Holy Wholly - Live your true identity (1 Corinthians 6:1-11) - Byrd

Jordan Byrd

Holy Wholly: Sanctified Unity, 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

This is my Enhanced Driver’s License. When we first moved to WNY. It was a new reality to have vehicle access to another country within minutes. I already was aware of some of the ways to get into Canada: birth certificate or passport. But, when I moved here, my passport was expired. I had to get a New York driver’s license anyway, after moving. Enhanced driver’s licenses were becoming a thing here around that time. Where you could cross the northern or southern U.S. border by car or boat with only that form of ID. So, I got that.

When we first moved to WNY, we lived in an apartment. But a couple years later, we bought and moved to our current house. So, when we moved, I wondered how my Enhanced license would work when crossing the border. Would I need to get a new card, with a new address? When I inquired about this, I was told to just write my new address on the back of the card. I was like, “Really?!” “That’s acceptable?!” All the technology used in this card. And my handwritten new address will suffice?! So, the next time I crossed into Canada, I was a little nervous that my ID would be accepted. I was a little nervous that I’d be asked to explain who I really am.

I had a similar situation, In 2002, when I was preparing to go to Honduras on a youth mission trip, when I was in high school. My brother and I were going on the trip. And we applied for our first passports. One of the pre-trip items that the mission’s agency asked our group to do, was make copies of our passports, In case we misplaced our originals along the way. And there could at least be a reference to our information. So, when we got our passports, my mom copied them. And my brother and I had to sign both version of the passport: The authentic version, and the copy. After we signed them, we realized that somehow, we both signed the right copied version. But, we signed each other’s real passport. So, we’re thinking, “Great!” “We’re going to have to go through the whole process to get a new passport.” “And would it be ready in time for the trip.” When we called about what to do to fix the problem, we were told “Just cross out the wrong signature, and put the new signature next to it.” And we were like “Really?! “No way that’s how this works!” And this was within a year of the 9/11 2001 attacks Where airport security was tightened in response. So, we’re thinking, “No way a passport with a crossed-out name, won’t look suspicious.” I remember feeling nervous at the customs counter, as they’re reviewing my passport. And just expecting them to ask me to explain my name and signature. And asking me to explain who I really am.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul, the early church leader, writes to followers of Jesus there, who were struggling to answer, “who they were.” Throughout 1 Corinthians, the Corinthians culture is characterized by: Identity of appearance. Appearing powerful, prestigious, unique, standing out, more eloquent, smarter than others, better than others. And the appearance of these qualities, often looked past other qualities and behavior. It looked past the disunity that elevating one person over another caused. It looked past the exclusion that happened when power and prestige were pursued. It looked past the dignity of the human body when sexual relationships were gratified however people desired. And in this chapter, we encounter that Corinthian culture looked past injustice when disputes were judged with wealth, power, and eloquence.

While the Corinthian people pursued identity through power, prestige, gratification, wealth, and eloquence, it has left a wake of destruction in it’s path, Specifically in the community of Jesus followers: disunity, separation from God, and in 1 Corinthians 6, exploitation and poverty. 1 Corinthians 6 is a clash between the identity of Corinth, and the identity of Christ Jesus.

Throughout this section of Paul’s letter, he is asking the Corinthian follower of Jesus to answer the following question: who are you? What is your primary identity? Is it as a Corinthian? Or as a citizen of the kingdom of God? As a member of the body of Christ? Or as a member of Corinthian society?

For Paul, the answer to that question will direct how a person lives. For a person who identifies primarily as a Corinthian, than they will live like a Corinthian. They will push others aside to be powerful or important. Abuse others to gratify their desires. Exploit others to settle a dispute. But for A person who identifies primarily as a citizen of God’s kingdom, will live like a citizen of God’s kingdom. They will live like the model citizen of that kingdom. They will live like Jesus. They will give-up power and importance, to include others. They will consider others in their pursuit of pleasure. They will seek restoration in their disputes. Like Jesus does.

Good news that we can receive from this section of God’s word, is that God has a full and true life for you to live in Jesus. God has a fuller and truer identity for you to have as a citizen of God’s kingdom. Through Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 6, God’s word calls us to not live a lesser life outside Jesus. Rather, live your true identity in Jesus. Live your true identity. Live in the washed identity you’ve received in Jesus. Live in the purpose-filled identity you’ve received in God’s kingdom. Live in the undistorted identity you’ve received by God’s Spirit. Live your true identity. Live your true identity.

The 1992 McDonald's hot coffee case involved Stella Liebeck. While Liebeck initially sought $20,000 to cover medical expenses. McDonald's only offered $800. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages. Which was later reduced to $160,000 (to compensate for her fault in the spilled coffee). Initially the jury granted Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages. This was eventually reduced to $480,000. And Liebeck and McDonald's eventually came to an undisclosed agreement. In U.S. culture, this case has somewhat become a joke – about how rich a person could get from spilt hot coffee. But it does highlight how this case, and others, aimed at exacting a pound of flesh, rather just the righting of a wrong.

This captures a glimpse of the approach taken in Corinthian culture to settling a dispute. A dispute was settled by what could be exacted at another’s expense. And to play the game, eloquent, charismatic orators were utilized to argue one’s case. To do so, required wealth or status – to hire such people. And the form of settlement that was pursued, was exploitation. Eloquent orators were hired to – prop-up the status and privilege of wealthy litigants (lit-i-gants), or the wealth of high-status litigants, bribed judges for favorable outcomes. Overall, what resulted were wealthy, high-status people – taking peasant, poorer folk to court – to exploit them, and maintain their identity of status. And this is way of handling disputes, was happening between wealthy, high status, Corinthian followers of Jesus, and pooer, low-status, Corinthians followers of Jesus.

And Paul is asking the question: who are you? What is your primary identity? Are you primarily a Corinthian or a citizen of God’s kingdom? Their talk would imply that their primary identity is: a citizen of God’s kingdom. But their actions show that their primarily identity: is as Corinthians. Because they are treating a dispute with brother or sister in Christ – like a Corinthian would treat a dispute with someone.

Paul is asking them to evaluate their allegiance. Is it to the culture of Corinth? Or to the kingdom of God. Is their allegiance truly to Jesus, and his way of living? Or to Corinthian ways of living? Ultimately, Paul is distinguishing the harm and destruction that comes by the Corinthian way of living. Compared to the caring and healing way of living like Jesus.

To have the second, the Corinthian followers of Jesus – need to remember who the are. They need to remember that they’re no longer primarily Corinthians. As followers of Jesus, we are now primarily citizens of God’s kingdom. If that’s who they want to continue being, then they need to live their true identity. Live as a citizen of the kingdom of God.

Last week during the communion meditation, KC Cronin referenced an oft-said saying of mothers: Wait til your father gets home. That imagery is in the background of an odd statement that Paul makes within this section of 1 Corinthians 6. The statement in verses 2-3, where Paul says, “Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)

The Lord’s people will judge the world?! This idea can be drawn together from a few places in the Bible:

Daniel 7:27, Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. (Daniel 7:27)

Matthew 19:28, Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)

Revelation 2:26, To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations…. (Revelation 2:26)

Revelation 3:21, To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne… (Revelation 3:21)

Revelation 20:4a, I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. (Revelation 20:4a)

Hebrews 2:5-11, It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. (Hebrews 2:5-11)

Jesus, who took up human life, is given authority over everything, including angels. And the writer of Hebrews notes, that those who are of the family of God, share in this place of authority in the new creation.

In general, we could take this privileged status, as co-judges with Jesus (that comes with being a citizen of God’s kingdom, part of the family of God) – as an overall reference point to the ultimate of authority that Jesus has as Lord over all. Any authority or judgment that followers of Jesus have in God’s kingdom, or over angels, will be delegated. Which also means that the ultimate judgment of right and wrong –  on anything – is according to the judgment of the God revealed in Jesus.

In a sense, we have Paul giving a “wait til the Father gets home” statement. In that God will come and put wrong things right. So, don’t seek Corinthian justice, which uses injustice to achieve a distorted form of justice. Corinthian justice fights evil with evil. And, handling disputes in this manner, is just as distorted as: sexually immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, greed, drunkenness, slander, or lying. And does not fit the way of God’s kingdom. What this underlines, is that Anything that’s not aligned with Jesus is a false way to live.  Rather, the true way to live, the true way to handle disputes, is to leave justice to Jesus. And the justice of Jesus, is the way of restoration and healing, not exploitation. Not a pound of flesh. Not what you can get out of someone, because you have the means to do so. The justice of Jesus is fuller and truer, because it doesn’t use injustice to others to bring it about. The justice of God’s kingdom fights evil with the goodness of God. The goodness of God that is revealed to us in the life of Jesus. Settle disputes according to the way of God’s kingdom. Live like Jesus with others. Don’t seek exploitation. Seek God’s healing.

Recently, Tom Brady, the seven-time Superbowl winning quarterback for the Patriots and Buccaneers, was the center of a Roast, that streamed on Netflix. During the event, comedian Nikki Glaser joked, “Five-time Super Bowl MVP, most career wins, most career touchdowns. You have seven rings. Well, eight, now that Gisele gave hers back….” While I don’t know the ins and outs of his personal life, and what led to his divorce from supermodel, Gisele Bündchen (boon-chn). I’m constantly amazed at people who are massively successful in one arena of life, but fail to be successful in other arenas of life.

