Called into Unity from 1 Corinthians 1

Today I am commenting on 1 Corinthians 1:10-25, which reads:

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a [stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

As I write this posting it is very common to hear pundits opine on cable news programs that our nation has never been so divided. To this I say, really?

During the Revolutionary War, when our nation was being founded, about a third of the people in the Thirteen Colonies backed independence and another third were loyal to the Crown. The balance of the population, the remaining third, remained neutral. Seems pretty divided to me!

During the Civil War we had armies fighting one another. Americans were actually killing one another over political issues. Not only that, but the two sides were divided internally as well. Within the ranks of the Unionists there were divisions over why the war was being fought and riots broke out in New York City over drafting men into military service. Deep rivalries existed among the general officers in the Confederate Army, and shortly after the last shots were fired, U.S. President Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached. Again, seems pretty divided to my way of thinking!

Our nation is divided in many ways, but at least we are not shooting at each other!

With the backdrop of the looming Civil War, Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus when he said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Sadly, churches fall prey to divisions as well, even churches in the New Testament. Just a few years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, Paul was dealing with division in the Church at Corinth. What he taught them applies to many of our churches today who are in conflict.

What Is Fellowship?

 In the preceding verse to our focal passage for today, Paul told the congregation at Corinth that, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Often in churches we use the term fellowship to mean a party or meal of some type. This use misses the deep richness of the meaning of the word. The Greek word translated fellowship is koinonia.  Koinonia means intimacy, community, communion, and joint participation. So, fellowship is more than just "kool aide and cookies." Fellowship is close friendship and shared trust.

Sadly, true fellowship was lacking in Corinth; church was seriously divided.

How Was Corinth Divided?

The Church at Corinth was apparently divided into several factions based on personalities:

The sophisticated camp (Apollos). Apollos was a wonderful speaker and he was very articulate. Some people in Corinth wanted to claim him as their role model and it seems as if they were trying to bask in the glow of his rhetorical brilliance.

The traditional camp (Peter). Peter, of course, was the first leader of the Apostles and of the Jerusalem Church. He was a bedrock of the faith and it could be that some people at Corinth preferred to admire one of the first followers of Jesus rather than give respect to a leader who came later. For them, the original model was still the best!

The doctrinal camp (Paul). Paul was a very learned man and his many Epistles formed the basis for much of the theology which we still teach in Baptist churches today. Maybe for them, the knowledge provided by Paul made him superior to other leaders.

The arrogant camp (Jesus). It is easy for me to imagine some at Corinth looking down their nose at others and bragging, “I am of Christ!” Probably, we have all come across that person with this "holier than thou" attitude. Or maybe we have ourselves fallen prey to such thoughts?

Truth be told, the Bible does not characterize the attitudes of the people within each camp, but it does make it clear that the congregation was divided. When people follow different leaders, chaos ensues, and the church loses it way.

Crucial Questions:

Is Christ divided? No!

Not only is Christ not divided, He actually unifies! Read how Paul describes this in Ephesians 2:11-18.

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Was Paul crucified for you? No!

It went unsaid by Paul that neither Peter nor Apollos was crucified for the people in Corinth either.

Were you Baptized in the name of Paul?  No!

The members of the Church at Corinth were not baptized in the name of Paul, or Peter, or Apollos, but in the Name of Jesus.

Paul was reminding the Corinthian believers that Christ was what was important, not human leaders and personalities. Even today we see people in churches following human personalities as opposed to Jesus. People will follow a pastor from church to church if they can or sometimes people will leave a church because of a pastor. The truth is the church is not about the pastor and nor is it about the church member it is about Jesus and worshiping him as he deserves.  As Paul would tell us, "Brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so!

So what, then, is the answer to these things?

The Cure For Divisions:

Paul gave two cures for the divisions in Corinth:

First is the message of the Cross of Christ.

Before we come to the Cross we have no salvation, no forgiveness of sin, and no hope. Truly, the ground is level at the foot of the Cross for no one brings anything good with them into the Kingdom of God. In fact, we come to the Family of God like a new born babe, and so none of us should be proud. Instead, all of us should exercise humility and meekness. This includes everyone: pastors, deacons, and church members alike.

Second, we must acknowledge the wisdom of God.

