Paul believes that there are people who go to church every Sunday who won’t go to heaven. Read on to find out why:
“if you think you are standing strong be careful that you don’t fall” Paul says in verse 12. He’s talking to mature believers who have grown in their faith. What would cause someone who is growing in Christ to be drawn away? Paul uses the example fo idol worship. Idols and the worship of false gods was a very popular and contemporary thing to do in his time, and most towns had founding “gods” that the community was built around. Temples often had prostitutes, and the sacrifices of food and money poured into them in such great measure, they were able to offer some of the meat back to the people at a discount. Christians in Paul’s day were tempted to accept Jesus as their Savior without completely leaving behind their old lifestyle. In other words, they still had connections with, and feelings for the idol worshipping community. In defense of their continued interaction they could say “these aren’t real gods…so what is offered to them isn’t tainted”. And, in a sense they are right. However, there were others around them who were greatly tempted to fall back into idol worship, and any interaction with that world was unhelpful for them. So Paul tells them to “steer clear” of anything tainted by the pagan temples.
In our day, we should do the same. Appropriate sexual relations has been redefined in our day. What used to be “inappropriate” or “immoral” is now considered normal. We have slid further away from biblical principles as a society. As Christians, we should not adopt the rules of society as our own. Living together is not God’s plan for us. Get married.
Enjoying sexual relations outside of marriage in a casual sense (the “hook up”) isn’t God’s plan for you.
The Lord created us to take a day off each week. Your body needs it, the Creator says so. Take a day off. Seriously…these things are given to us as stale requirements to weed out the undisciplined…they are advice from the manufacturer on how to enjoy a long and healthy life and relationship.
What the world is offering is momentarily pleasant with a long lasting bad aftertaste. Avoid it.
Whatever you do, consider these two things: As a Christian I am taking Jesus with me wherever I go. “Would Jesus be happy about where I am taking Him?” And, “how are my actions likely to affect others who observe them?”
On a quest to make the Lord proud,
PR