Immaturity. 1Corinthians 10:1-15 The apostle Paul was an example of a disciplined believer who was aware of all that was going on around him, and yet kept the goal of the Gospel work before him. He was not going to allow the pressures of life and society to hinder him in his work for the Lord. But he was fully conscious of the need for self-discipline in order to not disqualify himself from the results he was seeking in fulfilling the commission he was given. In contrast, Israel was used in chapter 10 as an example of those who were not disciplined people.
The Corinthian believers were like the Israelites: self-confident and over-confident; immature and thinking they had arrived. The great blessings we have received do not assure us of success in the Christian life. Overconfidence is a sign of weakness and can leave us without needed strength in the journey through a spiritually dangerous world. We may have enjoyed spiritual victories in the past, spiritual provisions through the Word of God, fellowship with God's people, and answers to prayers - and still fall under the most unsuspecting test.
Israel was separated unto Moses’ authority by passing through the Red Sea surrounded by water all around and the water of the cloud of God’s presence over them. That was when there was the break from their former life in Egypt. They were “baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” They partook of the blessings, personal benefits and all the privileges of being separated unto God, but they were not changed within themselves. In their hearts they were still idolaters and worshiped the gold calf and ate a ritual meal sacrificed to the idol.
Israel even participated in Baal worship and the sexual practices associated with that idol worship and consequently 23,000 of them died because of such wicked spiritual perversion. The Old Testament scriptures record the failings of Israel as well as their victories as examples for us. We can learn lessons from those events so we don’t make the same sinful choices. Baptism doesn’t change our nature into one of sinless perfection, but it does testify to the fact that our life is now one in which we do what we do as unto the Lord. The beginning of a new life of separation and holiness unto our Lord Jesus Christ is testified to in our baptism in this day of grace.
Israel started out from Egypt experiencing miracles from God as they crossed the Red Sea and moved through the wilderness. When it came to testing times, they looked back to Egypt and leveled their complaints against Moses and God. In their spiritual weakness, they started well but ended badly and all died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb.
Immaturity becomes evident when we want to copy the religious practices of those who want to appeal to the world. Some religious practitioners even ignore the biblical warnings against immoral practices and accept as normal the sensual sins of society. The Corinthian believers were doing that very thing. Complaints and grumbling shift our focus of attention on what we don't have, rather than what we do have - the multiplied blessings of God. That attitude is a sign of spiritual immaturity and a lack of discipline in one's life. Knowledge alone does not protect us from sin; obedience to God from our hearts does.
Then Israel was placing their attention on Egyptian food rather than on the fact they were no longer slaves but free people and an actual nation that God recognized. They were now a nation of free people going to their own land where God had promised He would lead them and protect them if they would love and serve Him in fellowship with Him. They received freely from God’s gracious hand, spiritual sustenance, the bread from heaven to sustain life and the water of life they drank of for forty years.
It is possible for us to yield to the pressures of society and let memories of the past turn us aside from the spiritual privileges of the present we can claim by disciplining ourselves and learning what God wants from us and how He wants us to live. Unfulfilled desires can stumble and keep us from what God intended for us. Our whole life is wasted seeking things that give only temporary satisfaction and leave us with nothing in the end. We will be wise to learn from the example of Israel.
Temptations in an immoral culture are always going to be around us. They are before every Christian in one form or another. Others who have been tempted, resisted, and overcame the temptation by disciplining themselves - and so can we. God enables us to resist the temptations that attract us. He knows and lets us know by His Spirit in us, what people, what situations, and potential troubles to avoid. We have the power to choose what is right and refuse what is wrong. Prayer is our link to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace when we need divine help. Our ability to make spiritual choices may be helped when godly friends give us their aid and fellowship when we are tempted.
Temptation will always be an issue in the lives of God’s people but the fact is that temptation itself is not sin. Yielding to temptation is. The testing by temptation makes us aware of our need of submitting to the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit within us. He enables us to resist temptations without sinning in the temptation by falling into its trap. We have the responsibility to flee anything that claims our thoughts and then our actions that are not divinely allowed.
When a situation arises where we know temptations are there, our best course of action is to run from it as Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife. Paul wrote Timothy to flee the evil desires of youth and chase after righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with other believers who know and love the Lord. It takes courage to physically leave that which causes temptation. To remove one's self from anything that produces evil thoughts that lead to evil desires and then to evil actions is the only course to take when temptation rises.
We may wonder why God allows temptation in the first place. The ability to make choices separates human beings from the rest of creation and the ability to choose between right and wrong gives us personhood. Eve would not have taken the forbidden fruit and given it to Adam when the devil tempted her if she had no freedom of choice. Freedom to love and serve God in spite of the pressure to serve self and sin is essential to our fellowship with God - and with other people who love the Lord. God provides a way to escape temptation. It is there for us to take. If we think we can stay in the place of temptation and enjoy it, we will fall. The wise person will understand the need to flee and that person will not only escape the temptation but the sin that follows it.
To see how much we can get away with in conforming to the ways of the world, before God chastens us, is to “tempt Christ.” It should be the desire of true believers to stay as far away as possible from sin and the temptation to sin. We are to place “no confidence in the flesh.” Temptation is very attractive to our unsanctified bodies which are still enemies to our new nature that is within us. Sin will only occur when our will consents to act on the enticements that lie before us.
It is possible for believers to think that because we have been justified by God, that nothing will happen to us for our inconsistency or misbehavior. We need to remember that sin always has bad consequences of some sort. No one can sin without having bad effects on the one who sins and often on other people as well.
"It's only a little thing, and it brings such pleasure. The memories later will be something to treasure. Surely there's nothing in that innocent-seeming act that would cause me to fall, I can handle that."
