A Lesson from Paul

A Lesson from Paul
The Book of Acts records this incident in the apostle Pauls life that took place in Athens. It reads,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.   Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others Acts 17:17-34.
Here is something the individuals in the Church and indeed the Church as a whole need to look at.
Someone said to me. “It’s time for our nation to speak up against the moral filth in our society. To get rid of the moral filth in our nation and return to God.”
I pointed out to this person that first of all our nation has never been a godly nation despite what the nations founders had carved into walls or printed on nice pieces of paper.
As for moral filth in our society we are probably equal to what went on in the Roman world. We might even be better. We don’t have slaves, We don’t condone the killing of people in a coliseum for entertainment. We don’t have temple prostitutes.
All of which the apostle Paul would have seen while in Athens. Yet Paul did not speak out against what he would have considered “immoral filth” Paul knew better.
Paul knew he had the answer to overcome every sin the Athenians were committing, Jesus Christ.
Thus when he spoke to the Athenians he presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christ alone. The results were when he had completed some sneered, but more importantly they wanted to hear more and some came to know the Lord.
This came about because Paul presented the pure gospel and did not attack or criticize the  beliefs or actions of the Athenians.
Paul writing to the Corinthians who lived in one of the most, if not the most morally corrupt cities in the Roman Empire said,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—  not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11.
Notice Paul tells believers in Christ not to associate
“with with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.”
It is actually our duty as believers in Christ to take the gospel to the whole world and that will mean associating with people of all walks of life even the immoral.
For it is only in doing so that we can show them the way to heaven.
Please think about it. 

Can get to Heaven

Can get to heaven

“All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)  
This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” Romans 2:12-16.
When I was much younger the question arose from one of my friends. Can a person who has never heard the gospel message get to heaven.
My answer is an unequivocal yes. The apostle Paul make that clear in the above scripture. Paul states,
“All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law....”
He goes on to say,
“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.”  
God is a just God. He will only judge us by what we know. If a person has not received the gospel message or read or heard the teachings of the Bible, God will not hold that person accountable for what is written in them. However God will hold them accountable for what they know with regards to good and evil.
He will look at the persons heart and mind and Judge the individual accordingly.
Question: what do you think God will say about you when He judges you?
Please think about it.

Trouble and Distress or Glory and Honour

Trouble and Distress or Glory and honour
The Apostle Paul writes,
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.  
Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.  
So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?  
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? 
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath , when his righteous judgment will be revealed.  
God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;  but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  
For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:1-11.
Here Paul makes it clear that we have no right to judge others. He states,
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
We have no right to judge others because like them we sin and all sin is equal. So in condemning the sin of others we are also condemning the sin in our lives. And as Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1,2
Paul goes on to say,
“...do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”
God does show kindness, tolerance and patience to those who sin. Likewise he shows the same things to those who do not know Him.
The reason is kindness and leads to repentance.
Jesus tells us in  John 3:16, 17,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.   
Paul points out,
"God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
This does not mean we are saved by our works. Paul makes it clear in his other writings that it is by faith we are saved.
Here Paul is talking to the believer. Telling the believer that those who continue in the faith doing good will be given their reward eternal life with God.
On the other hand those who are self seeking, who reject to truth and follow evil will subject to wrath and anger.
Paul then notes,
1/ “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;” 
 2/ “but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”  
He notes every human being who does evil will be punished.
Likewise every one who does good will receive glory and honour.
Please think about it.

Strength in Weakness

Strength in Weakness
The apostle Paul writes,
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 
When I read this passage I am reminded of the rich man that came to Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s gospel. Matthew records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
The young man in this situation put more faith in his wealth than in God. That is not what God wants.
The point here is that we should be putting our faith entirely in God not in our wealth or our own strength.
Now there is nothing wrong with being strong and wealthy. However we should not put our trust in them. Our wealth can vanish in an instant. Our strength can do the same.
The prophet Isaiah states,

“A voice says, “Cry out.” 

And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

“All men are like grass, 

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever.” 

                                                  Isaiah 40:6-8

It should be immaterial to our faith whether we have wealth and strength. We should never boast about these things. We need to believe the words Christ spoken to the apostle Paul when he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
If we must boast we should be boasting about Jesus and all He has done for us.
Please think about it.

