PART A: HISTORICAL LESSONS ON SALVATION
Part “A” (I Corinthians 10:1-14)
Historical lessons on salvation
The comparison of salvation with the possession of the whole world is rightly relevant. The Lord is teaching us to place the greatest emphasis on this subject as amongst all that people can secure on earth, salvation of our souls is the crown compared to all other achievements.
There are also a lot of misconceived ideas on the subject of salvation. A brief summarisation of some of these ideas are as follows:
• God has an obligation to save everyone and all one needs to do is to do some good deeds like dropping your foreign currencies and coins at the airport donation box or giving some offerings to charities. It is not necessary to have any religion.
• Only certain religions can save one from their sins and mine is the best.
• Do not do unto others what you do not want them to do unto you. Following this maxim, you are in good stead and you cannot do better.
• Follow any religion as all paths lead to heaven. Our forefathers have developed these religious teachings. They are spiritual and unquestionable. You should not disparage other faiths or beliefs.
When people need salvation, it is premised on the fact that they are sinners who need to be saved. A lot of people do not think that they are sinners and therefore when you tell them that they need to be saved, they would ask, “Saved from what?” This group of individuals think that as long as they do not infringe the laws in their lands, they are not sinners. Only those in jails are sinners.
This article is not a debate on the subject of whether one is a sinner but it starts from a declaration from the Bible in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. There are many articles on the veracity of the Bible and to indulge further on this subject is not necessary. The people in the world are bequeathed with an instructional manual on how to attain salvation. It is the Bible. Unfortunately, most people do not take the subject of salvation seriously. I hope you are not in the category of the “most” but do heed the importance of this subject. It is heartening to note that people still read the Bible more than any others. The Bible is the bestselling book in the world over the last 50 years. It sold 3.9 billion copies and the nearest rival, 'Quotations from the works of Mao Tse-tung' is a far second with 820 million, (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-10-most-read-books-in-the-world-infographic-2012).
Background settings in Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians 10:1-14
In this passage, the first word “Moreover” reminds us of the continuation of Paul’s teaching in the preceding chapters 8 and 9. It has a relevant connection to the last verse in Chapter 9, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway". The Apostle is rightly cautious when he reminds the Corinthians that as he preached, he should be careful about sins as even he with his deep knowledge could be a castaway.
What does he mean by a castaway? The Greek word ‘adokimos’ means 'disapproved.' In brief terms, Paul is saying that he has to be careful on how he conducts himself so that he is not disqualified in the race to win the crown. He is not referring to the subject of his salvation but the merits of his works for God. Salvation has nothing to do with works and we do not get disqualified. However, for those that possess Christ with their outward conduct but has not fully believed in their heart, there is a danger that they are disqualified for salvation also. It is for this group of individuals that the warnings in 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 are relevant.
These warnings are timely heads up for professors that have not fully believed. The teaching in Paul’s letter is a grim reminder that continual indulgences of the Corinthians in sins will not save them even if they are ‘pious’ in the outward sign of baptism and taking the Lord’s supper. Nominal Christians think that they are saved once they go through the rituals of the faith and irrespective of their behaviour, God will just forgive them.
The Israelites deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the perils they encounter in their journey to the Promised Land are historical lessons recorded by God for the future generations on the subject of salvation. Satan is certainly not happy that so many of us are going to our heavenly home. No doubt, he will create trouble and diversion for us during this journey. But thanks to God who in His infinite wisdom knows of his evil plans. Therefore, the Bible makes many mentions to warn us about Satan’s evil devices. In these Bible verses, the Apostle reminds us to learn from the shortcomings of the Israelites during their journey to the promised land. It is a type or example of our journey to our heavenly home and we can learn to avoid the Israelites’ mistakes.
In verses 1-4, the Apostle teaches that when the Israelites left Egypt, not many of them believed that the deliverance is good for them and their faith in God is limited. Many of them were just professors who follow without belief in their heart. Therefore, in verse 5, God was not pleased with them and they were overthrown in the wilderness.
In verse 6, Paul reminds us that the historical event is a type of the people who outwardly profess to belong to Christ but inwardly, they have not believed. God is using these as examples for these nominal Christians to take heed of these perils in the journey. It is the hope of the Apostle and all Christians that those people in the church who have only nominally professed can learn from these examples and save themselves from the destructions that were so vividly illustrated in the examples.
The evil things to avoid
Born again Christians naturally abhor the evil things that are mentioned here. All Christians should take heed and shun them. If one is inclined to these evil things, then it is the responsibility of the people at their own volition to avoid them if heaven is their aim.
The word lust as defined in the Cambridge dictionary is a “very powerful feeling of wanting something (normally used for bad things). In James 1:13-15, when people are tempted by evil desires, they are drawn by their own lust. Lust, when conceived, brings forth sin and eventually, death. Everyone is given ample warnings over these bad things and they should be avoided. I need not list out all the evil lusts but as an example, variance or in more contemporary language, contention, is one of the lusts in Galatians 5:20. Although contention and debate sometimes elucidate truth, such spirit of contention normally promotes one’s pride. It often overrides the spirit of peace and goodwill in assembly gatherings.
The Apostle in 1 Corinthians 10:1-14, highlighted four evil things to avoid if you have professed belief in Christ. If churchgoers are still very engrossed in any of these evil things, it is a sign that their profession is in words only and we pray that this article is a wakeup call to address the deficiency in their faith.
• Idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:7)
Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
The absence of Moses caused the people to ask Aaron to make an idol to guide them. Aaron complied with their wishes and made a golden calf to appease the people. God was not pleased and, in the punishment that followed, about three thousand men died.
Today, many people will say that they are rid of the superstition of idolatry. However, I believe that this warning is still relevant today. Anything that takes precedence over God or God’s affairs is a form of idolatry. For example, any matter that hinders us regularly from the Lord’s business is idolatry.
Eric Liddell was an athlete who refused to participate in the 100m Olympics event when it was conducted on the Lord’s Day. He felt that much as he likes athletics and the honour of representing his country in the Olympics, he would not trade it for the time with the Lord on Sunday. He was termed a traitor in Scotland for his conduct. But God is not mocked and He will not allow His servant to be mocked either. He participated in the 400 m race (which was not his best event) and broke the world record. It is a testimony of putting God first.
Critics may say I am using an extreme example but it is a shame that many professed believers will avoid the Lord’s gathering at the slightest excuse. If Sunday’s golf game takes precedence over the Lord’s meeting, isn’t golf your idol? Nominal Christians will benefit if they could spend some time to reflect on what things are idols in their lives. Sometimes, it’s a pop star, your children, or your hobbies. The Bible verse in Matthew 22:37-38 is very instructive to all of us.
Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
God willing, I will explain the other three evil things in the historical lessons on salvation in Part B.
With God’s blessings,
CL
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