I would like you to find Philippians
chapter 4, and when you get there, hold your finger there and turn
to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. I'd like to read the first eight
verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 6. As I announced this morning,
I'd like to preach upon this subject. Graciousness. Graciousness. Verse one. Dare any of you. Having a matter
against another. Go to law before the unjust. And not before the Saints. Do you not know that the saints
shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged
by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye
not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain
to this life? If then you have judgments of
things pertaining to this life, set them to judge your least
esteemed in the church. I speak this to your shame. Is
it so that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that
shall be able to judge between his brethren. But brother goeth
to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore
there is utterly a fault among you. Because you go to law one
with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud,
and that your brethren. Now, Philippians chapter 4, verse 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Now, that's
my introduction to this message. Paul says in Philippians chapter
four, verse five, let your moderation be known, let it be recognized
by all men. Now, this does not signify moderation
in eating and drinking, although we should, in fact, show moderation
in those things. But the word here means gentleness, graciousness. It is a merciful
attitude. Our Lord said, Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. It's closely associated
with meekness and humility. Let your moderation be known
to all men. The New International Version
translate this. Let your gentleness be evident
to all. And this moderation is forbearing
and patient and kind. It does not insist upon the letter
of the law. It does not hold people's feet
to the fire. And this is how you and I should
be perceived by all men, believers and unbelievers alike. as moderate,
gracious, merciful, kind men and women. If there is no graciousness
in our conduct and our conversation, the doctrine of grace which we
believe will seem meaningless at best to those who hear us
speak of His grace. I've entitled this message, like
I've already said, Graciousness. Oh, would to God that you and
I will be gracious, gracious, gracious people. Now, we have
before us in 1 Corinthians 6, the story of believers who were
acting very ungracious. Can somebody who really believes
grace be ungracious? Is that possible? Can you really
believe grace and be ungracious? Well, I'll answer that question
by asking another. Do you believe grace? Do you? Are you ever ungracious? That answers that question, doesn't
it? Yes, it's very true that a believer can act in a very
ungracious way. And that's what was going on
at the church at Corinth. Look what he says to them in
verses seven and eight of First Corinthians, chapter six. He says, now, therefore, there
is utterly a fault among you. I mean, he says this is terrible,
this is shameful. This is utterly a fault among
you, because you go to law one with another. Why do you not
rather take the wrong? Why don't you rather suffer yourselves
to be defrauded? They you do wrong and defraud,
and that your brethren. Now, that's strong language,
isn't it? He says you're defeated already. And that's what that
means when he says there's utterly a fault among you. He said you've
already lost this battle. You're just in the wrong. That's what he says to this church.
What precipitated this? Look up in verse one. Dare any of you. Having a matter
against another. Go to law before the unjust and
not before saints, do you dare do this? Do you have no shame?
He says to the Corinthians, are you so brazen and hard that you
would dare to do something like this, that you'd actually bring
your brother to court? He's talking about litigation.
He's talking about suing people. Rich, what if you ran into my
car? And I took you to court over it to make you pay for the
car and for the emotional turmoil that would bring you through
and all the damages and so on. What would you all think of me
if I did Rich that way? Just sued him because he ran
into my car, backed into it. You know, that was actually going
on in this church. It was actually going on. People
were actually suing their brothers and sisters in Christ. Now, when he makes this statement,
dare any of you go to law and go to law before the unjust and
not before the saints, he's not saying really that it is wrong
under every circumstance to go to litigation. I suppose sometimes
people have to do it. I'm not. He says, I'm not saying
that's always wrong. As a matter of fact, Paul appealed
to Caesar's court, didn't he? Remember when they wanted him
to be tried in Jerusalem? He says, no, I appealed to Caesar.
I want to go to Caesar's court. So it's not saying that under
every circumstance that's wrong. It generally is. But it would always be wrong
always be wrong to take a believer to court. Members of the same
church suing one another at the Fayette County Courthouse. Can
you imagine what shame that would bring on the Todd Rowe Christchurch?
