1 Corinthians 10:1-5 ESV
“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”
I believe this can be paralleled over to the church in
America today, not the part about Moses, but the whole concept of how our Lord
has watched over and provided for his church, and he has given them spiritual
nourishment down through the generations. But with most of them he is not
pleased because they have deserted him to follow after the gods of this world
and the pleasures of the flesh. They have rejected the Lord in favor of another
Jesus and a different gospel other than the one they should have learned.
1 Corinthians 10:6-11 ESV
“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”
Now, the things that took place with the children of Israel
happened as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. And
they were written down for us for our instruction as a warning to us to not
follow in their footsteps. For most of them were killed in the wilderness
because of their rebellion against the Lord in continuing in their idolatry and
in sexual immorality and in revelry and wild parties and in grumbling against
the Lord and in putting him to the test. But the majority are not taking this
to heart.
And that is because it appears that the majority have bought
into a lie and they have convinced themselves that they can make a one-time
profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all their sins are forgiven (past,
present, and future) and they are on their way to heaven, regardless of how
they live. And so they go on in their sins because they believe that their
salvation and eternal life are secure and that nothing can take that away from
them, not even their continued and deliberate and habitual sins. But that is a
lie!
But many of them like that lie because it tells them that
they can continue living in sin and still have heaven as their eternal destiny.
And so they have no motivation to change because they have convinced themselves
that change is not necessary, and that change will make no difference in where
they will spend eternity. And so they profess faith in Jesus Christ, but by
their lifestyles and their habits they deny the Lordship of Christ over their
lives, and they become their own lords governing their own lives.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ESV
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
So, there are many professing Christians here in America,
and in other countries, too, who think they stand secure in Christ because of a
one-time confession (or profession) of Christ as Lord and Savior of their
lives, but while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin without regard
for our Lord’s commands. So, if this is where you are, then take heed, for you
are already fallen. And those whose faith is genuine need to be careful that
you don’t get overconfident lest you fall, for pride comes before a fall.
We must all put on the armor of God daily, and daily we must
all die with Christ to sin and walk in obedience to his commands. And we must
be on our guard against the attacks and the temptations of the enemy, for he
can be very subtle in his tactics. And we should never let our guard down
thinking that we have somehow arrived. And if we are tempted to sin, then we
should be ready with the armor of God to fight off that temptation in the power
of God, as we are enabled by God to resist the enemy of our souls.
For Jesus already conquered death, Satan, sin and hell via his
death and resurrection. He has already won this battle for us. He has already
provided the way of escape. We just have to take the way he provided for us. We
have to die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and we must walk in
obedience to our Lord, by the Spirit, in walks of righteousness, to the glory
and praise of God. And we must use that armor we have been given to fight off
our enemy and his lies, like we truly believe that Jesus already won this.
Yet the many who are following after the lie and not after
the truth are in for a rude awakening when they stand before the Lord one day.
For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in
heaven. For many will stand before him on that day calling him Lord and
proclaiming all the things they believe they did in his name, and he is going
to say to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,”
because they refused to obey the Lord and so be saved (Matthew 7:21-23).
What’s Important?
Christian brother, where are you?
Christian sister, and you, too.
What’s important? Do you know?
Does it matter? Does it show?
Your intentions, what are they?
Read your Bible, kneel and pray?
Have devotions here and there?
Share the gospel anywhere?
Some of you are quite sincere,
Follow Jesus, have Him near.
Hearts are given o’er to Christ.
Now to sin NOT are enticed.
Follow Jesus where He leads,
On His word you daily feed.
Share the gospel, Christ to know,
Hearts sincere, and not for show.
But while others fall in sin,
Not the souls of folks to win.
Self-absorbed and self-defiled,
Self-indulgent all the while.
Make professions, not in fact,
Their confessions not intact.
Love their idols, play their games,
And they remain just the same.
So, the calling here is this,
Don’t let your faith be amiss.
Turn from your sins, follow God,
Righteousness now you applaud.
Faithful you in service be,
Walking with Christ tenderly,
Follow Him in what He says,
Your faith in Him now express.
An Original Work / October 1, 2022
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