Christian's Purify yourself

Christian Purify yourself
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1.
In my previous blog post I noted that to be Christ like not only meant loving people but sitting down with sinners and others to present the message of Christ to them.
Here the apostle Paul is making it clear to believers in Christ that we need to keep ourselves clean from the contamination of the evil of the world.
However that does not mean refusing to associate with the people of this world. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:9,10,11.
Paul make it clear we are not to associate with someone calling himself a brother in Christ who is doing immoral things.”
In 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1, Paul is saying that we personally need to keep our lives clean. Paul makes it clear stating,
“...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
The apostle Peter writes
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
As believers in Christ we should be living as good a moral life as we can. So much so that without us even saying a word those around us will realize it and even be attracted to Christ because of it.
Please think about it.

Being Christ Like

Being Christ Like
The Apostle Paul writes,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

the old has gone, the new has come!” 

                                                                        2 Corinthians 5:17.

If we are truly sincere when we ask Christ into our life we do become a new creation. Slowly perhaps at first our lives begin to change. We start to turn away from things that are not pleasing to God. God becomes first in our lives and we have a truly hart felt desire to serve God in whatever way we can.
That being said here is something for you to think about if we want to be Christ like.
First of all if we desire to be Christ like we will desire to love. Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Not only that He said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Matthew 5:43-47.
If you are becoming Christ like you will also “sit with sinners”
Matthew’s gospel records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
Jesus sat down with sinners in order to show them the way to heaven. This is something we must do.
If you are becoming Christ like you will not judge others especially when it comes to where they will spend eternity. Jesus said,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”Matthew 7:1,2
We can’t be judging others because we do not know what is in their heart. Billy Graham the American Evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                          Billy Graham.

This to me at least in part is what it is to be a new creation in Christ. It is what it is to become Christ like. For in becoming Christ like we are showing the love of God and Jesus said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
Please think about it.
  

We live by faith

We live by Faith
The apostle Paul writes,

“We live by faith, not by sight.” 

                                2 Corinthians 5:7.

The Christian life is very much a life of faith. As Billy Graham the great American evangelist put it,

I can't prove it scientifically, that there's a God,

 but I believe.

                                Billy Graham.

The Writer of Hebrews states,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                            Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

 and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                      Hebrews 11:6.

Acting in faith is not exclusively a Christian thing or for that matter a religious thing. Scientist act on faith all the time. Scientist look at the world around them and make hypophysis. They state because of what they see certain things must be true.
Einstein was one such scientist he made predictions that were not proven until long after he died. Predictions he believed by faith all his life. He believed them because he had evaluated what he seen and established for himself that what he believed is true.
Thus it is with Christians we look at the world around us, the heavens above. We see how perfectly constructed it is and see the hand of God. The Psalmist saying,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language 

where their voice is not heard.” 

                                  Psalm 19:1-3.

Thus the question becomes do you believe in God.
  The Apostle Paul writes,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” 

                                                                    Ephesians 2:8.

Do you believe this?
Please think about it.

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord
The writer of Proverbs states,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6.
Charles Spurgeon the great evangelist said,
“The Word of God will be to you a bulwark and a high tower, a castle of defence against the foe. Oh, see to it that the Word of God is in you, in your very soul, permeating your thoughts, and so operating upon your outward life, that all may know you to be a true Bible-Christian, for they perceive it in your words and deeds.” Charles H. Spurgeon
As believers in Christ we need to spend as much time as we can studying the scriptures. We need also to put what we learned from the scriptures into action.
It’s one thing to study the word of God its quite another to put what we learn from it into action in our daily lives.
When we do however people will notice. Francis of Assisi states,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi.

It can be hard at times to trust God and not lean on our own understanding. This is especially true if we are going through hard times. However it is when we are going through those hard times that we need God the most.
As believers in Christ we need to heed the words of the Psalmist who said,

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

He restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” 

                                                                      Psalm 23

Question: Do you put all your trust in the Lord?
Please think about it.

Flee Idolatry

Flee Idolatry
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church, a church that was surrounded with idol worship and a myriad of temptations said,

“Therefore, my dear friends, 

flee from idolatry.” 

                            1 Corinthians 10:14.

At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments God states,

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt,

 out of the land of slavery. 

