Thursday, September 3, 2009

Thurs., 9/3/09 Devotion (1 Cor. 8:4b)

Today's encouragement comes from 1 Corinthians 8:4b, where the Apostle Paul wrote these words:

" . . . We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one."

Sinners have created and concocted trillions of idols since Adam's fall in the garden--but the interesting thing is that *none* of them actually *exist* as legitimate "God-substitutes." An idol can have "existence" as a "thing"; but it can make no rightful claim to Christ's throne.

Some of the Corinthian churchmen to whom Paul was writing were concerned that their activities (like eating) would somehow forward the status of some of the idols of the city of Corinth. The apostle assured them that they had nothing to really worry about, since there is no other God than the true God. Take heart today, sincere Chris-
tians, you belong to the one and only God, through faith in Christ.

[Puritan quote of the day: "If the promise of grace belongs to you, then you cannot say, 'I have no word, no promise to uphold me.' "
--William Bridge, in "A Lifting Up for the Downcast"]