Summary 1 Corinthians 10:1-20
We are reminded here of what the Israelites went through after they were delivered out of their slavery in Egypt and while they were wandering for forty years in the wilderness, and of how God provided for them, but how the majority of them rebelled against the Lord and thus died in the wilderness and did not get to enter God’s eternal rest. For so many of them were revelers and idolaters and those who indulged in sexual immorality and who put Christ to the test and who grumbled against the Lord.
Then we are told that these things happened, and that they were written down for us as examples to us so that we will not do as they did, and so that we will not refuse to die with Christ to sin and then not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven due to disobedience (unbelief). And then we are warned against thinking that we are so righteous that we can never fall back into sin, or that we are so forgiven that none of our sins will ever be charged against us. And then we are reminded that Jesus provided the way for us out of temptation to sin so that not one of us has to continue living in sin.
Then we are instructed to flee from idolatry, which includes sexual immorality, and which is about putting other “gods” and “idols” in place of God in our lives, which can be anything which gets our passion, time, obedience, and faithfulness in place of God. And then we are reminded, I believe, not just of the practice of “taking communion,” but of the significance of what the bread and the drink symbolize, which is not only what Jesus did for us on that cross, but it is our participation with him in death to sin and being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him.
1 Corinthians 10:20-22 ESV
Now what this is saying to us, I believe, is that if we are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, who have been crucified with him in death to sin, and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, then we should no longer be partaking in what is ungodly and unholy and in what is idolatrous and rebellious against our Lord. For we cannot partake in what is of demons and what is of the Lord at the same time. They don’t mix together!
Therefore, being saved from our sins and having the hope of eternal life with God does not mix with us continuing in deliberate and habitual sin and in continuing to worship what is not of God, but which is of Satan, which is the sinful pleasures of this world. For when our hearts and our passions and desires are driven toward what is evil and what is not of God and what is sinful and of the devil, then we are not in genuine relationship and communion and fellowship with God. And if we claim that we are, we are liars (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10).
For our salvation from sin is deliverance from slavery to sin, and it is empowerment of God to live holy and godly lives, and it is not free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin, only now without guilt and without remorse. So, we can’t walk in sin and be in fellowship with God. We can’t just give mouth service to the Lord while we are giving our hearts and minds and bodies to sexual immorality and to the “gods” of this world. So, if we choose to make sin our practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Christ we confess with our lips.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody
“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
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We are reminded here of what the Israelites went through after they were delivered out of their slavery in Egypt and while they were wandering for forty years in the wilderness, and of how God provided for them, but how the majority of them rebelled against the Lord and thus died in the wilderness and did not get to enter God’s eternal rest. For so many of them were revelers and idolaters and those who indulged in sexual immorality and who put Christ to the test and who grumbled against the Lord.
Then we are told that these things happened, and that they were written down for us as examples to us so that we will not do as they did, and so that we will not refuse to die with Christ to sin and then not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven due to disobedience (unbelief). And then we are warned against thinking that we are so righteous that we can never fall back into sin, or that we are so forgiven that none of our sins will ever be charged against us. And then we are reminded that Jesus provided the way for us out of temptation to sin so that not one of us has to continue living in sin.
Then we are instructed to flee from idolatry, which includes sexual immorality, and which is about putting other “gods” and “idols” in place of God in our lives, which can be anything which gets our passion, time, obedience, and faithfulness in place of God. And then we are reminded, I believe, not just of the practice of “taking communion,” but of the significance of what the bread and the drink symbolize, which is not only what Jesus did for us on that cross, but it is our participation with him in death to sin and being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him.
1 Corinthians 10:20-22 ESV
“I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”
Now what this is saying to us, I believe, is that if we are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, who have been crucified with him in death to sin, and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, then we should no longer be partaking in what is ungodly and unholy and in what is idolatrous and rebellious against our Lord. For we cannot partake in what is of demons and what is of the Lord at the same time. They don’t mix together!
Therefore, being saved from our sins and having the hope of eternal life with God does not mix with us continuing in deliberate and habitual sin and in continuing to worship what is not of God, but which is of Satan, which is the sinful pleasures of this world. For when our hearts and our passions and desires are driven toward what is evil and what is not of God and what is sinful and of the devil, then we are not in genuine relationship and communion and fellowship with God. And if we claim that we are, we are liars (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10).
For our salvation from sin is deliverance from slavery to sin, and it is empowerment of God to live holy and godly lives, and it is not free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin, only now without guilt and without remorse. So, we can’t walk in sin and be in fellowship with God. We can’t just give mouth service to the Lord while we are giving our hearts and minds and bodies to sexual immorality and to the “gods” of this world. So, if we choose to make sin our practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Christ we confess with our lips.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody
“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
