The Spirit of Christ Frees the Conscience, but Carnal Choices are Destructive

1 Corinthians 10

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Every Believer eats and drinks from the Spirit of Christ.
• The Israelites are an example not to serve a god other than God.
  • Sexual immorality causes many to die to Christ.
  • Many people are destroyed by tempting Christ.
  • Complaining causes many to die to Jesus Christ.
• These are the last days and the security of this world collapses.
• Temptation is from carnal nature, but we can win the race in the long run.
• The remission of sin is blessed, and fellowship is in Jesus Christ.
• It’s demonic to use power over physiology to oppress the Holy Spirit.
• Everything is lawful but not all builds us up in the Holy Spirit.
• Eating and drinking with non-Believers.

Every Believer eats and drinks from the Spirit of Christ. “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,” 1 Corinthians 10:1-2

A cloud was used in the daytime to lead the Israelites away from their pursuers and across the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21-22). That is symbolic of being led by God into the promised land, which all of the ancestors of the Jewish faith were led by God to obtain a better place. Today, we follow Jesus Christ into the eternal promised land of the New Jerusalem.

“…all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:3-4

By the Holy Spirit, Paul is using the Old Testament to refer to Jesus Christ as being the Water of Life and Bread from Heaven. Everyone who has faith in God are drinking the same water and eating the same bread, which is of the Spirit of Christ.

“But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” 1 Corinthians 10:5

Even today, God is not pleased with the Jewish people since they rebel against His Son Jesus Christ. Their spiritually dead bodies are spread around the globe, and many gathered within the State of Israel. Today, the masses of non-Jewish people in every city around the world deny God, reject Jesus Christ, and oppress the Holy Spirit. They are spiritually dead as they live for the entity giving them what to think, feel, do, and say. This entity enlivens the image of the beast to live and speak through people and by what they say and do they show they are dead to Jesus Christ. Those of the anti-Christian culture are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they say and do.

The Israelites are an example not to serve a god other than God. “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” 1 Corinthians 10:6 

We serve the same God who is the God of the Israelites, and what happened to them is our example to not turn away from Him. They desired things that caused separation from the spiritual nourishment that comes through Jesus Christ, and the consequences are destructive. Evil things are what make us deny the existence of God, causes us to reject the need for Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, and incites oppression of the Holy Spirit.

“And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 1 Corinthians 10:7 (That is found in Exodus 32:6)

The phrase, “…sitting down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” refers to feeding the needs of the physical flesh and rising up to live by the carnal human being. They were feeding their carnal desires but neglecting the spirit and soul. At this time, the Israelites were worshipping the Golden Calf, made with the gold earrings collected from all the people. That represents serving the materialism and humanism of the global government of the beast which causes people to hear by feeding them with uncanny knowledge and heightened intuition.

Sexual immorality causes many to die to Christ. “Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;” 1 Corinthians 10:8

Masses of people around the world die spiritually because they desire sensual and sexual pleasure. Some live for those pleasures within their feelings only, while others practice those pleasures physically. Either way, they forget about the spirit and soul to feed the carnal desires.

Sexual immorality has become the way of life today, and it’s all in the name of building a “democratic” society, which is a global occurrence. LGBQT+ lifestyles dominate political offices, sexual immorality is in the churches, many church ministers are practicing homosexuals, teachers and students are sexually immoral and practice LGBQT+ lifestyles, the workplace is dominated by sexual immorality. On top of that, casual sex is a norm in every sector of society and marital fidelity is an ancient concept. The thing that has power over physiology enflames sensual feelings and behaviors and corrupts the Spirit of Christ. Masses around the world have died to Christ because of sensual and sexual desires. They are conditioned to live by the entity giving them what to feel and do.

Many people are destroyed by tempting Christ. “…nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;” 1 Corinthians 10:9

To see some examples of tempting Christ, read Matthew 4:1-11. With those temptations, there are “snake-handlers” who handle deadly poisonous snakes to prove how close to God they are. The only way to draw close to God is by the Spirit through Jesus Christ. Also, the serpent tempted Eve who was seduced to take a bite from the pleasant and desirable forbidden fruit. People will tempt the followers of Christ to try to get them to destroy their spiritual life in God. Tempting Christ relates to encouragement to do something to satisfy the flesh which results in separating us from Jesus Christ.

