COUNSEL FOR CHRISTIANS

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20 NKJV).

Too many Christians are living careless lives. This reflects their failure to recognize their obligations to God. In this verse, the apostle Paul gives some needed counsel for Christians. He speaks of the Christian’s price, purpose, and possession.

Price – “You were bought at a price.” This refers to the cost of our salvation and that redemption was not cheap. It cost the Son of God His life. The value of the soul is greater than all the wealth of the world (cf. Mark 8:36-37) which gives us somewhat of an idea of the great price which God paid to save us. We were not able to redeem ourselves because we did not possess the wealth to pay the cost. This is a great reminder of Psalm 49:6-8, “Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their souls is costly.”

Purpose - “Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit.” The redeemed are to glorify God. In context, the apostle Paul is referring to sexual impurity. Christians are to live sexually pure lives. The fact that God paid such a great price for our salvation should motivate us to live pure lives. We can use our bodies either honor God or dishonor Him. If we abuse our bodies through unholy living, we bring great dishonor to God. Further, we are commanded to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).

Possession - “Which are God’s.” God owns believers; we belong to Him. This is a great encouragement knowing that we belong to Him. But it is also tells us something about Who is to rule the life of the redeemed. If God owns the redeemed, then He has authority over us, and we are to submit to Him. Sometimes believers act like they own themselves and go their own way. However, we are forgetting that we belong to God and that He decides our pathway.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Christianity is the only system of faith which combines religious beliefs with corresponding principles of morality. It builds ethics on religion!”

Austin Phelps (1820 – 1890)

American Congregational Minister and Educator

Word Study

Figure of speech

In John 10:6 we read, “This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them” (NASB).

“Figure of speech” is the Greek word paroimía (παροιμία = par-oy-mee'-ah). It is made up of two words: “para” which means beside, and “oimos” which means a byword, an allegory. Thus, the word means a symbolic or figurative saying. Literally, it means wayside saying or saying by the way. Paroimía conveys the idea that something cryptic or enigmatic is intended. In classical Greek, paroimía denotes a wise saying. In the Septuagint, paroimía is used to denote a proverb. In the New Testament, paroimía is used in both in a figurative sense as well as to specific illustrations of likeness. Paroimía is to be distinguished from a parable in that a parable is usually a longer story used to express a comparative analogy as opposed to a paroimía which is a short maxim or truth.

Did You Know…

Of all the kings in the Old Testament, King Solomon had the most wealth, riches and honor (2 Chron. 1:12).

Bible Quiz

What does Solomon say about “much study?”

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

How old was Samuel when his mother took him to the temple to live? When he had been weaned (1 Sam. 1:22).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

Ruling the nations with a rod of iron – Prefigures the Rule and Reign of the Lord Jesus (Psalm 2:9; cf. Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15)

"You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9 NJKV).

The Lord Jesus Christ will one day return bodily to this earth in power and glory to reign in righteousness from David’s throne. Satan offered Him this honor in return for His worship, but the Lord Jesus refused (cf. Matt. 4:8-11). The Hebrew word translated “break” can also mean shepherd or rule. The Lord Jesus’ rule will be just but firm. Those who submit to His authority will be His subjects, while those who resist will be dealt with severely. He is God, King, and Conqueror, Who and will smash His enemies completely (cf. Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). He will put down all rebellion and rule in righteousness.

Did You Know – Christian History

Ivan (John) Evseyevich Popov-Veniaminov, was born on August 26, 1797, in the village of Anginskoye, Russia. He was a Russian Orthodox priest and missionary to Alaska.

Born to a clerical family and educated at the provincial theological seminary in Irkutsk, Russia, Veniaminov quickly showed himself to be a bright prospect for the Russian Orthodox Church in Siberia. After initially declining his bishop’s request that he take up missionary work on Unalaska Island in the north Pacific, he felt himself divinely called to aid the island people there. Taking his growing family overland to the Pacific, he arrived on Unalaska in 1822 and quickly accepted pastoral responsibility for the inhabitants of the neighboring islands, the Alaskan peninsula, and the remote Pribilof Islands.

Veniaminov diligently studied the Aleutian dialect, invented an alphabet, opened a school, and translated the gospel of Matthew. He also wrote a book about Aleut culture, Notes on the Island of Unalaska and a catechism called A Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, with the Russian translation becoming a classic in his homeland. Feeling the physical toll of ten years of rowing kayaks and hiking through the Island Mountains, Veniaminov sought a disability retirement in 1832. Instead, he was transferred to the less demanding Sitka, where he again set to work among the less receptive Tlingit Indians. He learned the Tlingit language, opened an orphanage, and built a cathedral.

Summoned home in 1839 to report on the status of the American mission to the Holy Synod, Veniaminov sailed to Saint Petersburg. While there he learned that his wife had died, and, being no longer married, he became eligible to head a newly created diocese stretching from California to Yakutsk. Reluctantly he accepted and returned to Alaska as a bishop in 1840. He insisted that the missionaries under his jurisdiction follow his own example of mastering the local dialects, studying the local cultures sympathetically in order to incarnate the gospel, and establishing schools advancing all phases of education. In order to prepare an indigenous clergy, which he saw as the logical next step in evangelization, he established a seminary in Sitka.

Physically worn out, Veniaminov sought retirement in 1868. Instead, he was advanced to the rank of Metropolitan of Moscow. There Metropolitan Innocent, Veniaminov used his influence to found the Russian Missionary Society, whose local chapters throughout the empire raised funds to support home and foreign missions. The society flourished until the Bolshevik revolution ended its activities. In 1977 Veniaminov was honored by the Orthodox Church in America as “Evangelizer of the Aluets and Apostle to America.” Through his tireless efforts, Veniaminov transformed the spiritual landscape of North America, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire Orthodox Christians today.

A Little Humor

During the service, the minister paused and said, “Brothers and sisters, we are in great difficulty. The roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up.” At that moment, the substitute organist played “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Looking for directions? – God’s Word is like a highway sign!”