1 Corinthians 8:4-6

Scripture: 1 Cor. 8:4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 

1 Cor. 8:5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

1 Cor. 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Teaching: Following his introduction to the question posed on eating meat sacrificed to idols, expressing the fact that knowledge of God is informed by a love of God, Paul then turns to the question at hand. His response is to apply this spiritual truth to this situation. He essentially says that because we love God and therefore know God, we also know that there is no god other than our one true God. In reality, if we are eating meat sacrificed to pagan “gods” or “idols,” that means nothing because those “gods” are not real, they do not exist. They are merely deceptions of Satan, and once one has come to faith, receiving the Holy Spirit, that person need not fear Satan or any conceived idea that he could snatch one away from the Lord. As Paul says in verse 6, we (as believers) exist as the Lord’s and the Lord’s alone. As Jesus himself taught, we’re not up for sale nor able to be inhabited by Satan. These are verses that should put to bed any concept of demonic possession of the believer and set the mind of the believer at ease. We need not worry about each thing we eat or consume as if it had the power to affect our position in Christ. 

Takeaway: These verses are wonderful news for any believer who fears somehow losing Christ. In our modern day, these verses make me think of Halloween. Whether one engages in it or not, for some there is a fear that the candy their children receive has been demonically offered, that there is some chance of the power of Satan impacting them. Whether someone has demonic intentions does not change the fact that Christ, who lives in us, has already overcome it all. We should not fear the things we eat impacting our life in Christ. So, for the matter of Halloween, it is not a decision of based on preserving your life in Christ, but simply a matter of preference, whether you like the holiday or not. Beyond this example, this Scripture has far reaching implications for daily life — we live in Christ. We are in the world but not of it having been born again by the Spirit. What the Father has given to Christ he will not lose, but raise them up at the last day. The Corinthians needed to understand this concept, and apply it to the daily life issue of meat sacrificed to idols. We need to understand it as well, and apply it to our daily life issues in the 21st century — because even 2000 years later, Christ is still and forevermore on the throne.