They Know Too Much

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” (1 Corinthians 14:20)

The current model for American education places a disturbing amount of emphasis upon teaching children about every possible form of sexual and moral deviancy.  Culturally, the trend seems to be more and more toward impressing young minds with the normalization of evil behavior.  Don’t judge; don’t question; just accept.

What the education system doesn’t normalize, the entertainment networks do.  By the time a young person reaches adulthood, it is quite likely they will have been introduced to legions of evils that will “educate” them in the ways of this world.  What they know will then be hard to unlearn.

Be careful to guard your mind against such forms of education.  There is nothing wrong with remaining as ignorant as infants regarding the evils of this world.  Some things are unworthy of putting within our minds and normalizing in our hearts.

Choose spiritual education for yourself – educate yourself in the ways of the King and the cross.  Fill your life with skills which lead to maturity of character.  We need more spiritual enlightenment and less evil indoctrination.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

The Love of Words

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)

A silver-tongued devil is still a devil.  Eloquence is no replacement for goodness.  There are many tricks and skills to improving your speech, but they all are no more than parlor tricks without the element of genuine interest and care.

Love adds sincerity to our speech.  Your care for those you are speaking with can be heard between the words, and your disdain will always speak with greater volume than your vocabulary.  It is the job of all Christians to choose love before we choose our words.  Love should be the foundation to all our speech.

If your goal is to make me look the fool, I won’t ever care how articulate your argument is.  If your desire is to understand and bless me, I will listen with rapt attention.  Others hear your motives. Speak (and post) accordingly.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

The Back of the Church

“On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor…” (1 Corinthians 12:22-23)

The body is made up of a composite of parts – some more honored than others.  The eyeball, the fingers, and the ear seem to receive a lot of honor because their functions are easily recognized and visible.  Other parts receive less honor. When was the last time you thought about your back muscles or your plantar fascia?  Yet, each of these parts become VERY important if they are injured.

Some Christians are the backs of the church; they just are consistently, dependably holding everything up.  Others are like the plantar fascia (the bottom of your foot); they keep things moving and smooth out all the little bumps along the way.

Don’t forget that the most integral work is often the work least honored.  You are needed.  Don’t undervalue the work you and others do.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

Divisions One Benefit

“For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.” (1 Corinthians 11:19)

The only benefit to division is that it allows us to see the difference between the two sides and decide which path contains truth.  If there was no division within religion, how could you decide what was right and wrong?  Instead, we can know them by their fruits.

When religious movements bear the fruits of scandal, abuse, denigration of children and/or women, corruption within leadership, or war and violence… those differences help you to realize those religions aren’t worthy of approval.

Factions let us get to the facts: What is the bedrock of their beliefs?  Who decides what is right or wrong? What is their source of authority… is it Scripture, tradition, or men?

I hate division and factions as much as the next guy, but even Paul admitted that division has one benefit: it lets us get to the bottom of things, so we can approve of what is right and condemn what is wrong.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

Up to His Old Tricks

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man…” (1 Corinthians 10:13a)

The devil only has so many tricks of temptation.  He isn’t inventing new ones, just recycling and repackaging the old ones.  That means that temptation is neither unique nor exciting.  There is nothing more ordinary that a human facing temptation.  It is as routine as the sun rising.

The beauty of the ordinary is its predictability.  Since temptation is consistently all around us, we can begin to predict it and, therefore, avoid it.  Made bad choices yesterday when you got hungry? Snacks look a lot like spiritual armor tomorrow!

One reason that Christians should take fearless moral inventory of themselves is because self-awareness leads to a better ability to predict our triggers for sin.  The devil doesn’t have any new tricks, and if you can see them coming, you can avoid many of the traps he likes to set.  Journal your life for a week or two, and you will be surprised at how quickly the patterns emerge.

When you see the patterns, you also see the path to better outcomes.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

Free to Serve

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.” (1 Corinthians 9:19)

Nobody made Paul a slave to all – he chose it.  There is a difference between becoming a resentful giver and a cheerful one.  Some people are slaves to everyone because they don’t know how to say, “No.”

That wasn’t Paul.  Paul knew what he was about, and He had a plan to win souls.  Serving others was based upon an endgame.  Paul asked himself how he could serve people in a way that glorified Jesus.

Paul was a free-born Roman citizen.  He chose slavery for Christ’s sake.  He chose slavery to men, so he could make men free.

Ask yourself two things today:

  1. Am I serving by choice or through resentment?
  2. Is my service leading people toward the light or me toward despair?

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

Swell or Grow?

“Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1b)

The man who thinks he knows the most probably has a thing or two to learn.  It’s easy to “know” what everyone else should do.  It’s hard to get into the trenches and help them where they are.  It’s easy to pass judgment on another’s mistakes, but love sees the journey from their perspective.

Knowledge tries to win the argument, but love tries to win the soul.

Paul knew the answers to all the doctrinal questions, but he also loved people enough to walk with them through their journey to grow and learn.  Love mentors and serves and waits for the growth to come from an honest heart.  Knowledge without love swells the pride.  Knowledge with love builds a bridge to truth.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

A Precious Single Gift

“However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.” (1 Corinthians 7:7)

The context of 1 Corinthians 7 is talking about marriage.  Paul is saying it is a gift from God to NOT be married.  There is a gift and a blessing in singleness.

For those who are without a spouse, it can feel like singleness is a curse, not a blessing.  Hear me: God can do amazing things with single people.

Jeremiah stood in the gap while single. Ruth served while single. Paul evangelized while single.  Jesus was single.

There are gifts which only the unmarried can offer.  God sees you and can use you.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

You Belong

“…you are not your own…” (1 Corinthians 6:19b)

You were bought with a price.  Jesus owns you now.  As Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

What happens when you begin to think about yourself as someone who is owned?  It means you have VALUE, and it means you have PURPOSE.  You see that person in the mirror?  Jesus loves her.

You better take good care of you because He values you, and He has plans.  Too many lives are degraded by sexual sin, worldly distraction, and the devil’s lies.  You are too valuable for that.

What would you do today if your day was not your own?  Whatever it is – do that.

Who would you be today if your soul belonged to Jesus? Whoever that is – be him. Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

Intolerable

“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6)

Tolerance is supposed to be loving, right?  But what if tolerance is hateful?

The church in Corinth tolerated a man’s sinful lifestyle, and it was hurting his soul and hurting the church.  Their tolerance wasn’t love; it was acceptance of sin, and the wages of tolerance were the death of that man’s soul.

Sometimes, we need a zero-tolerance policy… zero tolerance of purposeful sin in our own lives… zero tolerance of intentional sin in the church.  You have zero tolerance for adultery in your marriage – shouldn’t Jesus’ bride (the church) be the same?

A little accepted sin goes a long way.  Like yeast, it spreads and changes those around us.  Tolerance of sin isn’t love; it’s hate… hate of God and hate of the soul that is harmed by it.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites