In a world filled with negative and many times fake news, it is easy to internalize the failures of society as our own.
We can become so filled with depressing events at school, work and at home that we forget about all the good things that happen in our world on a daily basis.
I went to sleep and woke up with this song in my spirit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNZS5H9aNlY
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness, ” Lord, unto me!
I began to remember all the good things that have happened in my life. They are so many compared with the bad and ugly. I bet that you can say the same thing.
The church at Corinth was a carnal church. It gave church a bad name. Many today have been hurt by the church, or a “Christian.” Church has a bad taste and Christians have an offensive odor. They stay away from church and Christians with their divisions, and hypocritical lifestyles.
Yet, the Apostle Paul didn’t put the Christians at the Corinth Church down. He does not rule them out of the Kingdom of God.
Instead he expresses thanks to God for them and for all of God’s blessings. He acknowledges that they used to be fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, sodomites, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers, but now they are washed, sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
Too many Christians become proud, haughty, arrogant and self-righteous over their spiritual experiences feeling that they are spiritually sophisticated above those listed above. A “holier than thou” has turned many a hungry heart for God away.
Paul wants the Corinthians and us to know, that the New Birth experience as found in the Book of Acts does not make us wise, but that through growth in sanctification we can learn to be wise, speaking not as the world, but as the Spirit of God freely teaches us, interpreting spiritual things with those which are spiritual. (I Corinthians 2:12-13)
We do not attend church to compete with others on Biblical knowledge, or depth of spirituality. We do not attend church to be entertained by Hollywood style preachers and bands. We do not attend church to worship a personality or a doctrine. We do not attend church pretending we are saints without sin. We do not attend church wearing our former sinfulness as a means for self-pity.
We attend church to connect our sinful souls with a sinless Christ. We attend church to acknowledge our continual sinfulness and ask our High Priest, Jesus Christ, to forgive us once again, and help us to grow in sanctification.
Sanctification is a life-long process. It is not something that is achieved with a one, two, three doctrinal formula. We do not become an angel overnight. Trials develop perseverance, character, and hope of salvation. (Romans 5:3-4)
It takes 18 years of home life to develop adult-like character in a child by two parents. Sometimes, adults still behave like children, failing to grow-up.
It takes 70 to 100 years to develop Christ-like character in a New Born Christian. Sometimes Christians still behave as New Born Christian Babies, failing to grow-up.
Paul is saying we need to thank God for what God has already done in ourselves, and in others, believing that God will continue to work His sanctifying process in each heart until the Day of His Return.
Each morning is filled with NEW MERCIES!
GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS TO ME AND TO EVERYONE ELSE!
The rain falls on the just and the unjust, and the Sun shines on the sinner as well as the saint. God supplies it to both alike and will continue to do so until He has no more time to work sanctification in that individual heart.
There is a lot of worldly wisdom being spoken into the spiritual world around us today, but Paul is encouraging us to remember who we are and be thankful for what God has already done in our lives and what He is doing in the lives of others.
Worship, hearing the Word of God preached, intermingling with other Christians at a church is about connecting personally with Jesus Christ as the One who blesses us every morning with New Mercies!