22 Jan 2010
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WELCOME BACK. I AM PASTOR DOUG. WE NOW CONTINUE WITH PART 181 IN OUR SERIES ENTITLED, “PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS”.
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Just as the advancing disciple must learn to distinguish what is spiritual from what is religious, he/she must also learn to distinguish the products of divine good from the human good that is produced by believers and unbelievers alike, while here in the devil’s world.
While the tangible products themselves amount to the 1Corinthians 3 wood, hay and straw of human good, the ATTITUDES and MOTIVATION that are manifested while a believer labors on his/her secular job (Ephesians 6:5-8/Philippians 2:14) and/or at home (Ephesians 5:23 - 25/
Proverbs 21:10-31/Philippians 2:14/1Corinthians 11:9) can be the results of divine good being simultaneously produced along with the human good.
Note, that I said, “can” be.
Believers, who are out of fellowship with God, and unbelievers who never have the FILLING of God the Holy Spirit, cannot produce divine good, but they can produce the same overt activity.
Only God and the individual knows for sure who has been born again and who remains to be spiritually dead.
It is not up to anyone of us to judge when any other believer is Spirit-filled and when he/she is not.
When behavior that is consistent with Bible doctrine is done with selfish motivation for self gain, or to comply with professional standards of one’s job, cultural, or “religious” expectations, such activity is no more than the wood, hay, and straw of human good.
Yet when the same actions are accomplished by Spirit-filled believers and for the purpose of honoring God via applying the principles of doctrine, then it is the 1 Corinthians 3, “silver, gold, and/or precious stones” of DIVINE good that is being produced.
The classic example of the same action being the product of human good for some and divine good for others would be the honoring marital authority.
In many non-believing cultures, woman are required and expected to honor the authority of their husbands, especially when in public settings.
In such scenarios, the women doing so produce the wood, hay, and straw of human good.
When women, who are Spirit-filled believers and for the purpose of honoring God by applying such Biblical principles as are found in Ephesians 5:22 and Philippians 2:14, honor the authority of their husbands, they glorify God before Man and angels (1Corinthians 11:10).
Under THESE qualifying conditions, the women who honor their husbands are producing the silver, gold, and precious stones of divine good.
When compliance by believers with ANY system of authority is for purpose of manipulation or for self gain, such pseudo-obedience lacks the proper motivation to be divine good.
If a believer is out of fellowship with God, he/she lack the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit to produce ANY divine good (John 15:5).
One’s true motivation is often exposed when the pseudo-obedience fails to achieve its intended objective.
The challenge to honor God by submitting to the systems of authority that God has established for the soul, marriage, family, and nation, is put to the test when the believer disagrees with what these authorities require of him/her, not when he/she would have done so anyways.
Failure on the part of either the husband or the wife to honor God in the marital scenario does NOT relieve their spouse from their own obligation to do so. In fact, it is when one still does his/her part even though he/she is not receiving the same from his/her spouse, that God is honored and glorified the most.
Unless the action would require a believer to violate a principle of the Word of God, the believer is to obey (Romans 13) and willingly comply with the system of authority that God has established.
If a believer chooses to disobey such authority in order to take a moral stand, then he/she must also accept the temporal consequences of that decision.
Marital authority provides believers with the daily opportunity to glorify God in the marital scenario.
But with every opportunity to glorify God, comes the alternative reality of choosing to dishonor God, as well.
The husband glorifies God in the marital scenario by exercising the authority that he has been given in a manner that pleases God, taking into account such things as the needs of those his decisions impact.
As much as most men are quick to remind subordinates of his authority, the part that most men find challenging is being willing to accept the heat that all persons in positions of authority face from time to time when they have to make, administer, and reinforce unpopular decisions.
Men are easily offended when their authority is challenged, and must avoid the sin of bitterness when dealing with the personal attacks that they will receive in response to some of the decisions and policies they establish for the marriage and home.
The 50-50 form of authority in the marital realm sounds fair and equitable to human viewpoint, but what it really means is that no one has the final say in anything and that everything is open to negotiation.
This is contrary to the system of authority that God has established for the marriage and the home.
Just as the fallen nature in the husband will pressure him to misuse his authority for selfish gain, and to respond with bitterness when his authority is challenged or rejected, the fallen nature in the wife will pressure her to rebel and/or to use human means to manipulate her husband.
The fallen nature in children, especially during the teenaged years, will pressure them to rebel and to try to manipulate parental authority of both mother and father.
In these cases, it is the glorification or the dishonoring of God that becomes is the challenge to all involved.
Husbands and parents do not always make the right decisions, but learning to respect authority, even when they are wrong, is part of building one’s character.
According to (1 Corinthians 11:10), even when there are no observing humans, there are angels who take notice when the wife honors or dishonors God in the marital scenario.
Wherever and whenever a believer finds him/herself in a situation of being under a legitimate form of authority, he/she has the opportunity to honor or dishonor GOD by how he/she, in both attitude and behavior, responds to the authority and to the person in the position of authority.
STOP
Pastor Doug Laird
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