Daily Walk Through the New Testament

November 30

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13

There are three vital aspects of the body of Christ. First, there is unity in the body. Jesus prayed we would be one as Jesus is one with the Father (John 17:20-21). Wow! That is a lot of oneness! God the Father answered Jesus’ prayer by sending the Holy Spirit to make us one. Paul said, “the body is one” and “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (12:12-13).
Second, there is diversity in the body. We are not all the same. The Holy Spirit has gifted us differently for various tasks and ministries within the body. This passage reminds us that each “body part” is necessary and contributes a function important to the working of the body.
Third, there is maturity in the body. Your spiritual giftedness is of no value if it is not exercised with love. The fruit of the Spirit is much more important than the gifts of the Spirit!
Do your part in honoring God’s design for the body of Christ. Seek unity with others, respect others’ spiritual gifts, and do all things in love.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 29
Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-12:11

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper with His disciples the night before His death. The bread represents His body, which was broken for us. It bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, and was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:4-5). The juice represents Jesus’ blood which was shed for us. His sacrifice was necessary for the forgiveness of our sins because “without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22).
There are 3 aspects of the Lord’s Supper. First, there is a backward look. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (11:24). Reading the Gospel accounts of His crucifixion before we take Communion helps us remember all Jesus went through to pay the price for our sins and demonstrate His great love for us. Second, there is a forward look. Jesus said, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (11:26). Praise God, Jesus is coming again! At the Lord’s table, we pause to remember His promised return.
Third, there is an inward look. Paul said we should examine & judge ourselves. Why? So we do not partake of the Lord’s body & blood in an unworthy manner. The Lord chastened those who did; some became sick and weak, and some even died (11:30). We must not come to the Lord’s table flippantly! We must not eat of the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper with known, unconfessed sin in our lives.
Don’t forget to take a backward, forward, and inward look the next time you take part in the Lord’s Supper. Doing so will help you be mindful of all Jesus has done for us in the past and all He has promised to His followers in the future.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 28
Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:22

In this passage, we see 3 ways we can honor God. First, we honor God by not offending others. Many do things they know are offensive to others because they don’t think other should find them offensive. But Paul commanded, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (10:24). We do affect others and must not exercise our Christian liberties to the detriment of others. Paul also said we should not do anything that makes a fellow believer weak or stumble, for “none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself” (Romans 14:7, 21).
Second, we honor God by submitting to others. Ephesians 5:21 echoes this command, saying we should do so out of reverence for Christ and in fear of God.
Third, we honor God by preferring others. Paul reprimanded the Corinthian believers for dividing into cliques, eating at different times, and refusing to share with the poor when they gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In honoring others, we honor Christ. How will you do that today?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 27
Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22

Discipline is perhaps the most hated word in the Christian vocabulary. Many of us are not disciplined in our business deals, entertainment, or language. We all want our ticket to heaven stamped, but we don’t want to be bothered with Christian disciplines while on our journey there.
Discipline is an inside job — it cannot be done by proxy. Only you can discipline yourself! D.L. Moody once said, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” That statement is an encouragement to be disciplined in Bible reading, and it’s true of other spiritual disciplines as well (“Prayer will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from prayer.” “A Bible-preaching church will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from a Bible-preaching church.”)
We do not want to follow the example of the Israelites, with whom “God was not well pleased” (10:5). They were idolaters, adulterers, tempters, and complainers. They did not heed Moses’ commands not to do evil in God’s sight. Paul said we are all both capable of sin and of escaping sin (10:12-13). You can fall, but you don’t have to! You can be a victim of sin, or you can be a victor over sin! It takes discipline, it takes saying no to the flesh, and it takes relying on the help of the Holy Spirit.
Like Paul, discipline your body and your spirit, bring them into subjection, and be temperate in all things.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 26
Read 1 Corinthians 8:9-9:23

We are so self-absorbed that we often see the effects of our sin on ourselves but fail to see it on others. In the Christian life, we are to be our brother’s keeper. We must not just live to ourselves; we have to consider how our actions and attitudes affect others. This is one of the most glaring yet overlooked problems in the Christian community today. If we truly practice the second greatest commandment, to love our neighbors as ourselves, then how can we be content to ignore becoming a stumbling block to others for whom Christ died?
Paul stated that some Christians were offended by other believers eating meat offered to idols. Today, many believers are offended by those who drink alcohol. Many Christian social drinkers make their case as to why it is permissible, but Paul clearly stated, “When you thus sin against the brethren . . . You sin against Christ” (8:12). What a strong indictment! Paul would not even take a minister’s salary so as not to offend anyone “for the gospel’s sake” (9:23). Neither should we offend others for the gospel’s sake!
Be careful not to be a stumbling block or offense to others today.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