And that was what was going on at the church at Corinth. Now,
let's say you've been wronged by your brother. Can that take
place? Have you ever been done wrong
by somebody in this church? Well, probably you have. When
you get flesh together, you've been misunderstood, you've been
wronged, and so on. But are you going to take somebody
and sue them over it? Let's say you can't come to an agreement.
He refuses to acknowledge it. Don't take them to court. Bring
this up before believers. You and he both, let the believers
make the decision as to whether or not you were wrong. Let there
be a true mediation is what he's saying. Dare any of you having
a matter against another go to law before unjust and not before
the saints. Do you not know that the saints
shall judge the world? Now, any believer ought to have
the wisdom and the discernment to be able to make the judgment.
They have the Spirit of God. They're united to Christ. They're
going to judge the world. Now, that's an amazing thing.
We're going to come back to that in a moment, but we're so united
to Christ. This union is so real that when Christ sets in judgment
upon this world, we're going to be set in judgment with Him
upon this world. That's how real and true and vital union with
Christ is. Every believer has the Spirit
of God. Paul's saying, are you going to tell me that not one
of you has the wisdom to render a judgment concerning whatever
this conflict is that everybody will agree with? You're actually
taking this to court? He said, this is not right. If
that's the case, don't you think you're able to judge in the smallest
matters? Verse three. Know ye not that we shall judge
angels? Now, this is how real union with
Christ is when He is sitting in judgment of angels. We're
going to be judging angels, which are greater in power and might
as far as their being. We don't know much about angels,
but this passage of Scripture actually says that you and I,
every believer, are actually going to be judging angels. Once again, how real, how powerful
union with the Lord Jesus Christ is. Now, if we're going to set judgment
on angels, since that's the case, are you not competent to render
a fair judgment in this life? Know you not that we should judge
angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? Verse
four. If then you have judgments of
things pertaining to this life, set them to judge which are least
esteemed in the church. The least esteemed, the least
respected, the most immature people in the church ought to
have the wisdom and the judgment to render a God honoring decision
regarding what this conflict between the two of you are. It
should never be brought to court. It should be brought to believers.
If you can't seem to come to an agreement, find somebody in
the church, the least esteemed person there. They ought to have
the wisdom and the understanding to be able to render a judgment
that both of you could be satisfied with. He says in verse 5, I speak
this to your shame. Is it so that there's not a wise
man among you, not one that should be able to judge between his
brethren? Paul is saying to the church of Corinth, you ought
to be ashamed of yourself if you let such foolishness go on. Is it true that not one of you
has, not one individual in your assembly Doesn't have the wisdom
to give a fair judgment between two people who at odds? Somebody
that loves both parties, that really does, and is going to
seek to render the right judgment? He says, are you so self-righteous
that you're blind to the possibility that maybe you're wrong? Is there
no one who can mediate? Verse 6, But brother goes to
law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. What shame!
That brings what reproach that brings on the gospel. That's
what he's saying to these people. For two people to claim they
love each other and yet take each other to law to sue each
other. Now look what Paul says in verse 7. Now, therefore, there
is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with
another. Why don't you rather take the
wrong? Why don't you go ahead and lose whatever it is you're
losing rather than bring such reproach on the gospel? Why aren't
you willing to just go ahead and lose it and forget it? It's
in the past. Why do you not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded? Why don't you go ahead and allow
yourself to be ripped off rather than bring such reproach on the
gospel by conduct like this? Nay, he says in verse eight.
You do wrong and defraud. In doing this, you're the one
doing the defrauding. Although you believe yourselves
to be defrauded, you are the ones doing the defrauding. Now,
this is the third issue he brings up to this church. You'll remember
the first issue was the issue of divisions, and we spent three
chapters looking at that. And then the next issue was the
fact that there was one who was committing fornication. And they
were okay with it. This person had decided, I'm
going to go in this direction. I'm not going to be, this is
the direction I'm going. Come what may, he was just determined
to go this way. And they were just overlooking
it and saying, we're okay with that. That was the second issue.
