In the past, people spoke of situations that gave someone a "bum deal." Later people spoke of the same kind of situations by saying a person "did not receive a fair shake." Still later people spoke of situations that "stacked the deck" against someone. More recently people spoke of situations that forced someone "to play on an unlevel field." Each of these idiomatic expressions addressed similar situations: persons in those situations were treated unfairly.
God receives a "bum deal" that does not give Him "a fair shake." Too often today people "stack the deck" against Him by forcing Him "to play on an unlevel field." In many common theological perspectives, God is misunderstood and treated unfairly.
As an example, contrast the way many of us view God with the way we look at Jesus. Jesus is compassionate and understanding. God is judgmental and demanding. Jesus relates to us. God thinks we are weak. Jesus forgives. God evaluates. Jesus intercedes. God takes vengeance. When many Christians consider divine kindness, we think about Jesus. If we think about strict absolutes, we think about God. We readily affirm that God and Jesus are "one," but our thinking often focuses on what we consider to be their differences.
John quoted Jesus when he wrote God's love sent Jesus to save, not to condemn (John 3:16-21). Jesus declared he could say or do nothing unless God first told him what to say or do (John 5:19, 30; 6:38; 8:28; 12:49,50; 14:10). God was the reason Jesus did everything he did and said everything he said. Jesus perfectly reflected God. Jesus was and is everything God intended him to be. Every characteristic we associate with Jesus we can and should associate with God: kindness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, understanding, grace, forgiveness, mercy, etc.
It is absolutely, unquestionably true that we must never consciously abuse God's love, kindness, grace, and mercy. It is equally true that we must never doubt God's patience. God did not send Jesus to destroy us. He sent Jesus to save us. In His objective to provide us salvation in Jesus Christ, God was and is very patient. God's patience often exceeds our comprehension.
Paul's letter to Christians in Corinth [we know as 1 Corinthians] testified eloquently to God's patience. Most of today's Christians would not address any congregation experiencing so many ungodly problems as Paul addressed the congregation at Corinth: "To the church of God which is at Corinth" (1 Corinthians 1:2). In this congregation there was division (1:10); incest (5:1); differences settled in pagan courts (6:1); Christians who engaged in sexual acts with prostitutes (6:15-17); Christians who struggled with marital problems (7); Christians who struggled with idolatry (8); Christians who abused spiritual gifts (12); Christians who competed in assemblies (14:26-33); and Christians who denied the resurrection (15). God's church in Corinth? God's church anywhere?
Note Paul's statements in 1 Corinthians 6:15-17. Stay aware of the context. Many Christians in Corinth were converted from idolatrous lives. In Corinth idolatrous lifestyles often included sexually activity outside of marriage. Some of the converts came from families that for generations were sexually active outside of marriage. Such conduct expressed religious devotion in some forms of idolatry. For many, faith in the gods and sexual intercourse outside of marriage were not in conflict morally or ethically. [The man in the congregation at Corinth practiced a form of incest even the idolatrous people rejected.]
Paul said, "Don't you Christians understand your [physical] bodies are members of Christ? You cannot take a physical body that belongs to Christ and unite it with a prostitute. Do you not understand what a Christian does when he is sexually active with a prostitute? In your spirit you were united with the Lord. A Christian cannot be united both with the Lord and a prostitute!"
Clearly that was unacceptable conduct for any Christian. Clearly Paul declared it must be discontinued. Even if as idolaters they did not understand the unique, God-created significance of sexual union, as Christians they must come to this new understanding. This new understanding must reform and redirect their behavior.
Note: (1) Paul addressed a situation that had occurred or was occurring. This was not a hypothetical situation! (2) Some Christians in Corinth were involved in sexual acts with prostitutes. (3) Though their behavior was evil and ungodly, Paul acknowledged them to be Christians, a part of God's church in Corinth. (4) Ignorantly being sexually involved with prostitutes did not automatically end their relationship with God through Christ.
Could that situation continue? No. Were they responsible to improve their understanding of that situation? Yes. Did earlier occurrences of that evil conduct automatically end their relationship with Christ? No. However, it could not continue. These Christians chose the Lord! They must turn away from prostitutes! Yet, Paul instructed them as Christians who needed to grow in knowledge, change their understanding, and redirect their behavior. Because of their ignorance their actions were ungodly. Yet, God patiently waited for them to understand and change.
Discussion questions:
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Lesson 12