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: Monday, December 02, 2019
Chapters: I Corinthians 9-11
Message: Giving All The Glory To God
Hello My Friend,
This question was asked at church last night, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence for you to be convicted?”. Think about that, as saved, born again Christians, are we living our lives as a reflection of Christ or just muddling through, hanging on by the thread of our salvation? As I have said before, people ought to see Christ in us, even if there is no mention of Him at all. I can honestly say that there have been times when my reflection of Christ was minimal, if seen at all. Thankfully, His grace abounds, praise God! Let me tell you, the number one reason that we do lose that reflection of Christ to begin with is that we stop giving God the glory for everything. Whether we admit it, or like it, we are constantly being judged, if not by the world, then by other Christians. Well, give glory to God in that too, for it really is their own conscience they are dealing with. “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” – I Corinthians 10:29-31.
“for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?” Think about it, why do they judge us? The world judges us in an attempt to discredit our testimony in Christ. Christians judge us in an attempt to either hide their own sin, or find some sin that we might be hiding to discredit us. Nevertheless, we are judged by all, and most of the time it has to do with their own conscience within themselves. As Paul continues writing his letter to the Corinthians, he addresses his apostleship, and those who may have questioned his authority and ministry.
“Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.” – I Corinthians 9:1-7,13-15.
“for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.” Remember, it is Christ who chooses and ordains us in our calling, the seal or conformation of our calling is seen in our actions, which Jesus calls them fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). “Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,” This is why people often falsely judge us, they perceive us as living a certain way that is far beyond even what God would have us living, and when they find out we are a normal person they question our faith. “that it should be so done unto me:” Yes, we are to be a reflection of Christ, if anything, to bring others to Him. It is religion that enforces strict laws upon their converts that go beyond God’s own reasoning, like who we are allowed to marry, what clothes we are allowed to wear, or who we are even to speak the Gospel to. Paul, addresses all this in his letter, but points out the reason why we are not only to preach the Gospel, but live it.
“What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” – I Corinthians 9:18-24.
“that I might gain the more.” What do we gain by living a holy life rather than one only to please our flesh, being justified through our faith in Jesus Christ? We gain God’s respect, we gain a conscience that does not want to sin against God, and we gain souls. The world and those who are in a religion that cannot save, need us to be a reflection of Christ because there is a race to be run, one that can only be obtained through Jesus Christ. That race is, of course, to receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour before our time on earth is gone. I have been thinking a lot lately about Stephen, who was the first person martyred for his faith in Christ, before he died he looked up and saw Jesus standing there with open arms, ready to receive him up into heaven. I believe that all saved, born again Christians, see the same vision before they depart. Those who never received Christ as their Saviour do not, oh, they will see Jesus, but it will not be Him welcoming them with open arms, it will be Him denying them because they denied Him. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 10:32-33.
I get aggravated with Christians, and these are the ones who will tell you that the Old Testament does not apply us today, who say that the people who were here before Christ was here in the flesh never knew He existed, and therefore, they were not under the same dispensation (God’s dealing with their sin) of saved by grace as we have today. Well, God did deal with their sin differently in how He wanted His people to be redeemed of, and make an atonement for their sin, but God is the same, and if they were saved by their works alone, then none of them would be saved because all of them were guilty of sin. Paul reminds them that even when their fathers were walking to the promised land, Christ was with them.
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.” – I Corinthians 10:1-10.
“And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;” The miracle of God opening up the Red Sea, and their walking through it on dry land, was a picture of being baptized in Christ. That entire scene is actually God, the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit present with them at the same time. The pillar was The Holy Spirit, the Angel of the God, was Jesus, and God was the wind holding the waters back (Exodus 14:19-23). While He could have used anyone, He chose the Jews to represent Him first, they were not perfect, they were and always will be His people, His believes that is, and they are not exempt from hell. God is faithful to us when we are faithful to Him, He does not need to bless us, but by His grace and mercy He does when we put our faith and trust in His Son as our Saviour. We do not have to be perfect for God to bless us because His Son is in us, but we must not forget to acknowledge His blessings, even the ones that are not joyful. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – I Thessalonians 5:15-18.
“But with many of them God was not well pleased:” The Jews were under the same judgment everyone else is under, just because He chose them to be His people that did not mean all of them were His, and He proved that His judgment of them several times in their forty years of being in the wilderness. Since everything we do reflects Christ, that means if we are living our lives only to please our flesh than we are not only making Him look just as bad, but other Christians as well. Think about it, if we are saved we are all one body of Christ, that means we cannot blend in with the world, if we do, then it brings consequences. Paul reminds us that we are all joined together by Christ’s body and blood, and need to take that seriously.
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.” – I Corinthians 11:26-34.
“shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” We must understand that we are saved by the grace of God through our faith in the Gospel of Christ, and we cannot make light of that. The Lord’s Supper is an observance that many churches participate in today, the purpose of it in remembrance of that Christ as done for them. The Corinthians distorted this observance by first, including it in with a normal feast, and second, denying the poor to partake of the observance. If they are not saved, and they participate in this observance, then God will chasten them, the sad thing is many never realize it is God, and suffer needlessly. We must examine ourselves, are we living our lives in a way that glorifies God, and if we are, are we acknowledging Him through it? He will start taking things away if we get lax in thanking and praising Him. We are to glorify God in all things, the good, the bad, and the ugly. “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” – I Peter 2:20-21.
Today’s Prayer: God, I want to thank You for Your goodness in supplying all my needs. You certainly have blessed me with physical blessings such as food, clothing, shelter, jobs, but You also shower me with spiritual blessings as You allow me to serve You. Lord, I want my testimony to be an example of Your life changing, all sufficient, and all sustaining mercy, grace, and love to all who need to know Your Son. Lead me and guide me, make me who You need me to be, let me accept and acknowledge all Your blessings, and let me forever praise You and give You the glory for all things in my life, for You are good even when the blessings come through tears. I love You Lord, and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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