Good day to all!
This is a devotional that I read this morning and, it seems to be timely. I thought it was pretty fitting for this time.
Love you all!
Cure for Division
1 Corinthians 4:1–8
We live in a culture enthralled with identity. It seems every group must assert its uniqueness to make themselves feel better. We take less pleasure in being part of the whole; we set ourselves apart to find purpose. Even the church can fall prey to this idea. Older folks avoid younger ones. Married couples avoid singles. We choose our favorite preacher and define ourselves by his doctrine.
The church at Corinth was just such a church. They were a divided group of believers who chose to emphasize their differences rather than celebrate what they had in common. This left them fractured, in conflict, and unable to maintain godly discipline.
Paul confronts this attitude by reminding them that they need to avoid acting in ways that are not in accordance with Scripture (v. 6). When it comes to biblical interpretation or application, what leader you identify with is immaterial. Choosing their favorite leader and identifying with him over another is a recipe for ungodly pride. The Corinthians needed to acknowledge that God created the difference. Everything they had was given by God. So, Paul reasons, if you received it, you should stop acting like you did not (v. 7).
Imagine a needy person boasting to another needy person about how good they are because they received more food from the food pantry. They both received what they have from someone else. “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich” (v. 8)! There is no justification for boasting! The antidote to the divisiveness of an overemphasis on identity is to remember that everything we are and everything we have is from the Lord. He gets the glory for all of it! |
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| Go Deeper | | | How do you identify yourself? Do you glory in your distinctiveness, your doctrine, or your wealth? Acknowledge that it all comes from God. We have no cause to boast to the exclusion of others. Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 4-6 |
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| Pray with Us | | | Almighty God, give us deeper love for Your Word and thirst for its truth. May we learn from Paul’s warning to the church in Corinth and do everything we can to overcome divisions in our churches. |
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Something very very deadly has come upon this generation of Christendom .
Our identity is to be crucified ,as now OUR NEW INDENITY is CHRIST and HE within us .
However i seem to notice something very very deadly that has been going on my dear sister .
MANY now IDENTIFY WITH SIN . example . I am a GAY christain , or etc . WE are to be d ead to sin
NOT IDENITFYING ourselves IN SIN and WITH SIN .
Just as they do with even the gospel . earlier example of that one would have been PROSPERITY gospel .
As they sold the love of money unto their own .
Therre is no inclusive , no prospierty , no etc
THERE IS BUT ONE GOSPEL . OF JESUS CHRIST . To the trenches my dear sister .
Many identify as
Baptist , catholic , methodists , jw or etc
Nope . thems doctrines of men . WE are christain and our life , our identy BE HID IN CHRIST .
