Do It All For The Glory Of God
1 Corinthians 10:1-11:1, Key Verse: 10:31
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Last week, from chapter 8-9, we learned knowledge puffs up but love builds up. Therefore, it is better not to eat the meat sacrificed to an idol for the sake of other Christians who have weak conscience. Though he was an apostle and had right to receive monetary support from the Corinthian church, he did not use this right in order not to hinder the gospel work; rather he became all things for all people by all possible means in order to save some. For this, he disciplined himself with a clear aim, making his body the slave of God and of his work as a marathon runner practice as to win a golden medal.
Today’s passage is the extension of previous chapter, giving the warnings from the history of Israel, emphasizing the importance of using freedom in Christ and of being disciplined in serving others with the core purpose of all, the glory of God. There are two parts.
Look at verses 1-5. In order to understand this chapter, we need to review Exodus, at least Exodus 13-19 and 32. The people of Israel were delivered from the bondage of Egypt by God’s miracles, especially the last one, the plague of death passed over the house of Hebrew when it saw blood of the lamb, which represents the blood of Jesus Christ and our faith. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we passed over from death to life.
On the way to the Promised Land in the wilderness, God was with them through the cloud during day time in order to protect them from the extreme heat and through the pillar of fire during night time in order to give them light and protection from the wild animals. God intentionally hemmed them in between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. When they cried out to God, God opened it into two so that they could pass through the Red Sea as on dry land. Paul referred it as the baptism in Christ. In the wilderness, they grumbled for food and meat and God graciously provided them manna, looked like a honey corn flakes, and quails. They also quarreled with Moses, asking for water, God provided water out of rock, which represented Christ because the water quenched their thirst. This reminds me of John 6:35, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” We are truly satisfied when we have Jesus, our heavenly
Wow, what a blessed people the Jewish people were! They not only saw God’s miracles time and again. They drank water from the rock and ate, the heavenly food, manna. They were blessed abundantly, but God was not pleased. Why? Even though God delivered them, showed his presence and power through the cloud and opening the Red Sea, and provided everything they need, they did not believe and obey God’s will.
What did they do? Look at verses 6-10. When Moses went up to the Mountain Sinai and stayed for 40 days and 40 nights in order to receive the Ten Commandments from God, the people of Israel made in idol, a golden calf, the Egyptian god of prosperity. While they were worshiping the idol, they indulged in revelry with wanton sexual immorality. God wanted to destroy them all but had mercy because Moses prayed for them, yet killed those who did not repent, 23,000 of them. Yet, they did not learn the lesson from this but tested God by grumbling against God and Moses. God sent venomous snakes to kill them, but when they cried out, God provided a bronze snake to be lifted to be saved. (Num 21:4-9) Again they grumbled to Moses and Aaron when they explored the Promised Land. Instead of trusting in God and his power of conquering the land, they wanted to go back to Egypt. They wanted to be a slave again instead of becoming a mighty warrior. (Num 14)
What did God do to them? God said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me. In spite of all the signs I have performed among them?” Then, he made a decision, saying, “In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.... They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” (Num 14:29-35) No one could enter the Promised Land except Caleb and Joshua, whom God used to conquer it by faith. They were God’s chosen people, but they did not live by faith and could not enter into God’s blessing due to their sin of unbelief, idolatry, sexual immorality and grumbling.
Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to learn from God’s warnings in the history of Israelites. Look at verses 11, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. What was the problem of Israelites, setting their hearts on evil things; three examples, idolatry, sexual immorality, and grumbling. Grumbling is due to unbelief, unthankful heart, forgetting the grace of God, rebelling against God’s sovereignty and plan. They even yearned to their life of slavery in Egypt. It expressed at the time of Moses’ absence, worshiping the idol, the golden calf, the god of earthly prosperity, the Egyptians worshiped. They even tested God through unbelief even after seeing God’s miracles many times. Therefore, we must examine ourselves whether we are obedient or rebellious to God’s plan; whether we are worshiping God or idol, especially the god of prosperity, whether we are thankful or grumbling to him.
