Sue J Love
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- Mar 27, 2015
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1 Corinthians 10:14-22 NKJV
“14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
“18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, 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. 21You 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. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”
What is Idolatry?
What is idolatry? It is worship of what is not God. It is obsession with something craved, admired, and/or dreamed about and hoped for which is contrary to the will and purpose of God for our lives, or which takes the place of God in our lives. It is anything which consumes our minds and hearts which leads us in the wrong direction, or which leads us to sin against God and/or against other humans. So this can include sinful addictions to anything which moves us away from God and which gratifies selfish desires.
The concern here is regarding those who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips, but whose love and devotion is given to “another god.” And this god can be anything or anyone worshipped in place of or far above God. This god can even be oneself, and so the goal is to give pleasure to oneself in place of living to please God. And so this person, although giving an outward appearance of being of God, is still living for self and for selfish and for sinful desires, because pleasing self is what they want above all else.
Therefore, this could be someone who lives in a fantasy world, who pretends that they are living in a world which they imagine in their own minds, perhaps due to movies they watch, or stories they read or listen to, or songs that they hear sung. And so they put themselves in the position of those characters and they imagine that they are living out the stories themselves. And this can include sexual fantasies, or having romantic affairs with someone imagined or craved, even someone from the past, perhaps.
The Cup of Demons
Now, this passage of Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) gives us some examples of the kinds of sins which fall under the heading of idolatry. Mostly it was under the general category of lusting after evil things, but which included drunkenness, revelry, sexual immorality, putting Christ to the test, and grumbling against God. For the Israelites this also included grumbling against Moses who was called of God to lead the people to follow God in obedience to his commands, and to forsake their sinful practices.
And the concern here was that the Christians of Paul’s day were taking communion, i.e. they were participating in the remembrance of Christ’s death on that cross, and the shedding of his blood for our deliverance out of addiction to sin so that we can now serve God with our lives in obedience to his commands, but some (or many) of them were still living in idolatry. So he was letting them know that they could not participate with Christ in his sacrifice for our sins if they are still making sin their idol, their god.
That is the same concern today. We have many people giving lip service to God, professing faith in Jesus Christ, claiming him as their Lord, going through the motions of religious practice, but whose hearts are far from God. For they are still making sin their practice. They are still living in idolatry in worship of what is not God and which is against God. But we cannot be “in Christ,” and be saved from our sins and on our way to heaven, if sin is what we practice, and not death to sin and obeying our Lord God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Living Sacrifices
Based off Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:11-14 NIV
An Original Work / September 14, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,
In view of God’s mercy,
To give yourselves to God in love
As living offerings,
Pleasing to God, holy in love.
This is your true worship.
Do not conform to worldly lives.
Let God transform you today.
Then you’ll be able to
Test and approve of what
God’s will is – His pleasing
And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Do not be conceited.
Humble yourselves before your God.
Do not be self-righteous.
The strength you have to live in love
Comes from your Lord God, so
Live your new lives in pow’r of God.
Be changed in heart, mind and will.
Do this because of what
Christ did for you when
He died on the cross to save
The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Count yourselves dead to sin,
But be alive to God in Christ.
Do not let sin reign in
Your earthly lives so you
Obey its evil desires.
Offer yourselves unto your God
As those who’ve been born again.
For sin shall no longer be
Your lord and master.
Give of yourselves to God
For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.
Idolatry and Demons
An Original Work / June 12, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
“18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, 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. 21You 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. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”
What is Idolatry?
What is idolatry? It is worship of what is not God. It is obsession with something craved, admired, and/or dreamed about and hoped for which is contrary to the will and purpose of God for our lives, or which takes the place of God in our lives. It is anything which consumes our minds and hearts which leads us in the wrong direction, or which leads us to sin against God and/or against other humans. So this can include sinful addictions to anything which moves us away from God and which gratifies selfish desires.
The concern here is regarding those who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips, but whose love and devotion is given to “another god.” And this god can be anything or anyone worshipped in place of or far above God. This god can even be oneself, and so the goal is to give pleasure to oneself in place of living to please God. And so this person, although giving an outward appearance of being of God, is still living for self and for selfish and for sinful desires, because pleasing self is what they want above all else.
Therefore, this could be someone who lives in a fantasy world, who pretends that they are living in a world which they imagine in their own minds, perhaps due to movies they watch, or stories they read or listen to, or songs that they hear sung. And so they put themselves in the position of those characters and they imagine that they are living out the stories themselves. And this can include sexual fantasies, or having romantic affairs with someone imagined or craved, even someone from the past, perhaps.
The Cup of Demons
Now, this passage of Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) gives us some examples of the kinds of sins which fall under the heading of idolatry. Mostly it was under the general category of lusting after evil things, but which included drunkenness, revelry, sexual immorality, putting Christ to the test, and grumbling against God. For the Israelites this also included grumbling against Moses who was called of God to lead the people to follow God in obedience to his commands, and to forsake their sinful practices.
And the concern here was that the Christians of Paul’s day were taking communion, i.e. they were participating in the remembrance of Christ’s death on that cross, and the shedding of his blood for our deliverance out of addiction to sin so that we can now serve God with our lives in obedience to his commands, but some (or many) of them were still living in idolatry. So he was letting them know that they could not participate with Christ in his sacrifice for our sins if they are still making sin their idol, their god.
That is the same concern today. We have many people giving lip service to God, professing faith in Jesus Christ, claiming him as their Lord, going through the motions of religious practice, but whose hearts are far from God. For they are still making sin their practice. They are still living in idolatry in worship of what is not God and which is against God. But we cannot be “in Christ,” and be saved from our sins and on our way to heaven, if sin is what we practice, and not death to sin and obeying our Lord God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Living Sacrifices
Based off Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:11-14 NIV
An Original Work / September 14, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,
In view of God’s mercy,
To give yourselves to God in love
As living offerings,
Pleasing to God, holy in love.
This is your true worship.
Do not conform to worldly lives.
Let God transform you today.
Then you’ll be able to
Test and approve of what
God’s will is – His pleasing
And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Do not be conceited.
Humble yourselves before your God.
Do not be self-righteous.
The strength you have to live in love
Comes from your Lord God, so
Live your new lives in pow’r of God.
Be changed in heart, mind and will.
Do this because of what
Christ did for you when
He died on the cross to save
The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.
Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Count yourselves dead to sin,
But be alive to God in Christ.
Do not let sin reign in
Your earthly lives so you
Obey its evil desires.
Offer yourselves unto your God
As those who’ve been born again.
For sin shall no longer be
Your lord and master.
Give of yourselves to God
For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.
Idolatry and Demons
An Original Work / June 12, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
