The carnality of human worship
The carnality of human worship
1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 3:3,4.
Human worship and sectarian loyalty are fast becoming a nidus of decay and corruption in the Christian religion. We are fast abandoning the simplicity of the belief and focusing on Christ for a more elaborate yet deadly deviation by elevating “prominent” ministers of the gospel. This deviation began with the preeminent disposition of these leaders over the flocks of Christ. They were channels through which the word of God came to the people, but they kept on mandating an adherence to their self-promoted tenets and rules which developed into an entirely different gospel through the displacement of the Lord of the harvest and His unchanging word. At other times, it’s not the ministers that engender these attitudes, the people are culprits in exalting these vessels beyond what’s divinely approved, but the ministers become complicit if they don’t withhold the people from such erroneous actions- Acts 14:11-18.
The Corinthian church from the text was being rebuked for the disposition of their profession towards dividing themselves as disciples of some of the leaders at that time. This is also epitomized in our Churches today, while some think of themselves as holier people, some think they are praiseful, and others pride themselves in their prosperity per the dictates of their leaders. This ought not to be so. Looking at the examples of the Churches that Christ wrote to in the book of Revelation 2 & 3 should help us understand that we can veer off the true state of our hearts by sheer ignorance and assumption by the progressive physical outlook of our lives or ministry- Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
In finality, what is the correct stand of a believer towards his denomination and leaders? God has installed vessels to be conveyors of His grace by bringing the people to the full light of Christ, not standing in the way as reflectors or idols to the people- 1 Corinthians 4:1,6 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God… that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. The guiding principle of leadership is that you must always point people towards God and always ascribe all the glory to God. For the followers, we must follow and serve with leaders with a conscious awareness that no man is above God’s words and His standards- 1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. We must equally maintain a personal fellowship with God and search out the truths of God’s words so we are not misled- Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