The world thinks it is wise and sophisticated and that the simple faith of the Christian is foolish and naive. The opposite is the real truth. True wisdom is seeing life from God's point of view, which brings us to back that simple and humble faith in Christ.

If either cure is applied to our lives, we will be united in grace and peace as we humbly take our place in God's Family!

Conclusion:

A teaching point that I have often used in premarital counseling is illustrated by the diagram below:

As a husband and wife individually grow closer to Christ, they also will grow closer together. It is a simple fact of geometry! The same is true of the members of a church, the Bride of Christ. As we all grow closer to Christ we naturally grow closer to each other. It is only if we remain babes in Christ and distant from God that divisions are allowed to occur.

Let us determine to grow in the nurture and admonition of our Lord. If we do, we will become more and more united at  home, and at church!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

The Fellowship of the Son From 1 Corinthians 1

Today I am commenting on 1 Corinthians 1:1-19 which reads:

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Epistles of Paul are fascinating and instructive books of the Bible. The truths we find in the have guided the Christian church in development of its theology and its ministry practice for centuries. It is not too much to say that without the Pauline Epistles the church would probably look very different than it does today. The far-reaching impact of these letters is hard to exaggerate.

The factor that many people forget, however, is that the Pauline letters are just that, letters. These epistles were the result of Paul taking advantage of the technology of the day, the Roman transportation and communication system, to provide pastoral care and guidance to churches he had planted during his various missionary journeys. No doubt, these letters were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and they are the Word of God, but they were also written to real people in real places facing real spiritual issues.

The issues faced by those early Christians are the same as we face today. Therefore, the instruction provided by Paul to his children in the faith is just as valid today. Even this short introductory passage contains important facts about our relationship to God through Jesus.

The Fellowship of the Son is to be Sanctified in Christ:

Such a simple statement but one which has a tremendous meaning!

First, we see that God calls people to Him. God loves us and wants to relate to us, we who are part of the highest level of God's created universe. God has invested Himself in us in the fullness of all that concept includes.

Second, people need to be saved and sanctified. As powerful as God's love is for us, His desire for righteousness is just as powerful. Sadly, the sin of humanity brings God's righteous wrath into play in our lives and prevents us from experiencing God's love in our natural state. Becoming disciples of Christ saves us from our sin and sets us on the path of sanctification so that we can become more and  more like Christ. This not only honors and blesses God, it also blesses us.

Finally, we see that the essential element in God's call on our lives is Christ. None of the work of saving and sanctifying can be done without the intervention of Christ. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, which is sinful humanity, and He sent the Holy Spirit to empower and guide our sanctification.

The call of God to people to be saves and sanctified in Christ should be focus of the Christian church as it goes in to all the world to make disciples of all peoples.

The Fellowship of the Son gives Grace and Peace:

A popular internet meme allegedly quotes John Wayne as saying, "Life is hard; it's even harder if you are stupid." He probably didn't say that (look here) but that doesn't make the sentiment any less true.

Life is hard because our world does not operate the way God intended it to operate. In fact, this world will someday be destroyed and God will start over. Until then, like Adam, our lives will be full of thorns, thistles, enmity, dust, and sweat. We need resources we don't possess to make a go of this world. Paul prayed for the Church at Corinth that they would find grace and peace.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God which is available to us in Christ Jesus. Grace recreates the broken relationship with God that was the result of our sin and it is grace that promises "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Knowing God is on our side helps us make our way through the tragedy of this world.

Also, the promise that He will take us home to be with Him when we leave this planet comforts us with the knowledge that this world is not our final home.

Even though our ultimate future is bright in Christ, we still must slog through the daily grind of living in a fallen and dying world. That's where God's peace comes in. His peace is not like the world's peace, but is greater and eternal. God's peace calms our hearts and reassures our minds. It strengthens  us to stand fast in the storms of life and to resist the Devil and his wiles.

Like the members of the Church at Corinth we remain in need of God's grace and peace. Blessedly for us, He still provides it to His children!

The Fellowship of the Son Enriches and Equips People:

Jesus told his disciples in Luke 11:13 that, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” God is like human fathers in that He loves His children, but He is greater and more loving than any human father. God loves His children and He wants the best for them.