Satan tempted Christ to turn stones into bread if He is the Son of God, but life is more than bread, life is about living from the word of God. Satan tempted Christ to throw Himself from a high building and said that if He were the Son of God He would live. Jesus flatly responded that we are not to tempt God. We are to live in the Spirit not by the will of the flesh. Satan tempted Christ with power over nations if He would serve Satan, but Christ said that God is the only one whom we are to worship. We live by the Gospel of Christ, and we do not tempt the Spirit of Christ in us in exchange for physical or earthly advantage. God is the only focus of our worship through Jesus.

Complaining causes many to die to Jesus Christ. “…nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.” 1 Corinthians 10:10

The Israelites were notorious for complaining against God. They complained when they were hungry, complained when they didn’t have a king like other nations, and complained when their own sin caused them to die in the wilderness. They even complained against the word of God and wanted their own god. Today, the masses complain about everything that is wrong in the world but refuse to turn to Jesus Christ. Complaining is an attack on the Spirit of Christ and prohibits our mind and heart from being the home of the Holy Spirit.

The masses who complain about what’s wrong in the world are living in opposition to the spirit of Holiness. They protest, riot, and complain to demand conformity to the “democratic” society of the beast. They complain against anybody or anything that is not in compliance with the entity that forms thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors. Complaining leaves the door open to the destruction of the soul, and is a sin against God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

These are the last days and the security of this world collapses. “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11

We serve the same God as the Israelites, so what happened to them is an example to everyone, and we are living in the last days. The Old Testament is an extension of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as this chapter of 1 Corinthians 10 makes perfectly clear. With the appearing of Jesus Christ, who gave His life to atone for sin, the Jewish monopoly on the word of God has come to an end. They no longer have exclusive rights to God. In the same way, when there is massive rebellion against the Gospel of Christ, we know the end of this world system has come.

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12

Temptation can overtake any one of us at any time, but we need to continue on in the Gospel of Christ. Those who live by the entity giving them what to feel, do, say, think, are confident in their standing in the world today. They feel very comfortable and self-assured because they have sensual pleasures, physical comforts, money, possessions, and social favor. However, they fall in the judgment before Christ, and in this world their global “democracy” will suffer extreme tribulation and eventual collapse.

Temptation is from carnal nature, but we can win the race in the long run. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

All temptations come through the carnal nature of the human being, and the Spirit of Christ does not tempt anyone. The thing that has power over physiology uses powerful persuasion in our thoughts, as well as enflames our feelings and emotions to tempt us to deny God and leave Jesus Christ. Jesus is our example on how to overcome temptation to win the race in the long run. Do not make physical needs more important than spiritual needs, always make the teachings of the Bible a priority. Do not tempt Christ by looking for a physical sign to solve a spiritual difficulty. Do not surrender to living for the thing that has power over thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors which synchronizes a person to the will of the global culture. Worship God only and serve Him through Jesus Christ.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1

The remission of sin is blessed, and fellowship is in Jesus Christ. “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 Corinthians 10:14

We need to leave the idolatry of living by the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors given to us by the entity that has power over physiology. This entity has only one purpose, to entice people away from the Spirit through the wants and desires of the flesh. It silences belief in God, rejects the need for the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, and oppresses the presence of the Holy Spirit.

“I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.” 1 Corinthians 10:15

We can easily judge between what is against the Gospel of Christ and what is for Christ. We can easily judge between life in the Spirit and life lived for the comforts, security, and well-being of the flesh. Life in the Spirit brings Holiness, but life for the comforts and security of this world brings spiritual wickedness. Our Lord Jesus wants us to do well in the flesh, but not at the expense of the spirit and soul. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37

“The 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?” 1 Corinthians 10:16 The blessing we extend to others is according to the remission of sin through Jesus Christ, and the fellowship we offer to others is in the Spirit of Christ.

