1 Corinthians 5

5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
The Body of Christ the Church is supposed to be reflective of God which is why when sin is left unchecked or tolerated, it can cause division or corrupt the church. While it is important to hold people accountable for their actions, excommunication should be the last resort. This is often the most painful but also the most loving disciplinary action to take, as when we abandon a brother or sister to their hedonistic lifestyle, they'll hopefully feel the error of their ways and repent. I'm certainly hope I won't have to go so far as in to rebuke a brother/sister to this extent but if I think in the context of the eternal state of their soul, these unfortunate endeavours might be necessary.

1 Corinthians 4

6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 

Any church with highly passionate leaders are bound to have an issue, This is why an effective Pastor is one who leads people to make Scripture their highest authority. Loyalty to man over God can mislead people into justifying Church division. Every now and again a guest speaker would speak at Cheil and some of them would just bore me to death. I fail to acknowledge the effort and time and most importantly the "passion" put into their sermon out of reverence for God. I'd start to view them as lesser than preferred which in turn could develop into spiritual elitism.

20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

Back in my previous church I thought I was right with God because I was a decent person, however once moving to Cheil I was humbled. I learnt that I wasn't anything special, I acted like the average so called "Christian" giving lazy ten second prayers and barely touching my Bible. For about 4 years of my high school adolescence, I was praying almost on a nightly basis for God to provide in my life a Church in which I could grow in a community. However, God being glorious as he is, gave me something far greater, he gave me Godly mentors to look up to and rebuke me for my wrongs. 

1 Corinthians 3

1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.
It's crazy how emotional I've been today prior to reading this, which coincidently convicts me. A fellow Christian confessed to me some very emotional and dark events that had happened in her life, and obviously i'd be obliged to feel so touched and inspired. However as I woke up this morning, I felt so jealous that someone had done possibly worse or more exciting things than me despite growing up in a better neighbourhood and still managed to repent and submit to Christ. I felt like I had missed out. I felt so regretful that I could've lost my virginity when I could have, I could've taken more drugs, I might have possibly even entered the Gang lifestyle and just lived for bitches and money. I had found myself craving for these materialistic things again. I felt left out and envious that someone had a more exciting life than mine as this entire time I had thought I was the most exposed person in life group. My pride was attacked. I broke down in tears in my workplace bathroom (ikr embarrassing), wept again as I arrived home and even right now as I'm typing this blog. I feel worthless, disgusting and underserving. I'm crying because I'm envious of something so undeniably...selfish. God owes me nothing, he owes me hell, and right now I feel like I deserve it so much. I find it difficult to come to terms with still being so immature in my faith despite having the recourses to grow for quite a while now. In a way my mind still imitates those of the Corinthian Church rather than Philippians. I guess in a way I am still a mere infant in Christ. 

6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 
A friend of mine once told me this joke. There are 3 types of Churches:
1. The Reformed/Protestant  
2. Catholic  
3. The Branch of Overly Passionate Misguidance (or a "Korean church" for short)
I never grew up in that of the 3rd but I've heard enough stories to know that this is a reality. This just confirms that It can be spiritually dangerous when we are so amused to a certain  Pastor that we begin to idolise him and view them as higher than another speaker/leader. This may start to cause dispute from within the community and possibly cause Church division, and the Body of Christ the Church is not effective without all it's functioning purposes. 

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise.
One of my favourite observations (to the disgust of some) is "Being Christian is similar to being a retard, you not only believe in a deity which can't be measured by scientific reasoning or logic but you also submit your entire life to it." Thinking God's way can save you an eternity of torment and thus far more valuable than a 99.9 ATAR. For myself, I've accepted this but others...most likely not. 

1 Corinthians 2

13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.
Anyone who understands the gospel will empathise God's message over logical arguments. God's is beyond our understanding thus we should come to terms that no matter how intellectual we may be at the end of the day it is God's gospel who saves others, nothing else.

15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”.                             (Isaiah 40:13)

But we have the mind of Christ.

Through prayer, worship and especially Bible study we'll develop spiritual discernment. What exalts God and what offends him. What is correct theology and what is paganism? etc. There used to be a time in which I would put God up against my personal morals and understanding. This is ironic because i'm not sovereign or omnipotent, so how could I possibly comprehend God? 