In 1 Corinthians 6:5, Paul mocks the Corinthian followers of Jesus, by drawing from their fascination with the wisdom and eloquence – and essentially saying, “If you Corinthians are so wise, how do you need an outside judge to settle disputes?!” “If you’re so wise, you shouldn’t need to go to a Corinthian judge.” “But ironically, you’re need to go to a judge, indicts your lack of wisdom.” All of this supports what Paul has, at length – already been saying in 1 Corinthians 1-5 – that human wisdom, alone isn’t enough. The Corinthian people need God’s wisdom. The wisdom revealed in the life of the crucified Jesus. And they already have access this this wisdom, by being identified with Jesus in baptism – being washed, sanctified, and justified.

• Being washed of the messiness of Corintian life – to live into the cleanliness of Jesus’ way of life.

• Being sanctified, or set-apart to live the way of God’s kingdom.

• And justified, or shaped, to see the world and others rightly by the guidance of God’s Spirit.

Any image of the margin ruler on a Word Document

Justification is more than a legal declaration. It’s an actual righting of things. Like righting, or evening the margins of a Word document. You use to be this. You use to live this way. But, now you’re not, but, now you don’t have to, because of Jesus. Live your true identity.

I’m all for the Hallmark-style Christmas movie at Christmas-time. But one of my least favorite versions of those movies, is the “Royal Christmas” versions. The movies where a prince or princess is frustrated with their privileged life. And just wants to experience the common person’s experience of life and love. These royal characters try to live like something that they’re not. Something different from their royal identity.

Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian followers of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 6 is similar. He’s instructing the Corinthian church to stop living lesser than who they are in Christ Jesus. Paul challenges them to live into their true identity. Rather than settling for the false and lesser identity of Corinthian culture, that is disconnected from God. Paul challenges them to Live into your true identity as citizens of God’s kingdom through following Jesus. Live your true identity.

Consider the fuller and truer identity and way of life that following Jesus offers.

Today, God’s word in 1 Corinthians 6 invites you to consider the same question: Who are you? What is your true identity? What is your primary citizenship? What identity shapes the way you live? If you’re primary identity is in something other than Jesus, I invite you to Consider the fuller and truer identity and way of life that following Jesus offers. I invite you to taste and see, and consider surrendering your life to Jesus in faith – under the water of baptism – trusting Jesus to give you a fuller, truer, and righted way of living, than what you’re experiencing now. Please pull me, Mitch, Sean, an elder, or another trusted follower of Jesus aside – to help you discern this step of faith.

If you’ve already identified yourself as a citizen of God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus, I invite you to consider what lesser, false, distorted way of living you’re currently tempted to pursue? What’s God’s Spirit revealing about your actions? What primarily allegiance do your current ways of living convey? Does it reveal a primary identity as an American, or as a citizen of God’s kingdom? Does it reveal a primary identity: in political affiliation, or sexuality, or gender, or nationality, or something else, other than primarily as a follower of Jesus?

What do you need to confess?

I invite you to confess that to Jesus, and live your true identity in him. Confess it out loud to a trusted person (text, call, have coffee). Write it down and put it somewhere that you’ll see, to make this real. And not just an intellectual moment; but a life-changing moment to live differently.

How do you need to repent?

I invite you to repent. Submit your other identities below the primacy of identity as a citizen of God’s kingdom. What steps can you take, to help you live your true identity in Jesus? How can the teachings of Jesus, be your constitution? How can the example of Jesus, be your precedent? How can the life of Jesus be the form of identification that you show – in all that you do, in how you live? Live your true identity.

Holy Wholly: Sanctified Unity - Come as You Are, But Don’t Leave as You Came. (1 Corinthians 5) - Knight

Mitchell Knight

Holy Wholly: Sanctified Unity - Come as You Are, But Don’t Leave as You Came (1 Corinthians 5)

In preparing for this morning, I was thinking about my life experiences. If you’re unaware, I was an atheist for most of my life, not really sure if God was real. I just didn’t see the way that He was interacting with the world that we lived in.

In the later parts of my undergraduate years, I started studying philosophy and world religions and was overwhelmed with the amount of evidence for Christianity.

My mind was bought in at that point. But, when I started attending Pillar of Fire Fellowship in Fredonia, a recovery church, my heart was bought in. Why? Because my father struggled with alcoholism, and I felt hopeless that that could change.

