He who follows me will have the Light of life

1 Corinthians 10:14-33 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸ Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in 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 do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?

²³ All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.²⁵ Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶ for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; ²⁹ I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?

³¹ Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.³² Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; ³³ just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

In today’s text Paul says:  I do not want you to become sharers in 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.  Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?  In James 4:4-8, James takes the same principle beyond just what we eat or drink, to all that we do which is opposed to God;s will:   You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?  But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Paul says:  Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  It is not possible to sin or even to love the sinful things of the world that are opposed to God and do it to the glory of God.  In Romans 5:8-10 Paul says:  God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.   Sin made us eneimies of God; opposed to Him and His will. Choosing to remain in sin continues to make us enemies of God. Paul says: 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.  We cannot be friends with the devil and friends of God.

James says resist the devil and he will flee. Paul says:  My beloved, flee from idolatry.  The longer and more often we entertain the devil’s temptations, the greater the chance that we will be decieved. One of the best ways to prevail through conflict is to avoid it whenever possible.  James also says:  Submit therefore to God... Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  The truth is, if we will submit and draw near to God, we will not need to resist the devil or flee from idolatry. Both will be far from us.  1 John 1:5-9 says:  God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  In John 8:12 Jesus says:  “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”   In John 14:23-27 Jesus says:  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”   The good news for us is that if we will follow Jesus, even more than walking in the Light; the Light will live in us. We will not need to be troubled or fearful because the Light of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit in us will cause the devil to flee.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for the Light and the Life of Christ in me. Thank You that though I was Your enemy because of sin, You made me righteous because of love. I choose to submit and draw near to You and watch the enemy and darkness flee. Amen.

I Have a Light.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwCdSx-3kbE