1 Corinthians 15 - 2006.01.29

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." I Cor. 15:20

Here is a thunderous affirmation of the most important truth in Scripture. The Christian faith stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the ultimate argument for Christianity. Without it, as scripture itself declares, "our faith is vain (cf. v.14)." With it, the gospel of the grace of God is irrefutable.

The first great truth established by the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the authenticity of scripture itself, the written word of God. His death and resurrection were "according to the scriptures." (Cf. v.3,4) After His resurrection, "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke. 24:27)." And throughout His public ministry, Jesus repeatedly affirmed His confidence in the Old Testament. Had He not risen, those scriptures would be in doubt, but by His resurrection His confidence in the scriptures is vindicated—and so is ours! Our faith in the God of the bible, the biblical account of creation, the nature of man, and human destiny are all justified.

The second great truth confirmed by His resurrection is, of course, His own person, power and purpose. Throughout His ministry He made what would have been outrageous claims concerning Himself, including the prediction of His death and resurrection, had He not returned from the grave. He claimed that He would give His life a ransom for many, and we can believe it because He is risen from the dead, "even as He said." He promised eternal life to all who will believe on His name; we can believe it because He is risen from the dead. He promised to return again "with power and great glory," and we can confidently expect Him because He is risen from the dead. He assured us of the resurrection of the dead, and we can anticipate it because He is risen from the dead. He spoke of heaven and the Father's house as tangible realities, and we can believe it to be so because He is risen from the dead!

It has been said by others that Jesus Christ is either "a liar, a lunatic or Lord of all." His resurrection assures us of the latter and separates biblical Christianity from all the other religions of the world, past and present, including Atheism and secular humanism. But it does more than that. It gives authority to all of His word. It deprives us of the privilege of picking and choosing from what He has said, accepting some and rejecting other. He affirmed the existence of both heaven and hell. He declared all men lost in sin. He proclaimed salvation from sin only through faith in Himself and His atoning blood shed on the cross of Calvary. We believe Him wholly, or we do not really believe Him at all.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ makes it evident that we are not dealing with a philosopher, preacher or priest. In Him we are confronted with the Lord of Glory, Who speaks with authority. He does not need the endorsement of congress to sit on the supreme court of the universe, not does He need the help of a committee to make His judgments. He is the Sovereign of the universe, and it behooves us to hear Him and heed His word. Because He is risen from the dead, if we dispute Him or deny Him we prove ourselves the lunatics!

It is this risen Christ who said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:16-18)." The dead will rise. Those who have by faith received Christ as Savior will enjoy an eternity of "everlasting life" in the glory of His presence. Those who have neglected or rejected Him will experience "everlasting destruction." You stand on one side or the other—"saved," or "condemned." Which? There is no middle ground. And His resurrection proves it so!

Yours for a joyous eternity,

"Pastor" Frasier

1 Corinthians 14 - 2006.01.21

"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." I Cor. 14:33

Confusion, in our text, refers not to mental bewilderment, as we sometimes employ the term, but to social disorder. Sometimes rendered "tumult," it essentially describes a state of things the opposite of "peace." Where there is peace, there is no confusion; where there is confusion, peace is wanting. The same word is used in Acts 19:29, where it is written, "And the whole city was filled with confusion." The scene there was on of social turmoil, and that is the idea here, where the context addresses the confusion and commotion caused by the unrestrained exercise of the gift of tongues.

The condition the term implies is referred to by the apostle James as the consequence of envy and strife. "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work (Jas. 3:16)." The vanity associated with the inappropriate exercise of tongues at Corinth had generated "turmoil," and is used by the Holy Spirit to set this principle before us, "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…;" a principle of broader application to disorder in the church, rooted in strife.

