Do you think it is amazing? For all the problems of the Corinthian church, despite their embarassing public behavior, Paul never once questions that they are saved people. He thanks God for them (1 Corinthians 1:4) He calls them brothers (vs 10). What he does do is confront their childish conflict as proof that they have much to learn. They have life. Now, they have to learn to live it. Consider verse 9 as the first lesson. They (we) have been called into fellowship with Christ. The English is inadequate here. Koinoinia is more than fellowship. It is partnership. It is shared life and common goals. Not a partnership of equals, it is a Kingdom! No longer my goals–His. No longer my pride–His glory. Conflict and bickering, whether in the church or the family is an indication that we have not surrendered to Him and therefore cannot surrender to each other. Even for those who have life, there is still much to learn.
This was a very difficult lesson for me to learn. I struggled with it for a long time until I finally received a greater understanding. There is such variation in how Christians act that it made me really wonder what was up…. who is wrong and who is right.
I now understand (because of a time of deep prayer and communion with the Lord) that we are a trinity, just like our God is a Trinity. We have a spirit, a soul (which is also a spirit and consists of mind, will, emotions, expectations) and a body. Our spirit is reborn/restored/filled when we are saved, but our soul (mind, will, emotions, expectations) must be sanctified by the Word. The degree to which we do this… by not only reading the Word but believing it and acting as if it is true…. will determine the fruit that others see. Love is always a choice… or else it is not love. God in his love, even though we are believers, gives us “say” in how sanctified we want to be. Another time I was deep in prayer the Lord shared with me that if His children knew how valuable sanctification was they would pursue it. How different this is from the way sanctification is usually thought of/portrayed. God is Good and His was are higher and BETTER. Any thought contrary to this is from the kingdom of darkness.
So being a “fruit inspector” is not such a good idea. There is also the concept of the seed of God remaining in a person. Who knows when that seed will (maybe because of our prayers!) come forth as a mighty oak. I, for one, do not want to (anymore) be the person who judges another brother/sister’s seed as anything other than a precious gift of LIFE from the Lord. The rest is up to Him.
Coincidentally (or not) I am reaping today somewhat of a consequence from a time before I understood this. My family email acct yesterday was taken over and my email addy sent out spam emails to everyone in our address book. Of course, this would also include the one person (literally one person) that I just cannot email because of mistakes I made before I was less sanctified than I currently am. (We try to life at peace with everyone but sometimes the ball goes over to their court and just stays there.) Anyway, I am praying for the grace/favor of God to be with me that this person will either not get the email because of their spam filter or if they do will forgive me and understand that I did not send it.
Great example that there are consequences to an unsanctified life.