Ramblings on What We Share: Blessing of the Single Life

Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs —how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better. A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. I Corinthians 7:25-39

Complete and utter devotion to the Lord is a luxury that often only a single person can attain. A life that is unfettered by the responsibilities as spouse and parent can be a life of pure purpose and consuming passion for the Lord. One who is alone has the freedom to explore a life of intimacy with God at their leisure. Time that others spend caring for their families can be invested in the Kingdom of Heaven. A single person’s loyalty is to God alone and to the Church, His family.

This world is passing away. Our time to do God’s will is short. Jesus said that we should work for the night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4). For those of us who are married, Paul challenges us to live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. He tells us to live as if we are single, taking care to not become entangled in our possessions and the things of this world. Our goal should be to emulate the heroes of faith that lived as pilgrims and strangers on earth (Heb. 11).

Ramblings on What We Share: No Coincidences

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. I Cornithians 7:17-24

The issue of calling has been a topic debated by Christians for millennia. What exactly is a calling and who much of it is based on circumstance or situation? Paul begins this passage by speaking about discovering where the Lord has placed us and that to which He has called us.

We are fools if we suppose that our entire lives have not been intricately entwined with God’s plan. Surely the man born into an slavery was placed there by God’s wisdom. Therefore, God’s plan for that man requires him to be a slave.  History has shown us that some born into slavery were placed there to help rescue other slaves.

So no matter what situation we find ourselves in, we should not let it trouble us. Rather, we bend our ear to hear the voice of the One who calls us to do His bidding.

Ramblings on What We Share: Decisions About Marriage and Divorce

Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? I Corinthians 7:8-16

In this passage we see God’s mercy, compassion and kindness. His mercy towards those who are single or widowed and need the companionship of a spouse. His compassion towards the unbelieving spouse knowing that the best Christian witness is the one who shared life together with them. His kindness towards the spouse who is rejected or abandoned, allowing them to find happiness in a new life.

The key phrase in this passage is “God has called us to live in peace.” The Lord gives spouses permission to separate in order to preserve peace. Often the simple absence of each other will draw the two together again. My mother used to say that we should treat our spouse as if they were exactly what we want them to be. This can often help the Holy Spirit form in them the qualities that we admire.

Ramblings on What We Share: Marital Intimacy

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. I Corinthians 7:1-7

A happy marriage is a gift from God. To take two distinctly different people and unify them in devotion, affection and contentment takes an act of God. Attraction in a marriage is natural and appropriate. The mystery of the physical intimacy between a husband and wife is to be respected, welcomed and kept sacred. Human touch is healing, encouraging, comforting and, in the marriage bed, exhilarating. It is not to be abandoned or the unity begins to crack. A couple that does not touch each other may soon find that they do not want to touch each other. They open the door for Satan to sow seeds of discontentment and temptation.

Those of us who have loving marriages wish everyone could find it, but those of us in difficult marriages wouldn’t wish it on our worst enemy. Without the mystery of divine unity, marriage is just two distinctly different people trying to find common ground.

Ramblings on What We Share: Sins of the Flesh

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. I Corinthians 6:12-20

What is salvation? Some would say it is the saving of a person’s soul from Hell and they would be right. Yet it is more than that. Paul tells us here that Christ paid the price for “you” – all of you, not just your soul.

As a believer, your body, soul and spirit is one with Christ. Can you imagine Jesus violating himself through sins of the flesh? It is unthinkable. Yet when we commit sins in our flesh, we are dragging Him along with us.

Sin will not stop with just a corner of your life. It eats away at the substance of your being like a slow acid until it has destroyed every inch of who you are.

We are “Christians” – each of us like little bits of Christ spread all across the world. The Shekhinah glory of the ancient temple dwells inside of us. Our bodies are for the Lord and everything we do with them reflects upon Him.

Ramblings on What We Share: Clean

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

There is an old hymn that says, “Just as I am and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot.” A towel with one spot of mud is not clean any more than is a towel dripping with muddy water. We may not be able to identify with the various kinds of wickedness Paul describes here – although most of us probably can to some degree – but it matters not because we have all sinned and experienced the blotting of our souls.

We who were ineligible for an inheritance have become the heirs. How? By being washed clean of the wickedness in our souls and by the sanctifying and justifying work of the Holy Spirit. Should we run through a puddle and find ourselves dirty again, we can return to the “fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins and there beneath the cleansing flood lose all our guilty stains.”

Be of good cheer, you who are wicked! The kingdom of God is waiting just on the other side of the waterfall of grace.

Ramlings on What We Share: Peacemaking

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 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? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. I Corinthians 6:1-8

This ministry of mediation that Paul speaks of in this passage is almost completely lost in the modern church. I have visited nearly every kind of church and I have seen internal squabbling in every one of them. I have seen Christians cheat and take advantage of each other in business dealings and rake each other over the coals through nasty divorces.

O, Church, what has happened to turning the other cheek? When was the last time we went two miles with one another when one would sufficed? What wind whipped away our Lord's words, "Give to him that asks of you"? Paul says we are better to be cheated than defeated by our interminable squabbling.

Friend, don't be afraid to take the risk of being a peacemaker. Let us hold each other to the standard that Jesus set and preserve the unity of the Spirit among us.