Concerning this root of confusion or turmoil in the assembly, consider the following from the wisdom of Solomon:
"Hatred stirreth up strifes; but love covereth all sins." (Prov. 10:12, cf. I Pet. 4:8)
"Only by pride cometh contention…" (Prov. 13:10), and,
"As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife." (Prov. 26:21)
"An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgressions." (Prov. 29:22)
"It is honor for a man to cease from strife, but every fool will be meddling." (Prov. 20:3)

The potential of strife, and hence of confusion, is discovered in Prov. 17:14 — "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with." In other words, once begun, it is nearly impossible to contain!

The path to confusion, or turmoil, in the church, then, is marked by pride, which was undoubtedly the problem giving rise to the tongues speaking turmoil in the church at Corinth, by a contentious spirit, anger and hatred. (Note the escalating intensity!) The potential is deadly, and the admonition is therefore issued in the New Testament, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves (Phil. 2:3)." That admonition is particularly focused on the leadership in the church when we read, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (II Tim. 2:24-26)."

The question then arises, if God is not the author of confusion, who is? The answer is obvious, but the Holy Spirit gives it to us explicitly through the apostle James: "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, There is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is f rom above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace (James 3:14-18)." The devil is a troublemaker; Christ is a peacemaker. Clearly, confusion - turmoil - is the end result of a chain reaction ignited by the adversary, Satan, and carried forward by the carnality evident in the pride and prejudice of the fallen human spirit, unaltered and unrestrained by the Holy Spirit.

If there is "confusion" (turmoil) in your church, it is probably not generated by the charismatic vanity that plagued the church at Corinth, but the roots will be the same, though the foliage may be different. In any case, the fruit is deadly, as the condition of many a church in America today testifies.

The corrective, if there is to be one, will require each believer to examine and judge, not others, but himself in the the light of this question: "Am I, in this assembly, a peacemaker or a troublemaker?" When, in the light of God's word, you get an honest answer to that query, you will know under whose banner you are really marching! Then "walk in the Light!"

Yours for the peace of God in the fellowship of the saints,

"Pastor" Frasier

1 Corinthians 13 - 2006.01.14

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." I Cor. 13:1-3

There is, perhaps, no New Testament principle more telling than that unfolded in this remarkable chapter from which our text is drawn today. It is rooted in the Savior's "new commandment" in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."

The Greek vocabulary of the New Testament employs two distinct words translated "love" in the KJV. One is used most generally to describe what we may call fond affection. It is the love of those who have a cordial relationship with one another, one finding the other congenial and appealing. The other term is more consistently used with reference to divine love, the love of God. It suggests a love which is inherent, spontaneous, springing from the nature of the lover, not the object of the love. God loves because He is love; love is His nature. So, He loves His adversaries as well as His "friends." It is this latter word that is used in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world…" —a world alienated and at enmity with Him, and for which He was, in consequence, willing to undergo the indescribable agonies of the cross to provide redemption and opportunity for sinners to be restored to fellowship with Him.

It is this same word which is employed in urging believers to love one another. We are not here instructed to cultivate a "feel good" love, but love that springs from our new nature; the love of God. The Savior said, "as I have loved you." He loved us before we were saved, when we were still His enemies. He loves us after we are saved while we are still failures. It was the love that included Judas Iscariot "When," we are told, "Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father [and] having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end (John 13:1)." Judas was still there, still included. Christ knew "who it was that would betray Him (Jn. 13:11)," but He loved him just the same. Oh what love! That is the love with which believers are to love one another. It does not come naturally, but supernaturally!

This same term is set before us in our text for today, though peculiarly rendered "charity" throughout I Corinthians 13 by the KJV translators. Throughout the chapter it is enlarged upon in magnificent detail, but its priority is amplified and underscored in our selected text. In John 13 this love may be identified as the "badge of discipleship." Here it is set before us as the real measure of acceptable service to God. The test of one's spiritual walk and work, if this passage has any meaning, is not how gifted one may be as a preacher, how much prophetic insight he may have, how much "faith" he exhibits, how many and large the charitable gifts he may have given, nor even whether he should suffer martyrdom for "the cause of Christ." The real test is how much the love of Christ is evident in what he is and what he does. It is a most sobering revelation! The least service rendered with His love is fragrant to God; the most magnificent efforts, performed without that love, is a stench in the nostrils of God and adds up to "nothing."

