9 January 2016 + Love Dare Day 36

Reading & Memorising Scripture

Scripture:

• 1 Corinthians 6:18-19

Observations:

I know, this verse has popped up many times in this study. Looking at this a second time, after asking God to show me what it is that he wanted me to see in particular, he took me to the very end of verse 19: "You are not your own." Additionally, the very initial command, "Flee sexual immorality," stands out as well.

Why should we flee sexual immorality? Well, quite simply, we don't belong to ourselves. We belong to God and, for those of us that are married, we belong to our spouses. As Paul writes, "the sexually immoral person sins against his own body," we are reminded that in sinning sexually, we are defiling ourselves. Would I present to God a defiled offering? Would I present to my wife my defiled self?

What if our sexual sins left marks and sores on us? Would we present ourselves to our spouses covered in oozing, suppurating sores? Would our spouses happily join with us were that the case?

Why, then, do we let these sins rot our minds, souls, and bodies and then expect that we can give ourselves to God and our spouses like nothing is wrong? We must resist the temptation and flee. Sometimes, that means stopping what you're doing and physically leaving. For others, that means strong moments of prayer, relying on God for protection. We need to learn what we can do in and of ourselves, but we also need to learn to trust God above and beyond our own ability.

Application:

The reminder that I am not my own reminds me that my sins, particularly relationally or sexually do not merely impact me, but they impact my wife as well. In light of that, I cling to the beginning of the passage and resolve to make fleeing my first response in times of temptation, whether that means removing myself physically or focusing on another thought mentally. I also resolve to continue submitting to God, growing in trust with him, learning that I can hand my temptation to him and he will be faithful.

~ ~ ~

The Love Dare

Day 36: Love is God's Word

8 January 2016 + Love Dare Day 35

Reading & Memorising Scripture

Scripture:

• 1 Corinthians 6:9

Observations:

From the beginning, this verse makes it very clear that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. In context, this would be referring to moneylending. However, Paul does take the time to add a couple other sins to the list to make a point, including sexual sin.                                                                                                                     

Application:

I know I'm much less wordy than normal. That's due, in part, to lack of sleep and part to the straightforwardness of the material.

As far as application goes, we need to make right with God. If we're not moving towards him, seeking righteousness, then we have no guarantee of salvation. It is only through the righteousness of Christ that we can be considered righteous and worthy of being in God's presence.

~ ~ ~

The Love Dare

Day 35: Love is Accountable

The authors, here, are talking about getting plugged in to an older, longer-married couple, a mentor, a pastor, or counselor for wisdom and guidance though the tough passages in life.

28 December 2015 + Love Dare Day 24

Reading & Memorising Scripture

Scripture:

• 1 Corinthians 6:13

Observations:

This passage is in the beginning of a segment in 1 Corinthians in which Paul is making an argument against sexual immorality. Starting in verse 12, we see him addressing common arguments used by the Corinthians to justify their behaviours:

• "All things are lawful for me" - Not all things are helpful and I will not be dominated by anything.
• "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" - God will destroy them both in their time

The Corinthians were using arguments common to today, used even by Christians. They were using God's grace and forgiveness (See Romans), political legality, and the apparent, "necessary" nature of sexual desire (described as akin to physical hunger) to justify acting out in sexual sin. Listen to Paul's response, though:

"The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

Paul is pointing the Church back to God here. We are intended to honour and revere God. So, while all things may be lawful or permissible, are we fulfilling our purpose of honouring God? Has God given us a means of gratifying our sexual needs that also honours him? The answer to the second is yes, through marriage. The answer to the first, though, depends on the individual and requires some introspection. For me, my answer would be "No". I could squirrel away details and say that I am doing better about honouring God than I was, but regardless, I'm still not perfect. At the end of the day, in a black-and-white, yes/no scenario, my answer will always be "No".

I am not perfect. God, in his holiness, demands a "Yes" for us to be fit to even enter his presence, but because of my sin, my imperfection, I will always be short of  "Yes". This is where the grace of  God comes in. Because God loves us, God reached out in his mercy to provide a means, through perfect fulfillment of the law he had established, for a "Yes" to be credited to us. That's the beauty of the cross. Jesus Christ, in his perfection, in his manhood, and in his Godhood, voluntarily took the burden of our imperfections and endured the punishment required, that he may stand on our behalf as our advocate and credit us with his "Yes".

This understanding leads Paul to really hammer home his point on sexual immorality later in this passage as he exhorts us to glorify God in our bodies. How, then, can we continue in our sin, in the light of such great mercy?

Application:

To trust in the power of God to overcome my sin and to cease, from my side, engaging in sin. I must be firm and resolute against my sin, but I cannot begin to believe I can do it all on my own. True obedience will only ever come from a genuine desire and love for God.

~ ~ ~

The Love Dare

Day 24: Love vs. Lust

"So we set our eyes and hearts on seeking worldly pleasure.  We try to meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. ...We try to be discreet but barely turn our eyes away.  And once our eyes are capture by curiosity, our hearts become entangled. ... Our hearts are deceived into saying, 'I could be happy if I only had this.'"

