The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 6:7,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?"
The fellowship in Corinth struggled. Paul observed, "you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.", verse 8. As a result some had gone before the civil authorities to bring lawsuits against one another. Paul found it appalling that those redeemed from the world would go back to the world to find satisfaction against those within fellowship that had wronged them. Paul told them it would be better to let the matter go when being taken advantage of by a fellow believer.
Clearly, for Paul, the Lord's agenda of reconciliation of the world was far more important than receiving satisfaction in a civil court when wronged by a brother or sister in the Lord. These lawsuits would communicate to the world that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ didn't make a dime's difference between the believers before them or anyone else. It potentially resulted in a tarnished view of "The Way" before the very ones that needed the gospel.
In a letter to the fellowship in Colossae, Paul expressed it this way: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14.
Has God provided all I need to employ that in my life?
The fellowship in Corinth struggled. Paul observed, "you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.", verse 8. As a result some had gone before the civil authorities to bring lawsuits against one another. Paul found it appalling that those redeemed from the world would go back to the world to find satisfaction against those within fellowship that had wronged them. Paul told them it would be better to let the matter go when being taken advantage of by a fellow believer.
Clearly, for Paul, the Lord's agenda of reconciliation of the world was far more important than receiving satisfaction in a civil court when wronged by a brother or sister in the Lord. These lawsuits would communicate to the world that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ didn't make a dime's difference between the believers before them or anyone else. It potentially resulted in a tarnished view of "The Way" before the very ones that needed the gospel.
In a letter to the fellowship in Colossae, Paul expressed it this way: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14.
Has God provided all I need to employ that in my life?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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