Category Archives: 1 Corinthians

Shut-Mouthed

I Corinthians 1: He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. source

You have this promise.  All those in a relationship with JESUS can rest on the promise that He will strengthen them for as long as they are on this planet. Now that is a huge and wonderful and great and exciting and reassuring promise, but that is not the only promise in this verse. 

Blameless

Isn’t that a superb word? In Greek it’s anemkletos.
I think you will be pleased to see this Greek word means: cannot be called into account; unreproveable; unaccused.  source 

So this means as used in context all people in a relationship with JESUS will on a day certain stand person to person in His Presence and on that day we will be blameless!
Yes! Blameless!
Not one sin will be held against us.
Now if you see this as a license to sin; if you see this as a get-out-of-jail-free card; or a means to live a licentious lifestyle, then I urge you to check your profession of faith. You will likely find you are not in a relationship with the CHRIST. 

But for those who have truly confessed their need of a Savior, have believed and received His Blood Atonement, we are in the Presence of the HOLY GOD of CREATION! cannot be called into account; (we are) unreproveable; (we are) unaccused. 

Again and again, the Evil One accuses us now but the day is coming he will be shut-mouthed forever! Glory Hallelujah! 

So are you ready to Selah today? 

Mandate

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes.

I Corinthians 10: 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is from an idol sacrifice,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— source

If you are seated for a meal and the host tells you the food before you was sacrificed to an idol, don’t eat it.  Simple enough. If you are living in First Century New Testament times. 

Scholars have written that at the time of this verse, it was common practice, this serving of meat sacrificed to an idol – cheap meat at the market.  Greco-Roman society was saturated with idol worship, and it was common for meat sold in the marketplace to have been consecrated as a sacrifice to false gods prior to its sale. The Jews would have nothing to do with such meat, wary of “unclean” food-handling practices and believing that to partake of consecrated meat was to give tacit approval of idol worship—kind of a “second-hand” idolatry.

What does that have to do with 21st Century Gentiles like you and me? Dietary-ly, probably nil So is there a parallel lesson we might glean from this passage for us today? Perhaps.

See the word anyone
Meaning (to me) the relationship you have with the offer-er is irrelevant as to your decision when confronted with an offer to participate in any activity, doctrine, situation, etc. that you already know from The Word of GOD, is not His will. 

It was costly to be a follower of JESUS in First Century New Testament. It still is in 21st Century New Testament.  

Selah ~ ~ ~

At Least This Time

Psalm 131 TLV 1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.

Adonai, my heart is not proud,
nor my eyes lofty,
nor do I go after things too great
or too difficult for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul—
like a weaned child with his mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in Adonai
from this time forth and forever.  source

Verse 1. Nor do I go after things too great or too difficult for me.

What is He saying?

First I was taken back to proud and lofty. The word arrogant came to mind too. What would entice me to go after things too great or too difficult for me? 

Pride.

So what are these things that are too great and too difficult for me? I suppose this could vary from person to person. But I can think of something even though varied would be the same person to person. 

Sin.

Sin is too strong for me. Once I begin to go after it, pursue it, it overwhelms me. It takes over. It consumes. It’s too great for me. Then it becomes too difficult. The weight of it. The penalty of it. It’s too much. Too much for me to bear.

So lets don’t! Lets don’t go after it. Don’t pursue it. Don’t make provision for it. (Romans 13:14) As to all those great and difficult things that are not sin; that do not have shame and guilt and evil and PRIDE attached to them, lets do go after them! 

Lets go after JESUS! Seek Him! When we do, more than you or I can imagine will be given to us. Great things. And yes difficult things too; but those difficult matters and circumstances become glorious things in His Hands. (Matthew 6:33. I Corinthians 2:9)

That’s it. That’s what I got from Psalm 131 – at least this time. :)

Chazaq!