Here is another telling text: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (I Sam. 16:7b)." And what the Lord is looking for is a heart that mirrors His own love toward others. Such a heart loves not only those who like us, but those who do not. It loves not only those who are "right," but those who may be wrong. It loves another not because he or she agrees with me, or meets my standards, but simply because he or she is a fellow believer, a brother or sister in Christ.

The Savior, employing the same term, pressed this responsibility even further when He said, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:43-48)."

Some wag has remarked, with tragic insight, that most Christians will never learn to love their enemies, because we have not yet learned to love our friends! Orthodoxy and service are important. Love is even more important. Orthodoxy and "christian service" lacking the love of Christ, are sterile, pharisaical, empty. Without love, I am just a noise, a "nothing," unprofitable. Read the text; you have HIS word for it!

Echoing the Truth,

"Pastor" Frasier
***************

LOVE IS PATIENT
LOVE IS KIND
LOVE DOES NOT ENVY
LOVE DOES NOT BOAST
LOVE IS NOT PROUD
LOVE IS NOT RUDE
LOVE IS NOT SELF SEEKING
LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED
LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS
LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL
LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH
LOVE ALWAYS HOPES
LOVE ALWAYS PERSEVERES
LOVE NEVER FAILS

1 Corinthians 12 - 2006.01.07

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many." I Cor. 12:12-14

The church at Corinth was plagued with internal strife, contention and division. (See Ch. 1:10-13, e.g.) This kind of thing, so prevalent in the church from that day to this, and playing into the hands of our adversary the devil, ought not so to be, and churches so characterized are defined in scripture as "carnal," or fleshly as opposed to spiritual. "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (Ch. 3:3)?" To how many churches today this tragic charge applies!

In this chapter the Holy Spirit sets before us an illustration designed to correct our thinking and, if taken seriously as the word of God and applied diligently, may correct the error. It is the familiar figure of the uni-versity of the human body. Two basic principles are involved: unity and diversity, harmoniously coexisting in a single entity. That is what God intends for the church, and the church's failure to exhibit it accounts for much of the church's lack of spiritual power and impact in the world from then until now. What the scripture professes the church to be is denied by what the church appears to be to the watching world. The indictment is the same whether applied to the church at large, or to a warring local assembly.

There is but one way to be saved, one way to become a Christian, one way to obtain eternal life, one way to get to heaven; that is through the exercise of personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. When that saving faith is exercised, the Spirit of God unites the believer to Jesus Christ. To follow the terminology of scripture, he is "baptized into one body," the church, which is described as "the body of Christ." Thus all true believers share a common origin, and a common life, just as the various members of our individual human bodies are but diverse elements of our being, together making up the body. A man may have an injured hand, a crooked nose or some other deformity, but they are all still part of the body and and share in it s common life.

The unity of the church is emphasized in various ways in a number of places in the New Testament. The figure here is one of the most graphic, and another occurs in Ephesians, where we read, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, and longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Eph. 4:1-6)." Whether we like it or not, there is only one body, and only one true church. Strife and division in the church contradict this truth and stand at odds with the word of God and its authority.

The counterpoint here is that within the one body there is a diversity of members. In the human body there are hands and feet, arms and legs, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, etc. The diversity is essential to the fulfillment of the overall purpose of the body. So in the body of Christ. We are not all alike, and that is in keeping with the divine purpose. Paul illustrates it by remarking on the "diversities of gifts" (v.2, ff.). Differences of spiritual gifts, administration and methods are part of the design for the full function of the body, the church, and must never be the basis for contention within the body of Christ.

