Good morning! Have you ever tried to explain something to a group of people who were divided in their opinion? I’m sure if you are connected to social media that you may have experienced it or have seen someone try to explain their point of view. Generally, they begin with a basic understanding of the problem and expand on their idea. Well, today we will continue in 1 Corinthians 8 with Paul answering a question posed by the Corinthian church. Join me as we continue reading chapter 8. Have a wonderful day. 

Bible Verse – 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 NLT

“^{4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But for us,}

There is one God, the Father,
    by whom all things were created,
    and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    through whom all things were created,
    and through whom we live.” 

Reflection

Paul begins these verses with the question “so what about meat that has been offered to idols?”. As he begins to answer the question, he starts off with a few foundational principles to help us understand what an idol/god is and who God is. It is clear that an idol/god is nothing at all and there is only one God. However, here are a few Biblical references so that you know as well.

Psalm 115:4-8 explains, “Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
    shaped by human hands.
⁵ They have mouths but cannot speak,
    and eyes but cannot see.
⁶ They have ears but cannot hear,
    and noses but cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands but cannot feel,
    and feet but cannot walk,
    and throats but cannot make a sound.
⁸ And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.”

Here are a few verses about who God is:

• Deuteronomy 4:35 –  “He showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other.”
• Deuteronomy 4:39 – “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.”
• Deuteronomy 10:17 – “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.”
• Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Futher in verse 6, Paul explains to the Corinthians that there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. Packed into mighty verses in Colossians 1:15-20, we read about the Lord Jesus Christ, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, ¹⁶ for through him God created everything  in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.  Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body. He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.^[f]
    So he is first in everything.
¹⁹ For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, ²⁰ and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Sisters and brothers, now you know what the Bible says about gods/idols and that there is one God, the Father and one Lord, Jesus Christ. May you continue to worship and live for one God and one Lord.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your word today. Thank you for your grace and mercy that covers us. Thank you for sending your one and only son Jesus Christ so that we can be saved and reconciled to you. Forgive us when we forget the endless grace and mercy that had been given to us. Forgive us for the times when we turned to false idols and worshipped things that were not of you. Lord, forgive us of all of our sins. Lord, we want to serve you with our whole heart. Lord, direct our thoughts and our actions. Lord, continue to teach us your ways. Remove obstacles that keep us from following you and what you have called us to do. Lord, cover our homes and remove anything that is not of you from our homes, while keeping our families intact. Heal our minds and activate your Holy Spirit inside of us. Lord, we give you authority over our lives and surrender our will to yours. Lead us today and each day forward.

Lord, continue to answer the prayer request that were sent. Touch each person and their families. Give them favor with their jobs and those they work with.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

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Bible Study

Each Thursday for the next 10 weeks we will meet via Zoom from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PST. We will be studying One in a Million written by Priscilla Shirer. Come join us. For more information or for the Zoom link send an email to:contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

Year End Contribution Statements 

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