1 Corinthians 1

17 For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
For us who know God, we are called to preach the gospel to every living creature, and of course knowing this there'll be constant rejection. However, this doesn't make me tremble anymore as I know that spreading the truth makes me a successful evangelist. Paul always made sure to emphasise that is through God's grace that people are saved, not powerful speeches or persuasiveness.

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
One of the reasons why we should be so grateful for Grace is because it is accessible to everyone, not just the intellectual. This further shows the sovereignty of God that he is far greater than philosophy and logic. It is by Faith, not wisdom or works that makes us right before God even though we don't deserve it.

Romans 16

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
I hope that I can model my marriage after these two as they were a crucial part to Paul's wellbeing such offering hospitality, friendship etc. I just pray that I can stand with God with my own two feet rather relying on someone else to maintain with Him so that we'll be prioritising Him rather than each other. 

17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Unfortunately, our Western society has accepted the Prosperity Gospel as its recognised religion and labelling truthful scripture as bigoted and outdated. What is essential in our walk with Christ in our thoughts and deeds is setting the scriptures as our highest authority. By reading and studying God's word we are able to discern truthful scripture apart from pagan ideology. Jesus even warned us in Mathew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

Romans 15

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Since it's our obligation to bring all cultures togethers, it would be increasingly difficult to agree on every subject, He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15) .However, we still can't ignore God's calling to represent him in all areas of our lives, For quite some time now, I've always been overly sympathetic towards people who are similar to me while not caring much for others. I try hard not to show favouritism but in a way i feel like my people need God the most, this unbiblical mentality needs to be removed.

20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
Human nature can sometimes cause me to be lousy with evangelism. In the workplace I honestly can't be bothered because no one sparks interest in me, this is selfish. I have God's grace and keep it for myself while being unaware of the spiritual state of others. In essence more than anything, I worship myself more than the one who serves to be worshiped. Who am I to decide who is given God's grace?

Romans 14

1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.
It would be almost impossible for a Church to agree 100% on the same theology. Differences of opinion shouldn't go so far as to cause division nor should they be avoided, but rather accepted and handled maturely. 

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
Before the cut off, I'd say 80% of my friends lived out a strictly hedonistic lifestyle. I was spending my time with them for most of my adolescence so obviously I picked up some of their mannerisms. However, I don't thinking swearing is particularly a sin in itself but rather how we use those terms. But it does state in scripture that we are not to conform to the ways of the world. If I am to use unwholesome language it could discourage someone young in their faith, making them assume that I'm lukewarm or give a false impression of what Jesus expects from his followers. To sacrifice what I believe is freedom of expression is unimportant compared to the spiritual state of a fellow brother. We must build each other up.

Romans 13

1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.The authorities that exist have been established by God.
How ironic it is that i'm going through this trial right now. How can I deny or hide from church leaders if scripture states that God has appointed them? Now on to a more legal note, we have laws for a reason. If we willingly co-operate with the law we set an example for ourselves showing that we can contribute to the community while also worshiping a God most people neglect.
Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him (Mark 12:17)

10 Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
Love involves unselfish service to others because we understand that God loved us despite our transgressions. We are not supposed to conform to the ways of this world, therefore unlike most of the world we know the greatest act of love ever known. If we go beyond our legal bindings to build others up, people would naturally be curious to know why we live the way we do. And we'll reply We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). 

Romans 12

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
According to Old Testament law, an animal would have to be sacrificed by a priest in a very complex manner so that their transgressions could be forgiven. But it was made clear multiple times that God wanted a genuine love and obedient heart from us. We can often go Church and offer tithes with it feeling forced. Many of us can act more like Cain's who's offering to God was rejected because God wants us, not animals as living sacrifices. Sacrificing ourselves would mean to lay aside our desires and ambitions to exalt the one who truly deserves praise.

