until He brings us home, [1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.]
I am not going to begin to tell you that I understand how and why God allows us to go through some things while He perfects us. I will tell you that I do understand that God does have a purpose and a plan for everything, and that when we belong to Him, He works it all out for good. The honest truth is that if we did not have some conviction in our lives then we would not be very useful for God. In fact, we need to come to the knowledge that we are sinners before we can even think about being saved. Getting through the failures in our walk with Christ actually teaches us to endure them, then it gives us the knowledge to teach others. This is how the Holy Spirit works in us and shows us the gifts we will acquire so that we can be faithful ministers of Christ.
[1 Corinthians 12:3-11 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.]
[But the manifestation of the Spirit] Do you see how the Spirit of God that dwells in us shines through as we learn and grow in Christ from one failure to the next? Just yesterday I was driving to work saying to God that I need a new job where I do not have to travel so much and pays well. He reminded me that I am never going to be happy with any job or get paid more if I do not get back to doing His work willingly. You see, the gifts we are given from God are not meant to solely be used for our own glory, rather His. Once we realize His calling and start doing it willingly, that is when He blesses the work that we do with those gifts outside of His ministry. And let me tell you, it does not matter what it is that He calls us to do, if we do not do it, we will be miserable, jumping from one failure to the next until we do it. Paul reminds us that we are all one body in Christ, it does not matter what He calls us to do, it comes first, and no one is more important than another.
[1 Corinthians 12:18-26 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.]
[as it hath pleased him.] God makes sure that there is no diversity when it comes to how we are saved, but He will make sure there is diversity in how we reach them. Why? Those who came out of poverty have a better way of reaching those who are living in poverty. Likewise, those who recover from a virus have a better way of reaching those who are suffering with it now, [1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:]
[That there should be no schism in the body;] Schism; Division or separation. There is something very disturbing among those proclaiming themselves conservatives, they rather fight with each other instead of come together as one. If there is one thing the world has on us that we need to learn from them is that it comes together when necessary. And what it all comes down to is pride and envy. We are all going to the same place, it is time we stop fighting and start coming together as God would have us, [James 4:1-2 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.]
[having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:] We often wonder why the least qualified end up being chosen to do the most work. Well, here is your answer, God does not choose the qualified, He qualifies those whom He chooses, [John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.]
Let me tell you, it make no difference how many gifts we have or how much knowledge we have, it we are not willing to come together as one in the love of Christ, then nothing we do, even for God will ever give us joy. One thing that bugs me when people read Chapter 13 is that they replace the word charity with love whenever they read the Scripture. Yes, charity does mean love, but if God wanted it to say love, then He would have instructed Paul to pen down the actual word love in His Word, or in Paul’s case it would have been the word agape, which means love in Greek. Paul stresses the importance of charity being more important than any gift we will receive, which is this case means, supreme love to God, and universal good will to all.
[1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.]
[Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,] Paul is speaking relatively here, yes, he could speak a couple of languages, and as long as we are saved we can understand the angles because they only speak what God tells them to speak, but he was not implying that he had every one of the gifts, he was saying that even if he did have all these gifts, without love, none of them are worth anything. And by the way, speaking in tongues means that he is capable of speaking several languages, and was not the same as when Peter was speaking his language and everyone heard it in their own, [Acts 2].
[1 Corinthians 14:1-5,18-19 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. 18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.]
[speaketh not unto men, but unto God:] I use to go to a church where the language was predominately English speaking, but one woman spoke Spanish, which was awesome because she was able to reach those who could only speak Spanish. Whenever we would have a women’s meeting and she was called to pray, she would pray in Spanish. This is what Paul is saying here, if no one else understands what you are saying, but God, then either say it in the language that we all understand or have someone who does understand interpret what we are saying. God wants us to come together as one Church because we are all one body, He is not the one who confuses things, we are.
[that the church may receive edifying.] God is not the author of confusion, He makes things simple, it is man who make it complicated. Speaking in tongues is just another way of being bilingual, it is not the mumbo jumbo you hear the charismatics proclaim. God wants us to teach the Gospel in a language that people understand, not something no one understands at all. Since all spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit that indwells us, no one is above anyone else, we are all here to preach the same message through the gifts we are given.
[1 Corinthians 14:26-28,33-35 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. 27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. 28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.]
[Let your women keep silence in the churches:] People love to chop up this verse as well, especially men who do not like when they are convicted of the Holy Spirit by something that a woman teaches. This verse is referring to women who are just members of the church and not knowledgeable in the Word of God. This does not mean that women are not able to teach God’s Word in the church, rather not to question the men about their teaching openly. It was prophesied in the Book of Joel that God fearing women would be given knowledge of the Word of God and speak it through His Spirit. We all serve one purpose, the Gospel, [Joel 2:28-29 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.]
Today’s Prayer: God, It is truly amazing all the things I have learned over the years, and that You use all of them for me to serve a purpose for You. Thank You for Your mercy, grace, and love, and for giving the spiritual gifts You have given me, may I know how to use them all for Your glory. Lord, lead me and guide me, help me learn to yield to the Holy Spirit as He teaches me to serve You with all my heart, soul, might, and to have charity just like Jesus. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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