To be sure, given the nature of the church in its temporal state, there are occasions when separation is inevitable, if not essential. Not all doctrinal issues can wisely be ignored, when the truth itself is at stake. But, that is not what this epistle, chapter and text are addressing. Here the issues are of a much more carnal nature, and afford no justification for the strife and contention that marred the testimony and masked the true nature of the church. And that is the case with many a church conflict and ultimate division in this present time.

There is a pressing need for believers to turn from 'biting and devouring' one another, to define their issues and then to take them to the word itself with the question, "Do we have a scriptural basis for maintaining our conflict, and if so, what is it?" If the issue is one of mere difference of opinion, or personality conflict, or a matter of pride or historical precedent ("we've always done it this way"), then it might well be buried so that there can be unity and harmony to the glory of God.

Unity and diversity. The body is one (Christ) and has many members, who share alike the birth, life and heavenly destiny won at the cross for all who believe on Him. Both are essential to the realization of the will of God in the church. If we will, we can learn a great deal from the church at Corinth!

Jealous for His glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

1 Corinthians 11 - 2006.01.01

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." I Cor. 11:3

A few days ago my son called to may attention the following quotation from Albert Einstein:

"The scientist's religious feeling takes the form of rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, in comparison with it, the highest intelligence of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection."

Given "the harmony of natural law," if we meddle with it, violate it, we invite catastrophe. By how much more, then, do we incite catastrophe if we violate the far superior law of God? Yet it is done every day by mindless multitudes who fail to recognize or regard "the God Who is there." More tragic still is the fact that His law, as expressed in His word, is so often lightly regarded by Christians who, of all mankind, ought to know better.

If we affirm and truly believe in the divine inspiration of scripture, then we ought to recognize that God's principles are unchanging, never outmoded or made obsolete by cultural shift. The chaotic state of the world stands as a testimony and a warning of the cost of disregarding the word of God. The shock waves of Adam's rebellion are still having monumental impact on the society of man and his environment.

The text before us today, standing as it does in the timeless authority of scripture, is a reminder that God built into creation an administrative order, the violation of which will have an effect similar to putting sand in the mechanism of a fine watch. In due time it will grind it to a halt.

When God made man, He made him His subordinate. He was given a splendid environment, a noble position and wonderful privileges, the enjoyment of which required only one thing: obedience. When Adam was tempted to envy God's authority and assert his own, ("ye shall be as gods" Gen. 3:5,) he simply ruined everything. Every negative experience in this present world is the consequence of Adam's failure to recognize and properly respond to God's wisdom and benevolence.

The push for "equal rights for women" in our current culture, and its current influence in feminizing the church, is another indication of mankind's disregard for divine principles. It is God's word that declares, "the head of the woman is the man." There are two things of major importance that follow from this. The first is the responsibility of the woman to accept her role as subordinate in the administrative structure of society. The second is the responsibility of the man to take up the burden of constructive leadership in that society.

The argument is that assuming a subordinate role makes the woman inferior, and a victim of male domination. In this fallen world that often appears to be true. In the church, it should not be. We need only to note, "the head of Christ is God." There is a perfect equality of being in the Godhead. Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:29). Within that unity, however, there is an administrative structure essential to the efficient and effective function of the Godhead. The Father sends the Son, and the Son consents to His government. The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit moves according to their bidding.

That is what God designed for the society of man in the beginning. Eve was made coequal with Adam in dignity, "bone of his bones," but subordinate in authority. She was to be the helper, not the head. It was when she acted on her own authority that trouble began. The principle is no different today. The New Testament apostle wrote. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." And then to husbands, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it." (Cf. Eph. 5:22ff)

The great safeguard for the woman is found in recognition by the man that "the head of every man is Christ." For the woman to be comfortable and secure under the headship of the man, the man must submit to the lordship of Christ. He will become a student and an obedient subject of the authority of God's word. When that order is implemented, things will get done, and done right, for it will be God Who is in charge.

This order will not start in the fallen, sin sick world at large. It can only begin in the church and in the Christian home. How is it in yours?

With HIS plan in view,

"Pastor" Frasier