They [Israel] did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His law; They forgot His deeds and His miracles that He had shown them. - Psalm 78:10-11
Everyone who accepts Jesus by faith and receives the salvation that He graciously offers is set free from the power and penalty of sin. Their salvation is securely anchored in the finished work of Christ, and is not dependent on their own works or efforts to earn and retain God’s favor. Thus, all born again believers are blessed with Christian liberty and are not subject to the burdensome obligations of the Law.
Paul introduced this concept back in chapter 8 as he began to answer the Corinthians’ question about whether or not it was okay to consume things that had been sacrificed to idols. He taught that idols were meaningless and echoed the sentiment of Jesus who said that it isn’t what goes into a man’s mouth, but what comes out of it that defiles him. However, though these things are true, Paul concluded that our love for one another must take precedence over our knowledge of what is and isn’t allowable.
Then in chapter 9 Paul cited himself as an example of someone who voluntarily surrendered some of his own Christian liberties for the sake of the gospel. He chose to remain unmarried, though he certainly had the right to marry, as it freed him to focus more on God. He chose to preach and serve the LORD without demanding compensation for his work, so as not to hinder the effectiveness and spread of the message. He approached his ministry with purpose and discipline, lovingly engaging with various people groups, in hopes that many would turn to Christ.
In chapter 10, which we will begin studying this morning, Paul wraps up his emphasis on Christian liberty. Having offered himself as an example in chapter 9, Paul now gives a counterexample. He describes a group of people who didn’t sacrifice their rights, but rather chose to continue sinning even after they’d been delivered by God.
I. GOD’S GOODNESS (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)
Paul reminded his readers of the Israelites whom God had rescued from the oppressive hands of the Egyptians centuries earlier. During the exodus, the LORD was visibly present with them as He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). God even parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing them to pass through on dry ground, so that they could escape the pursuing army of Pharaoh (Exodus 14).
In a sense, the Red Sea crossing was an early picture of baptism, in that the Hebrew Children went into the waters as runaway slaves and came out as those who’d been liberated. This baptism of sorts most literally identified them with Moses who can be thought of as a type of Christ. Notice how this allusion harkens back to Paul’s earlier discussion about division and that all believers are baptized in the name of Jesus.
In addition, God provided manna for the Children of Israel to eat (Exodus 16; Numbers 11) and water for them to drink (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:1-13). The rock from which the water flowed symbolized Jesus. He is our Rock, not to mention our daily bread and living water. Jesus is our provision and sustenance.
Yet even in the light of all of these amazing things - God’s deliverance, His manifest presence, His direction, His protection, and His provision - most of the Israelites still chose to grumble and sin against God. Though some - a select few - remained faithful and obedient, the majority did not and were, in turn, very displeasing to the LORD. Their rebellion provoked God’s judgment, and they were condemned to wander around and die in the wilderness.
II. ISRAEL’S DISOBEDIENCE (1 Corinthians 10:6-11)
Paul used the Hebrew Children as an example for the Corinthians and for all believers in every generation since. He warned them (and us) not to crave evil as their fathers had done. Paul then listed 3 specific sins that Israel committed.
First, many of them descended into idolatry. The premiere example of this was when they crafted and worshiped a golden calf while Moses tarried on Mt. Sinai. The verse Paul cited here comes directly from that troubling account (Exodus 32:6). Second, they committed sexual immorality. An example of this was when they practiced harlotry with the daughters of Moab and Phinehas zealously intervened (Numbers 24). Third, they constantly tested and grumbled against God. On a particular occasion, God sent poisonous snakes into the camp to silence their doubts and complaints (Numbers 21:4-9).
Many of the Corinthians were choosing to practice these same behaviors. They were repeating the sins of their fathers and continuing to walk in the same types of disobedience. Though God had set them free through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they kept lusting after evil. If they persisted in making bad choices, God would be justified in punishing them also.
III. OUR CHOICE (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)
Paul warned the Corinthians not to become overconfident or arrogant. Being professing Christians did not exempt them from the alluring dangers of sin. They needed to be careful and avoid the sinful ways of the past, lest they fall. The same can be said for all Christians.
Finally, Paul stated that no temptation had come upon them that was not common to man. In other words, they were not facing temptations that others didn’t or hadn’t faced. God promised not to tempt them beyond their ability to resist. Some people paraphrase this verse by saying, “God will not give you more than you can handle.” While I understand their meaning, I prefer to say, “God will not give you more than He can handle when you submit yourself to Him”.
God also promised to provide a way of escape in every temptation, so that the Christian being tempted would always have a choice. In other words, we are never so hopelessly overcome by temptation that sinning is our only option. Sometimes a person might find themselves in a “no-win” situation where they are forced to choose between “the lesser of 2 evils”. However, if they back track the decisions that led them there, they will find that God did afford them a chance to escape earlier and they failed to take it.
Finally, even when a believer submits themselves to the Lord and successfully overcomes temptation, they are not freed from its lingering presence. The promise is that God will enable us to endure the presence of temptation, not necessarily be removed from it. In this life, though we should certainly try to avoid it, we will always face temptation to some degree or another.
CONCLUSION
As we close this morning, I want to bring us back to the main point of discussion. As the redeemed children of God, we have been blessed with Christian liberty. We are saved by His great grace and covered by the righteousness of our Lord Jesus. As Christians, we are free to make our own decisions. However, there are still consequences for our choices. The Children of Israel illustrate this quite well. Like them, if we use our freedom selfishly, stubbornly, and/or sinfully we will surely suffer the discipline of God.
