November 21st

One Way

What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:19-21

Aren't you glad that we don't live in the Old Testament times? I am.

I mean, they had all those sacrifices they had to make, and that just sounds messy. Can you imagine at Passover time, when all the people in Israel had to come together at the Temple and offer sacrifices? I'm not trying to be graphic or anything, but that's a whole lot of slaughtered animals; that's a lot of mess.

But now that Jesus has become the sacrifice for sin on our behalf, are we done making sacrifices? Paul answers this for us in our verses today, making it clear that we still have sacrifices to make.

Now, listen. In saying in our verses today that he doesn't want you sacrificing to demons, that doesn't mean he doesn't want you sacrificing. It means he doesn't want you sacrificing to demons.

So what is it that you are sacrificing? We aren't sacrificing to make our sins right anymore; Jesus did that. But there are still sacrifices of worship and thanksgiving to be made, especially in light of all that Jesus did sacrifice for us.

Or is sacrifice a one-way street for us? Is that something that He did on the cross for me and, It's good, Bob, that we remember that sacrifice. Yes, but is it good that we disassociate ourselves so much from that sacrifice that it's only Jesus who sacrifices?

Paul says, Listen. The Gentiles sacrifice, but they're sacrificing to the wrong things. They're sacrificing to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have fellowship with demons.

Are we saying, I can juggle this. I can manage all of these plates. I can allow for Jesus to be one of many focuses in my life. I can allow for Him to be a spoke of many spokes on my wheel.

Listen, when we remember Jesus' sacrifice for us, we end that nonsense and say, This is my life. This is my hub. This is my center. This is my meaning. This is my purpose, and all else that the world might want me to bow down to and live for, I sacrifice to Jesus.

We have a sacrifice, and it is everything we are and have. Our sacrifice is to lay it all before the Lord Jesus alone, and not before any other thing, and let Him be God over all.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for giving everything for me! I'm sorry for any way that I have sacrificed to anything or anyone other than You. Please forgive me and accept from me all that I am and have!

Amen