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Church culture might have changed throughout the centuries, but the gospel has never. With todays acceptance of gay marriage, us Christians are pressured to agree with everyone else or risk being labelled as a bigot. This brings me back to the time when I had picked and chose on what I agreed with in the Bible. I used to have many pagan ideals that would make logical sense towards todays standards. I'm grateful today that I have people who have a single minded obedience to Christ and set the Gospel as their ultimate authority. Because of the men and women God has used to guide me, I realised that who the hell am I to bring God down to my own standards?

20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 

This type of living seems impossible. Todays mainstream media worships the idea of justice and fairness, however everyone's definition of these things are different. As a result of our human nature, we justify acts of violence or hatred thinking it was "the right thing to do because he/she started it". Instead of this, Paul is informing us to much rather forgive our enemies as it could break a cycle of retaliation, they could possibly see the error in their behaviour and turn from their selfish intentions.

Romans 11

8 as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”

9 And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
  10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.”

If we continue to push aside ourselves from God's calling/gospel, we'll eventually cease to understand it. I've been experiencing this neglect for the past several weeks. I tend indulge myself in worldly thoughts and deeds when my prayer life is lacking. This is a scary thought as I should remember what had happened to Israel when they started rationalising their sins and becoming more accustomed to the pagan culture surrounding them.Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (Romans 1:24)

34 34   “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
      Or who has been his counselor?
35 35   “Who has ever given to God,
      that God should repay them?”
36 36   For from him and through him and for him are all things.      To him be the glory forever! Amen.

I when I was immature in my faith I'd question the unfortunate endeavours I experienced and curse His name, feeling entitled that life shouldn't bring so much pain. This shows me of how limited my understanding is of God and his intentions. God alone is omnipotent and sovereign so I'm unable to justifiably criticise or question his ways

Romans 10

4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
This verse has a double meaning. Christ epitomises God's purpose and goal of the law and also is the termination/completion of it, in that the law by itself is powerless to save us. Many Jews set customs and traditions which they believed made them righteous in God's sight. However, the only way to earn salvation is to be perfect and our sinful inheritance from Adam makes that impossible. It is through mercy alone that we have received it, and we in gratitude proclaim him in our actions and words because of it.

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
In spreading the Gospel, it must not only be lived out but also Proclaimed. If people want to know why we act the way we do, we will eventually have to explain the reason. They can only respond to the good news if we verbally spread our beliefs. This is one the main reasons why i'm glad to do these reflections, it forces me to actively think and reflect upon what I am reading. This will hopefully in turn help me become more knowledgable and preach correct theology. 

Romans 9

3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race
This is just straight up confronting because i'm so grateful for the salvation that took so much sacrifice to be give me. For Paul to wish that he could suffer unceasing anguish in place of his people sounds just absurd, and it's a type of love i'm not sure I want to aspire towards. However it definitely makes me think just how concerned am I for unbelievers and how often I prioritise myself. It wasn't only Paul's intelligence that made him a great missionary, for just as Francis Chan says "Knowledge is essential, but not sufficient". It was also Pau's love for people mixed with his intelligence that produced the large results that came.

Romans 8

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Paul has put humanity in two categories. Those who follow their desires and ambitions and those who love and submit to God's authority (also known as having the holy spirit). For Christians it is often wise to reflect scripture before making decisions, would this honour the one who died for me or would it just feed into my own worldy satisfaction.

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
It is indeed a blessing that I'm not in a country in which people are persecuted for their faith in social or economic matters. However, I dare not become complacent with my lukewarm behaviour and the world's growing tolerance of pagan practices. This can be things such as sticking to my clique at church and showing no interest in the others/newcomers, or reading my bible extensively but failing to have a good quality prayer life. Jesus calls all of us to pick up our cross, practise the self denial of our selfish indulgences and to even give up my own rights/entitlements. I don't have a right to complain to God about the great sacrifice I had to make to grow with him and my current loneliness. For I understand that this is all for the exaltation of God's glory and I must remember that the only man in history to be untainted in sin, embody one of absolute purity suffered a much greater price then I ever did. The temporary sadness I face on this earth is for a much higher cause and i should be glad that I can not just proclaim God but also share in his glory.

Romans 7

9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
We should be grateful for God making His law known, for His law points out our sin. However I should not put my worth in keeping the law, because although my actions may be pure, the mind is perverted and rebellious thus I am still tainted with sin. His law reminds me that I am a sinner doomed to die, yet it can't offer any help. It is only through his son that I'm given salvation, I can never earn it from good morals or accomplishments.

