NOTES for Co1 10:1-13

Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. It is impossible to pass by these words of the apostle Paul. The point is that every gift of God carries a certain risk for us. First, there is the possibility of abusing this gift, that is, using it otherwise than God intended. Thus we abuse the ability to love by turning it into debauchery. Thus we turn the ability to work into a pursuit of money. But in practice the risk of appropriating what God has given us for our use is no less important. Thus we appropriate our own selves and our life, forgetting to give thanks for it. Thus we appropriate God’s favor and His mercy toward us, living as though He owed us something and therefore had to serve our interests. The more abundant God’s gifts are, the greater the risk.

That is why the apostle’s word is so important. You are always in danger of thinking that everything is all right with you, that you stand upright before God. And this will be untrue, because God has prepared for us true perfection, which you have not yet attained. But there is equally a danger of thinking that He has not destined you for salvation and life. You should not take your present condition to be final, for you have not yet lived all the time allotted to you.