“You shall have no other gods before me. 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven 

above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  

You shall not bow down to them or worship them;...” 

                                                                   Exodus 20: 2-4a.

We who live at the beginning of the twenty-first century have idols all around us. We may not consider them idols but they are. Anything that we hold in higher esteem than God is an idol.
We see our idols in the media every day. Be they fancy consumer goods. The acquisition of wealth ahead of worship of God. Even our cars, and homes.
These things may not seem like God’s after all they are inanimate objects and in and of themselves are harmless.
That was the same with the idols in Corinth. The carved statues to the Greek god’s were just stone. Harmless.
The harm comes however when we as individuals start to believe that such things have the power to change our lives. That they will give us a better life, or meaning in our life.
When we start turning to them rather than putting God first in our lives and worshipping him alone.
Matthew’s Gospel records the temptations of Christ. The third temptation was to worship Satan. Matthew’s Gospel records,
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  
“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’” Matthew 4:8-10.
Notice Jesus makes it clear,
“For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’’
As believers in Christ Jesus we as individuals need to take stock of our lives and ask ourselves if we have any idols in our lives.
Please if you consider yourself a believer in Christ think about it.

Servants of Christ

Servants of Christ
The Apostle Paul states,
“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.”  1 Corinthians 4:1.
The Apostle Peter writes,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
According to New Testament Scripture we as believers in Christ are servants of God. Not only that the apostle Peter calls us a,
“...a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,...”
People around us should see this without us even saying a word. Francis of Assisi said,

“The deeds you do 

may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” 

                                                                     Francis of Assisi

To that end the apostle Paul tells us,

“Do your best to present yourself to God

 as one approved, 

a workman who does not need to be ashamed 

and who correctly handles the word of truth. 

                                                          2Timothy 2:15.

We as believers in Christ I believe from time to time need to take a look at our lives. We need to go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him how we can better represent Him. How we can serve Him better.
There is a famous prayer called the Prayer of St. Francis that I think every believer in Christ needs to pray. It reads,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                             Francis of Assisi

Please think about it.

Sexual Immorality in the Church

Sexual immorality in the Church
The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.  
And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?  
Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.   When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?  
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.   With such a man do not even eat. 
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.
Here Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about someone who claims to be a follower of Christ and is committing sexual immorality as Paul states,
“of a kind that does not occur even among pagans”
Whatever it was it must have been very serious for the city of Corinth was already considered by the Greeks a city of immorality. Aristophanes an ancient Greek writer coined the term “Korinthiazomai” meaning to act like a Corinthian. In Greek plays of the day Corinthians were portrayed as drunkards and reprobates.
Paul tells believers in Christ not to associate with this person who claims to be a follower of Christ.
Paul does not say to stop associating with such people outside the church. Paul states,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.”  
He then emphasizes
“But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.”
He tells the brethren not to even eat with such a person.
Paul then makes an important statement that all who call themselves believers in Christ need to heed. He states,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
As Christians we have no right to judge those outside the body of believers.
However we have every right to judge those who call themselves believers and stray from the truth of the Gospel of Christ in any way.
For they in calling themselves a follower of Jesus Christ are claiming to live by the moral values of Jesus. If they are not then according to Paul we have the right to judge them and correct them.
Please think about it.

Truth Stranger that Fiction

Truth Stranger than Fiction
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1Corinthians 18-24.
It’s been said sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This I believe is the case when it comes to Jesus.
The wisdom of man would say why would Almighty God enter into the world He created in the form of a man? Why wouldn’t God simply reveal Himself in all His glory and thus show mankind He is real and wants man to worship Him?
The answer to that I believe comes from the Writer of Hebrews who wrote,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                     Hebrews 11:6

Faith defined as

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                      Hebrews 11:1.

Someone who has faith in something are the strongest of believers. A true believer in any cause or leader will go to the grave for them. That is the kind of believer God wants.
God wants people who have unwavering faith in Him no matter what the circumstances.
Yes God could have come into the world in all His glory with legions of angels and made it clear that He exists. That however would not have necessarily produced true believers. Many would have believed in Him simply because they feared His might and what he could do to them.
God does not want that. God wants people to believe in Him because they truly love Him.
That I believe is why He entered the world in the way He did.
Please think about it.