I Have A Right! Liberty and Limits

"About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. ² If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. ³ But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
⁴ About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father.
All things are from Him,
and we exist for Him.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.
All things are through Him,
and we exist through Him.

⁷ However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. ⁹ But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. ¹² Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall."

I Corinthians 8:1-13

Good Morning Beloved,

Welcome to worship!

We're so glad you're here, thank you for joining us today.

Today's Message: I Have A Right! Liberty and Limits

As you know, through our study of the first seven chapters of the book of I Corinthians, Paul has advised the church to: 

Fix their focus; Forgo their feuding; Face up to their foolishness and; Forsake their filthiness. Now he tells them to: Figure out their freedom.

Beloved, scripture is very clear on many subjects. Many subjects. And, in the majority of those subjects, there’s no need to discuss, no room for debate or argument. But what about the “gray areas”, things that may be questionable, or the things on which the Bible is silent? These are things for we have no specific instruction. They are neither black nor white areas. So, how then, do we decide? What do you do in your life when you have one of those gray-area things occurring in your life? And, is there  a process by which you can make a decision?

This issue was so important that Paul took three chapters, 8 through 10, to answer it. Paul is going to show us that love is really the key to everything we do, and, it must be the root of every decision we make. That if we’re going to decide something about a gray area matter, we must consider how it will affect another, weaker Christian. And whatever would be loving toward him, would strengthen him, that’s precisely what you do.

First, let's bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for another glorious day, for another opportunity to worship You, offer up our praise for all You have already done in and through us. Thank You for Your Word for us today, we pray that You would open our hearts and minds, that we may receive clearer understanding and apply it to our lives. 

Lord, we pray that through Your Holy Spirit, that You guide us in making wise decisions, choices that would not only benefit another, that would not be a stumbling block in someone else's path, but that would glorify You, glorify Christ.

This we pray and ask in the name of Christ

May it be so

Amen and Amen 

Open your Bibles with me to the eighth chapter of the book of I Corinthians. Today, I’m only going to discuss with it in I Corinthians 8:1-13. I'd like to offer several "principles" concerning our conduct and concerning Christian liberty. Follow along with me as I read to you from the marvelous, instructive epistle from the apostle Paul to the Corinthian believers. 

"About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

yet for us there is one God, the Father.
All things are from Him,
and we exist for Him.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.
All things are through Him,
and we exist through Him.

However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall." 

So, the issue at hand here is meat. Meat that has been offered to idols at one of the twenty-six shrines. The first part of the animal sacrifice was consumed on the altar. The second part went to the priest. The third part was sold at reduced prices in the marketplaces. Bargain meat was dividing a church! Some saw nothing wrong with it. Some were offended. They asked Paul and he advised them.

Hebrews 12:1-2 teaches, "Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne."

What we do should be: Garnished with love.

Many know that idols are nothing, they're not real. They conclude that there can be no contamination from something that does not exist. There’s no harm to that. After all, we’re free – right? Paul lived by the principle of love. What will this do to unbelievers, Christian friends, or a weaker brother/sister? Idols to the pagans were real. The point is that Christian freedom carries with it a great responsibility.

We should make decisions with regards to Jesus and others. I, however, do realize, that this can be carried to an extreme. I'd like to point out, there’s a difference between a weaker brother and a watchdog critic. Just remember that our knowledge may puff us up, when our love should be building others up. It’s a matter of witness and influence.

I John 2:3-6 teaches us, "This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn't keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked."

So, when we come into those "gray areas." first you say is, "Do I need it?" Second you say, "Is it going to help me?" Third, "Is this what Jesus would do in the same situation?" I have found this to be very helpful. Now, you may not think it’s too helpful, especially if you know better than to do what you’re doing and shouldn’t even be considering it. But I assure you, it can be very helpful.

Now, allow me give you a fourth: evangelism, "If I do this, is it going to enhance my testimony to an unbeliever?" Again, let's look to Scripture. Colossians 4:5-6 says, "Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person."

