1 Corinthians 8:4-6 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
In the above scriptures, Paul restates that there is only one God, even though some people entertain the idea of other gods, other divine beings, worthy of worship. The belief that God created all that is in existence, even life itself, remains the essence of Christianity. God spoke everything into being through the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course the understanding of the creation of all that is through the Word of God goes beyond man's human knowledge, understanding, and even imagination. The Bible says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:1-5) Without Christ, we humans are in the dark, determining what is real and what is not real by using our senses. Paul talks about an existence beyond our senses with one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came. With our senses, our understanding, and our knowledge, we can easily evaluate idols made of wood and stone and declare them as false images, not real gods. However, our same human gifts and abilities cannot determine, evaluate, and measure the Creator of heaven and of Earth and his domain. The Word of God tells us Jesus knew the Father. When Jesus told his disciples He was going to prepare a place for them, Thomas said he did not know where Jesus was going or the way. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7) This same Jesus did miracles that no man from the beginning of time had performed. Throughout his life, people saw a man not with extraordinary ability but with miraculous ability: healing the lame, the blind, the leper, and the demon possessed; raising the dead; feeding thousands with a small amount of food; and even controlling nature. Most importantly, by paying the price for mankind's sin and waywardness, He brought a lost creation back into right relationship with its Creator. Because God is just and the payment for sin was death, Jesus went to the cross to pay that debt. Because of Christ's shed blood, all who place their faith in Jesus' righteousness and not their own will receive eternal life. Paul writes about the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations . . . which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27) Christ alone is our hope, our everything.
The Bible speaks clearly about finding eternal life with harmony and peace that will never end. This life comes through the Creator of all things, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Eternal life comes through no other name, idea, or philosophy. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13) By believing in Jesus Christ, your faith in him will give you life. There are many supposed gods, but there is only one true God, and He is the God of all things. And we who are his are called Christians. But we cannot be Christians in name only. Even children understand the idea that our words must mean something. When our children were young, they liked to play school, but as is often the case, the oldest ran the classroom, and she was the "teacher." One day, our son, Jeff, came in and said, "Christine always gets to be the teacher, and I want to teach sometimes." I said, "Well, she probably thinks because she is older, she has more to teach the rest of you." (This group of "students" included several younger neighborhood children as well.) Jeff looked me straight in the eye and said, "Don't you think if she was a real Christian, she would let me teach sometimes?" What could I say to that? I said, "I am sure, if we talk this over, that Christine will give you a turn?" And she did. Christians take turns after all. We know the words of Jesus, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34)
As Christians with an eternal view and with our hope placed in Christ Jesus alone, we want to live our lives for the Lord. We dedicate ourselves to his life, to reflecting his image to the world. We know whether we are alive or dead, we are his forever, forever to be in his presence. We know we will never be alone again, lost in our finite existence, destined for dust. Living for Christ brings an eternal reality to our lives. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:7-9) Even though we exist with this hope as our salvation, a hope that goes beyond reasoning, we are not left with hope alone. No, Jesus said, I want you to tarry in Jerusalem before you do anything for me. I want you to wait for the Comforter, the Advocate, the Counselor. I want you to wait for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. No wood, no stone, no graven image can give you this Spirit of truth and light. We who are Christians are living out the Book of Acts. This Book is ongoing, extending into the Twenty-first Century as the Holy Spirit continues to change people's lives. Paul describes the life of the Spirit: But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:10-11) We who are alive IN CHRIST through faith are literally alive IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD. He who raised Christ from the dead will raise each of us from the dead. We will meet Christ in the shadow of death someday, not in the infiniteness of death. Jesus will greet us, welcome us. He comes back for each of us. The Holy Spirit, the Power of God, will resurrect us TO CHRIST. THERE, IN HIS PRESENCE, WE WILL LIVE FOREVERMORE in the place prepared for us. There is but one God, the Father, Creator of heaven and Earth for WHOM WE LIVE; there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and THROUGH WHOM WE LIVE; and there is but one Holy Spirit who guides us each day and teaches us all things pertaining to righteousness and truth. Amen!
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