Daily Bible Readings and Devotions
1 Corinthians 7:17-24—If You Need Guidance
Tattoos have become the norm in American culture. For various reasons, some new converts who had tattoos prior to receiving Christ are ashamed of them and would like for them to be removed. And frankly, some of them have graphical images that really should be blurred or removed. But should every knew convert have their tattoos removed?
This is not an attempt to enter the debate about whether Christians should have tattoos, but rather it is a modern illustration of a New Testament problem. The question for the Corinthians was about the ritual of circumcision and the practice of slavery. The point of the discussion is this, when you are redeemed, what do you do with things the way they were? Must a believer with an unbelieving spouse separate, must an uncircumcised man be circumcised, or how do you reconcile living in the freedom of Christianity while bound in slavery?
The key to understanding how to deal with your past after conversion is simple and found in verse 19. It is of primary importance to obey the commandments of the Lord. And what commandments is he speaking about? Surely he has in mind the words of Jesus from Matthew 22:37-40 where Jesus proclaimed the greatest commandment of loving the Lord with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. We must remember that God’s grace looks beyond our past and even beyond our present. In the new covenant, God forgives our sins. We may bear the marks of our past, but on the inside is a brand new person. PTL. This is a day for liberty from our past. You know what I love about the past when it comes to issues I am not proud of? I love that it is just that, in the past, not the present, not the future, but the past.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASU
Prayer Challenge
Pray today for the membership of First Baptist Church. Ask the Lord to free us of pride that might cause us to strain our fellowship and destroy our witness to the community. Pray for the delivery of our membership from the temptations sent from the enemy. Please remember to pray for the service tonight. Pray that FBC members might develop a hunger to for the Word of God and attend services tonight.
Ministry Challenge
Send a note of encouragement, an email, a notice on facebook, or make a personal phone call to someone in your Life Group today.
Mission Challenge
Review your prospect list today and work to invite at least one person on your list to attend your Life Group this week.
Reflection
What did God say to me from this Scripture reading, devotional, and or prayer time?
What did I say to God?
