Should I or should I not?

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Two questions that limit lawful things (things that are neither good or bad in and of themselves)

Is it beneficial?

It may be lawful, but if it is not beneficial to my Christian walk then I should refrain.

It may be lawful, but if it is not beneficial towards other Christians then I should refrain.

Does it dominate me?

It may be lawful, but if it controls me then I should refrain. When you are dominated by Christ then there is no room for any behavior or possession to dominate you.

Preferring one another

Looking forward to preaching on a principle in the Bible this morning, “in honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:10).

Preferring one another means treating others as more important than ourselves. Treating others as more valuable than ourselves.

Preferring one another means loving when we’re not loved, respecting when we’re not respecting, and honoring when we’re not honored. This love, respect, and honor must be without partiality because partiality is sin.

We all like to get what we like. Preferring one another means treating others as more worthy to get what they want.

Preferring one another means we’re happy when others receive attention even when we are neglected.

Preferring one another means that we will treat others how we would want to be treated; love your neighbor as yourself.

E.M. Bounds on Missions Giving

"Not a few of us have heard eloquent and earnest speeches stressing the imperative need of money for missions where we have heard one stressing the imperative need of prayer. All our plans and devices drive to the one end of raising money, not to quicken faith and promote prayer. The common idea among Church leaders is that if we get the money, prayer will come as a matter of course. The very reverse is the truth. If we get the Church at the business of praying, and thus secure the spirit of missions, money will more than likely come as a matter of course. Spiritual agencies and spiritual forces never come as a matter of course. Spiritual duties and spiritual factors, left to the “matter of course” law, will surely fall out and die. Only the things which are stressed live and rule in the spiritual realm. They who give, will not necessarily pray. Many in our churches are liberal givers who are noted for their prayerlessness. One of the evils of the present-day missionary movement lies just there. Giving is entirely removed from prayer. Prayer receives scant attention, while giving stands out prominently. They who truly pray will be moved to give. Praying creates the giving spirit. The praying ones will give liberally and self-denyingly. He who enters his closet to God, will also open his purse to God. But perfunctory, grudging, assessment-giving kills the very spirit of prayer. Emphasising the material to the neglect of the spiritual, by an inexorable law retires and discounts the spiritual."

E.M. Bounds The Essentials of Prayer, Chapter 13 "Prayer and Missions", P. 92

Discrimination

Do you discriminate based on ethnicity?
"And hath made of one blood all nations of men..." (Acts 17:26)

Do you discriminate based on socio-economic level?
"The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all." (Proverbs 22:2)

Do you discriminate based on gender?
Jesus appeared first to two women after He resurrected (Matthew 28:1 & 9-10)

Partiality is sin. James 2:1-9

Jesus Christ is life

I am at an interesting point in my life. I have now read the Bible through several times. Had you asked me a few years ago if I was learning a lot of new concepts as I read the Bible I would have exclaimed that most of it was new to me. Don’t misunderstand what I am about to say by thinking that I am saying the Bible has gotten old for me.

I am at a point where I am not really learning many new concepts as I read the Bible.  For the most part when I read I am reminded of and challenged by familiar truths. As I read I am making connections that I have never made before, but generally those connections are just deepening a truth I already know.

Tonight something wonderful happened! As I was digging in the Scriptures, I learned something I did not know. The most incredible thing was that it is something so glaringly obvious. I am excited to share this great spoil.

Jesus is life.

John 14:6 “I am…the life”

John 11:25 “I am…the life”

John 1:4 “In him was life”

John 5:26 “so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”

John 6:35 “I am the bread of life”

Colossians 3:4 “Christ…is our life”

Acts 3:15 “the Prince of life”

Knowing that Jesus is life Himself has already brought wonderful light to two familiar passages. It has radically changed my concept of what eternal life is. Eternal life is not some substance or material that God delivers to us, but rather to have Christ is to have eternal life because He is life! Then, once I am in Christ, Christ is in me, and He who is life is my life and lives in me.

1 John 5:12

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.