Christians not bullet-proof
Corinthians 10:1-11:1
JOE MILLER JR.

Approximately 1500, or nearly half, of our military fatalities in Iraq have been from Improvised Explosive Devices set up to destroy our vehicles carrying military personnel. The Marines have developed a new vehicle called a MRAP or Mine Resistance Ambush Repellent vehicle. The fully equipped vehicle will cost about 1 million dollars each, and they will replace Humvees, which are very susceptible to these roadside devices. A million dollars is a lot of money, but the value of a human life is priceless. I doubt that anyone will complain.

Security and safety are important. I am glad that our law enforcement officers have bullet proof vests, and I wish they could have full body armor. Also, the safety of our children is primary, and many schools have or are adding security measures on their campuses.

It is an unsafe world that we live in, and we are concerned about our safety and the safety of others.

However, there is another "safety" issue that we may take for granted… that is our eternal safety. Paul is writing to the Corinthian church to remind them about their eternal safety. It seems that the people of this church had come to the conclusion that since they were baptized believers, and regularly took communion (the Lord's Supper) that they could continue living like they did before they became Christians.

They were practicing idolatry and sexual immorality. Many Biblical scholars agree that their argument against Paul's teaching went something like this: "I am a Christian now, and I do not have to follow any laws. Christ has set me free from sin, and I can do whatever I want to do. I am smart enough to know that those old gods that I used to worship are not real, and I have spiritually transcended the importance of any so-called bodily sin." In other words…"I am bullet proof."

Paul's reply is magnificent! He reminds them of the ancient Israelites. Moses' people also had a special relationship (the covenant) with God, and God rescued them from the slavery of Egypt and promised them a land flowing with milk and honey.

In spite of God's care for them, they went astray at the foot of Mount Sinai by making and worshipping a golden calf and engaging in sexual immorality. They paid mightily for their sin, and only two of them survived to enter the Promised Land. Paul told the Corinthians that they were not "bullet proof" either. In spite of their baptism and communion with Christ, they were in danger of taking the path to destruction.

That was true then, and it is true now. We are not "bullet proof." Christians are still subject to God's (Christ's) laws, and how we live matters. We have choices to make just like the Corinthians. We can choose to sit at the Lord's table and communion with Christ and our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, or we can sit at the table with "demons." We cannot do both.

We can worship Christ, or we can worship the "idols" of this world; such as, success, power, money, prestige, and personal satisfaction. I would like to be able to say that I always choose Christ, but the powers of this world interfere constantly. I pray for you, and I pray for me that we will be able to choose Christ. When we are tempted to stray, Christ is always there to rescue us, if we would just let him. Email me at newtonumc@valornet. com with your thoughts.

Joe Miller Jr. is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newton.