Joe R. Price“I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service”
(Rom.12:1). Trusting God is at the heart of sacrifice. Yes, we have been
commanded to sacrifice ourselves to God. But, what is it that hinders us at
times from sacrificially obeying the Lord? Several answers come to mind,
like a lack of commitment and love, worldliness, and negligent. One reason
there is little sacrifice in our lives is due to having little trust in God.
We sacrifice ourselves to one whom we trust. Where there is little trust
there will be little sacrifice. When we trust God we will sacrifice
ourselves for God.
Sacrifice “primarily denotes the act of offering” (Vine,
543). Generally speaking, one offers himself to or on behalf of another
because he has confidence in that person. For instance, a soldier follows
his commander into battle, at great personal risk, because he trusts him.
Christ exemplified this quality of sacrifice when he went to the cross. He
despised the same of the cross because of “the joy that was set before Him”
(Heb. 12:2). He was strengthened to sacrifice Himself for us because he
trusted that glory would follow (1 Pet. 1:11, 21; Heb. 2:13; Eph. 5:2).
Sacrificing ourselves to Christ is self-denial; renouncing
all for His sake and crucifying my will in order to do His will (Lk. 9:23;
14:33; Gal. 2:20). God sees and rewards our genuine sacrifice for Christ (1
Cor. 15:58; Heb. 6:10; Rev. 2:10). We trust God will reward the sacrifices
of our faith (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
According to Romans 12:1, we are urged and compelled to be
“living sacrifices” because we receive and trust the mercy of God. Our every
thought, word and deed must have God’s will as our motive and His glory our
goal. Our time must be sacrificed to Him (for example, in worship,
Bible study and teaching, helping others, etc., Eph. 5:16). Our material
goods must be sacrificed to Him (for example, by our giving and by
helping others (1 Tim. 6:17-19). Remember the rich young ruler? He trusted
in his riches and was unwilling to sacrifice for Jesus (Mk. 10:22-24). Our
abilities must be offered up to the Lord (Matt. 25:15).
In Christ it is no longer “I” who lives, “but Christ lives
in me” (Gal. 2:20). We trust God’s merciful grace to save us; therefore we
completely sacrifice ourselves to Him and obey Him in faith. May our trust
in His mercy grow and our sacrifice of ourselves to Him be complete to do
His will (Rom. 12:1-2).
Top
Dare I Fellowship Corinth?
Bobby K. Thompson
Some time ago, I read an article with this title, “Dare I Fellowship
Corinth?” The writer spoke of the prevailing sins of the church at Corinth
and that Paul fellowshipped the Corinthian church. It seems the purpose of
the article was to reason that if Paul did so with Corinth we should
certainly be able to fellowship most anything that is practiced in churches
today. In his estimate, it would be difficult to find any congregation
today with as many unscriptural practices as existed in the church at
Corinth. Therefore, if Paul fellowshipped Corinth, we should not have any
difficulty or difference over the question of fellowshipping churches.
This is not a new approach in
condoning sinful practices in congregations. Others have made it and
many others will continue to make it. Some know better in making such an
argument while others possibly are not aware of the positions that they are
accepting. What fellowship Paul extended to the church at Corinth in his
first epistle to the Corinthians was certainly a fellowship with rebuke. As
one reads the epistle, the reader is confronted with the stern denunciations
uttered against this church. In the first few chapters, the sin of division
and appeal to worldly wisdom are condemned. In the fifth chapter, the
church at Corinth is rebuked for condoning the sin of fornication. The
brethren were going to law one with another in that which was opposed to the
spirit of Christ and there is the rebuke of their behavior in chapter six of
this epistle. Among other failures, their abuse of the Lord’s Supper is
stated in the eleventh chapter as well as their questioning the resurrection
truth in chapter fifteen. What fellowship existed at this time was truly a
fellowship with strong rebukes. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto
you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I
have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to
bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas
there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal,
and walk as men?” (I Corinthians 3:1-3).
When individuals use Paul’s action and demeanor toward the
Corinthians as an example for fellowshipping sin in congregations today, is
this the fellowship they have in mind? I hardly think so! They don’t
desire or sanction the rebukes and denunciations, but rather expect sins to
be ignored and peace to exist without any objections to what practices may
occur in a particular congregation. Paul pointed out their sins and called
upon them to repent. He manifested a confidence in them that they would
repent and correct their behavior. When Paul’s attitude toward the church
at Corinth is used as an example for fellowshipping sinful practices in
churches today, consistency demands that the rebukes and condemnations have
a place in that fellowship. However, in most cases, when such things are
preached against, the objectors are told to be quiet or “hit the road” with
no regard for the scriptures or God’s pattern of truth.
