Latest / The Daily Word / March 18 – Acting Like Mere Men
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, Lakeshore family, and welcome to today's Daily Word podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and my wife Yolanda and I have the privilege of serving as the campus pastors at our Gastonia location. Each day on this podcast, we take a few moments to reflect on what God is highlighting from our daily Bible reading. As a church family, we're intentional about creating space to meet with God through prayer, through scripture. and by writing down what the Holy Spirit is speaking and how it connects to everyday life. We are reading together using the Life Journal reading plan. And today we're focusing on the New Testament passage from that plan. When I sit down, I always gather a few things with me. My Bible, my Life Journal, a pen and a highlighter to mark the verses that stand out as God speaks. I'll also use a couple of trusted study tools. Blue Letter Bible to explore original word meanings and cross references and BibleRef.com for clear verse by verse insight. These tools don't replace scripture. They simply help me slow down and listen more carefully. Just as a reminder, We're also using the SOAP method, Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. It's a practical way to engage God's Word and respond to what He's doing in our hearts. Now, before we jump into today's passage, lean in with me. Come on, if you know it, say it with me. This is my Bible. It is God's Word written to me. I am who it says I am. I can do what it says I can do. I can have what it says I can have. So I receive it as truth for my life today and open my heart to hear God speak a word, reveal Jesus to me, fill me with the Holy Spirit, then send me out to share Christ with others so that my life will be changed forever. In Jesus name, amen. Well, today's passage for March 18th is in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 and I journaled from verse number 3. Here it is out of the NIV. The Apostle Paul says, are still worldly, for since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? Let me read it to you out of the Amplified. Are you not unspiritual? And are you not walking like ordinary men, unchanged by faith? Here's the title of my journal entry for today. Acting Like Mere Men. Come on, say that with me. Acting like mere men. And here's my observation. Starting with the word acting. The word acting comes from the Greek word para... Pateo. P-e-r-i-p-a-t-e-o. And it's a compound word. It's made up of two smaller Greek words. Peri, p-e-r-i, that means around. And pateo, p-a-t-e-o. That means to tread, to step, or to walk. So literally, this word means to walk around. figuratively, it's very common in the New Testament, it means to live, to conduct one's life, or to walk in a certain manner. So Paul is not merely talking about isolated actions. He's describing a pattern of life. The Apostle Paul is correcting believers who are saved, but behaving like immature Christians. In chapter 2, Paul contrasts spiritual people led by the Holy Spirit and natural people not yet saved. Now in chapter 3, he confronts a third category of carnal Christians. Believers living like mere men or unbelievers. They say they belong to Christ, but their lifestyle tells a different story. Now Paul is not questioning their salvation. He calls them brothers in verse 1. He's questioning their spiritual maturity. They're saved but still acting and living with worldly patterns. According to Paul, a couple of indicators of spiritual immaturity are jealousy and quarreling. The Blue Letter Bible Commentary by David Gusick says, The problems they had in their human relationships showed that something was wrong in their relationship with God. It was evidence of carnality and of a fleshly way of thinking and living. Here's how all of this applies to my life. As a follower of Christ, I will continue to lean into spiritual maturity. My life, my daily walk should match my confession. What a commentary on a Christian to avoid. You're behaving like a mere human, without the Spirit, that is. As a pastor, I will also be careful to preach, teach, and disciple others to do the same. One of the most loving things I can do for the Church is to encourage and disciple others towards spiritual maturity. Here's my prayer. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today and reminding me that I am not to live like a mere human without the Holy Spirit and my lifestyle should match my confession. As a follower of Christ, you want me to have healthy relationships with others and to stay free of quarreling, jealousy and any other type of relational conflict with people. I ask these things in Jesus name. Amen. Lakeshore family, as you go about your day, My prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His Word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, give you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you to become everything God's called you to be, fulfilling your mission, your purpose, and the plan of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you and we'll catch you again tomorrow.