What is best for God's children is to become His disciples. Here is how Paul described that in Ephesians Chapter 4:

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Later in 1 Corinthians Paul would express his frustration that the members of that church had not grown in the faith but were still "babes in Christ." Growing in our faith not only blesses us, but it also fulfills the will of our Father. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)."

The Fellowship of the Son is Faithfulness to His People:

Have you ever wondered why some of the disciples had doubts after the Resurrection? With this question I am referring to   Matthew 28:16-18, which says: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted."

No one can say why these disciples had doubts because the Bible doesn't give us that information. The events of the proceeding days were now doubt traumatizing. To see their Master arrested, abused, executed and buried was shocking and frightening, but the Resurrection might equally be confusing and shocking as well. In any case, some of His closest followers were troubled when in the presence of Jesus.

It is instructive to note His response to their doubts and fears. Jesus used what some today may call the "sandwich technique". He began by reminding them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

He continued on to give them a huge, God-sized task,  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

He closed by reassuring them, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Do you see what He did their? He enclosed the overwhelming task of making disciples of all people inside statements designed to remind them of who He was, what He could do, and what He would do. He would be with them throughout the entire process, and He had the power and authority to help them and care for them.

God was faithful to the first disciples. He was faithful to the Church at Corinth. He is faithful to His children today. He will be faithful until Jesus returns!

Conclusion:

A former pastor, the minister who performed the wedding for me and my wife, used to describe fellowship as "two fellows in one ship."

If two people occupy the same boat, then they both have to go the same place the boat goes, and they both will enjoy the same weather, food, and living conditions. In fact, in one sense these two can become one since they make of the crew of the boat. Two people, but one crew.

As we walk more and more closely with Christ, we too will become more like Him. As Paul put it in Ephesians 4, we will attain "the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." 

May it ever be so!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Pleasing the Father

Today  I am commenting on Matthew 3:13-17, which reads:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Baptism is a vital rite of the Christian church and it is universally celebrated as a special occasion in the life of a congregation. Of course, that does not mean that every baptismal service is flawlessly conducted. Awkward moments can occur.

For example, we have all probably seen the on-line video  of the child who does a cannon-ball into the baptistry, resulting in a tidal wave of water cascading onto the choir sitting below.

On another occasion, a pastor who was baptizing a man much taller than he smashed the man's head into the side of the pool during the baptism. The new believer came to the surface sputtering words more suitable for his former way of life than for church.

These incidents demonstrate that even the most sacred of our church rites can sometimes become awkward moments. One might say this almost occurred during the baptism of Jesus as well, but the actual outcome pleased His Heavenly Father. Let's look at that together:

Jesus Pleased the Father by His Humility:

Few who read the account of the ministry of John the Baptist would doubt that his was a powerful ministry. He preached captivating sermons which touched many lives. He confronted evil and sin without hesitation. Masses of people came to him to repent of their sins and be baptized. Yet, despite all of this, he knew that one was coming who would be far greater than he.

Like John, Jesus had a powerful ministry, He, too, preached captivating sermons which touch many lives. He confronted evil and sin without hesitation. Masses of people came to him to repent of their sin but also to be healed of their diseases and be fed with physical bread as well as the Bread of Life. Jesus was a prophet, like John, but unlike John He was God incarnate, who raised the dead and who defeated death and hell on the Cross. John had no doubt that Jesus was superior to himself, and we should have no doubts about that also.

Despite Jesus's obvious superiority to John, Jesus humbly submitted to baptism by him. Jesus's humility began even before the primitive circumstances of His birth, but in Heaven, when He humbled Himself to be born in the form of a man so that He could be the Savior of the world. This humility on the part of His Son pleased God the Father, and when His people choose humility today it pleases Him as well.

Taking the path of humility on the part of a child of God is never a bad choice for it pleases the Father

Jesus Pleased the Father by His Desire for Righteousness:

God is perfect, which, among other factors, means that He has perfect balance all the time in all His attributes and all His actions. Righteousness is a key attribute of God and it balances with other qualities like benevolence

Dr. Fisher Humphreys, a retired professor of theology, has taught for years that God is both good and loving, that is, "We can trust in One who does what is right, in One who loves and is concerned about us."*  Part of this goodness, to my way of thinking, is the characteristic of righteousness. Jesus the Son, cared about upholding righteousness, and this pleased His Father in Heaven.