When I saw former addicts living completely transformed and resurrected lives, I knew in my heart that God was real and could take us out of death and into life through His grace. I had seen the greatest miracle there was; broken people living a new and upright life with God. That was only possible because of His grace.

What is your view of God’s grace this morning? Is it cheap grace? Does it just give you a license to do whatever you want? Or is it more powerful than that? Is it a grace that has the power to resurrect our lives from death to life?

There’s a common saying in Christian Churches nowadays “Come as you are.” I think we’re all on board with that, and I believe that God is too. But the full picture of that that I’ve gleaned throughout my life experiences and through God’s word is that a more biblical phrase is: “Come as you are, but don’t leave as you came.”

This morning, we will be in 1 Cor 5, and in Corinth, Paul was writing to a church that was struggling with buying into the belief of cheap grace, that it was just a license from God to do whatever we want with. I invite you now to turn there as we start to read this short chapter from verse 1 and see a much more powerful view of God’s grace in our lives.

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,[a][b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

So to start, when Paul says that ‘it has been reported’ that there was sexual immorality in the church in Corinth, it literally means that he heard about it. Wherever he was, this deplorable situation was so bad that word spread to him as far away as he was! He even mentions that this kind of incest, a man sleeping with his stepmother most likely, wasn’t even tolerated in the Greco-Roman world.

And this Roman world was very lax on social behavior. There was all kind of nastiness that they were participating in, but even this was too much for them, and as we see, this behavior had invaded God’s household.

What’s worse for Paul, this congregation of Christians were celebrating the wickedness of this man. He says that they were proud of what he did!

Looking at the historical context of the Corinthian church, we know that they were buying into a lot of different false beliefs. One of these beliefs was that their bodies and what they did with them didn’t matter, and that in Christ, they could choose to do whatever they wanted. Nothing was off-limits!

Paul argues against this cheap grace that we see throughout the letter up until now. Yes, there is a forgiveness that happens at baptism, but it is also a calling out of the darkness of sin and into the light of righteousness. God’s grace should impact and transform every area of our life!

This idea isn’t just found in the letter to the Corinthians, for example, he mentions this at the start of his letter to the Philippian Church.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Christ has begun a good work in us and is faithful to see it through to completion, but the word began is interesting. That means something that has started but is not done yet. The work of Christ in our lives is not yet finished. We are called to faithfully follow Him in self-denial until he makes all things new when He returns again.

What I hope you’re seeing here is that Christ doesn’t just forgive you of your past sins, he is also working right now to transform you into a righteous person that looks like Him! (SLIDE 13) Christ invites you to come as you are, but He won’t let you leave as you came (x2)!

In verses 6-8, Paul starts talking about leavened bread and yeast, and that can kind of be confusing to us today. What is Paul getting at here?

Well in the Passover celebration among the Israelites, they were called to purify their homes and temple of all leavened bread. This was bread with yeast. (SLIDE 14) Yeast in the OT was a common metaphor for sin.

Paul’s point is that this proud boastful and unrepentant sinning that we see in Corinth can work its way through the whole church and become intertwined with it. We can be drawn to it.

Imagine someone wearing a bright white dress shirt, but it has a big stain on it. As great as 99% of the shirt looks, you can’t really help but have your attention drawn only toward the stain. We notice it and are drawn to it.

Also, the world notices the stains and the blemishes of the church, and so how we are living sends a powerful message to them.

Paul’s warning is that the stain was making it’s way through the whole church and becoming the point of focus. The members of the Corinthian church were obviously being drawn to it because they were celebrating the sin of this man!

So, okay Paul, we get there are a lot of problems here, but what is the solution? Well, It’s easy for us to think that his solution is uncomfortable, but I think it’s only uncomfortable because of how we’ve been conditioned by the culture around us, and how we’ve come to misunderstand it. It’s this idea of excommunication or disfellowshipping.

First, let’s be clear on what he’s not saying here. He is NOT saying that we should stop engaging with the people around us. All people have an eternal value to God and are to be loved. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, and therefore, so should you and I!

Second, he is telling us that for those who are blatant, proud, unrepentant sinners, and claim to be a member of Christ’s body, people that are unwilling to change unhealthy behaviors, people that are proud of their wrongdoing, that we should separate ourselves from them at least for a time. This man was doing evil and had no remorse for it. More than that, he was proud of it. Keep in mind that that is the context of Paul’s instructions here.

Most people will check out at that point because it doesn’t match their view of who Jesus is, but Jesus calls us to a standard of living when we follow Him. Jesus wants to do everything possible to rescue us from darkness because He loves us! In Matthew 18, Jesus offers this teaching that Paul is referencing:

“15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

Look, the whole point of this process is to rescue those trapped in sin, it’s to restore them, not to punish them. It makes me think of my father again and his struggle with alcohol. Our family wanted nothing more than for him to get the treatment that he needed. We didn’t think the person was the problem, we thought the behavior was the problem.