 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
This reassures that i'm not the only one who feels this way. I often find that I indulge myself in sin most when I am lacking in prayer. More than I should (which should be never) I attempt to overcome sin in my own way by superficial promises or overestimating my self control. It is unwise to rely on my own ability because my sinful inheritance from Adam  causes my intentions to result as something unreliable and ineffective.

Romans 6

1 shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
God’s forgiveness does not lessen the detrimental corruption of sin and how much it offends our creator, after all, he did go so far as to send His pure untainted son to take the punishment for which we should've received. Us treating God’s forgiveness as something we can take advantage of shows how little we take sin seriously. This can be a pretty serious case for me especially for certain habits I have. Such as I feel as if God calls me to reach out to a employee but I push it off. When I submit to my shameful addictions just for 2 minutes of pleasure.

17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
This makes me uncomfortable. It's verses like this that can really challenge my thoughts on my salvation. Am i saved? Am I a Christian? Am i still a slave to sin? Why am I ever so tempted by my sin that it feels more of a struggle I have to pull through rather than viewing it as an experience to help me grow. It took me almost a month to stop being tempted by the drugs that are consumed in my very home, legal and otherwise. After my vow with P Matt I would every now and again ever so intensely hold a cigarette and just sniff the tobacco and fantasise the smoke vaporise. I recognise these as growing pains but it doesn't feel as much, but rather halfhearted. Seems to me that even if my actions are obedient my heart is not because my fantasies can go rampant in hedonistic ambitions. 

Romans 5

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Being a christian is somewhat of a two sided reality, we both have the highest privilege but is also called out the duties of slaves. However we rejoice in this, not because we have pleasure towards the feeling of pain but rather we acknowledge our human understanding is flawed and limited. Meanwhile God's knowledge is omnipotent and sovereign so while we may never understand why certain endeavours can occur in our lives, we can know that these trials have purpose in them and can be used to promote growth.

Romans 4

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.
If we are saved through our good works to earn God's approval, then Him offering us salvation wouldn't be a gift given out of love but rather as an obligation. Relying on our actions are in vain, we are saved by faith alone.

10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Ceremonies and traditions are important as they are reminders of our faith and what God has done for us in the past. However we should not follow in the pharisees footsteps and expect these actions to give us special merit before God. I can occasionally feel superior or assume someone isn't a truly saved if they skip out on Church for 2 weeks in a row because it shows that they might not have God as their highest priority. When I might feel a certain way I reckon it would be healthy to adapt the mentality of John the Baptist (Mark 1:7) And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie". In God's eyes we are equally deserving of damnation so we should be thankful that God wishes us to put our worth through faith rather than our actions.

Romans 3

10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

This is one of my most revered verses in scripture. It is confronting and insulting, but an honest reality of how God views us and why he need to chase Him as our highest authority. Even if we’re made in his image, he have fallen into sin, but through Jesus we have been redeemed and offers forgiveness if we repent and follow him. (John 4:16)

28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

No amount of good deeds (although important) can justify us toward God because we can never measure up to God's standards, we are tainted with sin. Only having a personal relationship with God can save us. Having this mentality is important because it eliminates human pride as faith is based on our relationship with Him, not performance.

Romans 2

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
When we judge others, it is an easy way to fall into pride. If we notice a fellow brother/sister caught in a sin that they are ignoring or unaware of then we must rebuke them, but out of humility. Often I can think lowly of people who just stay in their own cliques at Church, but as soon as a newcomer comes I just stay to where i'm comfortable and leave the welcoming work to someone else. This is something that I despise and it is possibly my biggest hypocrisy.  Mathew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay not attention to the plank in your own eye?"

 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
For God to provide me with an abundance of blessings and then end up misrepresenting him might possibly be one of my biggest fears. We are constantly called to be separate from the world and imitate Christ however too often I can act like a pharisee. I long for attention and acknowledgement from others more than I do for my saviour sometimes. If I ignore God's calling or conviction in my life, I dishonour His name.