Why is upholding righteousness important? Some people's concept of God is that He forgives all people all sin without any standards at all. In Romans 6:1-2 Paul rebukes that thought strongly, saying "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"  The Scriptures are clear: although God is Love, He also clearly hates sin! How then can we find a way out of this conundrum? Through Christ!

Jesus is the One who fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf. It was He who came to fulfill the Law. As Paul went on to say in Romans 6, "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

The righteousness of Jesus has provided for our salvation. The children of God please Him when they live out the righteous life given to us at such great cost to Him.

Jesus Pleased the Father by His Baptism:

In the present day we are proud of our use of audio-visual techniques to share the Gospel and to worship God. We project hymns onto screens and we frequently show promotional or motivating videos as well. We incorporate drama, dance, and even puppets into church services. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and the whole galaxy of social media outlets are viewed as vital, and  even indispensable, tools for ministry. Yet, we are not the innovators that we think we are.

Centuries before we were even born God was using audio-visual means to declare His presence and His plan for us. He used pillars of smoke and fire to guide the Israelites in the wilderness and assure them of His presence. The Ark was a physical reminder of His covenant with them and the fire from Heaven on Mt. Carmel demonstrated His power. The star over Bethlehem and the Spirit descending as a dove graphically illustrated God's engagement with humanity. The Lord's Supper is not only audio-visual, but it is also tactile and olfactory as well. God was way ahead of us in using these techniques to communicate His love and truth to us. This should not surprise us since God is Creator and we are His creation, and we should approach the use of these tools with humility.

Baptism, of course, is a powerful audio-visual sermon which testifies to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and the transforming effect that this has on the lives of His people. In the case of Jesus it was a prophecy of what was yet to come. In the case of a believer it is a testimony of what Jesus has done for them and a declaration of their trust in faith in Christ. As Romans 6:4 says, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

When a child of God is baptized, they are preaching a powerful sermon about redemption and God's love for us. This also pleases the Father.

Conclusion:

The task of servants is to please their master. As servants of God we should always endeavor to please Him. As we live humble, righteous lives, and as we obediently follow the commands of Christ our Savior to be witnesses for Him (including following Him in baptism), we please our Lord. May we all live so that we meet Him in person we will hear our Lord say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Every Blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

* Fisher Humphreys, Thinking About God, page 68.

The True Light from John 1

Today I am commenting on John 1:1-14, which reads:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.  But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

The older I get, the more I appreciate light, probably because the older I get the worse my eyesight gets also. Despite that, I believe that light has some powerful attributes.

First, light reveals. I remember riding in an MRAP through Camp Victory, Iraq after arriving back on base from battlefield circulation after dark. The darkness hid much of the grittiness of Camp Victory, and the glowing pools of the security lights reminded me of Christmas illuminations. By day, the true nature of the base, which bore no resemblance to Christmas decorations, was revealed for all to see!

Light also purifies. In the days of sailing ships, captains had their crews hang their bed sheets from the rigging from time to time. Not only did this "air-out" the bedding, but the sunlight also killed germs found in the bed clothes.

Light gives security. Not only does security lighting help people escape from a building that has caught fire or has been damaged by a storm, but security lighting also helps ward off robbers or others with criminal intent.

As wonderful as physical light is, the Light of the World is infinitely more wonderful. The Apostle John wrote of this Light in opening passages of his gospel. God used John to reveal some powerful facts about the spiritual Light in our lives:

The True Light is Unique

The world has seen many prophets and religious leaders. The three great monotheistic faiths of the the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share a reverence and appreciation for many of the same prophets, but the True Light, that is, Jesus, is unique.

Other prophets and spiritual leaders spoke about God, but Jesus claimed to be God.

Only Jesus was God Incarnate, who came to live among us.

Only Jesus lived a perfect life and died for the sins of the world.

Only Jesus rose again to sit at the right hand of the Father from whence He will come again to judge the world and take God's people home to be with Him.

The True Light is like no one who ever lived before or since. He is the uniquely begotten Son of God.