First, my mother approached him. Then her and my sister and I approached him. When he refused to listen, we had to start telling others about it to get him to wake up. By living alongside him and enabling him, we were telling him that his behavior was okay.

And he eventually chose to go to rehab. Our love for others should surpass our discomfort. We should do and want to do whatever it takes to help someone be restored to a righteous and abundant life that God has for them.

First, when it comes to holding a brother or sister accountable for unrepentant sin, it’s to help rescue them from harmful behavior that’s killing them. The Bible says that when sin is fully grown it gives birth to death! It’s less about finding a way to kick them out of the church, and more about finding every possible way for them to stay. The problem is not the person, it is the sin. We want to rescue the person from their sin.

Some of my least favorite memories in life come from my time at clarence middle school. Even mentioning the name now I have a bit of a gag in my throat. One of the rules that we had to obey was showing up to class on time.

When leaving one class for another, if we knew we were going to be late, we could ask for a late slip from our teacher. The idea is that this would be a one-time exception to the rule of being on time for class. Bookmark that for a second.

In an amazing act of grace and mercy and kindness, Jesus forgives an adulterous woman. This story comes from John 8 where it says,

“2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In expecting to receive condemnation and hatred, this woman was given love, mercy, and kindness. However, a lot of times when this story is talked about, we end it before verse 11.

Jesus’ tells the woman that He doesn’t condemn her, therefore, she should go and leave her life of sin. Earlier in John 5 after healing an invalid, Jesus tells him, don’t sin again or something worse may happen to you!

Clearly, God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness wash away our past mistakes, but it is also powerful enough to transform us out of a life of sin and into a life of righteousness. When I talked about the late slip earlier, I mentioned that it was meant to be a one-time exception to the rule of being on time for class.

We weren’t supposed to seek it out so we could keep being late to class. Instead, we were supposed to be grateful for the opportunity to show up to class and learn, even though we were late.

Even though we’re late, that we’re not who we’re supposed to be, that we’ve fallen, we are still given forgiveness and the opportunity to learn and grow at the feet of Jesus! God’s grace empowers us to come as we are, but not to leave as we came.

In applying what we learn from Paul here to our lives today, we should start with a question: (SLIDE 28) What is your view of God’s grace? Do you think that God’s grace is a license to do whatever you want? Like the Corinthians did? Or is your view of Grace that it is the living power of God actively transforming our lives?

If we want to hold that second view, then we have some action steps that we need to take. First, you’ll notice that throughout this message I’ve been careful to use the language: unrepentant sin. That’s what was being celebrated and promoted in Corinth.

We have to be careful not to abuse God’s grace and become a person who celebrates sin. And once again, the reason I’ve been careful to use the language unrepentant sin, is because I think we unnecessarily read our lives into this text and unique situation far too often.

In a war, there isn’t one single battle. Instead, there are many battles that make up a war.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want.

When Sean Jordan and I were at the Renew conference in Indiana the other week, we heard a speaker mention this verse when he was talking about living life by the Spirit of God. When he was younger in his faith, he would read this and think “Well I must not have the Holy Spirit.”

However, he said that it wasn’t until an older brother in the faith pointed out the language of verses like this to him that he felt confident in his walk with the Holy Spirit.

The word gratify that Paul uses literally means “to make peace with”. Even if you lose a battle or two, if you are still committed to fighting in the war, you are not in a state of unrepentance. If you aren’t okay with your sins, then you have not made peace with your flesh!

Whether it’s the struggle to trust in your own resources like money, a struggle with anger, pornography or other sexual sin, alcohol, anxiety, ungodly fears and worries, gossiping, slander, laziness.

No matter what, as long as you are committed to winning the war, even though you might lose a battle or two, you are not making peace with your flesh and are earnestly seeking the life of God.

Following Jesus is a life-long process of relying on God’s grace to come as we are, but not leave as we came. Keep fighting, and don’t give up.

Second, in our relationships with others, we also are called not to make peace with the ways of this world.

I want you to imagine that I’m going to a Bills game and I’m bringing my friend who is a die-hard Patriots fan. They have an understanding that the stands will be a sea of red-white-and blue Bills gear, even though he’s more than welcome to wear his Patriots gear.

I am welcoming to him and am still going to support him as my friend. But I will never ever ever cheer for the Patriots to make him feel better. I want him to change his mind and change fanbases!

A simple rule of life is that what is celebrated is repeated. When we celebrate the sins of others, they will never find life. It might be tempting to do that in a culture where celebration and acceptance are everything, but it’s not right.

