When Believers Act Like Unbelievers
Most of my day was spent in traveling to Denver and attending a meeting related to my energy work. There are several potential ballot issues aimed to curtail the energy industry in Colorado. I was pleased the the Loveland Reporter-Herald printed an editorial of mine, related to ballot initiatives in general:Â http://www.reporterherald.com/opinion/guest-columns/ci_29926129/citizens-guide-ballot-initiatives
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…Â “For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?” 1 Corinthians 3:3 HCSB
The late Richard Halverson, Chaplain of the US Senate, talked about “practical atheism.” He explained it as believing there is a God, but acting as though He doesn’t exist. I believe that was much of Paul’s frustration with the believers in ancient Corinth and it is the often the frustration of spiritual leaders today.
There is nothing that promotes God’s blessing like unity and there is nothing the hinders God’s blessing and the work of the gospel like strife and division. Paul has just finished telling the Corinthians, “…the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit…The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone….But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 HCSB)
But it was obvious to Paul that these believers were acting more like “childish” unbelievers than spiritual “adults.” What lead to that conclusion? “Envy and strife.” There actions and attitudes were stagnating their spiritual development.
That is the first thing Paul addresses. “I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:1 HCSB) The writer of Hebrews explains, “…solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.“Â (Hebrews 5:14 NIV) Christ’s desire is for His Church to “grow up” and be strong. It takes place through embracing and being confronted with the truth, “speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV)
Beginning in this chapter and the following ones, Paul confronts these believers with the “truth” of their condition. They were divided over various leaders, they were turning to the courts to solve church disputes, there were those who were claiming spiritual superiority due to “gifts,” there was the toleration of blatant immorality, there was confusion over the “Lord’s Supper” and misunderstanding about the resurrection, just to name a few issues. The key area keeping the Church in spiritual toddler-hood was their division over teachers and leaders.
Paul begins by explaining that there is no competition among various spiritual leaders because each has a part to play. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.“ (1 Corinthians 3:6,7 HCSB) Paul emphasized that all of those who had ministered among them were all equally servants of Christ, fulfilling a different function. Each ministry gift should be aimed at the same goal, strengthening believers in the faith. Each person should be “building on” and “adding to the contribution” of another, not tearing down and starting over.
With that being the case, it is interesting to observe even in the “church” today how, people will gather around and support various leaders within a church to the detriment of church unity. This “my-guy-is-better-than-your guy” attitude is as it was in Paul’s day, “childish!”
In the final analysis God will judge each person’s work and the impact on the church. “Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16,17 HCSB)
God desires to dwell among His people. God’s church (people) is His sanctuary, the place where He dwells. Those who act in a way that “destroys” the unity and the growth of God’s people, whether teacher, preacher or believer, are risking being “destroyed” by God. That’s how serious God views the growth and unity of His people. The Church is the “Bride of Christ” and He is jealous over it.
Prayer for today…. “Lord thank you for the “people of God” your Church. May your Church be all that You desire it to be. Allow us to function in unity and maturity as Your people, that the world may know of your love. Thank you for all those who build on the foundation of Christ. Keep us from strife and division and enable us to grow in Christ who is the head of the Church.”