Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: I want to walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want God to rule over my life. I want God to use my life. I don't want to be put in a shelf and collect a bunch of dust. I want to be active in ministry. I want God to do whatever he desires to do in my life, no matter what it takes, and it takes discipline. And that's something the church doesn't have today: discipline.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Today, as we return to 1 Corinthians, Raul will admonish us to avoid pursuing lawsuits against our fellow believers. Going to court may feel justified, but God calls us to show humility and privately settle issues with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Keep listening for a reminder that the Lord has shown us grace, and now we can do the same for others. Here's Raul Ries in 1 Corinthians chapter six with our study, Lawsuits Among Christians.

Raul Ries: It's interesting that just in the last couple of years people have become lawsuit crazy. They like to sue people just about for any cause. And Paul the Apostle here is going to be dealing in 1 Corinthians chapter six, in the early church there were these Christians, they were trying to sue another Christian and they were taking them to the courts of the heathens.

And Paul the Apostle writes the sixth chapter to let them know that you're not supposed to take Christians to a secular court, but you should settle out of court, and those differences should be taken to the church and then the pastors and the elders should sit down with the two parties and go through the issues and then a resolution should be made so there's no thing from the world where the world is going to blaspheme against the church.

It's always a bad witness when you're trying to sue another Christian and you go to law court and you're trying to sue for all this money and then the secular courts look at that and they'll say, well, these guys are Christians and yet they hate each other, so what kind of a testimony is that? So Paul writes to inform us what we should really do in the sixth chapter, which is really incredible.

Let's look at chapter six, beginning there in verse one. We look at the problem first of all here, Paul here rebukes the Christians because they're doing that. He says, "How dare you, having a matter against another Christian, go to law before the unrighteous and not before Christians?" You see, so he wants them to understand that a Christian should never, ever, ever go to court to sue another Christian.

These things should be settled out of court and it should be done in a Christian way, not because you hate that person or because they have money or they have popularity, whatever it is, and you want to damage their character. You shouldn't do that, because God will hold you responsible to that. He says in verse two, he says, "Don't you know?" the word don't you know he's going to use it six times in this chapter, so keep your mind in that.

"Don't you know that the saints, the Christians, will judge the world?" I mean, if we're going to judge the world and we're going to judge saints, then why do we continue to go to court and come against other Christians? We're supposed to be one. Can you imagine what a bad testimony that is, that when we talk against other Christians and we have friends that are non-Christians and they see this and they'll say, "Well, if they don't like each other, how can I become a Christian when they're not even in agreement, they're not even one?"

But they're separated. And how can a Christian hate another Christian when the Bible says that we're supposed to love one another and forgive one another because of the sake of Jesus Christ? He is the model, he is the standard for the church. So Paul wants to make sure that as believers we understand that. He says again, "Don't you know that the saints or the Christians will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, Christian, then are you unworthy to judge the smallest of matters?"

I mean, if one day we're going to judge the world and we're going to judge angels, can't you take care of these simple things right now as you're living in this world? Look at the priority and the responsibility that God has put on Christians. To much is given, much more will be required. God will judge his church first before he judges the world.

Verse three, again, "Don't you know?" second time. "Don't you know that we shall also judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?" So he wants to make sure that we understand that these angels are not the good angels. These are demons. These are Satan's angels that we are going to be judging at the end of the age when we stand before God.

You see, Satan already, if we look at the book of Revelation in chapter 20, verses 11 through 15, he speaks about the white throne judgment. And the white throne judgment will be the judgment where the books are going to be open and every person from beginning to end that has gone to hell and in hell today, one day hell is going to be emptied out.

And people will line up as the books are going to be opened. And he says, "And whoever's name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." Now the question is this: How do I get my name in the Book of Life? By repenting and coming by faith into Jesus Christ and becoming a Christian. That's how you get your name in there.

So God is very clear concerning judgment. That's why there's an urgency in my heart and there should be an urgency in your heart to make sure that your loved ones and family and friends come to know Jesus Christ before it's too late. Before it's too late. You mean what do you mean too late? When you die. Because the only opportunity you have is in this life and that's it. Once you die, you're gone.

Eternity is before you: heaven or hell. Paul here is exhorting that we, the church, believers, are going to be judging fallen angels. And if we're going to be judging angels, how much more has God given us the power to take care of the smallest matters among believers so that we don't have to go to a court of law but we should take care of ourselves? Because we are salt and light and we have to be a witness to the world that is watching us.

Instead of criticizing us, maybe by our testimony because of God's love we tend to forget and to forgive instead of trying to get somebody with a lawsuit. That's what God wants us to do. He wants us to forgive. And then look what he says, verse four now. He says, "If then you have judgment or trials concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Shame on you," he says.

"Is it that there is not a wise man among you, not even one who would be able to judge between his brethren?" Notice what Paul is saying here. Paul is speaking directly to the Christians. He's exposing the things that non-believers not only do in their own lives, but what about the church? The church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we're believers and we have the spirit of God, to much is given, much more will be required.

