“The New Creation” Day 18: Continuing to be “worldly,” indicates an infantile New Creation.

Paul had to deliver quite a stern message to the church at Corinth. It seems that rather than serving the Lord together in the unity of the faith, they were acting out of selfish ambition, and it was dividing them.

“However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ! I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready. You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

The particular issue at hand, seemed to be that they were fighting over who the best teacher was: Paul or Apollos.

“For when one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” and another, “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” are you not [proving yourselves unchanged, just] ordinary people?”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Paul explained to them that each individual’s work was important. As the body of Christ, we are to work for the common goal of advancing the knowledge of Christ.

“What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task. I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth. So neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but [only] God who causes the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Paul then warned them that God would punish those who destroy His temple. That is to say, those who do harm to the church, would face harsh judgment.

“Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 AMP

Paul encouraged the people at Corinth to seek after the wisdom of God, and not to follow the wisdom of this world.

“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become [truly] wise.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Child of God, we can’t continue to operate as those who don’t know the Lord. To do so—at the very least—causes us to fall far short of what God has prepared for us, and at the very worst, leads to destruction.

"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice."

James 3:16 ESV

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

"Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy."

Romans 13:13 ESV

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!