The True Light is the Word

As I said above, physical light reveals, and the Incarnate Word is the best revelation of God. As John wrote just a few verses later, no one had ever seen God, but when the Light came, He revealed God to people in a way never seen before or since. In this way, the True Light enlightens everyone who turns to the Word to learn about God. And not only does this enlightenment affect our intellect, but also our hearts and our way of life. The True Light transforms every life that turns to Him for insight and guidance.

The True Light is the Creator

When people create something, they own the rights to it. When TV producers  create a new show, they own the rights to it. When restaurants create new dishes, they own the right to them. When entrepreneurs create new businesses, they own the businesses. Therefore it follows that the creator of the world owns the world.

The True Light is the Creator of the World, and therefore the True Light owns it, He is sovereign, and He is Lord. He has the right to determine how the world works, and what is right and what is wrong. The True Light is Lord of all, and people need to recognize that. John certainly did!

The True Light is our Savior

In the same way that sunlight killed the germs in sailors' bedding, the True Light has killed the consequences of our sin. As Romans 6 tells us,"for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Our bodies were equipped by God with natural defenses against germs. Our immune system can detect and defeat illnesses and our body can regenerate and repair itself after injuries. Sadly, our spiritual selves are not nearly as resilient. Sin is a fatal spiritual illness unless there is outside intervention. Thanks be to God, the True Light came to save us from our sin!

The True Light is for All People

Sin is one of the most democratic of factor in all of life. Again as Romans teaches, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Isaiah 64:6 states the universality of our sinful state plainly, and even plaintively: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

The only other condition that is as universal as sin is the availability of salvation from that sin through the True Light. As John recorded in the third chapter of his gospel, Jesus told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

To have access to such salvation, one does not have to be a member of any specific tribe or tongue or race. The salvation provided by the true light is available to all who believe. This is why John in the Book of Revelation could write this vision of heaven: "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'”

The True Light is Glorious

As much as I enjoy the blessings of natural light, it should be easy to see that the True Light is far more glorious, glorious to an extant that it is beyond the human mind to grasp, much less describe. It is this glorious True Light that we worship, and it is this glorious True Light that we should dedicate ourselves to serve!

Conclusion

My wife and I once visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. While deep underground in a cave, our guide switched off the lights. I have never experienced such absolute darkness! Next, our guide lit a single match and it was as if the Sun itself had been transported into the cavern. It was amazing how much light came from a single candle-power flame. Light is the master of darkness in both the physical and spiritual realms. The True Light is our Savior, our Master, and Our Lord!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

The Gracious Deeds of the Lord from Isaiah 63

Today I am commenting on Isaiah 63:7-9:

I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their savior in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

When I was a child, many boys would be playing with a new GI Joe on the first Sunday after Christmas. To make sure that no one was offended, GI Joe was not marketed as a "doll" but as an "Action Figure." Indeed, the name for a GI Joe-type action figure in the United Kingdom was Action Man which was less militaristic but apparently as equally adrenaline-producing for young males. "Action" was a key concept in marketing those toys on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Action, however, is a key element in life as well as a marketing strategy. As the motto of one transportation company says, "Nothing happens until something moves!" The best of intentions does not one any good unless they are acted upon. As Isaiah teaches us today, our God is not just a God of good intentions, but he is an Action God. Let's look at that concept more closely:

God has Graciously Adopted Us

While birthing a child is a natural process, adoption is act in which one consciously decided to make someone who is not a natural child a part on the family. We are probably all familiar with the story of young girl who was being cruelly teased by other children for being adopted. She resiliently and wisely retorted, "My parents actually chose me! Yours had to take what they got!"

In our natural state we are estranged from God and we are like foreigners to him. This is a major theme of the Book of Ephesians. For example, Paul wrote in Ephesian 2:12, "At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." What dismal and discouraging prospects!

Thanks be to God, He acted. He sent Jesus to redeem us and allow us to become part of the Family of God! In the very next verse Paul continued, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility . . . When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone." (Eph 2:13 & 17-20)

One of the most praiseworthy deeds of our God was to adopt us into His Family!

God has Graciously Redeemed Us

The Book of Ruth is a great love story. The scope of this love story isn't limited to just the relationship between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. We do get that famous passage which we often adapt for weddings, in which Ruth says, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” After all, Ruth knew Naomi well, and had many years in which to come to love her. No, the greatest love story in the Book of Ruth is the story of Boaz as Kinsman Redeemer.

