Category: 1Corinthians

Posted in 1Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians

Grace

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

The Christian life is not difficult, it’s impossible. No one can produce what God desires in us other than God Himself. Religion of man may do a great deal of work and have impressive spiritual disciplines, but for all of its efforts, it cannot please God.

True Christianity is about grace through faith in Christ that produces both desire and power within a believer to do the will of God. It leaves no boast in the mouth of the believer except: “I am what I am by the grace of God.” (1Corinthians 15:10) In the way of grace, the believer stops “trying” to do good and learns to yield to the goodness of God inside of them.

The verse before the text quoted above reads: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling…” (Philippians 2:12b) The recognition that God Himself is in us means that our “work” is learning how to yield to, and release, His wonderful grace within us. If we reflect more on what this means, there will be a greater sense of awe (fear and trembling) in our ordinary lives. Think of it: the uncreated God of eternity; the God who created the entire universe – lives in me. Wow!

We don’t read our Bibles, pray, worship, go to church, or do good works to gain intimacy with God. Intimacy is His gift to us through the cross. Our part is to accept this gift daily, and to learn how to “do” all spiritual things from the place of freely given grace instead of by a performance mentality of works.

Rejoice in the grace given to you by personalizing the following verse: “In love He predestined us (me) to be adopted as His children (child), in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given us (me) in the One (Christ) He loves.” (Ephesians 1:4b-6)

Posted in 1Corinthians

Resting and Working in Grace

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” 1Corinthians 15:10

Can you feel Paul’s liberty in this passage? He’s not trying to impress people, or be better than anyone else. He is happy to be himself in the grace of God, “I am what I am.” It kind of sounds like God’s revelation of Himself to Moses, “I am who I am.” While God is self existent, relying on no one else to bring Him into being or to sustain His being; Paul’s identity is entirely wrapped up in who God is making him by grace. But grace doesn’t just affect who Paul is, it’s also the engine for all he does: “I labored…, yet not I, but …grace…”

Are we as conscious as Paul was of God’s grace for our being and doing? Am I performing to gain God’s favor, or because I already have His favor by grace? Am I performing to gain self worth, or have I accepted myself as God accepts me in Christ? Can I say with complete self acceptance, “I am what I am by the grace of God?” If I’m resting in grace, no person’s opinion can threaten my identity. If I’m working in grace there is no pride of achievement, or fear of underachievement that comes from comparing myself to others.

Whenever we have communion at church and are reminded that it’s ultimately not about what we do for God, but what He has done for us through Christ. His body was given, and His blood was poured out, so that we might be forgiven and be able to feast on His grace all of our days.

Posted in 1Corinthians

The Beauty of the Church – Part Two

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” 1Corinthians 12:27

One reason that people don’t take their place in the body of Christ is rejection (yesterday); another is pride.

Paul addresses this pride in 1Corinthians 12:21: “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’” It is a temptation for those who are gifted and used by God to feel a little better than those who are not so used. I don’t know if there is anything as ugly or as blinding as spiritual pride. Whole churches can feel that they are more important than other churches and look down their noses at those who are not as “spiritual” as they are. This attitude has caused many unnecessary divisions in the body of Christ and has made it hard for the world to believe that the church is any different than they are. God has made us dependent on Him which all Christians believe, but He’s also made us interdependent on one another. Many believers today seem to believe that they can be a fulfilled Christian without being part of a local church. This is just another form of spiritual pride.

One of my favorite illustrations of our interdependence is a bird called the Pacific Golden Plover. The PGP has two homes, one in Hawaii, and one in Alaska. They have their children in Alaska during the summer and then take the 90 hour, non-stop flight, to their winter home in Hawaii. Remarkably, the children leave for Hawaii a few weeks later than the adults, making a journey they have never made before. Only God in heaven could direct them to a little dot called Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But they’re not just dependent on God, they were also created to be interdependent on one another. Engineers have figured out that the young Pacific Golden Plovers only have body fat (which is their fuel) to make a 70 hour flight. They make up the other 20 hours by flying together in a V, rotating the lead bird to cut down on wind resistance. Without each other they would be 20 hours short of Hawaii and drown in the Pacific. No one of them could ever make it all the way to Hawaii on their own.

