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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
1 Corinthians 4:18-21
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
“...in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Gospel.” v.15b
These were the words of the Apostle Paul as he tried to express how he saw his relationship with the Corinthian Christians. Through the sharing of the good news of Jesus, Paul saw himself as a spiritual parent to the new believers in the Corinthian church.
Now, think about the role a father plays in the lives of their children. He works hard at teaching his kids about the difference between right and wrong, and as long as their children do what is right, all is well. Love and peace abound and the parent/child relationship is in good order.
But it doesn’t always stay like that, does it?
For there are times when kids push the envelope to see if they can get away with doing things they were taught not to do. They willingly choose to defy their parents, arrogantly feeling they can do whatever they like and not have to have someone dictate terms to them. And when those times come, a father often needs to impose discipline to try and correct their children’s behavior.
With this, children always have a choice when it comes to the things they do. They can either listen to their parents and comply with their wishes or they can decide to violate established rules for conduct and, in doing so, face the consequences.
Now, apply these basic parental principles to Paul’s spiritual relationship with the Corinthian Christians. He saw himself as the one who helped the church in Corinth get started by making disciples in obedience to what Jesus commanded him to do. In turn, he expected the “baby” Christians to continue to seek wisdom and guidance from him so that the church would become successful in serving the Lord.
Unfortunately, some of the Christians in the Corinthian church had become arrogant, feeling they could do whatever they wanted outside of Paul’s direction as if he would never return and impose any accountability. And so we find the apostle assuring the Corinthian Christians that he indeed planned on returning if God willed it. If permitted by the Lord, Paul would set out to test the arrogant believers and see if they really possessed any real power, something he doubted because “the kingdom of God” was not a “matter of talk” but rather one of power.
Now, we should have no doubt that Paul’s words were a warning shot across the bow of the Corinthian church. He fully planned to experience one of two things as he returned to interact with the Christians he helped come to their faith in Jesus.
If the Corinthian Christians remained arrogant in their ways, then Paul would bring the “rod of discipline” on them. But if they humbled themselves and allowed him to continue to teach and mold them to be who the Lord wanted them to be, then he would “come in love and with a gentle spirit”.
Like children raised by their parents, the Corinthian Christians had a choice.
After all this, you might ask yourself, “How does this apply to me and the way I live?”
The answer comes in the truth that we are all God’s children which makes Him our Heavenly Father.
God, our Father, has set forth standards by which he wants us to live. These standards are found in the Bible and all Christ believers are expected to be obedient to them but God doesn’t coerce anyone to comply with His wishes. He gives people a choice but He also makes sure people understand the consequences of that choice.
A Christian believer who opts to live in noncompliance to what God has commanded finds themselves in a place where He can and will impose His rod of discipline upon them.
Conversely, the Christ follower who intentionally commits themselves to obey the wishes of their Father God will experience the fullest measure of His love and gentle Spirit.
So with this, where do you stand today in relation to your father God? Which path have you chosen, the path of obedience or the path of arrogant rejection?
If I were you, I would rather be in midst of God’s love and Spirit any day instead of His judgment.
Please make sure you have chosen wisely.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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