November 18, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Numbers and 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 10 (NIV)
Warnings From Israel’s History
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink;……Continue Reading
Sobering chapter. We can easily justify temptation and fall to it. But Paul gives the answer Run from wrong. Choose!! Pray to God for strength. Love the freedom that is in verse 22. It’s your choice. Do whatever. But there consequences for wrong choices. As Roman’s 14 speaks of. Make decisions that will not hurt or hinder other Christians. Verse 31 sums it up perfectly. Are my actions bringing glory to God. Takes years to figure out. This life is not about ME and my desires. But to live for Jesus fulfilling his purpose for us through our gifts n earth. As Jesus spoke of in John 17. The time has come Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. Definition of life!!!!!!
A staunch reminder of the Israelites and their fate through the years when they turned their backs on God and lived in various sins. At the same time positive reinforcement that God will not allow us to be faced with anything that we have not been given the strength to bear and a provision through Him to overcome. Definitely an appropriate reminder from Paul that we should keep in thought during this day and age.
We are reminded of the importance of staying away from sin and many of the sins that so easily beset us. Idolatry, whatever come before God is our idol. Even our kids or our work, something that seems to be our responsibility can become an idol and we must be vigilant that our first thought, our first priority in all things is God’s glory. This world will tempt us to do things because the worldly mentality is do what you “feel” not what you know to be right or wrong. But like verse 13 says…
“But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
There is always a way out, God always provides the escape…we just need to be sure we are watching and listening to Him to find it!
1 Corinthians 10
Paul is speaking to the Corinthians to Consider the consequences of their actions, Paul asks them if their behavior or actions will glorify God and does it benefit others. Just like us we can’t be doing good stuff along with bad stuff and expect to be glorified, or in God’s good Grace. We need to walk in God’s way cause there’s no other way.
1 Corinthians 10
Always found a lot of comfort in verse 13.
12 ¶ Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Paul bridges the examples of the Israelites and of Christians.
”Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.“
I Corinthians 10:11-13 NKJV
We need to be careful not to read about the Israelites and think “oh, we would never do that.” We are admonished as well. Although we have a new freedom to eat what we want, we should still conduct ourselves with deference to others, and others’ conscience. This can go both ways for sure.
How neat it is that we are reading numbers along with this book, so we have already read the very things that Paul points to here. Those OT accounts are meant for our learning, it is just unfortunate that the example is usually negative than positive. And yet the Jews experience clearly shows that it is better to live our lives in faith and obedience to God, then disobey Him like they did. And we have far better resources than they did helping us to be obedient. How comforting to know that we are not alone in the temptations we face, but we have power to overcome as well as an assurance that God has provided a way of escape. Let’s make sure we are looking for that rather that turning a blind eye and choosing to follow the temptation.
The next portion is a bit of a conversation that Paul has between himself and a typical Corinthian. SO the first phrase is the Corinthian…I can do whatever I want. Then Paul responds, but everything is not necessarily beneficial or constructive. We should recognize the freedom we have in Christ, but not use that freedom to justify sin or trample on the conscience of another believer. A great standard for living is, whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. He should always be the reference point for how we think, act and speak.
It all comes down to this, whatever we do, do it all for the glory of God. Let us not seek our own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.