A wise man is one that is spirit-filled, spirit-filled by the Holy Spirit. When we ask him to come into our lives. Then he says, "But brother, Christian, goes to law against another brother and that before," notice, "unbelievers. Shame on you," Paul says. Paul's rebuking them. He says, "That should never be so among the church of Jesus Christ."

In the book of Matthew chapter 18, verses 23 to 35, we have a parable the same way where it speaks about forgiveness, not retaliation. How we need to forgive and to forget, because look how much Jesus Christ has forgiven each one of us individually here. And if he has forgiven us and he forgets about it, should we not be the same with our brothers and sisters because we love them and because Christ is in us?

And then he says in verse seven through eight, "Now therefore, because of this, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. And why do you not rather accept the wrong?" Notice, why don't you take the blame instead of blaming others? He says, "Why don't you rather accept the wrong? Why don't you rather let yourself be cheated?" Notice that. Why don't you stay out of court?

Why don't you really love your brother or your sister instead of trying to take them down and defame him and his character, if you're a real child of God? He says, "No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren." He's talking about how a lot of times we have a self-righteousness attitude and yet we're guilty. But because we're guilty and we don't want people to find out who we really are, when we see somebody sin, it seems bigger than our sin.

That's why in the book of Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to the Pharisees, "Before you judge your brother, you better take the 20x20 out of your eye and then pull the 2x2 out of his eye." You have to look at your own personal life first. Because we're so critical in so many things that we say to people. And yet the love of Christ has to flow in our lives and through our lives.

Now Paul is going to change the subject, and this is all to Christians. Look what he says in verse nine. He says, "Don't you know?" here's the other don't you know. "Don't you know that the unrighteous, the non-believer, will not inherit the kingdom of God?" Question mark. "Do not be deceived, Christians, neither fornicators," sexual immoral people, "nor idolaters," those that study false religions, "nor adulterers," those that are unfaithful in their marriages, "nor homosexuals," that is transvestites and lesbians, "nor sodomites," those that get into bestiality and stuff like that.

And then he says, "Nor thieves, nor covetous or greedy people, nor drunkards, nor revilers or slanderers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." Notice he makes a separation here. He's talking about the non-believer and then he talks about the believer that if any believer continues to be in those kind of sins will not inherit the kingdom of God. Will not.

Look what he says in verse 11, "And such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of God." Notice Paul reminds them what Jesus Christ has done over our lives. We used to be like that, but I've been washed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. I've been sanctified, set apart for Jesus Christ. And also I've been justified by faith in Jesus Christ when I came and I asked Christ to come into my life.

And I said, "Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come and live in my life." So here Paul wants to make sure that we understand who we are and what God has done in our lives. And then check this out what he brings here, verse 12. "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any such thing." Listen, I have the freedom to drink wine, to drink beer, but why don't I do those things?

Because it's not lawful for me. I don't want to stumble anybody and that was my past life and I don't want to be part of that any longer. You see, I'm a free moral agent. I want to walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want God to rule over my life. I want God to use my life. I don't want to be put in a shelf and collect a bunch of dust. I want to be active in ministry.

I want God to do whatever he desires to do in my life no matter what it takes. And it takes discipline. And that's something the church doesn't have today: discipline. I learned discipline when I was in the Marine Corps, and it's really important. I learned discipline in the martial arts. So it's really important for us not only to be disciplined but to be yielding to the Holy Spirit and saying, "Not my will but thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

That's what Jesus Christ prayed himself. And here it is walking not in the flesh but walking by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's why Paul in Romans 8:1 says what? "Therefore there is no condemnation in those in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Holy Spirit of God." That's the key: walking by a power of the Holy Spirit of God.

And then Paul says in verse 13 through 15, "Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality." Notice what Paul says: Your body is not to be given to another person apart from marriage. And if you're married and you commit adultery with another man or woman, you're going to defile your body.

Why? Because it's going to tell you in a moment: Your body is no longer yours. Your body is the temple of the living God, the holiest of holies. This is just a building. This is not the church. You're the church. I am the church of Jesus Christ. We're the ekklēsia, we're the called-out ones. And when I came to Christ, the Holy Spirit was with me, in me, and now he's upon my life. I become now the temple of the living God where everybody is watching my life.

And Paul's going to tell you in a moment. Look what he says, "Now your body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." Then he says, "And God both raises up the Lord and will also raise us up by his holy power." Notice that. On the day of resurrection we're going to be in the presence of God. When the rapture takes place we're going to be caught up and receive our new bodies.

But then at the white throne judgment, those that are not in Christ are going to be risen up and they're going to be judged and cast into the lake of fire for ever and ever. Then he says again, "Don't you know that your bodies are members of Jesus Christ? Shall I then take now the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? Certainly not!"

And how can you be the temple of the living God when you're actually having sex with prostitutes and defaming the name of God and defiling your body before God? When your body is no longer yours, you didn't pay the price. Jesus Christ paid the price by paying for your body, for paying the price for your life. That's why we're no longer our own. We belong to him.