Such conversations with others or even inward thoughts are quite common before one is firmly caught by temptation and led into some action and sin that chases the soul. But the consequences are desires that are soon out of control.
Lessons from the past about what others went through are given to us so we won't fall under temptation too. We dare not think we are immune to the power of sin. The people of Israel thought they were, but look what happened to them. As we mature in Christ, we better learn the danger and the power of temptation from a stranger or even a friend. We must flee from temptation as soon as we are able to see the consequences that will follow if we don't take action quickly. Immaturity thinks that it can stand against temptation and that whatever comes to attract our senses is easily dismissed out of hand. Such an attitude opens the way to a dangerous fall when the voice of temptation to the flesh gives its siren call.
The only way to deal with the advances of temptation is to flee to the God of our salvation as fast as possible. He knows who we are and He also knows how much we can take and provides a way for us to escape temptation, no matter what others do or say. The events of the past are not recorded without reason. God wanted us to have examples to teach us who are at the end of the age, how important it is to learn from the blessings and mistakes of others. History is not just a rehash of old events, but a way to use to advantage, all we know about the experiences of previous generations. In the same way, what happens to us is probably going to be a learning benefit to those who follow us.
Passed through the sea: By the baptism of the nation with a cloud of water overhead, and water all around them, they died (were separated from) to Egypt. We too are dead to the world and alive to a whole new life. Spiritual meat: The manna from heaven provided life to all who gathered it and ate. Our Bread from heaven is the Lord Jesus Himself and our spiritual life is sustained by feeding on Him from the Word of God. Spiritual drink: The life-giving water miraculously came from the rock and followed them through the desert, sustaining them for forty years. Eternal life is ours that comes from the Lord Jesus and is ours for the taking and enjoying. By this water, we will not perish. Spiritual Rock: To awake morning by morning and see that rock moved from its place and following them, and the water still gushing from it must’ve been a constant reminder that God was with them. We may rest assured that we are not left alone without provision in this wilderness of the world. Christ is with us all the way. Overthrown (died): It is not a small matter to disobey God. It is not a small matter to complain about His blessings. If I ever turn away from God’s revealed will and choose a path of my own, it will be a righteous act of God to apply whatever chastening is needed. Idolaters: They played and danced before a calf symbolizing the world and its ways. It is a warning to me that if I allow anything to take God’s place in my life, or disobey Him because of stubbornness, I am an idolater. Fornication: Israel mixed in with what was around them. It may not seem to me to be such a serious matter when we are asked to join up with the attractions of religious or social activities around me, but the mixture will dilute the real, and though it might look all right, the reality is, that it is no longer what God made it to be. Destroyed of serpents: Complaining about God’s provision for them and the sameness of the food, brought death to many of the people. Some may think that the sameness of the scripture, the provision is not varied, is boring. These folks haven’t tasted the hidden depths of truth and are only preparing their food in exactly the same way. We have a great variety in God’s Word if only we look for it. He stands: It is the wise person who realizes self-strength is only as great as my weakest point. My arms may be strong but my feet are weak, and I will still fall. Our strength is in the Lord alone. Temptation: It will happen; it is everywhere; it cannot be avoided. But it never has dominion over me and I am not powerless to resist. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Wise men: Sound judgment is evidence of wisdom in any person. When I hear something said, I am right to evaluate its meaning and reason for being said. Cup of blessing: We have the fellowship of life because of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. He is the Source of our eternal life. The bread which we break: As members together of Christ’s body, God’s people are united together with Him. Each is an integral part of the whole and is sustained by all other parts. Israel: When one offered to God a sacrifice at the altar, he took part in it for his portion. When we participate in a spiritual sacrifice, we are making some of that sacrifice our own. Sacrifice to idols: To make any offering to that which is not of God, means I have been made a partaker of the evil associated with it. That fellowship is diabolical, not spiritual. Cup of the Lord: I am made a partaker of the life that is uniquely Christ’s when I partake of the cup. It is evidence that I have eternal life. I am the Lord’s. Cup of devils: Evil of whatever nature it is, is still evil. If it is a moral evil, it is the cup of devils. If it is a social evil, it is the cup of devils. If it is religious evil, it is the cup of devils. Table of the Lord: This is where I live. I am at His table as a child or family member sits at his master’s table. I am in a state of continually living with Him. Table of devils: Sinful powers and attractions are continually wanting my participation. It would be impossible for me to mix these two tables together. I am going to be living in one place or the other. Another’s wealth: My responsibility to my brothers and sisters is to see that they are benefited from all that I do. I cannot be satisfied if I alone am able to do what I want. I need to be aware of how they can be blessed through me. Sold in the shambles: The open market is full of options. I am not going to be picky as to who bought what from whom. It is enough that God is the Source of everything and I will be content with what He provides. Eat: It is never my right to do what I want without regard for the other person’s conscience. If there is something that I do not want or will not eat because of my opinion, I am to submit my preferences to what he has provided. Go to a feast: It is my responsibility to respond to another person’s hospitality, especially if that person is not a believer. I am not at liberty to refuse what he offers. This is offered to idols: When a person points out certain things that would be offensive to him, I am being tested by another person’s conscience. It is not a matter which needs to bother my conscience. Partaker by grace: All of God’s blessings are given to me and I can receive them all with thanksgiving. Whatsoever ye do: God’s glory is the ultimate objective of every choice and every act that I might make or do. Not my profit: My will is to be submissive to whatever God has in mind for the well-being of other people. Profit of many: The greatest profit I can produce is that of the salvation of many souls, and lives for the glory of God.