Judgment in the Kingdom

August 20, 2023 Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1 - 21 Lesson Passage: 1 Corinthians 4:1 - 6, 17 - 21 The kingdom of God on earth consists of all people who have the Spirit of Christ within them. In short, Christians are citizens of the kingdom of God. It is through the presence of the Spirit within Christians that God reigns on earth. Since all we have on earth are real people, then the situation within the kingdom of God gets complicated. The weakness of human flesh causes complications in the kingdom. When Christians allow the Spirit of Christ to reign in them, we live in humility. I believe there is little doubt that humility should be a defining trait of a Christian. But that is not always the case not continuously! Sometimes, pride sneaks in. Pride permeated some local Christian congregations as early as the first century. An attitude of pride is indeed a slippe1Y slope to be on. We are humbled by the experience of salvation. The moment of salvation brings such an overwhelming sense of gratitude in us towards the Most High God. In that moment, we see ourselves as spiritual wretchedness in need of God's grace. There is no place for pride at the instance of salvation. As we grow spiritually from that moment, worldly temptations again invade our thinking. Thus begins the struggle of the Spirit against the flesh. Human pride resists the thought of absolute dependence on the Spirit of Christ in us. Pride promotes independence and self-acclamation. Pride causes human judgment to be an ongoing issue among Christians. Pride seeks titles and positions of authority and influence. The Spirit seeks the position of a servant who is dependent on his Master. Where there is spiritual elevation, it is from the role of a servant to the role of a steward. Neither servants nor stewards own anything. All that a servant has belongs to his Master. All that a steward manages belongs to his Master. Whether one is a servant or a steward, it is understood and accepted that everything belongs to God. Joseph was a good example of that in Egypt. He lived most of his life in Egypt as either a servant or a steward. Joseph never forgot who he was or where he was. Joseph knew he was a Jew, and he knew he did not belong in Egypt. But throughout his tenure in Egypt, whether servant or steward, Joseph did all to the glory of God. Joseph's example is the context all Christians should live within. However, pride causes us to forget this context. Our pride causes us to judge others by seeing ourselves as better than them. Paul wanted the Christians in Corinth to think of the apostles as servants of Christ and stewards of the revelations of God. As such, God judges the apostles based on the inner person. Human judgment was of no importance to the apostles. If the Corinthians could see Paul and Apollos that way, then they could apply the same understanding within their congregation. Paul sent Timothy to them to remind them of this, Paul would visit them later, but he wanted their attitudes to be right before he arrived. Paul had the apostolic authority to correct them, but he preferred not to do it. He wanted to come and share with them in a loving environment. It is sometimes amazing how quickly we forget who we are in Christ. Pride within a congregation prevents true fellowship among Christians. Those who have the greatest rank within the kingdom of God take on the lowest rank within the kingdom on earth. They become examples of servants of Christ for others to see and emulate. When that happens, there is no room for Christians to judge each other. Then judgment in the kingdom will be left to the only one qualified to do so. Within the kingdom, God judges all. Robert C. Hudson August 10, 2023