NOV 20

1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Memorise Hebrews 5:13-14
“…are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

I know of many people who have been Christians for many years – a number of decades even – but who still behave no differently from the unbelievers out there. Although they might attend church regularly, much of their lives do not reflect this at all.

The Corinthian church was much like that. The ecclesiological epistles refer to the 2 letters which Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, I and II Corinthians. “Ecclesiological” basically refers to things pertaining to the church, and this was Paul’s intent in writing these 2 letters – to deal with issues that had arisen in the Corinthian church. Among all the churches which Paul wrote to, this was perhaps the most problematic of the lot! Reading through the 2 books, you will find that there were many problems indeed – there were divisions and strifes within the church, there was a lack of church discipline on errant members, members had brought lawsuits before secular judges, the women had usurped the headship of the men, members were abusing spiritual gifts, and some even denied the resurrection of Christ.

What was the root cause? Paul identifies the problem in today’s reading – “For ye are yet carnal” (vs 3). Although some had been Christians for some time already, they remained “babes in Christ” – spiritually immature Christians who were weak in the faith. That is why Paul could only feed them with milk, and not meat yet. They had not yet progressed from spiritual infancy to a level of spiritual maturity. They were carnal and worldly in their thinking and conduct. As a result, many problems remained in the church relating to the way in which they lived their lives and interacted with one another.

Dear teen, how has your life changed since you became a Christian? Do these same problems of worldliness and carnality remain in your life? Are you still a babe in Christ, spiritually immature and still indulging in the sins that we ought to have repented from? What are the sins that continue to persist in your life? May you seek the Holy Spirit’s help in searching them out and ridding your life of them today.

Thought: What problems and sins are there in my life?
Prayer: Lord, plant my feet on higher ground!