Like it or not, you and I have not only been created completely dependent on God (we can’t even draw a breath without Him), we have been created to be interdependent on people. You will never completely fulfill your destiny on earth without embracing your part in the body of Christ. Don’t drown, humble yourself, and we’ll make it to Hawaii together.

Posted in 1Corinthians

The Beauty of the Church – Part One

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” 1 Corinthians 12:12

The  church is kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. Everyone is a piece, and when each person does their part a beautiful picture is made. When one or two pieces are gone from a puzzle my family is putting together we never say, “oh well, at least most of them are here.” No, there is a frantic search for the missing piece, because the picture will not be complete without it. In fact, if we can’t find what’s missing, we will end up throwing the whole puzzle away because it can never be finished. Each piece, however small, is vital to the whole.

The apostle Paul, in a similar way, says the church is like a body. Each part is very different in looks and function but essential to the whole. He points out two attitudes that can slip into the body of Christ and undermine the unity that God is trying to bring about: rejection and pride (we’ll cover pride tomorrow).

First, he deals with rejection which is very prevalent in today’s church. “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.” (1Corinthians 12:15-16) It is very easy to look around at other people’s gifts and feel like yours is inferior. The temptation is to “bury your talent” in a spirit of rejection, because you don’t feel like you’re “important” anyway.

Rejection can often be the byproduct of jealousy. The jealous ear might be overheard saying something like this: “Oh, how I wish I was an eye. Everyone’s always commenting on the beautiful blue eyes, and people look into one another’s eyes. Why can’t I be an eye? No one comments on ears. No one notices them unless they’re too big. Why do I have to be stuck being an ear?” Paul gives the answer of why you were given the part you’ve been given, “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” (1Corinthians 12:18) You can either rebel against who you are and be upset and unhappy, or accept your position, serve in it, and experience the joy of the Lord. Joy doesn’t come from being important in people’s eyes, it comes from being loved and used by God.

Posted in 1Corinthians, Exodus, Matthew

Foreshadows of His Sacrifice

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians’” Exodus 6:6-7 

God’s plan from the beginning was to call out a people who would walk with Him in time and for all eternity. He knew before He made us about sin, so His plan all along was redemption – our walk with Him would only be on the terms of His first delivering us. The exodus from Egypt and the journey to the promised land foreshadow our redemption from sin and journey into the promised life we have in Christ. Today I want to reflect on the way Israel was delivered.

There were ten plagues that visited Egypt, but only the tenth set God’s people free.  The final plague was the death of the first-born male in every house throughout the land unless each home did what God commanded the Israelites to do. Every family was to find a male lamb a year old that had no blemish (Exodus 12:5) and sacrifice it on the 14th day of the month (Exodus 12:6) which was to be their first month from now on. (The Israelites call the month: “Nisan.”) Then they were to apply the blood of the lamb to the top and sides of their doors and were to eat the lamb so they would have strength for their journey. That night the final plague would come, but every home that was covered by the blood of the lamb would be passed over. (Exodus 12:13)

On the Friday before Passover in 33 AD, Jesus of Nazareth was inspected early in the morning by Pilate’s court. He was found to be innocent and without blemish. Even his accuser declared him innocent when he gave back the money he received from betraying him. (Matthew 27:4)

That afternoon, just as the Passover lambs were being sacrificed in the temple, Jesus died on the cross. John the Baptist had said: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Paul says that “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1Corinthians 5:7)

Posted in 1Corinthians, John, Luke, Mark, Psalms

An Intimate Appearance

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him just as He told you.’” Mark 16:7

Jesus told His disciples at the last supper that He would meet them in Galilee after His resurrection. The angel is repeating what he overheard Jesus Himself say to them at this last meeting, but he has also witnessed the devastation of Peter. His instructions from heaven evidently include this special reference to the fallen leader who has denied Christ three times after promising to die for Him: “…tell the disciples and Peter.”

