Lusting Daily
Acts 14:7-8
And there they preached the gospel.
Ah yes, wherever you are, it is always a good time to "preach the gospel." Note that the apostles preached not themselves nor yet the human wisdom of that time. But in all things, they spoke Jesus unto the people. It matters not how badly they were reviled or persecuted. In all things they saw an opportunity for the gospel. See, the Word of God came with the power to change lives. What sort of men would they be that knew the way of salvation yet did nothing to share it with the people. They might have been considered the scum of the earth in all situations and faced unimaginable difficulties. See, 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 tells all about it; yet the apostles did not hesitate to speak Jesus into each situation faced. For John 1:4 says, "in him was life and that life was the light of men." Some of you need to stop letting the things of this life worry you so when there is eternity at stake.
And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
Like the apostles, this certain man of Lystra was both impotent and a cripple. The text says he had never walked having been this way from his mother's womb. I am assuming this also meant that he had no life as well. Living in a society of able-bodied individuals, the man probably had not gotten any further than his bed. Here he had lain all his life in his parent's house. Such a condition is very bad indeed. Even worse, is the situation of eternal danger in which he found himself. It is good indeed to walk, enjoy the pleasure of a woman's company, and live a good life. But indeed, what does it profit you to have the whole world yet lose your own soul. Imagine with me if you will just how that man at Lystra must have felt. I would think he lusted daily for another life, always seeing yet not receiving the exalted horn of blessing in the land for which he lived. 1 Corinthians 5 opens with the common report of fornication in the church. See, one man supposedly had his father's wife. But such would not have been uttered among the Gentiles for indeed it was not a thing for which to be proud.
Rather Paul thought such ought to be taken away. See, there were two options for the situation. The first was a deliverance unto Satan for the saving of the spirit. The second was how a little sin like leaven could contaminate the whole lump of believers. For this cause also did Christ die to make unto himself a new lump of believers. But he did not do so they could have more malice and wickedness between them. Then Paul tells them, 'get it straight now; we aren't keeping fornicators company.' For so were some fornicators of world, covetous, extortioners, and idolators. These also must needs come out of the world unto Christ. I can hear him now saying what they were before God had saved them. Yet if someone is doing evil, Paul instructed the church not to eat with them. Thus, both will be saved from the company of the judgers. Nor should any also desire to sit with the company of the blasphemer. So do those without God judge each other and for this receive his condemnation. So, if you also plan to be wicked, remove yourselves from such.