Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 10-11
Meditation Verses: 10:1-5
Thought
The Israelites of old enjoyed miracles from God. They were all baptized by water and by the cloud. They ate spiritual food and drink from Christ Himself. Yet in spite of all that, most of them did not please the Lord, but died in the desert under judgment. Paul says all these things are warnings and examples to us, how not to behave as children of God. Seeing and receiving miracles in our lives does not mean we please the Lord. Being baptized in Christ does not mean we are safe and secure for eternity. Eating the Lord's Supper does not mean we belong to Christ. Not if we continue to live in sin and rebellion. The Gospel is a call to repentance and faith in Jesus, recognizing Him as God and Lord and submitting to Him, receiving His death and resurrection as payment for our sins and cleansing from evil and being made new in righteousness. So we too should separate ourselves from all things that God calls evil. Otherwise, we should be uncertain of our salvation; we have reason to doubt we are saved.
Application
I'm not saved by miracles; I'm not saved by baptism; I'm not saved by Communion. I'm saved by faith in Jesus Christ as God and Lord and Savior, such that I walk in righteousness and holiness. The evidence that I am saved is actually the new desire in me to please my Lord and Savior by shunning wickedness and pursuing righteousness. The Lord intends for His children to avoid every kind of evil, to flee every temptation and to do what He considers good and right. So I need to learn and accept what He calls good and do it, and I need to understand what He considers wrong so as to avoid it. He has given me all I need in order to recognize good and evil and choose what is right, to do it. If I ignore His instruction, I shouldn't consider myself safe in Christ. I'm not saved by my works, but by a faith in Jesus that compels me to do what pleases Him. I am condemned by my works, if my works show that I do not love or care what He thinks.