Jesus, Himself, appeared first to Mary Magdalene, not in Galilee, but in Jerusalem on the day He was resurrected. This appearance was unpromised and unexpected. He also appeared the same day to two men on the road to Emmaus. And then, that same night, as the two of them were retelling their story, He appeared to all of them (except Thomas), and the details of this visit are given to us in Scripture as well. (See Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20)

But there is one appearance that happened where we are given no details. Jesus appeared personally, on resurrection day, to Peter. Two different New Testament authors reference this appearance, but give us no specifics. In Luke 24:34, while the men who saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus were telling their story, the disciples respond by saying: “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter).” In 1Corinthians 15, Paul is referencing all the resurrection appearances to men, and says: “I passed on to you…that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the others…” (1Corinthians 15:4-5)

Why aren’t we told of this interaction with Peter? What did Jesus say to him? What did Peter say? Maybe there are some interactions with the Lord that are so intimate they aren’t for others to hear about.

Here’s what we know for sure: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) He loved Peter so much that He singled him out on the most important day in history. He took time to come close and restore one who was being crushed by his own sin and failure. Isn’t He amazing?

Posted in 1Corinthians

Getting The Win

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep… For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all who are His will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.” 1Corinthians 15:19; 22-23

I like to win. If I don’t feel I can win, I’d rather not compete, which is why I almost dropped out of the 2011 McFarland Triathlon my brother Mike asked me to be part of.

It was a co-ed competition with three legs to the race: swimming sixteen laps in the pool, running five miles, and riding a bike fifteen miles. Mike’s usual swimmer couldn’t compete that year, so he asked if I would fill in.

I hastily said “yes” thinking it would motivate me to get in shape, but as I began to practice, I realized it was too much. I almost called Mike, but decided to train in the health club pool a few more weeks before dropping out. I eventually found that I could make the sixteen laps if I did half breaststroke and only half front crawl. I wasn’t fast, but I knew I could at least finish. Maybe the other teams weren’t that great anyway?

I was wrong. There was a sixteen year old girl sharing my lane who was fast and strong. She didn’t just beat me; she lapped me! I was so humiliated by my horrible first leg that I left a message on Mike’s phone telling him that I wouldn’t be at the awards ceremony. It wasn’t just my bad performance that made me feel ashamed; I had ruined it for the team.

Two hours later Mike called to tell me he would be dropping off my gold medal! I was shocked. He told me the story: “You were way behind after the swim and then we were even farther behind after my run, but Darcy (who once tried out for the Olympics) was so fast on the bike that she caught and passed everyone else. We won! We all get a gold medal.”

This is the gospel in a nutshell. It isn’t about our performance. It’s about whose team we’re on. Everyone who puts their trust in Christ will win for all eternity. He’s that good!

Posted in 1Corinthians, Proverbs

Resisting Temptation

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1Corinthians 10:12-13

Part of the enemy’s strategy in getting us to give into temptation is seizing us and making us feel there is no choice except to sin. When God asked Adam what he had done the reply was, “The woman You gave me…” Basically, “it wasn’t my fault! It was the woman’s fault; in fact, it was kind of Your fault since You gave me the woman.” Then God asked Eve what she had done and she also shifted the blame: “The serpent deceived me and I ate.”

Our excuses are irrelevant to God and do not lead us into freedom but only into greater bondage. No matter what the circumstances were around our sin, Scripture tells us that God provided a “way out” if we had only looked for it and prayed about it. Proverbs tells us that whoever hides his sin (puts the blame somewhere else) will not prosper, but whoever “confesses and forsakes” it will obtain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13) Own your sin; confess it, confess that you didn’t look or pray for the way out, and then forsake it.