If I really love someone, then I have to point them away from the behavior that is killing them, so that they can find life in Jesus. Even if that means that I might upset them.

Celebrating sin is the easy choice to make, but real self-sacrificial love is what we’re called to. The good news we should call others to is for them to come as they are, but not to leave as they came!

Come as you are, but don’t leave as you came. This is the picture of God’s grace that we see in scripture. And now I ask you: why not today? Just as you are, come to Jesus for healing through the waters of baptism, and be risen into a new life that is full and true.

If that’s a step you’ve already taken, then I invite you to trust in the true picture of God’s grace.

It can be tempting to think you’re stuck, but God is still working on you.

It can be tempting to give up the fight, but God empowers us through the war against sin.

It can be tempting to view grace as a one-time forgiveness. But forgiveness, yesterday, today, and forever has been bought by the precious blood of Christ. Rely on that grace and find transformation into a full an abundant life with Jesus.

Holy Wholly - Let Go to Live Like Jesus (1 Corinthians 4)

Holy Wholly: Sanctified Unity, 1 Corinthians 4

Jordan Byrd (May 5, 2024)

Who are the most successful leaders in history; and what were they filled with that made them successful? Would it be Douglas MacArthur’s military success during WWII? Would it be Steve Jobs innovative wisdom in creation of the iPhone/smartphone revolution? Would it be Ronald Reagan’s judgment in confronting the Soviet Union? Would it be Jerry Seinfeld’s creativity to entertain viewers of his sitcom - almost 30 years after it last aired? Would it be Elon Musk’s ability to accrue a current net worth of almost $200billion? Would it be Jeff Bezos’ ability to produce a distribution service to get things from around the world to your front door in a matter of days, with nothing more than a tap on your phone or computer?

In the lead-up to November, the U.S. society is making a similar evaluation with the office of President. Where we’re deciding what kind of leader we want to lead the country. Do we want a people-pleaser? Do we want a person who will progress society beyond the trappings of the past? Do we want a no-nonsense person, who doesn’t care what other people say? Do we want someone who will take immediate military action? Do we want someone who is open to the influence of the world? If we’re honest, we’re tempted to make a decision on the presidency, or any other leader based on certain qualities. Some of those qualities are: dominant, innovative, critical, captivating, prosperous, and efficient.

The people of first-century Corinth were not much different. From this letter of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, we encounter a culture that valued being: dominant, innovative, critical, captivating, prosperous, and efficient. And we gather that the followers of Jesus were shaped to values these qualities too. But, God reveals through Paul’s writing to the church in Corinth, that these qualities are not the most important, that these qualities are not the most important for leadership, that these qualities are not what is most important for an abundant life. As much as the Corinthian Christians were tempted to believe that they were, as much as today, we’re tempted to believe that they are. Rather, Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 4, clarifies that the most important qualities are the qualities embodied in the life of Jesus of Nazareth – in the life of the Son of God. That the most important qualities of leadership are found in Jesus; that the most important qualities for an abundant life are found in Jesus. And, the aspirational qualities, beyond those of Jesus, are what keeps us from participating in and experiencing the life of God, the life of Jesus.

In chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the division happening among the members of the Corinthian church. And that – that division resulted from people giving allegiance to people, things, or ideas above the crucified Jesus. In chapter 2, Paul addresses how members of the church tore their allegiance by pursuing paths of wisdom and power celebrated by the Corinthian culture at that time. In chapter 3, Paul highlights the empty, life-less-ness that results from giving allegiance to paths, other than the way of Jesus. And how elevating ways other than Jesus’ ways, led to the division the church was experiencing. And part of that division were factions elevating the leaders, Paul and Apollos over each other.

In chapter 4, Paul continues to address the false truth of ways other than Jesus’ ways by pointing to his own experience of following Jesus, and striving to live like Jesus. He notes how his life has been shaped by Jesus, in 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, by how he has suffered like Jesus for the word of God, by how he blessed when cursed, like Jesus, by how he endured persecution for God’s way, like Jesus, and by how he answered slander with kindness, like Jesus. Jesus’ way is different. But it is a different that we long for. It’s life of freedom from other’s opinions. And full of God’s eternal perspective that we long for. It’s the abundant life that we long for. That only following in the way of Jesus that we can experience it.

In the first-century Corinthian world, and in our world today, we’re tempted and deceived into believing that lesser important things are THE most important things. But, the good news I hope you encounter from God’s word in 1 Corinthians 4, is that Jesus is the most important thing in the world. That the God revealed in Jesus is the best leader in the world. That the life of Jesus is the most abundant life available. The good news that we don’t need anything beyond Jesus.

