Live the Christian Life – 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:13
9 (24) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in a way that will assure you of winning the prize. (25) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training, they do this in order to win a perishable crown, but we do so in order to obtain one that is imperishable. (26) For this reason, I do not run like someone who has no goal, I do not box like someone who is merely beating the air. (27) On the contrary, I beat my body and bring it into submission, so that, after having preached to others, by no means will I myself be disqualified.
10 I say this, brothers, because I do not want you to disregard the fact that all our fathers were under the cloud and they all passed through the sea. (2) And they all were baptized into Moses by means of the cloud and the sea. (3) And they all ate the same spiritual food. (4) And they all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them—that rock was Christ. (5) However, God was not pleased with most of them; this is evident because their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
(6) Now these things were examples for us, intended to teach us not to have evil desires, like they had. (7) Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and then got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” (8) Let us not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did; and in one day twenty three thousand of them died. (9) Let us not test the Lord, as some of them did; and they were killed by the snakes. (10) Do not grumble, as some of them did; and they were killed by the destroying angel.
(11) Now these things happened to them as examples for us, and they were written for our instruction—for us upon whom the end of the ages has come. (12) Therefore, let the one who thinks he is standing secure, be careful not to fall. (13) No temptation has seduced you except the kind that is experienced by all men. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear; on the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may be able to endure it.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