” For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” 1 Corinthians 10:17 Every follower of Jesus Christ, although scattered from one another, has the same intentions. Those intentions are to bless those whose sin is remitted through Jesus and to fellowship with others in His Spirit.

It’s demonic to use power over physiology to oppress the Holy Spirit. “Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?” 1 Corinthians 10:18

Today, we see the Israel of the flesh, we know from what altar they are eating from. The Israeli population is protesting against the government of the State of Israel demanding that they conform to the “democratic” society of the entity giving people what to do, say, feel, and think. They are eating from the altar of the global culture of the beast.

“What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?” 1 Corinthians 10:19

The Jewish people are not our example of living for God. Whatever they assume to be righteous and justifiable living is not the example we follow. We follow the righteousness and justice of God through Jesus Christ. The righteousness of human nature is just filthy rags to God. The service rendered to the culture of the beast is not anything compared to the life dedicated to Jesus Christ. The entity gathering the global culture by giving them their thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors is nothing compared to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

“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.” 1 Corinthians 10:20

Demonic activity arises by oppressing the Holy Spirit, habitually coming against the need for the remission of sin through Jesus Christ, and ignoring the existence of God. The global culture is living for the entity that does exactly that. This entity replaces the human conscience and spirit by giving people what to feel, think, say and do. It enlivens the image of the beast to live and speak though people and by what they say and do they are sacrificing to demons not to God. “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 People everywhere are transforming to the global culture as they are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they say and do. We are to keep ourselves set apart from them.

“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 10:21 “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4

“Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” 1 Corinthians 10:22

To make our body the home of the entity giving people what to feel, think, say and do provokes God to jealousy who has created us to be the home of the Holy Spirit. Click here for a post on Ezekiel 8 about the provocation of God’s jealousy.

Everything is lawful but not all builds us up in the Holy Spirit. “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” 1 Corinthians 10:23

Paul is referring to being free from the law of the Old Testament, which made all sorts of foods, fellowship, etc. O.K. through Jesus Christ. That freedom is in the Holy Spirit, so although everything is lawful, not everything builds us up as the building of the Holy Spirit.

“Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” 1 Corinthians 10:24 We shouldn’t just be trying to live for our own pleasure, but to also look after the spiritual welfare of others.

“Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 1 Corinthians 10:25 Whatever is sold at the grocery store is OK to eat, but asking for background information on the products would be disappointing. Today, we know the foods in the stores comes through a system that embraces the culture of the beast and despises Christianity. Even then, all things belong to God.

Eating and drinking with non-Believers. “If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.” 1 Corinthians 10:27

In the Old Testament laws, it was illegal to associate with Gentiles, especially taboo to eat with them, and even more taboo to eat the same foods that the Gentiles ate. In the Holy Spirit, Paul says to go ahead and eat with them, but don’t ask if the foods are prepared according to Jewish customs. It’s best not to know. In that context, barring malicious food tampering against Christians, if we have to attend a dinner among those who deny God and they discard the need for Jesus Christ, go ahead and eat. The important thing is to not to fellowship with them in the spirit of their god, but to hold to the Spirit of Christ.

“But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 1 Corinthians 10:28 If someone offers you an appealing dessert or choice cut of meat and somehow connects it to denying God, rejecting Jesus Christ, or oppressing the Holy Spirit, don’t eat it.

“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?” 1 Corinthians 10:29 We abstain from eating not to appease our conscience, but to avoid giving others the impression that we endorse the anti-Christian entity that influences our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. Our conscience is freed by the Spirit of Christ and not judged by someone else’s conscience.

“But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?” 1 Corinthians 10:30

As followers of Jesus Christ, we eat from a thankful heart to Jesus Christ. As long as we are being built up in the Spirit of Christ, there is no reason for anyone to condemn what we eat. The only ones who condemn being built up in the name of Jesus are those who despise God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. To keep our soul right with God, we do everything to the glory of God, as written, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 

For the sake of sharing the Gospel of Christ, we do not want to be offensive to the eating habits of others, as written, “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,” 1 Corinthians 10:32 It’s necessary for us to put away the need to be right in the knowledge we have in Christ in order to share the love in the Spirit of Christ. “…just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:33

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11