Jul 2, 2017

Introduction: In the USA we celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July.  For us, this represents liberty and freedom.  The Bible teaches of a different kind of liberty, Christian liberty. We will discuss that.  Christian Liberty is different.

Get comfortable.

Music Credit Andrew Payne

Statio:

Guided relaxation

Lectio:

11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Meditatio:

The Corinthians really struggled in many ways.  Paul’s letter to them included many different corrections about sexual immorality, and various contentions as well.  Among them was a form of spiritual covetousness. The argued and had ongoing drama.This was so pronounced that Roman Christians wrote a letter correcting the saints at Corinth in an apocryphal epistle known as 1 Clement.  These Corinthians were confused on how to fully live the Gospel.  Paul taught that.

As Christians we consider the Law to have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  At times we can be tempted to think that this means that we can do whatever we want as long as we have faith in Jesus.  As Paul says in Romans 6:1 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”  His answer to this is “by no means” or “God forbid.”  There are times when we may argue “I have the right to do anything” as if there is no sin.  The transition from the way in which this was taught in the law versus the way it is taught in the New Testament was important.  It changed from a set of prescribed rules to a set of prescribed principles. Instead of very direct do’s and don't's we are given higher principles upon which to guide our action.  What is harder to live?

Is it easier to live the higher law?  I would argue that this requires greater spiritual maturity to live the higher principle based system.  Yet we don’t do it alone.  God will help.  He guides us through his Holy Spirit.  The challenge is that we have to be listening to gain the full benefit of this. As we yield to God’s Spirit, He will guide us to take action that will draw us nearer to him and cause us to change in meaningful ways.  We can be sanctified through His Spirit.

Oratio:

Prayer as indicated by the spirit.

Contemplatio:

Sit in contemplative silence in the spirit of God.

Operatio:

Visualize the change indicated to you through this scripture and share the message.

Conclusion:

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