DESIRABLE CONDUCT

“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40 NKJV).

While this verse was written primarily about conduct in church services, the principle is applicable for every area of our lives. Here, the apostle Paul gives two rules for desirable conduct: propriety and priorities.

Propriety – “Let all things be done decently.” The word translated “decently” means to be honorable, marked by propriety, and it involves honesty. The word also carries the idea of good taste in conduct and appearance. We certainly would like to see more of this kind of behavior in our society. But instead of decent behavior, we see dishonorable behavior. And this dishonorable behavior shows up at church as well. Further, the way some people dress to go to church is certainly not decent and honorable. It shows disrespect for God and for worship. Of course, some folks may not be able to afford good clothes, but that is not the problem. The problem is not poverty but propriety.

Priorities – “And in order.” The word translated “order” means to put in order or according to rank. The church at Corinth had trouble in their church services in that they were being conducted without order. Many folks live their lives the same way. But living a disorderly lifestyle is not the kind of life that pleases God. To live “in order,” means we need to get our priorities right. It means first things first. The Lord Jesus gave a good command for priorities when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (cf. Matt. 6:33). So, first things start with putting the Lord first in our lives. Without Him being in the right place, we can forget about doing things “in order.” Instead, life will be a confused mess. The problem with many folks is that so many things come before the Lord in their lives. We especially cause problems when we put self before the Lord. If you want order in our lives, we will need to get our priorities right.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“How you live your life is a testimony of what you believe about God!”

Henry Blackaby (1935 - )

American Evangelical Pastor and Author    

Word Study

Filthiness

In Jam. 1:21 we read, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (NKJV).

“Filthiness” is the Greek word rhuparía (ῥυπαρία = hroo-par-ee'-ah). It literally means dirt or filth and was used to describe dirty garments. The word also carried the idea of moral corruption and vulgarity. Here it is being used metaphorically by the apostle James to denote moral uncleanness or impurity. He is challenging his readers to remove the moral uncleanness, especially greediness and the prevalent evil intentions.

Did You Know…

The Roman historian Tacitus writes that into the city of Rome “flow all things that are vile and abominable.” Yet the apostle Paul writes that the faith of the Roman believers was “spoken of throughout the whole world” (Rom. 1:8).

Bible Quiz

Apart from referring to himself as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus,” how else does the apostle Paul refer to himself in the Book of Philemon?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

What did the apostle Paul mean when he said, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand?” He was about to be executed (2 Tim. 4:6).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus was to arise from the dead never to die again (Psalm 16:10-11; cf. Acts 26:23)

"For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:10-11 NJKV).

The sum of what David is saying is that he is thankful that God will not give him over to death so that he abandoned to Sheol and can no longer enjoy God’s presence. He is assured in knowing that he will continue to live and experience great joy in his relationship with the Lord. And while other human beings were brought back to life prior to the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection, there is a fundamental and critical difference between those folks and the Lord Jesus. In all other cases, the person who was raised returned to an earthly, sinful body, and therefore they had to die again. The Lord Jesus rose from the dead with a new glorified resurrected body, and is alive for evermore. His resurrection from the dead was the first entrance out of the grave to eternal life. And so, for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the path of life begins on earth, but it does not end on earth, not at death’s door. Life triumphs over death and marches into the very presence of the Lord Himself in heaven.

Did You Know – Christian History

Henry IV was born on November 11, 1050, in Saxony, Germany. He inherited his throne in 1065 when he was only fifteen, but his reign was characterized by significant conflicts, most notably a power struggle with Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand) over the appointment of bishops. From the first, he faced rebellion in Saxony. In 1073, the Saxons destroyed several churches. Henry accused them of sacrilege, and Hildebrand, who wanted to remain on good terms with Henry, condemned them. The Saxons offered to make reparations for the churches and castles they had destroyed, but in 1075 Henry defeated them in a surprise attack. He imprisoned many nobles and some bishops and installed his own bishops.

With bishops in prison, and Henry selling bishoprics (districts) to new bishops, Hildebrand had to act. He took Henry to task for his errors and demanded proof of his obedience to the church. Henry lashed out and angrily summoned the German bishops to the city of Worms. On January 27, 1076, twenty-four bishops unseated Hildebrand. According to their allegations, Hildebrand had sworn to previous Emperor Henry III never to become pope; that he was unlawfully elected; that he had dealt with a high hand toward bishops in four nations; and he had violated an election decree established in 1059. The bishops of Lombard approved the German vote. Henry then addressed a letter to the pope, calling him, “not Pope, but false monk.” He demanded that Hildebrand relinquish the papacy. “Step down, step down, thou eternally damned.”

Hildebrand convened a council of his supporting bishops. As they were meeting, a priest named Roland rode up, bearing a message from Henry, commanding Hildebrand to step down and his bishops to appear before the king to elect a new pope. Infuriated, the bishops wanted to kill Roland, but Hildebrand shielded Roland with his own body. Hildebrand then excommunicated Henry and absolved Henry’s subjects of loyalty to the emperor. For the better part of a year Henry struggled to hang onto his kingdom, and by the next January he gave in and appeared barefoot in the snow at Canossa, Italy, requesting the pope to absolve him. After making him wait three days, Hildebrand did, restoring his kingly privileges, but imposed severe penance.

The penalties embittered Henry and he did not abide by them. The pope then induced Rudolf of Swabia to revolt against Henry who gathered an Italian army and killed Rudolf. Once again Hildebrand excommunicated Henry. Henry struck back against the excommunication with fury, marching into Italy, removing Hildebrand, and capturing Rome. He appointed Clement, an antipope, who repaid the favor by crowning Henry as the Holy Roman Emperor. Hildebrand died in exile. However, Henry did not have the last word. In 1105, his own son forced him from the throne. The once fearsome emperor died neglected and alone.

A Little Humor

A three-year-old boy went with his dad to see a litter of kittens. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his mother, “There were two boy kittens and two girl kittens.” “How did you know?” his mother asked. “Daddy picked them up and looked underneath,” he replied. “I think it’s printed on the bottom.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“A mind fixed on God has no room for evil thoughts!”