And while Jesus is everything that we need for life, we’ve allowed our lives to be filled with lesser important things; and in the process, they’ve blocked us from participating in the abundant life of Jesus. A takeaway from 1 Corinthians 4 is that we have to let go of the lesser important things to live like Jesus. Let go to live like Jesus.

In early 2018, the hot topic around here was, which QB should the Bills draft. Josh Allen had risen as a possible top pick. But most people knew little about him, having played at the University of Wyoming. And Wyoming having had little notable success during Allen’s tenure there. With the position the Bills were in to draft a top-tier QB prospect, it seemed that Allen would be a gamble pick. He wasn’t from a notable college program. He wasn’t a Heisman finalist. He wasn’t in the college national championship conversation. He wasn’t even known for being super good, other than having a cannon of an arm. Allen had some athletic ability, but, what else?! When the Bills selected Allen at pick number 7 of the draft, it was a polarizing pick for sure. While it’s easy to have 20/20 hindsight on that pick now, we could say that Brandon Beane was faithfulness to the overall drafting process. Brandon Beane didn’t draft a QB with the tempting qualities: From a notable college. The household name guy. The pundit, applauded prospect. The guy with a heisman trophy. The guy with a college championship. The Bills’ process of drafting Josh Allen is an example of a differing kind of success. Success when it doesn’t appear to be successful in the broader world’s eyes.

In a similar fashion, Paul is saying something similar in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. Paul is addressing how the Corinthian culture had shaped the Corinthian followers of Jesus to look for leaders that exuded dominant and captivating wisdom and power. Leaders who lord over others. Leaders who persuade with smooth talk. Leaders who could sway things to happen. Leaders who would insult their enemies. Leaders who would think of themselves better than others. Leaders who would think of themselves smarter than others. Leaders who would threaten violence if not followed. These are all the qualities that were considered most important. And these are the qualities that the Corinthians followers of Jesus were falsely trying to make Paul and Apollos fit as leaders. “Paul is better.” “No, Apollos is better.”

Yet, Paul corrects this by saying that neither he, nor Apollos led them in this way. He indicates in 1 Corinthians 4:1 – that they came to lead as servants of Christ. That they are mere stewards of God’s ultimate leadership.

Many people have a financial advisor or money manager, who helps invest funds that you give them. The advisor or manager is just a steward of your money. And ultimately is just executing what you give them authority to do.

Similarly, Paul is saying that he and Apollos only do what what God directs them to do. And nothing more. Paul’s emphasis on being a servant Christ and steward of God is that he and Apollos are not to be judged successful leaders according to Corinthian qualities, but successful leaders according to faithfulness to God’s qualities. And those qualities look like humble, surrendered service to the way of God revealed in Jesus. Faithfulness to the way of Jesus is the measure of successful leadership, not, the dominant and captivating wisdom and power of Corinth. Success that doesn’t appear successful in the broader world’s eyes.

Paul highlights this by emphasizing that he, nor the Corinthian believers, nor anybody else, is the judge of his success as a leader, is a judge of his way of life. In application, this can mean sticking to your guns, even if others think you’re crazy, or doing less than you should, or judge that you’re not being effective enough. It can also mean the reverse. Sticking to what you judge to be right, even if a leader doesn’t judge that to be the right way. But ultimately, Paul is saying, the correct judgment is not his judgment, or your judgment, or another person’s judgment. The correct judgment is what God deems correct, truthful, successful, and abundant. Paul and Apollos had to let go of Corinthian power and wisdom, had to let go of being the ultimate judge of their work to live like Jesus. Let go to live like Jesus.

According to popcorn.org, popcorn kernels contain water and starch. When heated, the water turns to steam, causing the starch to gel. Eventually, the pressure inside the kernel builds up, leading to its burst. This releases steam and inflates the starch, which creates the puffy popcorn shape we recognize. When this puffing of the starch happens, the popcorn kernel is no longer recognizable. It’s no longer recognizable, because the starch is now inflated, puffing it larger than the kernel alone would be. You also recognize while eating popcorn, that popped-popcorn kernels are misleading. They give the appearance of substance. But are mostly just inflated. They are puffed-up.

This is the imagery that Paul uses to describe the followers of Jesus who are elevating the power of wisdom of Corinth over the power and wisdom of Jesus. Those who elevate Corinthians qualities above Jesus, become puffed up. And it’s being puffed-up by worldly power and wisdom that leads to viewing Paul or Apollos or other leaders, as better than another. It’s being puffed-up and filled with these qualities as most important – that has led to the division in the body of Christ in Corinth.

And Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 4:6, That the follower of Jesus need to let go of Corinthian power and wisdom to live like Jesus. For the church to reflect the life of Jesus as a community. They need to let go to live like Jesus. Let go to live like Jesus.

Have you ever got a piece of furniture, like for IKEA, that has to be put together; and you just open up the box and start putting things together, how you think they’re suppose to fit? All to realize that it doesn’t fit together well, or there are a lot of pieces left-over? In situations like that, it is tempting to let our own abilities and experience puff us up, all to realize that our pride, our arrogance, get’s in our way – get’s in our way to see the correct instructions or standard clearly.

This example of trying to put furniture together, illustrate what Paul references – in 4:6, when he warns the Corinthian follower of Jesus to “not go beyond what is written.” When we look to something other the word of God, revealed in Jesus, we end up with a mess. We end up with division. We end up with people hurt. We end up with sin. Living apart from God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. …  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-4, 14)

Jesus is the word of God revealed. Jesus is the essence of the written word of the Bible. Jesus is the God’s standard revealed. Jesus is God’s standard witnessed by John and later Paul, who wrote for generations later to also encounter the truth of God through the life of Jesus. Paul is telling the Corinthians church, that they have been filled with ways of living, beyond the word of God, beyond the standard of the life of Jesus. And in doing so, it’s caused division. Paul instructs them that to live like Jesus, they have to not be puffed-up with Corinthian power and wisdom. They have to let go of that to live like Jesus. Let go to live like Jesus.

While there are many evil beliefs that accompanied the Nazi reign of Germany, one of them was the belief in a superior race of people over another. Historically, this is referred to as Aryanism. A belief that a “pure” German race ought to control the world. That the ideal ideal: pale skin, blond hair and blue eyed people group was most important above all others. The deception in this belief is that those qualities are humanly elevated above others. And they are not derived purely by human ability. As much as transhuman endeavors have tried and come close. Ultimately, the qualities of the ideal German were a gift from God. And as a gift from God, to have value, but not to have ULTIMATE value. This belief is an example of the creation elevating something above the word and purpose of the creator.

In 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul notes that the Corinthian followers of Jesus are doing something similar. That they are elevating a gift of God, or a God-given trait of God: intellect, charisma, eloquence, strength, etc. As something of ULTIMATE importance. That – those qualities are what make them special – what make them wise or powerful. But Paul points out, “Who made you different from anyone else?” Who gave you those qualities? “What do you have that you did not receive?” Did you give yourself those qualities? “...If you did receive [them], why do you boast as though you did not?” If you received them from God, why are you acting like those qualities make you special, or worth following, or successful? Ultimately, Paul is pointing out that we are nothing without God. All of life is a gift from God. But when we fill our lives with the wisdom and power of the world, we become blinded to the truth of reality, that life is a gift from God, that fullness of life is found only in his way of life. The life revealed in Jesus, to live into that life, as Paul is striving to live into the life of Jesus, the Corinthian church needs to let go of Corinthian power and wisdom, let go of lesser qualities to live into the fuller life of Jesus. Let go to live like Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 4:14 and following, Paul explains that his writing is a warning. A warning of the deceptive nature of Corinthian power and wisdom. A warning that being puffed-up with those qualities, actually leads to a lesser life, it leads to an infantile life. Like, life under a baby-sitte, never learning how to live into the fullness of life of Jesus. The Corinthians have 10,000 guardians. But they do not have many fathers. Fathers, who can help guide them to live into the abundant life of Jesus. Someone to imitate how to follow Jesus. Someone to imitate how to let go of the worldly ways, and live like Jesus. Let go to live like Jesus.

Let go and be immersed into the life of Jesus (be baptized).

Today, if you’re still seeking abundant life in the ways of the world, I invite you to let go, and taste and see that Jesus’ way of life is what you’ve been seeking. If you’d like to learn more, please find me, or another church leader, or a trusted follow of Jesus, whom you already know; and we’d be glad to help you take your first step of faith, to let go to live like Jesus. By surrendering to Jesus under the water of baptism, letting go of your life to live by God’s word, just like Jesus does.

What is God calling you to surrender? Let go to live like Jesus.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus under the water of baptism, What is God calling you to surrender? What quality of the world are you tempted to make more important than anything else? How are you tempted to fill your life with the following qualities of worldly wisdom and power the most important thing, or for another leader to be filled with, the qualities of: dominance, innovation, critical judgements, captivating charisma, prosperity, and efficiency. How are you tempted to make these more important the the way the crucified Jesus? Let go of them to live like Jesus. Surrender them to live like Jesus. Humble yourself to the Lord God, revealed in Jesu, to live into his abundant life. Let go to live like Jesus.