Episode 2830 - Lesson 4 - Friday July 24 - Further Thought

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, "A Message of Warning and Entreaty," pp. 298-308, in The Acts of the Apostles.Interestingly, in the catalog of vices in 1 Corinthians 5:10-11, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, idolatry and drunkenness are listed along with sexual immorality. As Paul recalls in 1 Corinthians 10:7 (compare with Exod. 32:1-6), idolatrous festivals were usually marked with excessive eating and drinking, which opened the door for sexual immorality (1 Cor. 10:8). Ellen G. White says:"It is impossible for any to enjoy the blessing of sanctification while they are selfish and gluttonous. . . . The power of the human constitution to resist the abuses put upon it is wonderful, but persistent wrong habits in excessive eating and drinking will enfeeble every function of the body. In the gratification of perverted appetite and passion even professed Christians cripple nature in her work and lessen physical, mental, and moral power."--Ellen G. White, The Sanctified Life, pp. 25, 26."When one is fully emptied of self, when every false god is cast out of the soul, the vacuum is supplied by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. Such a one has the faith which works by love and purifies the soul from every moral and spiritual defilement."--Ellen G. White, The Home Missionary, November, 1893."God is seeking to exalt us to His high, pure, heavenly standard. For this purpose His Spirit is constantly striving with us. . . . Our natural tendencies, unless corrected by the Holy Spirit of God, have in them the seeds of moral death."--Ellen G. White, Manuscript 12, 1888.Discussion Questions:1.Many believers in Corinth manifested a desire to gain cultural approval. Why is that so dangerous to Christian identity? What can we do to prevent ourselves from making the same mistake?Paul's rhetorical question "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?" (1 Cor. 6:19, NKJV) closes a series of seven questions in 1 Corinthians 5-6 introduced by the formula "Do you not know?" (1 Cor. 5:6; 1 Cor. 6:2-3, 9, 15, 16, 19). All of them demand an affirmative and emphatic answer-- something like "Of course you do." How do these questions help us understand Paul's concerns about the church? Why should we, too, be concerned about these issues today?Marriage is from God (Gen. 1:27-28; Gen. 2:18-24) and must be honored (Heb. 13:4). In a time when many consider it old-fashioned, how can we show the world that marriage is really a gift from God, directly from Eden itself?