We considered that a couple of weeks ago. And this was the third
issue that he brings up with the Church of Corinth, that they
actually had people bringing each other into lawsuits and
suing each other and so on. I don't know how many times I've
read this passage of Scripture and just thought, well, that's
not applicable to me. I mean, I just kind of go on, you read over
it, you don't think much about what is being said. But isn't
all Scripture given by inspiration of God? And it's all very important
for us to learn what's being taught in this passage of Scripture.
I've read it, you see what was taking place, and it seems amazing
that people can become so childish and babyfied that they would
do something like this, so utterly unconcerned about the glory of
Christ. But these were believers that were doing this. Now, the
three things that I want to point out about this passage of Scripture.
I've already touched on this. Once again, we're given another
glimpse of the reality. of union with Jesus Christ. He said, don't you know that
you are going to sit in judgment of angels? Now, I want you to
think about that. Can you imagine sitting in judgment on an angel? That's not figurative language.
He's talking about something that literally is going to take
place. You're going to judge the world.
You're going to be sitting in judgment with the Lord Jesus
Christ. This tells us how true, how real, how powerful union
with Christ is. And I wish I knew how to give
a proper explanation of it. But the two become one. They're not just real close.
Not closely joined together where you can't even prime apart. No,
the two actually become one. So as we actually sit in judgment
with him, the two become one flesh. Turn with me to Hebrews
chapter two for a moment. Verse 11. For both He that sanctifieth,
and they who are sanctified, are all of one. For the which cause he is not
ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I declare thy name unto
my brethren. In the midst of the church will
I sing praise to thee, and again I put my trust in him. And again,
behold, I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself
likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy
him that had power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage. For verily he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful." and a faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins
of the people, for in that he himself has suffered being tempted,
he is able to suffer to help them that are tempted." Now,
I want you to think for just a few moments about the reality
of this two becoming one. Two, thee and the Lord Jesus
Christ, Christ and all of his church, the two become one. Now, for Him to become one with
me, that passage of Scripture says He had to take on flesh
and blood. He took upon all the physical limitations that you
and I have. He became man. He became flesh.
But not only did He take upon Him the physical limitations
of the flesh when He became man, on the cross, and I don't understand
this, but all that I am, He became. Now, we're in the dark about
this. How all this happened, I don't know. It's just something
we believe. All that I am, He became. That's why He was made
to cry from the cross, I am a worm. and not even fit to be called
a man. That's what the Lord Jesus, that's
how vitally united he became with you. That's how he can be
a faithful and merciful high priest. There isn't anything
you've experienced that he hadn't experienced much more acutely,
including the heaviness and the guilt of sin. That's what happened
to him on the cross. He was made sin. He truly became
what we He was made sin. But just as truly, just as really,
just as powerfully, just as literally as He became what we are, we
become one with Him. We become who He is, what He
is. We become the very righteousness
of God in Him. And that's why Paul says, you're
going to sit in judgment of angels. You're going to judge the world.
Is He going to judge the world? Then I am too. That's how united
I am to Christ. And that's where my confidence
comes from. That's where my joy comes from. That's why I have assurance. I have assurance of my salvation.
