Septuagesima (2025)
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1 Cor 9:24-10:5
1 Cor 9:24-10:5
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in our Epistle lesson this Morning St. Paul writes to the Church in Corinth and points them back to the Old Testament and the Days of Moses as the people of God came out of slavery and entered the wilderness to make their way to the promised land. But why does Paul remind the Christians in Corinth of events that took place almost 1500 years ago, what do they have in common with those Israelites who were enslaved, freed, and brought forth, and what does this have to do with their sanctification and running the race?
Ignorance is Dangerous
We should not be unaware.
Be this out for a walk along the road, or in the woods. We don’t want to be surprised by an unexpected vehicle or animal. It is good for us to be aware of our surroundings. It seems as though the Corinthians were unaware of Holy Scripture and what God had revealed. For
The Old Testament is for Christians.
There have been multiple attempts over the years to set it aside as not being for the Christians, but only for the Jewish people, but the Scriptures clearly point out that we are not to be unaware and one of the ways to fix that is by looking at the Old Testament. Why is that?
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. The Trinity is present in the Old, and Christ was there with them in the Wilderness. Many falsely think God was different in Old vs the New. This has led to many problems over the years, but they are the same, and that is why we shouldn’t be unaware, but learn the Old Testament.
In the Days of Moses
They didn’t have the sacraments.
God raised up Moses and confirmed that Moses was His appointed leader by the signs and miracles that were performed through Moses. There was of course the burning bush that Moses saw, but that was confirmed by the plagues, and that they would come to an end when God willed it. God did all this and then
God claimed them as His people.
Even though they were not the greatest nation, the most intelligent, or the most gifted of all, God chose them and kept the promise that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Consider the Love and grace shown to them.
They were slaves in the land of Egypt with nothing of their own, they could not do anything for God, but God did everything for them that they might be set free. He promised to give them the land of Canaan. God had given many promises to their forefathers and to them, and promises that went down through the ages, and yet
Yet most perished before Canaan.
Of all people in the world to receive the blessings of God you would think that they would heed God’s Word, I know as a kid I learned about the Israelites and I thought there was no way, that I would fall into the trap they did and perish in the wilderness as they did. They had manna appear on the ground 6 days a week, water flowing from a rock that had been hit by a stick, they had passed through the sea on dry ground. How could they make such obvious mistakes? Sure enough Paul writes to the
The Corinthians
God blessed them with every spiritual blessing.
They had as their very first pastor, St. Paul the Apostle who was a knowledgeable teacher, and one who was bold in teh confession of the faith in the face of all adversity. Who amongst us wouldn’t be thrilled to have him as a Pastor? He worked wonders in their midst, and he acknowledges that they had been blessed with every spritual gift.
However, they rejected God’s gifts.
Paul had shared with them all that Jesus had done and they had learned the HOly Scriptures but now they were falling victim to temptations of the world and falling astray.
Are they better than Israel?
What they had was the reality of what the Old Testament had been pointing to. They didn’t have Red Sea, but they had Baptism, they weren’t just feed with bread and water, but with the body and blood of Jesus who had laid down his life for them. What they had was better than what Israel had, but they still fell. Just as Israel served as a guide and warning for the Christians in Corinth, the Christians in Corinth serve as an example to us.
Blessed by God
Consider God’s great love.
God didn’t save us because we were good people, or because we lived perfect lives, or because we made the right decision, you are saved by grace through faith, for it was by God’s grace that
The Father sent Jesus for you.
Jesus came into this world to be our savior and redeem us from the powers of sins, death, and the devil, and this shows God’s great love for you, that when it came to the hour of your need, he did not withhold even his only begotten son for your sake. What did God do for you?
God washed and fed you.
He washed you in those baptismal waters, and gave to you the divine name of the trinity. Christ has also left food for us that we might not go hungry in this life as we await heaven. This is of the sacrifice that he had given upon Calvary. It was there that Jesus was victorious and He was fight for you, and
You have been set free from Satan.
The Israelites were set free just from temporal slavery to an earthly ruler, Pharaoh, but you have been sent free from slavery to the prince of darkness, the ruler of this world, the dragon that sought to devour God’s creation, and the Son of God came down to be your champion to fight for you, and it is by the Cross that He overcame the powers of sin, death, and satan himself for you. So Satan no longer has a hold on you, you belong to God.
Learn from Israel
Don’t be unaware.
Like the Corinthians who had received every spiritual blessings, we too have been blessed through the Holy Spirit who gives to us many gifts, but the most important gift was Jesus who was conceived by the Spirit and He was conceived for you. The Holy Spirit it is by His presence that you know you are a sinner, and that Jesus has died for you, and Satan has been defeated that you might have joy. Don’t drift back over Satan’s side and live in your sins.
You can’t embrace sin and be christian.
We are to oppose sin, flee from sin, but we cannot live in them, no matter what that sin might be. Do you struggle with greed, and are hesitant to be generous to your fellow man? Do you pride yourself on your abilities and look down on your neighbor who doesn’t have those same gifts? Do you look down on others as though they are nothing but fools and you alone are wise? These same sins have plagued all of God’s people, and when they overtake us, and we dwell in them, we walk away from the light of Jesus and into the darkness of death.
Yes, you will slip, but then repent.
The Scriptures themselves acknowledge that none of us will be without sin this side of paradise and that is why we should remain humble and not proud. We must be on guard lest we fall into sin, and don’t care, make excuses to stay there, or think that we can deny Jesus and God by our actions, lips or hearts, and yet still call upon him in prayer.
So when you fall, repent, return back to the waters of Baptism confessing your sin, and relying on God’s mercy that was shown through the Cross of Jesus that He might pick you up again and restore you to His grace.