Look at verses 12-13, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” It is also warnings for us to take. Can we say that when the people of Israel are tempted that God will also provide a way out so that they can endure it? Yes, it is. God tested the people of Israel in two ways, test of the Red Sea and of the Manna. When they cried out to God for food, God provided Manna with a test whether they would follow his instructions. Even when they sinned against God, God always provided the way of repentance and be saved. God told Moses to make a bronze snake and lift it up for them to be saved when they looked at it by faith. (Num 21:9) Even when they worshipped the golden calf, God gave them a chance to repent and be saved. Truly, our God is faithful and his love endures forever. Even then, the most people of Israel refuse to trust in God to the end. As Paul is calling the Corinthian Christians to take a warning from the history of Israel. May God help us not to be like the Jews who did not repent but to examine ourselves and repent and turn to God who is faithful and whose love endures forever. Let’s examine our hearts; whether we are obedient to God’s calling or not; whether we are loving God more than Baal, mammon or checkbook; whether we are giving thanks in all circumstances or grumbling in hardships, thus testing God. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Now Apostle Paul is touching a practical issue, worshiping an idol. Corinth was a metropolitan city of Rome with all kinds of idol worship. Therefore, many converts were from idol worshipers and still struggling with the culture. Look at verse 14, “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” Idolatry: this is the first temptation of the devil in Genesis 3, you will be like God. It is demanding God and blaming God as if he is their Genie. Worship idol is in fact worshiping oneself.
Paul is logically persuading them in verses 15-17, “I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” They cannot worship God and an idol at the same time. Rather they should give thanks to God for the blood of Jesus. We eat from one loaf, which means partaking the body of Christ, which is remembering how he sacrificed his body for our sins. This is the foundation of our faith. This is the foundation of our thanksgiving. Jesus makes all Christians one body in him as we give thanks to his sacrifice. Jesus gave us all he could; so that we are truly satisfied. For he said that I am the bread of life. If anyone eat my body, he will live forever.
In verses 18-22, Paul is encouraging the Corinthian Christians to make a decision not to worship idols at the same time. In that way, they are provoking God’s jealousy and thus God’s punishment as the people of Israel had done. It seems that modern US does not have a big statue as an idol like the Romans and Greeks in Corinth except the show, American Idol. But the problem is that many Christians in US try to worship God and the golden calf in the name of prosperity gospel. They are provoking the jealous God and his wrath on this country. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. God of America is the God of Israel in Exodus.
Paul is bringing the same issue again because it is in the same root. Look at verse 23-24. He mentions again that not everything is constructive though everything is permissible. The core is this freedom issue. It is loving our neighbor practically. We should not use our freedom for our own good but the good of others. We can eat any food sold in a grocery shop without raising any question. We can eat any food served by anyone, even by an unbeliever, without raising any question of conscience.
But we should not eat the food if someone says to you, “this has been sacrificed to an idol.” It is not for yourself but for the sake of another’s conscience. Limiting our human freedom may be the worst thing in America as most people want to have freedom to kill a baby in a womb. If freedom should be used for ourselves only, then, you can do whatever you want to do in the name of freedom, even if it may be killing others, including your future family. There may be a complicated situation in using our freedom, whether it will benefit others or not.
Therefore, Apostle Paul is giving a clear direction of using our freedom in Christ. Look at verse 31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” The core of Christian life is Christ and the purpose of our life is for the glory of God. God should be the center of our lives, affecting every part, every action of our lives. In doing anything, whether we eat or drink, we should live for the glory of God. Whether we are studying or working, we should do it for the glory of God. Whether we pray or evangelize, we should do it all for the glory of God. Whether we serve or clean, do it all for the glory of God. When we are in complicated situation, we should examine our motives whether we are using our freedom for ourself or for the glory of God.
Practically how did Paul do it all for the glory of God. Look at verses 32-33, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” He did he best not offend others, whether they are believers or unbelievers. It did not mean that he was a people pleasure but he became all things to all people so that by all means he might save some. The purpose of doing this is for the people to be saved.
And he encouraged them to follow his example, as he followed the example of Christ. Paul explains this well in Ro 15:1-4, saying, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” How do we do practically? We cannot even use our freedom and do what we want to do even though it is legal and we have right to do. Jesus was insulted, mocked, beaten and finally crucified not to please himself but to save sinners. Therefore, we should bear weaknesses of each other in order to build each other up in Christ and thus the whole church.
Through today’s passage, we learned Paul’s warnings in the history of Israel and how we should use our freedom in Christ. We should take warnings and examine our hearts on idol worship, anything other than God, sexual immorality or grumbling. When we confess and repent, our God is faithful to forgive and cleanse us. Most of all, the motive of using our freedom, whether eating or drinking, we should do all things for the glory of God.
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