November 25

Read 1 Corinthians 7:25-8:8

Possibly, the two most important decisions in life are how we respond to Jesus and who — or if — we marry. Both are lifelong commitments and should be taken seriously!
The Bible addresses the real issues of life. Paul encouraged both the married and the unmarried to remain as they are (7:26). Salvation does not alter our marital status. Marriage is an earthly arrangement that will not continue in heaven (Matthew 22:30). Therefore, Paul was concerned about the cares brought on by an earthly agreement that causes a believer to focus on pleasing his or her spouse instead of pleasing the Lord (7:32-35). But he gave no commandment to remain single.
In today’s church culture, we often think everyone should be married. It is not unusual to find self-appointed matchmakers in the pews attempting to connect single friends. Neither Paul nor Jesus taught that marriage or singleness was above the other. However, both commended singleness to avoid the distractions to living the Christian life.
Thank God for addressing the issues of life in His Word, and make sure your views of marriage and singleness line up with His.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

November 24

Answer the following questions concerning your readings from this past week:

1.) Are you spending unhurried time with God? Why or why not?
Read Jeremiah 23, Mark 3:13-15, & 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, and list the                     benefits of being in God’s presence.

2.) Are you happy in your marriage or relationship? Is it glorifying to God? Why or why not? What do you need to work on to take your relationship to the next level?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 23
Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-24

Perhaps you’ve heard that the divorce rate of second marriages is much higher than in first marriages, and that it increases with every remarriage after. Why? Because very few people correct the problems that led to the first divorce. Our society has made it too easy for people to get a divorce, but divorce papers will never completely undo what God has done, because it is nearly impossible for couples to completely separate emotionally.
God says that marriage is 2 individuals becoming 1 flesh (Genesis 2:24). It is like supergluing 2 pieces of cardboard together. If you tear them apart, pieces of one will be permanently attached to the other, and you’ll make a mess in the process. People cannot divorce without leaving a part of themselves behind and carrying a part of their mate with them. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 clearly teaches Christians to not divorce because it is a gift from God.
If you are considering divorce, do everything you can to reconcile. If you do reconcile, be sure that you and your spouse love Jesus Christ more than each other. A marriage without Jesus is like a ship without a rudder. You may move forward, but you won’t be able to sail around the storms of life.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 22
Read 1 Corinthians 5:9-6:20

The sin of immorality is not a sin we are told to fight in the Bible — it is a sin we are told to flee from (2 Timothy 2:22). God tells us to get out of every compromising situation. Remember what Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife approached him (Genesis 39:7-12)? In a word, he fled. Joseph got out of that compromising situation as fast as he could!
We live in a society of moral relativism, but Scripture reminds us that God indeed judges immoral behavior (1 Corinthians 5:9-13; Hebrews 13:4). And Proverbs 6:32-33 offers strong words regarding sexual immorality: “Whoever commits adultery . . . Destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away.”
If there is someone in your office who flirts with you inappropriately, it would be better for you to report it to HR or even quit your job than to remain in that situation. It is better to lose your job than your integrity! If someone who is married begins to communicate with you in a suggestive way, lose the relationship instead of your reputation. If you find yourself in any kind of compromising situation — especially with the prevalence of social media in our society — don’t see how close you can come to it — see how far you can get away from it! Honor God with your body and with your life!

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 20
Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-4:5

A hundred years from now, many things will be far less important to you than they are today — your meticulously groomed lawn, the amount of money in your IRA, the make and model of your car, or who won the Super Bowl or was National Champs.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of those things but it’s important to answer this question: what in your life today will remain when the mountains have crumbled, the stars have fallen from the sky, and a new heaven and a new earth are created?
Wood, hay, and stubble will all go up in flames someday (3:12-13). Those 3 things are an analogy for the temporary things we worry over, get stressed out about, and work for tirelessly — that are all going to be destroyed. So many people are giving their lives to things that will not last; things that have no eternal value.
What are you living for that will last? What are you working for that will remain? Is your portfolio eternal? When we look back on this life with heavenly eyes, things are going to look much differently than they do now, so begin today to build for eternity with Jesus as your cornerstone.
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Daily Walk Through the New Testament
November 21
Read 1 Corinthians 4:6-5:8

People have the idea today that it is ok to live in immorality and that God is going to overlook their “little” indiscretions. But Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” God doesn’t miss one single beat of our lives. He is the righteous judge, and He will judge accordingly. Does that mean that if you have done anything immoral that you can’t be saved? NO! 1 Corinthians 6:11 speaks to Christians with dark pasts, saying that unbelieving sinners will not inherit the kingdom of God, “but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Hallelujah! Praise Jesus!
There is no sin so awful that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse it. He makes the dirtiest sinner clean. God will not tolerate sin in your life because He is holy and because of the great sacrifice Jesus Christ made for you on the cross. If there is an area of unconfessed sin in your life, He will deal with you personally, persistently, and powerfully until you put it out of your life (1 Corinthians 5:13).
Your sin may not be mentioned here in this writing, but sin is sin. If left alone, sin will cost you more than you want to pay, take you further than you want to go, and keep you longer than you want to stay. Deal with sin today!