Allow me to put it another way, whatever I do, it should be done wisely. I should be done so that the people who don’t know Christ, might be able to better see Christ in me, that there might be a better foundation, a base of testimony for me. So, if I do this thing which I am considering, will it create a better evangelistic platform?

I Corinthians 10:23-24 says, "Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person."

Though something is permissible, we must ask ourselves, "Will it build me up? Having done this, will I be stronger in Christ?" 

Beloved, not everything builds me up. Though it might be lawful to do it, but it won’t build me up. Therefore, I ought to really think it through carefully, whether it builds me up or not, whether I can gain something positive from it to build me up in Christ. That's a very critical thing for us to consider, it is edifying.

Again, we must turn to Scripture. In I Corinthians 10:31 it says, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory."

So I would encourage you to ask yourselves, before making a decision on those gray areas, "If I do it, will it exalt the Lord?" I believe hat’s a great principle, an important point to consider, If I do it, will it exalt God? Will it exalt the Lord? 

I believe there is also one more practical step for us to consider. If I do this, will it set the right example of righteousness for a weaker brother? Will it be an act of love toward him? If I do this, will it be done to show him what is right? Will my actions lead a weaker brother in the right way?

Why is this important? Because, with our thoughts consumed with self, we don’t know how to think about others, how our decision will affect others. Let’s call it loving example.

Romans 14:13 instructs us, "Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way." And, we can see Paul is conveying the same thought in I Corinthians 8:9, where he says, "But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak."

Paul knew that many weak believers would see some buying and eating meat and would think they were worshiping idols. It is possible, that God could be asking us to forgo something we consider harmless for the sake of someone else who is looking to us as a role model? Paul says some are still “babes” in Chapter 3. They may be offended. How will my actions affect them? It may be a case of ignorance, in verse 8. 

Beloved, we need to understand that meat has nothing to do with being saved/unsaved, as we see Acts 10:14, where Peter says, "No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!"

 Many eat rattlesnake, squirrel, rabbit, quail, etc. They may do it. I do not. However, meat does not commend us to God. One is saved by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, not by what one eats. The point is here however, is that we need to consider others above ourselves! So another good question to ask ourselves, "Is our decision being guided by selfishness?" Most generally, if we're being honest with God, and ourselves, it often is.

Beloved, the question may not be one of "right versus wrong," but what about others? Liberty, but what about concern. You have knowledge but what about love? 

Sometimes, the reason not to do something is that it might offend others. Because it might be a stumbling block for others. The bottom line is our liberty is to be limited by love. Eternal issues should always take precedence over temporal satisfaction.

Will it keep someone else from growing in grace? That's something to ask yourselves.

In Closing...

I'd like to offer one last thing for us to look at, that is the concept of love. For example, I might say, "Hey, church, I’m mature in Christ. There’s nothing wrong with me having a drink. Nobody will – there’s nothing wrong with that. I won’t get drunk; I’ll just – in fact, I may – right? – have it right here on the pulpit here, and when I just feel like I’m a little worn out, I’ll just take a nice sip of my cocktail now and then. And, I could justify that it’s not wrong. How? Because the Bible doesn’t say, ‘Thou shalt not have a cocktail in the pulpit." Does it? So, it's OK, I’m all right, but all I would have to do would be do that one time, and I'd guess that more than half of you would fall over dead! And, I can assure you, that some people would be very, very offended because, in their mind, that represents something other than a Christian life and a Christian commitment.

So, the issue isn't always whether something is right or wrong to do. The point is there are some things that in themselves are not necessarily wrong. Now, that may become wrong if it harms your body in that angle, but the point is, I don’t do some things, and you don’t do some things because they would offend.

Here is one last thought I'd like to encourage you to consider:

As a Christian, we can hand out gospel "tracts" all day long, but at the end of the day, it’s "our gospel tracks" they will watch and remember! 

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen

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