But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, (30) those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, (31) and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today are the beginning of a solemn and affectionate warning for all the faithful should live as ever expecting the return of the Lord – not to live carelessly and to ever be on the watch, as our time on earth is short. The outward form of this world is passing away. The occasion of Paul’s advice were the peculiar circumstances of trials and difficulties in which Christians of that day (and in that city of cultural sensuality) were placed – Paul wanted his readers to be free from concerns of this present life and is advocating the single life. It was the single life he chose in which to serve the Lord, without any temporal relationships or any human occupation to hinder his fellowship with God.

When people are converted all their past sin is wiped out by the blood of Christ. They have been called by God and are saved in the condition He found them – married or single. In Christ the faithful are raised to a level where all earthly distinctions are insignificant. It’s a matter of being guided by the Lord under existing conditions. The basic principal of our verses is if one avoids marriage it allows one opportunities that married people do not have. In Paul’s mind this is the finest kind of life. Notice this is not a command nor a legal restriction – the central thought is celibacy is desirable. Marriage is a temporary covenant but relation to the Lord is permanent. Paul wants men to be without care – unmarried cares for things of the Lord and married cares about things of the world. He draws his argument from the shortness of human life. We should live as if every moment we are about to depart from this life.

In my research for todays blog I read a stunning analogy: it is as if this world has NOT an existence but is only a show and mere appearance similar to a theatrical representation in which the curtain goes up and a new experience is presented and the things which should hold the interest of spectators are withdrawn from view. The theatrical experience is presented as temporary and short lived – the world is not our home.

Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. (14) And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. (15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! (16) Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two” He says, “shall become one flesh.” (17) But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (18) Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (19) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (20) For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today address thsexual sin of fornication and Paul writes that believers must recognize sexual purity as a salvation issue. Fornication refers to any type of sexual activities outside of marriage. Paul makes the point by comparing the eating of meats offered to idols which is an indifferent thing and is guided by religious liberty – but fornication is not an indifferent matter. . Fornication is an unlawful matter and it affects the man/woman as he/she is not designed for this indulgence. Implicit in our verses is the truth that the gospel ultimately transforms a person’s life and he/she cannot, according to scripture, continue in the kind of life led in sin. The fundamental fact of salvation in Christ means we are delivered from living as sinners. It does not mean we may not fall into sin but we, in faith, are delivered from bondage to sin.

The body is not meant for sexual immorality and here this specifically refers to fornication. He who commits fortification sins against his/her own body. Those who belong to Christ and have the Spirit living in them cannot be content if they are yielding to sexual sin. It is never profitable and hurts the sinner – it damages our relationship with Christ and also hurts the person you sin with. It enslaves those who yield to it. Paul points out the spiritual nature of sexual union – God designed sexual relations to be restricted within the boundaries of marriage. Sexual sin corrupts and shatters spiritual relationships both human and divine. We are advised to flee – a very powerful command – all sin begins in thought level and we need to defeat it on that level.

C.s. Lewis writes in the Screwtape letters that “Everytime a man and woman enter into a sexual relationship a spiritual bond is established between them which must be eternally enjoyed or eternally endured.” Sexual sin is always a violation of God’s purpose for our bodies: the body is a permanent organism, designed to be the dwelling place for the Spirit of God. The sin in question is absolutely incompatible and destructive with our relationship between our bodies and Christ.

If indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (3) how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, (4) by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), (5) which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: (6) that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel. The dispensation of the grace of God given to Paul was the commission of his office as apostle to the Gentiles. This office was an inward grace, including infallible and plenary knowledge. Apostolic knowledge must be direct and not founded by hearsay – the mystery of which he writes in our verses is the union of the Jews and the Gentiles. This is something undiscoverable by human reason and an indication of Paul’s knowledge of the whole plan of salvation.

The apostles and the prophets were the only recipients of direct revelation – the apostles were permanent agents and the prophets were occasional organs of the Spirit. In chapter 2 of Ephesians Paul outlined the unprecedented blessings God has now poured out on the Gentiles. The Old Testament predicted the calling of the Gentiles and led to the general impression that they were to partake of the blessings of the Messiah by becoming Jews – the continuation of a theocracy thought to remain. It seems never to have entered the human mind that the old theocracy itself was to be abolished and a new form of religion, introduced and adapted equally for all mankind and under which distinction between Jew and Gentile was to be done away.

The Gentiles are now partakers of God’s promises – the only essential and indispensible condition of participation in redemption is union with Christ. Redemption is brought about by the gospel; not by birth nor by outward rite nor by union with any external body but by the gospel received and the union affected by faith. No one has ever come to Christ by his/her own intelligence, will power or good works.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; (13) bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. (14) But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. (15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were also called in one body; and be thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (17) And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The letter to the Colossians was written by the apostle Paul. Written primarily to refute heresy, our verses teach key areas of theology: deity of Christ; reconciliation and redemption in Christ – election, forgiveness and the nature of the church. The elect of God – those set apart by God, are new men and women in faith who owe everything to the will of God; His will, his choice. The faithful are to put on the qualities of Christ; to live and behave in love and let the peace of God rule in our hearts and be thankful for undeserved salvation. We are to forgive precisely as we are forgiven.

The emphasis in our verses is the understanding of our responsibilities as a Christian. We are not just to stop inappropriate behaviors but to adopt qualities of our new life in faith. The basic principle as opposed to a set of specific rules is this – we should live and think and act all deeds in harmony with the revelation of Jesus Christ – under His authority and as His followers – and to do all with thanksgiving to God. This approach is vastly different from a legal one that provides a specific command for every situation. This contrast shows the basic difference between the New Testament and the Old Covenant.

Christianity is not just theology nor simply a system of ethics but union with Christ – a decisive modification in duty. It is creed followed by conduct or more simply, we are to behave as we believe. c.S.Lewis write in ‘Mere Christianity’ that “The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for this day rise at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussing and fretting; coming in out of the wind.”