Everyone who accepts Jesus by faith and receives the salvation that He graciously offers is set free from the power and penalty of sin. Their salvation is securely anchored in the finished work of Christ, and is not dependent on their own works or efforts to earn and retain God’s favor. Thus, all born again believers are blessed with Christian liberty and are not subject to the burdensome obligations of the Law.
Paul introduced this concept back in chapter 8 as he began to answer the Corinthians’ question about whether or not it was okay to consume things that had been sacrificed to idols. He taught that idols were meaningless and echoed the sentiment of Jesus who said that it isn’t what goes into a man’s mouth, but what comes out of it that defiles him. However, though these things are true, Paul concluded that our love for one another must take precedence over our knowledge of what is and isn’t allowable.
Then in chapter 9 Paul cited himself as an example of someone who voluntarily surrendered some of his own Christian liberties for the sake of the gospel. He chose to remain unmarried, though he certainly had the right to marry, as it freed him to focus more on God. He chose to preach and serve the LORD without demanding compensation for his work, so as not to hinder the effectiveness and spread of the message. He approached his ministry with purpose and discipline, lovingly engaging with various people groups, in hopes that many would turn to Christ.
In chapter 10, which we will begin studying this morning, Paul wraps up his emphasis on Christian liberty. Having offered himself as an example in chapter 9, Paul now gives a counterexample. He describes a group of people who didn’t sacrifice their rights, but rather chose to continue sinning even after they’d been delivered by God.
I. GOD’S GOODNESS (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)
Paul reminded his readers of the Israelites whom God had rescued from the oppressive hands of the Egyptians centuries earlier. During the exodus, the LORD was visibly present with them as He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). God even parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing them to pass through on dry ground, so that they could escape the pursuing army of Pharaoh (Exodus 14).
In a sense, the Red Sea crossing was an early picture of baptism, in that the Hebrew Children went into the waters as runaway slaves and came out as those who’d been liberated. This baptism of sorts most literally identified them with Moses who can be thought of as a type of Christ. Notice how this allusion harkens back to Paul’s earlier discussion about division and that all believers are baptized in the name of Jesus.
In addition, God provided manna for the Children of Israel to eat (Exodus 16; Numbers 11) and water for them to drink (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:1-13). The rock from which the water flowed symbolized Jesus. He is our Rock, not to mention our daily bread and living water. Jesus is our provision and sustenance.
Yet even in the light of all of these amazing things - God’s deliverance, His manifest presence, His direction, His protection, and His provision - most of the Israelites still chose to grumble and sin against God. Though some - a select few - remained faithful and obedient, the majority did not and were, in turn, very displeasing to the LORD. Their rebellion provoked God’s judgment, and they were condemned to wander around and die in the wilderness.
II. ISRAEL’S DISOBEDIENCE (1 Corinthians 10:6-11)
Paul used the Hebrew Children as an example for the Corinthians and for all believers in every generation since. He warned them (and us) not to crave evil as their fathers had done. Paul then listed 3 specific sins that Israel committed.
First, many of them descended into idolatry. The premiere example of this was when they crafted and worshiped a golden calf while Moses tarried on Mt. Sinai. The verse Paul cited here comes directly from that troubling account (Exodus 32:6). Second, they committed sexual immorality. An example of this was when they practiced harlotry with the daughters of Moab and Phinehas zealously intervened (Numbers 24). Third, they constantly tested and grumbled against God. On a particular occasion, God sent poisonous snakes into the camp to silence their doubts and complaints (Numbers 21:4-9).
Many of the Corinthians were choosing to practice these same behaviors. They were repeating the sins of their fathers and continuing to walk in the same types of disobedience. Though God had set them free through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they kept lusting after evil. If they persisted in making bad choices, God would be justified in punishing them also.
III. OUR CHOICE (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)
Paul warned the Corinthians not to become overconfident or arrogant. Being professing Christians did not exempt them from the alluring dangers of sin. They needed to be careful and avoid the sinful ways of the past, lest they fall. The same can be said for all Christians.
Finally, Paul stated that no temptation had come upon them that was not common to man. In other words, they were not facing temptations that others didn’t or hadn’t faced. God promised not to tempt them beyond their ability to resist. Some people paraphrase this verse by saying, “God will not give you more than you can handle.” While I understand their meaning, I prefer to say, “God will not give you more than He can handle when you submit yourself to Him”.
God also promised to provide a way of escape in every temptation, so that the Christian being tempted would always have a choice. In other words, we are never so hopelessly overcome by temptation that sinning is our only option. Sometimes a person might find themselves in a “no-win” situation where they are forced to choose between “the lesser of 2 evils”. However, if they back track the decisions that led them there, they will find that God did afford them a chance to escape earlier and they failed to take it.
Finally, even when a believer submits themselves to the Lord and successfully overcomes temptation, they are not freed from its lingering presence. The promise is that God will enable us to endure the presence of temptation, not necessarily be removed from it. In this life, though we should certainly try to avoid it, we will always face temptation to some degree or another.
CONCLUSION
As we close this morning, I want to bring us back to the main point of discussion. As the redeemed children of God, we have been blessed with Christian liberty. We are saved by His great grace and covered by the righteousness of our Lord Jesus. As Christians, we are free to make our own decisions. However, there are still consequences for our choices. The Children of Israel illustrate this quite well. Like them, if we use our freedom selfishly, stubbornly, and/or sinfully we will surely suffer the discipline of God.