"Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." 1 Corinthians 10:11-12

This is such a sobering statement on the heels of Paul’s explanation of how Israel failed to please God and fell away. The verses leading up to this warning reveals that the Israelites whom God delivered out of Egypt continually tried the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai.

Paul says, they were "all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from the spiritual Rock which followed them; and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid law in the wilderness."

God had delivered them from bondage to worship Him, -"You shall say to Pharaoh, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews sent me to you, saying, Let My people go that they may worship Me in the wilderness.’" (Ex.7) But they continually disobeyed the Lord, craving evil things, acting immorally, worshiping idols and grumbling against Moses and Aaron along the way. God had saved them to learn and walk faithfully in His Way, but they followed the dictates of their own will instead.

These Israelites were God’s chosen people who He loved with an everlasting love yet they were useless to His plan because of disobedience. Likewise, we Christians have been called with a holy calling to be a people of His own possession - if we fail to walk in obedience to His will as defined by His Word, we too become useless, Jesus said, -"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men." (Matt.5)

And the Apostle Paul wrote, -"Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the Word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, ‘As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.’" (Heb.4)

It is so easy to become deceived - most people still believe the original lie that one can disobey God and live.

 But His Way is the only way to salvation and eternal life - all other ways, including our own way, leads only to eternal death in the Lake of Fire. These ways are nothing more than the broad road to destruction and because so many travel this great highway to hell, they believe that they are safe.

 Paul’s warning to the Corinthians was the same warning that God gave the Israelites who rebelled against Him - and is the same warning for us today. Let us examine ourselves to see if we are in the will of God, and if we find that we are not, let us change.

 Will you let Christ in and allow Him to live His perfect life in you? Let us live to hear, -"Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your Master." (Matt.25)