Only you
George Sneddon
September 14, 2023
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1 Corinthians 10: 14-33 (NRSVA)
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 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. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
23 ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things build up. 24 Do not seek your own advantage, but that of others. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, 26 for ‘the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.’ 27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice’, then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I mean the other’s conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgement of someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offence to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved.
There is no room in Christianity for other Gods. In the west, we tend to think we have left the worship of idols behind. We don’t think we have idols to worship… Well, that is, until you start considering the things in our lives which draw our attention quicker than the Lord does. Perhaps it’s money, perhaps it’s worry, perhaps it's good living, or perhaps it’s as serious as drugs and alcohol and any other addiction. Anything that draws our attention away from God is idolatry. And God does not suffer it.
To be true to God, and to worship him with everything we have, doesn’t mean we ostracise or demean those around us, but it does mean staying true to our identity in Christ. That bread is Christ’s body, and that wine is Christ’s blood. It belongs to nobody else. It is from the Son of God, in the power of God, for the people of God. In Christ Alone, our hope is found.
PRAYER:
Father God,
You and only you.
You and only you.
You and only you.
Father, Son, Spirit.
You and only you.
Amen.
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