Paul preached truth in every church. He promised the
Corinthians that he would send Timothy “who shall bring you into
remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every
church.” (I Corinthians 4:15). I find it difficult to conclude that
Paul preached in every church that he fellowshipped sins that existed in
some churches. If Paul were living today, it makes you wonder what
congregations would have the faith to endure his teaching and say amen to
his sermons.
Concerning Paul’s fellowship of the Corinthian church, we
need to realize that God in His longsuffering grants churches and
individuals an opportunity to repent. “The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
(II Peter 3:10). In the writing of this first epistle, the Corinthians
were warned of their sins and given an opportunity to repent. According to
the scope of the second epistle, it appears that they did repent and correct
what needed to be done. “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do
not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath
made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye
were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance” (II Corinthians
7:8-9). They had sorrowed to repentance! But what if such had not
occurred? What if they had turned a deaf ear to the need for repentance and
continued in the sinful practices? We must always be careful with the “what
if’s”, but it would appear that this would have presented a different
scenario. Whatever fellowship existed before their sins were pointed out
would cease to be if they continued in defying the will of God. This is
what we must not ignore when answering the question, “Dare I fellowship
Corinth?” What Corinth do you have in mind…the one that was practicing sin
or the one that repented as mentioned in the second epistle? “Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” (II Corinthians 6:17).
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
The Gospel Invitation: "We Persuade Men"
Scripture Reading:
Acts 26:17-20
1. God invites sinners to come to Him, Isa. 55:1-3; Matt.
11:28 (Matt. 22:1-10).
2. Gospel preaching tries to persuade sinners to be saved, 1 Cor. 1:23; Acts
26:17-20.
I. GOSPEL INVITATION MUST BE PERSUASIVE.
A. Persuasion to be Saved, Acts 2:40; Rom. 10:13-14
(Acts 17:3-4; 18:4); Acts 26:27-29.
1. Requires boldness, Acts 19:8 (26).
2. Requires patient teaching, Acts 28:23-24.
B. Persuasion Due to the Terror of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5:11 (Heb. 10:31;
12:29).
C. Persuasion to Continue in God’s Grace, Acts 13:43 (Heb. 12:15; Gal.
5:4).
II. GOSPEL INVITATION MUST BE PERSONAL.
A. To the Individual, Acts 2:40-41; 17:30-31, 34.
B. It Must Address the Spiritual Needs of the Sinner, Acts 24:24-25 (cf.
Acts 16:30-32).
III. GOSPEL INVITATION IS PLAIN.
A. It must be Relevant, Acts 8:35-37.
B. It must be Decisive (bold), 2 Cor. 3:12; 6:1-2; Heb. 3:7, 13 (Acts
2:37-38).
IV. GOSPEL INVITATION MUST BE PRACTICAL.
A. Tells What Must be Done to be Saved; Acts 9:6; 22:16;
8:18-24; Matt. 28:19-20.
V. GOSPEL INVITATION MUST BE POWERFUL.
A. Because the Gospel is Powerful to Save, Rom. 1:16;
Acts 26:18.
Conclusion
The gospel invitation contains God’s call to
salvation (Acts 2:39-40).
Top
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the
light of Scripture)
Exposure to Sin
Joe R. Price
Tens of thousands of people die annually from the
results of overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation according to
the World Health Organization (“Sun Overexposure Causes Diseases That
Kill 60,000 People a Year,” Bloomberg.com). Skin cancer is the most
obvious culprit. Other sun-related health problems include sunburn and
cataracts (Ibid.).
Because we live in the world we are exposed to sin every
day (1 Cor. 5:10). Jesus prayed for his apostles that they be protected from
the evil one (Jno. 17:15).
Like sun burns skin, sin sears the conscience, hardening
the heart (1 Tim. 4:2). Sun screen protects the skin from harmful UV rays.
We must apply “sin-screen” to protect our soul from sin. Some of the
ingredients in God’s “sin-screen” are:
1) Put the word of God in your heart. “Your
word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psa.
119:11). When the word of Christ richly dwells in us there will not be room
for sin to thrive (Col. 3:16; Matt. 12:43-45).
2) Live by faith.
“…taking up the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16). Like armor, faith protects
the soul. How? “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). God
gives us ways of escape when we are tempted to sin (1 Cor. 10:13). But, we
must look for them. Only when we are living by faith – trusting and obeying
God’s word to direct our way of life – will we escape exposure to sin.
3) Remove every hindrance to godly living.
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you…”
(Matt. 5:29-30). Every influence that causes us to stumble, every
relation that urges us to sin and every practice that is against the will of
God must be removed from our lives (Heb. 12:1; Col. 3:5-8; 1 Cor. 15:33-34).
Top
