1 Corinthians 10 - Are you in or out?
- Chad Werkhoven
- Jul 21, 2022
- 2 min read
Christianity is a group sport, but not everybody on the field is actually on the team.
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Read the chapter in an outlined format
Read previous DIG DEEPER posts on 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 10 Summary
The people of Israel looked unified as they trekked across the wilderness towards the Promised Land. They all escaped through the parted Red Sea, ate the same manna & quail that God had provided, and drank the same water that miraculously sprang from rocks.
Paul makes a stunning claim about these people: that they drank from... the rock that was Christ (v4)!
This is such a stunning claim, because the next thing Paul writes is that with most of them God was not pleased (v5).
These Old Testament stories are not given to us for our entertainment, but were written down for our instruction (v11). So what is it we must learn from the exodus?
It's not enough to be part of the group. Just walking in the same direction the pillar of fire was going and doing the same things the other Israelites were doing didn't cut it. Paul writes in v6 that God looked at what each individual desired (NIV: what their hearts were set on).
Those who desired evil were destroyed, regardless of their affiliation with Israel in external practices.
Dig Deeper
How does this apply to us? It's good to come to church, participate in communion, give money in the offering and all the other things we do here, but be sure your heart is set on pleasing God and not just yourself.
This passage is a bit jarring to consider; that if our attitude isn't correct we may not be genuine Christians. It's good to do a thorough soul searching after reading a chapter like this, but don't forget the awesome flip side of this warning!
If you are demonstrating a deep desire to come closer to Christ, and your heart is set on godly things, it's a sure sign that you are included in Christ! Just the fact that you're concerned enough to wonder is evidence that the Holy Spirit is indeed active in you.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our loving Father, is also a jealous God (v22)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and wisdom to do everything you do for God's glory (v30).
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
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