The authors started off acknowledging that God has provided for all of our needs and many of our desires, that we should want for nothing. I like the definition the authors give for lust, that is is setting our hearts and passions on something forbidden, like a coworker, an actress, or even a new sports car. It tempts us to seek the satisfaction we should find in God in these other things. When ever did a new car completely satisfy you? When did an affair ever meet the totality of your needs? They don't. They can't, and yet we buy into the lie that they can like a fish does a lure.

Lust is an ever-growing emptiness, calling for more and greater things to fill its hunger as it draws us further and further from the one thing that can truly satisfy us.

"Are you tired of being lied to by lust?  Are you fed up with believing that forbidden pleasures are able to keep you happy and content?  Then begin setting your eyes on the Word of God.  Let His promises of peace and freedom work their way into your heart. ... And while you’re at it, set your eyes and heart on your spouse again."

18 December 2015 + Love Dare Day 18

Reading & Memorising Scripture

Scripture:

• 1 Corinthians 10:13

Observations:

This is something I'm learning through this whole process.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man - At the base level, all sins come from the same set of base desires and not only this, but there is never a truly unique sin. Regardless of your sin, there is someone who's been there before and could give insight into how they overcame it.

God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability - God doesn't want us to fall into sin, but he does want us to learn and grow. Sometimes the temptation may seem overwhelming, but it will always be manageable, defeatable. We just need to cling to God for strength.

... but with the temptation he will provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - Like I was saying above, God provides the strength and victory. He is the one who provides our way out, that we can learn to trust him, to endure sin, and to grow more resistant to temptation.

This passage is one of hope and reliance upon God for a number of reasons.

• In the middle of sin, we often feel alone
• In the middle of sin, we often feel outmatched
• In the middle of sin, we often feel there's no way out

These are three lies used by our flesh and Satan to keep us enslaved to sin instead of moving towards God.

Application:

Well, I need to memorise this verse - it will go a long way to helping me keep hope and a right perspective as I go through life combatting my sin.

I need to keep the reminder that I am not alone, that I am not outmatched, and that there is a way out. I just need to keep clinging to God.

~ ~ ~

The Love Dare

Day 18: Love Seeks to Understand

8 December 2015 + Love Dare Day 10

Prayer
      4. Offering Yourself

Scriptures:

• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Observations:

 

The passage above is at the end of a passage on sexual immorality. Sexual sin is a complicated one. Any sin is against God, but Paul makes a distinction that sexual sin is against one's own body as well.

How does he arrive at this position? Firstly, he takes the comments of entitlement and "need" towards sex and flips them on their heads, culminating in this statement: "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body." (v13b). He then follows that up with the idea that our bodies are members, or parts, of Christ, that when two come together in intimacy, they are made as one, and that he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit with him . He even asks the absurd question of whether we should take that which belongs to and is part of God and make it part of a prostitute, in this particular case. 

So, we see the sinning against God, how do we sin against our own body as well? Our bodies are described as temples of the Holy Spirit. That is, from a very Jewish understanding, the Holy Spirit dwells within each of us who are Christians. I think it would be fairly understandable if I were to say that, for the peoples of the time, for whom temples were very sacred spaces, desecration of a temple would be, in a sense, sinning against the temple. Now, how is a temple desecrated? By performing in it something forbidden, unholy, or against the god in question. So, if our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and sexual immorality, in its intimacy, is like giving over something which is God's in union with something contrary to it, or even joining God to the object of immorality, would that not qualify to be considered a desecration?

Maybe this idea of desecration is a little watered down, now that we don't need to come to God through a specific person at a specific place. We Christians, especially we rational, unfettered, Western Christians, tend to downplay the spiritual, even within our own churches. We rightly realise that the church building is nothing inherently special, but we seem to forget in context that it is intended to be a sacred space. In antiquity, a temple would have been where the god in question often resided or manifested him-/herself.  So, let's keep that in mind.

Our society today is so enthusiastic to drag everything good and holy down that I doubt even asking whether one would commit adultery or make/view pornography within St Peter's Basilica or some other such celebrated cathedral would have the intended effect.

Cue Paul's final words on the subject: "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body." (v20)

Application:

For me, the application is continuing on setting myself along the course of intimacy with God, realising my sin and how that affects me and my relationship with God. This was just providing a rational breakdown of some consequences of my sin.

~ ~ ~

The Love Dare

Day 10: Love Is Unconditional

17 Mar. 2012 - Colossians 1:1-8

Colossians 1:1-8
"Greetings" & "Thanksgiving"

Paul opens up this letter by giving thanks to God for the church at Colosse. What is the reason, however, that he is thankful?

Paul is thankful that the church has faith in God, shows love for one another, and stores hope in heaven. Paul is giving thanksgiving for faith, hope, and love. (side note: see 1 Cor 13:13) these three have appeared in numerous other accounts: fruit of the spirit, armor of God, the above verse.

Similarly, we need to be thankful for those around us who grow in their walk with Christ.
Plain and Simple