And here's why. I'm united to Him. And I have
such boldness. I can come boldly in His presence
knowing I'm the very righteousness of God in Him. That's not presumption. That's faith. That's trust. I really believe that He is my
salvation, and that's where my assurance comes from. And because
of that, I'm going to be judging angels. Isn't that amazing? I mean, I just can't get over
that. You know, that's something maybe
you haven't ever thought about much, is we're going to judge
angels, but how come? What's the point? Because we're
so united to Him. And this union that I'm speaking
of is more than positional. He's the vine. We are the branches. Now, you think of that union. There's not a clear line there,
is there? He's the vine. We're the branches. And because
we have his spirit, We're in union with him, and because of
that, every believer is equipped to have some wisdom. And Paul
is showing them the absurdity of taking your brother to court
when you have some people who have true wisdom. They have the
Spirit of God. They're united to Christ. That
is shameful that these people would show such a lack of love
and lack of wisdom and discernment that they would bring each other
to court. Now, I want you to notice The
issue Paul makes about them going before unbelievers. Look in verse
1 of 1 Corinthians 6. He says, dare any of you. Having
a matter against another go to law before the unjust. The unbeliever. And not before saints. Dare you
do that? Have you become so brazen that
you do that? Look in verse 6. But brother goeth to law with
brother and that before the unbelievers. Now, he makes a big issue of
how we conduct ourselves before unbelievers. How we conduct ourselves
before unbelievers is of great importance, and don't think it's
not. Giving no offense in anything,
Paul said, that the ministry be not blamed. You are the ambassadors
of Christ where you're at, and all these people see of the gospel
is what you show them. Now, I want you to think about
that. When you go to work tomorrow, all those people, the people
you come in contact with tomorrow, the people you may come in contact
with tonight, all they see of the gospel is what you showed
them. Now, what do they see? What did
that judge see when he saw these two people who profess to be
believers suing each other? What did he see? Well, he thought
there ain't nothing to what they believe. They talk about being merciful.
They talk about being gracious. They talk about loving folks.
There's nothing to that. Their works, their conduct completely
denies what they say they believe. It's a complete denial of it. What would people think? And
I'm asking myself this question. I'm asking you this question.
What would people think of the doctrine of the Todd's Road Grace
Church by seeing my wife? If everybody was just like me,
what kind of place would this place be? How do you treat your brothers
and sisters? Are you kind? Are you gracious? Are you merciful? Are you patient? Are you forgiving? What does our conduct say about
the gospel we believe? People see what we do before
they hear what we say. What kind of ambassador am I? Now, you know, I want to put
some pressure on all of us. I have no problem with that.
But you're an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. And how you
conduct yourselves before the people the Lord brings you into
contact with is all they're going to see in the gospel. Does that
put pressure on you? Well, it ought to. It ought to.
I've got no problem with that. We need that pressure in that
sense. God will give us grace to conduct ourselves in a way
that will honor Him. So we see how important it is
how we conduct ourselves before unbelievers. Paul makes a big
issue of that. Now, here's the thing I want to dwell on. It's
love. for our brethren and concern for the testimony
of the gospel that will prevent things like this from happening.
Love for God's children. How do we know we pass from death
to life? How do we know? He says, Herein may we know that
we pass from death to life because we love the brethren. Now, how I really view How I
really treat the Lord Jesus Christ is seen in how I treat you. And I want you to remember this.
The Bible never tells anybody how they're supposed to treat
you. It only tells you how you're
to treat them. It's only that way. And you can
hear something like this and think, well, I hope so-and-so
is listening to this. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Who needs to hear this? I do. Turn to John 13. Verse 35. By this shall all men know that
you're my disciples. What? These are the Lord's words. He says, if you have love one
to another, he doesn't mention anything that this is not taking
away from the importance of what we believe, but he doesn't say
by this shall all men know you're my disciples by your doctrinal
stance on certain things. He doesn't say anything like
that. That's not taking away from the importance of that,
but when he gives this evidence of being a believer, he says,
by this shall all men know you're my disciples, by your love one
to another. Now, when he's talking to these
people at court, he's rebuking these people. In this sense,
he's saying you should go ahead and take the loss. Whatever you
got to lose, it's not worth taking your brother to court trying
to gain it. You're so zealous of your rights. You're so zealous
of not being wronged. You want everything to work out
your way. He said you ought to go ahead
and suck a loss in order to keep something this shameful from
happening. The wrong person had the wrong ambition. Would you
turn to 1 Corinthians 13. In chapter 12, verse 29. He says, are all apostles? Well,
the answer is no. Are all prophets? The answer
is no. Are all teachers? No. Are all workers of miracles?
No. Have all the gifts of healing? No. Do all speak with tongues?
No. Do all interpret? No. But covet earnestly the best
gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Now, here's something for you
to covet. Here's something for you to be
ambitious about. Oh, you make this your aim, your
goal. This is what you're to seek,
the Lord. You know, I ask the Lord for gifts to enable me to
preach clearly. I ask the Lord for gifts to be
used and all those things. But I tell you what, all of our
desires like that, I'm afraid to know how much flesh is involved.