Provisions in the Law of Moses required the nearest male relative of an Israelite to assist that person in need. If someone was indebted, for example, and had sold them self as a slave, then the kinsman redeemer would have to buy them out of slavery if he could. It is interesting to note that the fiduciary benefit to the kinsman redeemer for doing this was very limited. It was really an act of love that originated in the heart of the kinsman redeemer, and so it was with Boaz. He did not know Ruth, and yet he welcomed her into his family and, by extension, took on the burden of caring for Naomi as well.

Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer. His sacrifice for us on the cross defeated death, and Hell, and allowed us to be redeemed from out slavery to sin. This is a gracious act of love which we did not deserve, one which originated in the heart of God and not in anything in our lives.

One of the most praiseworthy deeds of our God for Jesus to be our Kinsman Redeemer!

God has Graciously Lived with Us

One of the false theologies current in our world today is Deism which postulates that God created the world and ordered it, then left it alone to develop itself. This concept recognizes our God as Creator, but denies that He is an immanent God, or a God who draws close to His creation. In this world view, God is Sovereign, but He just doesn't care enough to be engaged with the world. In essence, He is an absentee landlord. Nothing could be further from the truth!

From the very beginning of creation we see God being intimately engaged with it and with us, His people. In Genesis we read that, God was "walking in the Garden in the cool of the day," and that, after the fall changed his relationship with Adam and Eve, he made them clothes so they would no longer be embarrassed. Does that sound like an  absentee landlord?

In fact, the Biblical record is that God has always been engaged with His creation. For example, Proverbs 21:1 says, "In the LORD's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him." In Proverbs 3: 5-7 we read, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  Jeremiah 31:33 tells us, "“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." God has always been involved with His creation.

The ultimate expression of God's immanence is that fact that He came in the form of a man, through Jesus His Uniquely Begotten Son, to live among us. Another name of Jesus is Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." As the beautiful phrase in Philippians 2 puts it, Jesus . . . "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"

One of the most praiseworthy deeds of our God is that lived with us and that He continues to live with us today through the Holy Spirit.

God has Graciously Lifted Us

It is a natural instinct for parents t want their children to thrive and do well. The vast majority of parents want their children to grow up and have better living conditions that they do and they often go more than the extra mile to try to make that happen. These sacrifices pay off, however.

One young adult recently told me how grateful she was to her mom for carrying her to tutoring sessions during her high school years, which allowed her to earn a college scholarship. So many of her young peers in the working world are struggling to pay off their college loans but she is not only debt-free, but has money in savings. All of this was due to her mother caring enough to not only take her to the tutoring, but encouraging her and being patient with her while doing it.

Our God loves His children far more than any human parent loves their children. He loves to see them lifted up and their loves improved. The way He does this is by helping us to be disciples, as Paul taught us in Ephesians 4: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

One of the most praiseworthy deeds of our God is that loves us enough to lift us up through discipling us!

Conclusion

We have many things that we should praise God for, but ones we see in our focal passage today are particularly powerful and important. Our God did not have to adopt us, or redeem us, or live with us, or lift us up, but He did. He did these things because of His loving grace and because who He is.

He is praiseworthy indeed!

Every Blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

The Unsung Hero of Advent from Matthew 1:18-25

Today I am commenting on Matthew 1:18-25, which says, 

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. 

Joseph is often overlooked in the Christmas story. Mary, of course was the mother of our Lord, and she demonstrated great faith and resiliency in the Christmas story as well as during the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

The shepherds in the fields and the wise men represent two poles in society: the shepherds were simple working men and the wise men undoubtedly had great political influence as well sufficient affluence to bring Jesus special and expensive gifts The shepherds we the subject of a dramatic announcement from the heavenly hosts, while the wise men studied and meditated until they realized the significance of a particular star standing over a particular place.

But what about Joseph?

For some reason, the human father of Jesus is often nearly ignored in our celebration of the birth of Christ. Maybe it is because he was only a carpenter and lived a normal life. Maybe it is because he passed from the scene of the Gospels before Jesus began His public ministry. Maybe it is because people may think that Joseph wasn’t an essential part of the story. Who knows?

It's hard to say why but it does seem that Joseph gets short shrift in most observances of Christmas, but if so, it is fair to ask the question, “When we ignore the human father of Jesus what are we missing?”

