Sometimes, I just like to make lists; like this one from 1 Corinthians. These aren't my ideas, they are summaries of the concepts taught by Paul at the beginning of his instructions to the church in Corinth:
- The church finds its existence in the fact that God called us. We DO NOT exist because of the work of any man, whether it is Apollos, Peter, or even Paul. We’re sanctified by Jesus Christ and CALLED to be together with each other.
- God has provided the church with everything it needs to function effectively. He calls this provision GIFTS. Think of these less as specific “abilities” and more as NECESSARY RESOURCES. If you don’t have the necessary resources to complete a task, then God hasn’t called you to that task!
- Division happens when people follow MEN instead of CHRIST. As soon as your opinion of another person is a cause for separation, your focus is off God and onto men. Our opinion of one man should never impact our treatment of another man.
- The church’s wisdom should always come from the WORD and the WORK of Christ. Be wary that “wisdom” from other sources is likely just foolishness.
- God values the FOOLISH, WEAK, LOW, and DESPISED. Do we?
- Every church should set aside time every week to BOAST IN THE LORD.
Thank you for this post, it is very helpful, especially to those who are in or have been in a cult, who do not recognize these truths. Blessings to you.
ReplyDelete