I'm just afraid to know. But here is the true desire of
the believer. This is what he says to covet
earnestly. He says in verse 1 in chapter 13, Though I speak with
the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I become
a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the
gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and
have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned in
the cause of God and truth, a martyr is at stake, and have not charity. And he's talking about love for
brethren. He's not just talking about love
for God. If I love God, who else am I going to love? You. If I
love the Lord Jesus Christ, how is it manifested? by my love
to you." He goes on to describe this charity. Charity suffereth long. It puts up with a lot. And it's
kind. Charity envies not. If I love
you, I'm not going to be envious of you. I'm going to rejoice
in your being blessed, in your promotion. If I love you, I'm
not going to be envious of you. Charity envieth not. Charity
vaunteth not itself. It's not trying to push itself
to the forefront and promote itself. It's not puffed up with
pride. It doesn't behave itself unseemly
or rude. It seeketh not her own. It's not just seeking its own
benefit. It's seeking the welfare of the
object of its affection. It's not easily provoked. It's
not touchy and all the time offended. Boy, you'd be around somebody
who's touchy and always easily offended. There's a lot of problems
out there. He says charity is not easily
provoked. It thinketh no evil. It's not always suspicious and
suspecting things. It rejoices not in iniquity,
but it rejoices in the truth. It bears all things. It believes
all things. It hopes all things. It endures
all things. Charity never fails. But where there be prophecies,
they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they
shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away, for we know in part, we prophesy in part. You know, I understand that more
than I've ever understood it. I'm partial, partial. But with that which is perfect
has come, and he's talking about the full canon of scriptures
when he's making this reference. That which is in part should
be done away with. He's talking about the gifts that they were
coveting, you know, to be a heel and so on. They said, when I
was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child. But when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see through a glass
darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then
Shall I know even as also I am known, and now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three. But the greatest of these, now
these are the words of the Holy Spirit. Faith is a great thing,
isn't it? Thank God for faith, there's
no salvation apart from faith. Faith, how important is faith?
Hope is a great thing, isn't it wonderful to have a hope?
Isn't it wonderful to have a hope that you're accepted before God
because of what Christ did? Isn't it wonderful to have a
hope that everything's working together for your good, His glory,
and you really don't have anything to worry about? You know, really,
we don't have anything to worry about. We don't have anything
to stress over. We have hope that He's in control. Hope is
a wonderful thing. Scripture says we're saved by
hope. Yet He says the greatest of these is charity. That charity that
suffers long and is kind. How you and I treat other believers
is how we treat Christ Himself. Now, that's the bottom line.
Our Lord said, inasmuch as you've done it to the least of these,
my brethren, you've done it to me. And inasmuch as you did it
not to the least of these, my brethren, you did it not unto
me. The church is His body, the fullness
of Him that filleth all in all. That's what the church is. And
oh, may God give me grace to be gracious. You know, I want you to be gracious
toward me. I want you to be merciful toward
me. I want you to forgive me. I want you to love me in spite
of me. I want you to put up with me. I want you to be patient
with me. I mean, we can just go on down the line. I want those
things for myself. You do too. You do too. Oh, I want to give these things. Let your moderation. Let your graciousness. Let your
approachableness. That's what the word means. You're
approachable. You're not somebody that you feel like you're under
everybody's microscope. No, you're approachable. That's what he's talking about.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. Your kindness,
your gentleness, your graciousness. Now, we need The doctrine of
grace. And the Bible never speaks of
doctrine in a negative manner. And don't you ever speak of doctrine
in a negative manner. We need the doctrine of grace. It's the doctrine of God. It's
the teaching of God and how we need it. But we also need the
grace of the doctrine. May we learn something about being gracious,
kind, forgiving. The bottom line is Christ-like
men and women. And that honors the grace that
we say we believe. We really prove we believe it.
by how we conduct ourselves. Faith without works is what? It's dead. Being alone. Let's pray together again.