I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians
Don’t miss our recent FEATURED SERIES
JUNE 2024 – 2025 —
1 CORINTHIANS
———————————————————-
Letters – Is he writing to me?
The short answer: YES.
In their epistlesor 1st century church lettersthe Apostles and other men sent out by Jesus build up the saints [small – ‘s’] or members of local first century churches.
A Disciple or other witness of JESUS would write it. Messengers then delivered these church letters to many isolated worshipers.
Followers of Jesus Christ receive these letters as a major encouragement to their personal faith. Then leaders read them to worshipers of their church.
Although the Epistles 0r Letters to the Church were originally written to churches of the first century,
Romans through Jude will seem like letters to your 21st century church.
What do Peter, Paul, John and others tell us we must do?
Is he talking about an issue in your 21st c. church as well?
How does the writer’s advice, warning, or encouragement to the 1st c. believers apply to you as well
Is the writer of this letter talking about something you need to address in your 21st century ‘christian’ life?
Contemporary Application of the Letters (Epistles)
Most New Testament writers take on specific issues confronting faithful followers of Jesus Christ. These same issues continue to confront believers until the Lord’s coming again in these last days.
Certainly Christ our Lord will come again to those God has chosen for eternal life.
Believers currently suffer more than most of you who know Christ in your local church can imagine.
In other lands Christians continue to suffer by the hand of the ungodly.
Go into all the world
A 21st century Common Era church can see and hear nearly any atrocity of man or artificial imagination of sinful man’s mind, yet ‘christians‘ dare not speak of any absolute truth of the Lord God or talk of JESUS CHRIST.
Will YOU comment on Scripture and share the Gospel?
I invite you to read the inspired word of Scripture written in these LETTERS TO THE CHURCH.
YES, He IS writing to YOU.
Beloved brother or sister in Christ Jesus,
Will you read this ‘CHURCH LETTER’ andtalk of JESUS through your comment, sharing and email to me about this ‘Letter to you?”
6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
Moreh – excellent research, additional photos & insight linked to this photo
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”
Abram is no longer a Sheik of Ur. He is no longer a Sheik of the land between the rivers or of Haran. Abram is now a Prince only of promise. Yet the promise is from the Lord. Repeatedly, Abram worships the Lord. Consistently, Abram follows the command of the Lord by faith.
7b So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.
And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
—–
I ask you now, who are you following? Abram is no longer following his father. He is no longer following his family ways. Who are you following by faith? The Lord? Or perhaps some idol or false god in your life?
Though Abraham lived thousands of years ago, One Is before him, after him, and among us.
56 “.. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
God IS! The Lord after Abraham identified Himself to Moses and the Hebrew descendants of Abraham as “I AM.” Jesus, the Lord makes this same true claim!
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
A letter to the church reminds us of the promise of Abraham. Hebrews mentions Melchizedek, to whose story we will return in our next journey in Genesis. Jesus also points the focus of the Jews back to the faith of Abraham, in witness to His own identity. For Jesus clearly states, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.”
We cannot read of a life like Abraham or Jesus and imagine that it does not impact us personally, even today. The Jews looked to Abraham as example of God’s chosen forefather. Yet in Christ we look to God Incarnate, who was before Abraham, who is even now and who will be forever. We are not finished with our look back at Abraham or our look forward at Jesus.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.
For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? – 1 Cor 3:1-3 NKJV
How we would put ourselves above others. How we make comparison to another saying, “I am a Christian and you are a sinner,” while church-goers sometimes remain as carnal as anyone else.
Outline of Biblical Usage
fleshly, carnal
having the nature of flesh, i.e. under the control of the animal appetites
governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God
having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature
σαρκικόςsarkikós, sar-kee-kos’; from G4561; pertaining to flesh, i.e. (by extension) bodily, temporal, or (by implication) animal, unregenerate:—carnal, fleshly.
Yet the Apostle cautions us that we do not know as much as we might think. We do not act as if we are mature in Christ Jesus, who set before us a perfect example and within us a desire for the spirit and not the flesh.
We are torn in our new faith: young in the spirit, yet mature in the flesh as were we before. Our guilt now burdens us, though carnal things continue to do, sin which formerly did not bother our distracted minds. And seemingly to make our guilt worse, sermon after sermon convicts us of our continued love of the flesh.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
GUILT! I do not want to commit the sin I do.
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice…
Along come former friends, family who claim to care for me and co-workers of different belief and they say, “See, you are just like us.”
Listen to our wisdom learned of this world. Why should you feel guilty to a Law written thousands of years ago? Why not just be moral like most of us? You are smart enough and good enough to decide what is right and what is wrong. Why not return to our religions of tolerance? Why not choose to be as good as me?
Then you return to the argument of the preacher for repentance, the plea of one who loves you in Christ for righteousness.
Romans 8:
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
What will it be then? Carnality? The constant cravings of the flesh?
Is it a reward in this life I seek?
Or do I look to the hope of the resurrection and eternal joy?
Is the lasting reward of the love of God in Christ Jesus not worth some suffering at the hands of the wise of this perishing world?
+
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God…
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…
+
Are you the prey of Satan? Or are you his bait for the snare of the Pit?
Jesus Christ has saved you! He has all authority over sin and death.
Let us look to Him who IS now looking over us, Christ who suffered and died for the very sins which burden us before the watchful eyes of the worldly.
Let us follow after Him, who not only set forth the way, the truth and the life for all who willingly bear the weight of his Cross, but Christ Jesus our Lord who has called us in love in the beginning before time and conception.
Our Lord has loved us before the knitting of our flesh in the womb and the spirit of life flowed though our beating heart for Him.
“This woman is a sinner,” you say. “That man is a carnal man,” you say.
And with the smile of Christ’s love you hear in the answer of a beloved of the Lord,
“I know. That was once me. But now I am saved in Christ Jesus, my Lord.”
Paul says in his letter to the church at Philippi, “3:22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
He also tells us through his letter to the church in Galatia what he considers to be “fruitful.”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” – excerpt Gal. 5:22-24.
What does the Spirit have to do with us?
In Genesis 6, before the flood which destroyed all but Noah and his family: Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
Genesis 6:5 goes on to state: The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Quite a contrast: the Spirit of the LORD and the wickedness of man. (We would do well to learn more of the full meaning of the Spirit of the LORD and to follow His leading.)
The King James Version reads: My Spirit shall not strive with man forever… Gen. 6:4a An apt description of the chasm between a Holy God and evil mankind. Why would God strive with an evil man or woman like you or me?
Answer: The Lord’s Perfect Love has redeemed the price of our sin by the Blood of His Son Jesus on the Cross.
Once we are saved by His grace, we become acceptable to the LORD once more. Now that we are saved by Christ’s love and Sacrifice, we become Perfect in the eyes of God our heavenly Father.
This chasm of strife between God and mere mortal souls like yours or mine, clothed merely in flesh and blood, is bridged by grace and covered in Christ’s holiness.
Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How do we become perfect?
Only by justification through Christ Jesus.
Once we have bowed down to Christ Jesus, it is the Lord who gives us the Holy Spirit to guide our own spirit reborn into eternity, that we may be found perfect before an eternal, holy and almighty God.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
The perfection of grace is a joyous thing.
Let us praise our Lord, Jesus Christ, now and for ever.
Amen.
This is the seventh message in my Lenten series in preparation for Easter, 2016.
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
GUILT! I do not want to commit the sin I do.