But how much better it is to resist temptation and not fall into sin. God’s main strategy for us to keep from sinning is to flee that which is tempting us. The idea that we can handle being close to sin without falling into it is a deception because we are all weaker than we think we are. In fact, “if you think you are standing firm be careful that you don’t fall!”

Adam and Eve were given a whole garden to enjoy, yet Eve chose to stand right next to the one tree that was forbidden. Not smart. When I was a young believer I had developed a fixation for a certain young woman in our home town. As I was reading Proverbs the warning came, “Don’t look into her eyes.” (Proverbs 6:25) So from then on I made it a point to not look her in the eyes when I was around her, but I would still find myself driving by her house hoping that she was outside. Later I read another Proverb that said, “Don’t even go near her house.” (Proverbs 5:8) I was stunned. God’s strategy was not “get close and try to be strong”, but simply stay far away.

What is the area of your greatest weakness? Why not enjoy the rest of the garden and stay far away from that tree!

Posted in 1Corinthians, Ephesians

For Men Only – How to Love Your Wife

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“Each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33

When a wife treats her husband with disrespect his automatic response is to treat her in an unloving way. But instead of withholding love until she “deserves it,” God commands husbands to love their wives regardless of what you feel the score is. Practically, how does one love his wife?

  1. By listening to her and respecting how she feels. The first evidence of real love from God’s point of view is “love is patient…” (1Corinthians 13:4) Men tend to withdraw when they are under stress, but women tend to talk it out. If she feels like you aren’t listening to her it gives the message that she’s not important to you. If she expresses frustration with you by saying, “you never…” or “you always…” it is not time to defend yourself because in your mind her accusation isn’t true. Men, we need to go deeper and recognize that it is true that she feels that way right now, and that her feelings need to be validated. Here’s the question our wives want us to ask, “Do you want me to just listen, or do you want a solution?”
  2. By talking to her. She needs to hear your feelings and not just a list of what you accomplished. God’s main reason for marriage was that spouses would not “be alone.” Consider that there is no greater loneliness than to be married and feel alone; at least single people have hope of finding someone to share life with. When you won’t open up to your wife she feels desperately alone with nowhere to turn. God gave you to her so she wouldn’t feel that way.
  3. By reconciling with her. Be willing to say these words: “I’m sorry, will you forgive me?” Pride hides and ultimately divides; humility is willing to do the honorable thing even if it means death to self. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…” Jesus died before anyone had responded to Him. Men of honor initiate reconciliation even when they don’t “feel” like it because it is what is best for their marriage and family.
Posted in 1Corinthians, John, Matthew, Philippians

Assurance of Victory

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“No temptation (test) has overtaken you but such as is common to man, and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (tested) beyond what you are able but with the temptation (test) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1Corinthians 10:13

 You and I can win every day, but to do so, we must begin by agreeing with God’s definition of what victory as a Christian looks like.

 First what it doesn’t look like.  Winning does not mean having no troubles, struggles, or issues to deal with.  Jesus said the wind and the waves will crash against every life (Matthew 7:24-27) and promised His disciples that they would have troubles in this world. (John 16:33)  He even warned us ahead of time to not be offended by this. (John 16:1-2)

 So what is victory, and how can I walk every day with assurance?  Instead of delivering us from life’s troubles, God promises to walk with us through them.  The same Greek word, “peirasmos,” is translated as temptation and test.  Which is right?  The same set of circumstances can easily be described as both a temptation and a test – Satan tempts to bring us down; God allows tests to purify and strengthen us.  God won’t always prevent a temptation, but in His faithfulness He will limit them, so that we can walk through our troubles with Him.  Tests invite us to draw near, so we will know the way He has provided for our escape even though “escape” may mean strength to endure through instead of a deliverance from.

 In school we need to pass tests to advance to the next grade and I think it’s the same in the kingdom.  God’s beloved children don’t get an identity of failure when they give into temptation but will just keep retaking the same test until we pass it.  We decide how long the process lasts. (Three weeks could end up being 40 years!)  He ultimately wants to build in each of us an assurance of victory that is able to say: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)