If anyone thinks
himself to be a prophet
or spiritual, let him
acknowledge
that the things which
I write to you
are the commandments
of the Lord.
But if anyone is
ignorant,
let him be ignorant.
Therefore, brethren,
desire earnestly
to prophesy, and do
not forbid
to speak with
tongues.
Let all things be
done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14: 37
-- 40
Obedience
by Authentic Christian is to have instant and constant obedience to Jesus
Christ even if this life of an Authentic Christian clashes with other people,
other doctrinal position, and to the atheistic secular world. Discipleship is one of personal passionate
devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This must be remembered; there is a difference between our devotion to
Jesus Christ and any devotion one may have to principles or to a cause. Jesus Christ never proclaimed a cause; He
proclaimed for His children, those given to Him by the Father, to have personal
devotion to Him. A disciple of Jesus
Christ is one who is a devoted love --slave of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Unfortunately, many who call
themselves Christian are not devoted to Jesus Christ. You can only have this devotion, this love when the Holy Spirit
has imparted that to you and by the faith given to you. Oh, a person may admire Jesus Christ, they
even may respect Him, even to have reference for Him, but they cannot love
Him. The Holy Spirit is the only true
Lover of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit spreads abroad into our hearts the
love of God. Whenever the Holy Spirit
stamps upon your heart, and upon your nerves, including your whole personality,
and you simply make your desire and your devotion to glow with the devotion to
Jesus Christ, then you are glorifying Jesus Christ. Our Christian life, if it is to be Authentic must have upon it a
moral spontaneous originality. This may
bring upon you disdain, and we may be even charged as being inconsistent, as
was Jesus, yet, a true Authentic Christian must be consistent to the life of
the Son of God in you, and not necessarily to hold hard and fast to creeds, or
doctrines that are inconsistent with the inspired word of God. You must become devoted to Jesus Christ.
Therefore,
even though we read those things that are hard to accept, even go against our
ideology and worldview, we must remain consistent with what God inspired to
have written for our instruction in how to live an Authentic Christian
life. So, as we have been studying the
various problems that Paul addressed to the Corinthian church. Those things such as the misuse of speaking
in a language that they had not learned, or to use other spiritual gifts that
may or may not have been given to them, and in an un-Christian manner, even this
command and direction for women in the church, we do not avoid what God has spoken and had written.
So why did Paul have a need to address this subject about women in the
church and the fact that they were to remain silent in the church? It seems as though some Corinthian women
would speak publicly when they were not under the impulse of the Holy
Spirit. This could have been an interruption
towards other speakers and may even have used a disputatious temper. So, how are we to understand this? The Bible is clear that women were not to
speak in the public congregation, or to assume the office of teachers, and they
were to remain consistent with the obedience to husbands as taught by Divine
Law. Does this mean that they cannot be
Sunday school teachers? No! Does this mean that they cannot hold Bible
studies with other women? No! Paul has made it clear that if there was
anything in the public instruction that they could not understand, they had to
wait till they returned home, and then ask their husbands about it who are
supposed to be able and willing to inform them, and who were the persons for
them to confirm with! It was not proper
for women to make a practice of discoursing in the public assemblies. So, when Paul says that women were to ask
her husband's at home, is it not supposed that believing families would gather
together for reviewing the doctrines they have heard, and for promoting
spiritual knowledge? Yes! As I had previously written, men, you are to
be the leaders in your home, therefore, you are to study God's Word so that
when family members ask the meaning of what had been spoken and the truths
that are in the Bible they will now not appear dark and obscure to
them. One of the problems that existed
in the Corinthian church was their pride self conceit, as though Christianity
came from them, and may even have felt as though Christianity was now limited
confined to them. Paul had to reprove
and humble them, whose virtual pride and self conceit throw the Christian
churches into confusion. Has that not
been done even in our day? Yes! Paul made this clear, what he wrote and
spoke, is the commands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and if one does not
agree with this then there is some question as to whether or not they ever had
the spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christ, never, can never, contradict itself.
If any of someone's revelations, or use of spiritual gifts, contradict
the Word of God, then those things did not come from the Holy Spirit. How do we know whether, or not what is
spoken, or written has come from the Holy Spirit? When not all is in contradiction to the Word of God.
Two close this
subject, we are to follow the arrangement of God, and that arrangement is that
men are to be the leaders of their home, their church, to teach, to lead by
example. Women have a tremendous
responsibility and that responsibility is also to teach their children, to
study God's Word, to be also a co -- leader in the home. All things are to be done decently and in
order. If this is done then you, your
family, your church, all will be blessed by God.
I thought about my ways,
and turned
my feet to your testimonies.
I made haste, and did not delay to keep your commandments.
The cords
of the wicked have bound me,
but I have not forgotten Your law.
Psalm 119: 59 -- 61
Keep the precepts and commands of God
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