God's Best 11.25.08

Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today we are continuing our studies on the book of I Corinthians, please read Chapters 5-9 in your Bible or Click Here to read them online. If the link does not work you can copy and paste this one into your browser: biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%205-9&version=9

Today we will read about the condemntion of fornication and others sins, the guidelines for marriage; and the conduct of Christian. Today's message focuses on the importance of realizing that we need to be careful who we get around. We as Christian's are washed of our past sins and if we continue to hang around those who live in sin we will never have God's Best.

Comforts, pleasures, cares, and even responsibilities of life can occupy our time, leaving little effort for eternal values. It was reported to Paul that one member of the church in Corinth was committing fornication or adultery with his father's wife, which seems to mean that he had an ongoing sexual relationship with his stepmother. Whether his father was still alive is not indicated, but Paul cautioned the church to immediately exclude themselves with the offending member. "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.........I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." (I Corinthians 5:1-2, 9-13).

What should be of most consideration is how our lives affect our relationship with God. Equally important is how they affect our church, families, and friends. When leaders of a church body allow obvious ongoing sin among its members, it encourages a sinner to excuse his own sin and to continue to influence others to follow his immoral lifestyle. If we believe what God has said in His Word about sin, we know that there is accountability for it. "Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (6:7-11).

The Book of I Corinthians was written to believers urging them to settle for nothing less than getting right with God. It is a message to all who long to be free from a self-serving life. Paul reminds us that before we accepted Jesus into our lives we too lived in sin, but our sins were washed away. However, by continuing to hang around those who continue to live in sin all we are doing is letting that wickedness corrupt us, keep us from experiencing God's Best for our lives. We need to be very careful of the people we associate with, even family members. That is not to say that we are to disrespect them, but we can not allow them to influence us and must keep our distance with them. The devil will use anyone unknowingly to keep us from developing a close relationship with God. It is up to us to learn of the ways in which people can corrupt us. Each night we need to ask God to reveal and free us from any wickness that we may have encountered. Getting right with God will destroy any attempt from the devil.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
We are confronted with deception on many fronts every day, so much so, that we can be deceived without even realizing it. Would You help us to watch out and be on our guard so that we are not deceived by man’s words, no matter how convincing they are, how charming their personality, or how cunning their craft. Help us not to fall for Satan’s deceptive tactics that have brought down believers throughout the church age. We seek You for strength and discipline. We search the Scriptures for discernment and the true revelation that we are saved by the blood of You Son, Jesus. In Jesus' name.......Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day.
God Bless,
Christina

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