Let’s consider some of the character qualities Joseph exhibited during that first Christmas:

Joseph was a Righteous Man 

Joseph displayed a high level of righteousness throughout this entire passage of Scripture. Even the most corrupt person can do the right thing from time to time. As the old saying goes, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” but Joseph was not just righteous some of the time He was righteous all the time in this story.

He was righteous before Mary conceived because he and Mary were chaste. They did not not have sexual relations before they were married, unlike so many people throughout the ages. Today we even find it common for even faithful church members to be intimate before marriage, so much so that one pastor told me one of his first questions during premarital counseling is “When did you stop sleeping together?” This was not true of Joseph and Mary. They lived righteous and chaste lives and they are a model for us today.

He was righteous when he found out that Mary was with child. All things being equal, this was not something that a betrothed man could stand idly by and accept. Joseph had to act and he planned to do so by quietly ending their relationship. This was the right thing to do and Joseph was prepared to do it. A former boss had a saying that encapsulated his leadership philosophy, “Do the right thing even if no one is looking.” This is exactly what Joseph intended to do, until he received other instructions from God Himself.

Finally, Joseph was righteous up to and after Jesus was born. He refrained from physically intimacy with Mary until Jesus was born. Then, though our focal passage does not include these actions, he made sure that Jesus was presented properly in the Temple, and he protected Jesus and Mary from Herod’s murderous persecution.

Joseph was a man you count on to do the right thing at the right time!

Joseph was a Compassionate Man 

People often confuse righteousness with harshness. One can execute righteousness in a cold, harsh, and austere manner, but these are not required by righteousness In fact, a fuller understanding of righteousness would lead to the conclusion that righteousness is really only executed properly when it is done with compassion. Joseph is certainly a case in point for that idea.

Joseph could have dealt harshly with Mary. If he had, most people in his day, and even in our day, would have understood. He didn’t, though. Instead, and an act of touching kindness, he intended to end their relationship quietly, so as not to embarrass Mary.

One might think that his compassion was seated in his love for Mary, and that may have been true It could have just as likely not been true, however, since Jewish marriages in the First Century were arranged by the parents of the couple and the young people had no real say in the matter Did Joseph love Mary probably so, but not necessarily so. It was just as likely that Joseph had compassion on her because he was a compassionate man.

Joseph was a man of compassion, even as he was doing the right thing!

Joseph was an Obedient Man 

 One of the most important lessons that we can learn from Joseph is found in the simple phrase “he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.”  Joseph followed through! He didn’t just have an intellectual agreement with the Word of God, he actually did what he was told to do.

A riddle that a friend told me goes like this: Three frogs are sitting in a log. One decides to jump into the water. How many frogs are left on the log? Many will answer “two,” but the real answer is “three,” because deciding is not the same as acting. Only when the frog actually jumps into the water are there just two frogs left on the log.

 Dr. Chuck Kelley, is the retired president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Commenting on Roman 12:1-2, Dr. Kelly often says, “The problem with living sacrifices is that they crawl off the altar.” Too often, God’s people have failed to be obedient to His Word. Adam and Eve failed to obey God in the Garden. The Children of Israel failed to completely subdue the Land of Canaan. Saul failed to follow God”s Word and he made a irresponsible sacrifice. The Judaizers in the early church denied the truth that Jesus had become the sacrifice to fulfill all sacrifices, and in doing so inflicted unnecessary burdens on the people of God. Although "obedience is better than sacrifice," all too often obedience is also a scarce commodity among God's people.

 Without a doubt, we are not saved by our good works, but we are saved for good works. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” God expects His people to be obedient, and He has sent His Holy Spirit to help them to do just that.

Joseph was a man who obeyed God by doing the right thing!

Conclusion 

Joseph is a model for all of us when we are placed in a difficult situation. When we are faced with a difficult decision and we don’t know what to do, like Joseph, we need to obediently do the right thing in a compassionate manner. When we do, we will find that God will reveal the way forward, and, if we take that way, it will result in blessing us and glorifying God.

 Every blessing,

 Dr. Otis Corbitt

Magnifying the Lord from Luke 1:46-55

Today I am commenting on Luke 1:46-55, which says, 

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

In the 1970s American car manufacturers were struggling with quality control issues and they were losing a great deal of market share to imported cars. In a effort to boost flagging sales, the Ford Motor Company began using the slogan, "Quality is Job One."

