1 Corinthians 8:1-13

                                                                 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

 

Liberty in Christ is a precious gift that can set believers free from guilt and allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have in Christ.  However, it is important to be careful in the exercise of liberty out of love and concern for others.  Not everything that is permissible is wise and can become harmful to the wellbeing of the body of Christ.  We all have different histories and come from different cultures that influence our thinking and our conscience.  As members of the body of Christ we must be sensitive to these differences as we strive to understand, relate and work with one another.  Paul shares some basic guidelines that help us in the exercise of liberty.

LIBERTY IS EXPRESSED WITH HUMILITY: God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that we are not accepted by God based on our works.  There is not a list of rules, regulations, and rituals that we must perform to be accepted by God.  Christ has set us free from this bondage.  The knowledge of this tends to produce pride in the lives of people.  Our freedom from the law and sin should produce a deep and abiding love for God that overflows into a love and concern for others.  True biblical liberty will be lived out in a spirit of humility.  Just because we have “rights” does not mean that it is always wise or helpful to exercise those rights.  Love for God and others is always the correct expression of biblical liberty.

LIBERTY IS EXPLAINED WITH AUTHORITY: The issue of Christian liberty under discussion in this passage is the eating of meat that has been offered to an idol.  Paul explains the facts of our liberty in this area with clear authority.  The reality is that there is only one true God.  Idols or other gods do not really exist.  However, as fallen creatures who are created to worship, the heart of man is constantly “creating” false or fake gods and idols that we worship in the place of God.  The history of the world and the hearts of men are cluttered with idols that are no more than figments of our imagination and creations of our own hands that men pretend to be gods.  However, we are all influenced by the cultures in which we live.  Our consciences are sensitive to the things we were taught and the traditions of our pasts.  This reality means that we will look at certain liberties from different perspectives.

LIBERTY IS EXERCISED WITH RESPONSIBILITY: As believers we belong to the same body.  Despite our different backgrounds, we have been united into one body in Christ Jesus.  We are responsible to preserve the unity of the body and the purity of the conscience of every member of the body to which we belong.  Those who were saved out of a life of pagan idolatry that would eat meat that was offered to an idol as an act of worship to that idol will have a hard time forgetting this.  When they see others freely eating this meat, they will be tempted to either be judgmental of a brother or to go ahead and eat as well even though their conscience is not free to do so.  Since our liberty might lead to a brother in Christ being tempted to sin, we must be responsible to limit that liberty out of love for others.  

 

APPLICATION: Never forget the importance of others when thinking about liberties.  Focus on what is true and strive to have a biblical understanding of reality as opposed to allowing our hearts and minds to be controlled by a sinful past.  Recognize that we are not only responsible for ourselves but we are to care for and be responsible to our brothers and sisters in Christ.