Then he says this, "Certainly not should it be." Finally he says, "Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot or a prostitute becomes one body with her? As you come with this prostitute and you have sex with her, you become one with that person. One with that person." Notice what he says. And then he says this, "For the two," he says, "shall become one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him."

The same thing. When we come to the Lord Jesus Christ we become one with him. Then he says, "Flee sexual immorality." To young people he says, "Run!" Why? Because in the church of Jesus Christ there are so many young people in fornication. And so many married men in adultery, committing adultery. And then they go to church and they sit and listen to the sermons. There's no conviction. They don't want to change.

I mean, I'm amazed when we have counseling when people are going to get married. We ask them, "How long have you been coming here?" "Oh, five, six years." "You want to get married? Are you guys sleeping together?" "Well, once in a while." "Well, I can't marry you, I'm sorry." You say what? I can't marry you until you repent. And if you want to get married, why don't you both separate for six months and really truly bring your relationship with Jesus Christ by being separated, working on your fellowship with God, working communion with God, so that you can become a spiritual couple and when you come and consume your marriage it will be a Holy Spirit marriage, not a marriage in the flesh.

You see? And it's important for you to do that. Because if you don't separate yourself and you want to get married, how is God going to bless that marriage when it starts in the flesh and not in the Holy Spirit? And if you're single and you really have a problem with sexual things, you need to break it off and you need to go your way, she needs to go her way, and wait on the Lord if you really want God to use your life.

Because if you don't, you'll destroy yourself and you're going to destroy her or she's going to destroy you. Very important. God desires holiness and he cannot bless you while you're sexually active with your boyfriend or your girlfriend and coming to church. You're going to bring judgment upon yourself. You need to break it off, you need to repent, and you need to separate and you need God to work in your life and allow God to work in your life.

By doing that God will bless you. So if you're married and you're having somebody at work or the gym or wherever it may be, shame on you, because how can you be the spiritual leader of your home and how can your wife trust you and how can you play the hypocrite and come to church with your wife and your kids and still have a girlfriend on the side? That's not right before God. It's called adultery.

And what does the Bible say? "No fornicators, no adulterers, no liars or whoremongers will inherit the kingdom of God." You're only deceiving yourself. Go look in the mirror. In the moment you look in the mirror you forget what you really look like. You're a hypocrite when you do that. So here Paul really is speaking about the principles of the faith.

Verse 18, he says, "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does it's outside of the body. But he who commits sexual immorality sins against," what? "against his own body." You see, you're sinning against yourself. And it's really important that you understand what he says. Your body has become the temple. The word temple in the Greek here, two words. One is speaking of the actual holiest of holies in the Old Testament where the priest could only come in once a year and there would be a rope tied to his ankle.

The bells at the bottom of his garment were to ring. And the moment the bells would stop ringing with that rope that he had, nobody would dare to go in into the holiest of holies. They would pull him out because God would strike anybody that would go in and kill them. And it's important that you understand that Jesus is saying here that the holiest of holies is in your heart.

You have become the temple of the living God. The holiest of holies you represent. And if any man defile the temple of God, God will destroy him. Look what he says, check this out, verse 19. "Or don't you know?" here again the sixth don't you know. "Don't you know that your body is the temple, the holiest of holies," notice, "of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"

Notice what he's saying. You have become the holiest of holies. Paul is reminding us who we are. And if we are the holiest of holies and God is dwelling in me, then I have to think of the price that has been paid for my life. Look what he says in verse 20. He says, "For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God."

Isn't that incredible? What is he saying? He says you were bought at a price. What was the price? Atonement. Jesus Christ went to the cross and paid for your life. He bought you. He redeemed you. And if he has redeemed you and he has redeemed me, then what manner of people are we to be in the church today with all holiness? Separation to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Nothing else will count.

Guest (Male): Taking conflict to court has become so common that it's easy to lose sight of what the Bible says, that believers need to privately resolve their issues. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you'd like to hear today's lesson in its unedited form, we'll be happy to send you a copy for a donation of $5 or more. All you have to do is call us at 800-634-9165 and mention today's study, Lawsuits Among Christians.

Now for more insight into how you can infuse your faith into everyday life, we'd like to offer you Raul's 11-part series Unity, Holiness, and Love. It's available on CD and thumb drive. Every lesson in this series outlines a practical way you can glorify God and serve as his ambassador to a watching world. You'll learn how to confront other sins with grace, pursue unity amidst diversity in the church, and manage your finances with integrity.

To order this study, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the Unity, Holiness, and Love series on CD for $23 or on flash drive for just $14. That's 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California, 91765. Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries is made possible because of the support of listeners like you. Thank you for each tax-deductible contribution. They help us reach more and more people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Next time we'll continue in our study of 1 Corinthians. We'll consider how a humble heart and a solid grasp of God's word can make all the difference in our relationships, whether we're married or single. This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.