The results of the Ford marketing campaign are not clear to me, but one thing is clear: the "Job One" of God's people is to love Him with all our hearts. As Jesus taught us, this is the first and greatest of the commandments.

As we love God with all our hearts, it is a natural reaction to praise Him and to magnify His Name in all the Earth. This is exactly what Mary did when she was told by the angel that, even though a virgin, she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God, the Messiah.

Although she should have been petrified by these things, instead she burst out in praise and adoration of God. She could do that because she knew who God was and she knew His nature and personality. Let's consider those factors today.

Mary Magnified the Lord because He is Holy

We often misunderstand the term "holy" to mean pure and perfect. In the technical sense, however, "holy" simply means set apart, or designated for a specific purpose. All kinds of things can be set apart, as I learned once when I ventured into the church kitchen during vacation Bible school.

Laid out on the counter in the kitchen were rows and rows of delicious looking cookies. When I reached for one to eat I was swiftly rebuked by a member of the VBS refreshments team. "No! Those are counted cookies," she commanded. When I asked her what she meant, she told me that each row of cookies had been prepared to match the exact number of children and workers in a specific class. They were "counted" precisely and set apart for a specific purpose and if I took one, then a class would not have sufficient cookies. So, in effect, those cookies were 'holy!" (She gave me a cookie from the package, however, so I wan't denied a snack.)

The term "holy" has come to have the connotation of perfect, righteous, and good. This is because of the nature of the one to whom the term has been applied. Jesus was set apart for a task, to save God's people from their sins. To do that He had to be perfect, righteous, and just, and so was and is. His very personality has given a new meaning to what would otherwise be a very utilitarian term.

Jesus was different than any other person born to a woman, That difference has made all the difference in lives of those who trust Him for salvation. He is worthy to be magnified because of that difference. He truly is Holy!

Mary Magnified the Lord because He is Merciful and Benevolent

While Mary knew that Our God is an awesome God, she also knew, before it was articulated in these exact words by the Apostle John, that God is Love.

Like Mary, we know God is gracious because He forgives our sin through the saving work of Jesus, the Messiah.

Like Mary, we know God is merciful because He helps us endure and overcome the natural consequences of our sin.

Like Mary, we know God is benevolent because He gives His children all good things.

When Mary was confronted with God's love she could not restrain from praising Him. As Jesus said in Luke, 19:40, “I tell you, if my followers didn’t say these things, then the stones would cry out.”

Mary Magnified the Lord because He is Omnipotent

It is one thing to be be righteous and merciful, but it entirely another thing to be able to act on on those factors. It is wonderful to note that, as Mary proclaimed, our Lord is not just a uniquely just, righteous, and loving personality, He also has the ability act justly, righteously, and lovingly.

Having good intentions is not enough. As the old saying goes, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." One of the tenets of Alcohol Anonymous is that alcoholics are powerless to overcome their addictions.

God, unlike frail and limited human beings, is  all powerful. The prophet Micah noted that, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." While humans could not (and can not even today) do this in our own power, Jesus, being God, could. And so He deserved to be magnified by Mary.

Mary Magnified the Lord because He is Faithful

The Children of Israel longed for the coming of the Messiah for hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Many lost hope, but those who did had misunderstood the true nature of God. God is faithful and He keeps his promises.

Because of their sin, the Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, but God never abandoned them. Once they entered the Promised Land, the Children of Israel failed to subdue the land, but God never abandoned them. When the Children of Israel sinned and were oppressed by the heathen nations remaining in the land, God never left them. When the Children of Israel were taken captive God never abandoned them. He was faithful to them, to His Word, and to His sovereign plan to save humanity from ourselves.

Today, the Bride of Christ awaits His return for her. Some have lost hope, and others have been enticed by the false blessings of the ways of the world, but those have misunderstood the true nature of God. Our God is faithful, and as Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." He came the first time as He promised and so He will come for His Bride in due time, just as He has promised!

Conclusion

Mary could magnify the Lord because she knew Him and He knew her. The same should be true of our lives, as the old hymn written by Bill Gather says, The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows."

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt