Don't Be A Stumbling Block
Grace, Mercy, Peace, These are the words Christians believe and hold onto!
Today we address a topic which has been misunderstood and abused by many believers, and it has become a stumbling block for many unbelievers and an excuse for others. What is the issue? Christian Freedom!
The old way of life, the life under the Law, declared there was only one right way to do everything. Any variation or deviance from this one prescribed way brought immediate rejection and damnation from God. Sadly, some people today believe this is how God relates to human beings, and so because they cannot be perfect, they are resigned to live as those rejected by God today and forever. The opposite end of the spectrum is that there are no rules or laws to live by and thus anything and everything is permissible for the Christian. Today we hear Paul address the freedom we have in Christ and what it means to have enough spiritual discernment to know when to limit our freedom for the sake of bringing others to Christ.
Here is our text: All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up. No one is to seek his own advantage, but rather that of his neighbor. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience; FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions, for the sake of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and for the sake of conscience; Now by “conscience” I do not mean your own, but the other person’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered about that for which I give thanks? 1 Corinthians 10:23-30
First, some clarification. In the 1st century there were not what we would call meat markets. The people of the day purchased meat to eat from the local temples or markets near the temples where the animals had been sacrificed to the pagan gods. Paul has been very clear, there is no such thing as an idol. To worship a pagan God in the form of an idol is simply to be worshipping demons. This is the way the devil seeks to hold people in bondage to their ignorance. Because Paul knows all of creation is a gift from God to humanity, he declares that in Christian freedom we can eat any meat, regardless of where it came from.
At the same time Paul is aware that in our attempts to share Jesus with the unbelieving world there will be times, in those relationships, where we will sit down at a meal with someone who does not know Christ. If meat is set before us and it is declared that this meat has been offered to an idol, then don't eat the meat. Choose to limit your Christian freedom for the sake of the other person's conscience who believes that by eating the meat they are worshipping a pagan god. Now this is certainly a 1st century issue, but there are applications for us today.
At a wedding reception one time I was asked why I was dancing. The person asking the question had been taught that it was sinful to dance, so why was a preacher dancing. After some discussion I continue to enjoy the reception. Had the conversation gone another way, it would have been right for me to sit down and refrain from any more dancing. Once I was able to clarify for the individual that dancing was not sinful, he was no longer troubled by it.
There are many people in our society today who've been misinformed about the teachings of the Christian faith. One area where this is often misunderstood is in the use of alcohol. Many have grown up with the belief that alcohol is in and of itself sinful. This even filtered into the church in the mid-1800s when an individual created the process of pasteurization whereby grape juice could be stored for long periods of time without fermenting into wine. This grape juice was then marketed to the church as an alternative use for the Lord's Supper rather than the use of sinful wine. Let me be very clear, Jesus drank wine. When He turned water into wine at the wedding it was a wine that contained alcohol, not just grape juice. The wine used in the Passover meal where the Lord’s Supper was instituted was a real wine. The scriptures never declare alcohol as being sinful. The abuse of alcohol, i.e. drunkenness, is declared to be sinful by God.
Apply our passage to our lives in reference to alcohol. If you are with a person who believes alcohol is sinful, then your use of alcohol in their presence could very well be a stumbling block for them. Because it is a stumbling block for them you should limit your Christian freedom and avoid giving an offense. The same would be true with someone who's had an issue with the abuse of alcohol. To partake in alcohol in such a way as it becomes a temptation for someone is also to give an offense. We are to limit our freedom as Christians to do what is best for others even if it is an inconvenience for us. This is what the Gospel does.
We could certainly apply this same principle to the way in which we dress, the way in which we spend money, our attitude toward the church and the conversations we have with others regarding our faith. The point is, as we engage with the unbelieving world, we are to be the gateway for people to understand God's love in Christ, and never be the one who inhibits this relationship being created.
A final word on the issue of conscience. The Gospel of forgiveness in the blood of Christ means that we live completely forgiven and therefore bear no guilt. This is not a freedom to sin more, but the freedom to live as the people of God today. We are to live with absolute certainty of the forgiveness we have received and the assurance of God's favor upon our lives. Guilt has no place in the Christian conscience. Where there is forgiveness from God, it is total and absolute. The response to what God has done for us in Jesus is to live a life of thankfulness to Him, and blessing to others.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
Today we address a topic which has been misunderstood and abused by many believers, and it has become a stumbling block for many unbelievers and an excuse for others. What is the issue? Christian Freedom!
The old way of life, the life under the Law, declared there was only one right way to do everything. Any variation or deviance from this one prescribed way brought immediate rejection and damnation from God. Sadly, some people today believe this is how God relates to human beings, and so because they cannot be perfect, they are resigned to live as those rejected by God today and forever. The opposite end of the spectrum is that there are no rules or laws to live by and thus anything and everything is permissible for the Christian. Today we hear Paul address the freedom we have in Christ and what it means to have enough spiritual discernment to know when to limit our freedom for the sake of bringing others to Christ.
Here is our text: All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up. No one is to seek his own advantage, but rather that of his neighbor. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience; FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions, for the sake of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and for the sake of conscience; Now by “conscience” I do not mean your own, but the other person’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered about that for which I give thanks? 1 Corinthians 10:23-30
First, some clarification. In the 1st century there were not what we would call meat markets. The people of the day purchased meat to eat from the local temples or markets near the temples where the animals had been sacrificed to the pagan gods. Paul has been very clear, there is no such thing as an idol. To worship a pagan God in the form of an idol is simply to be worshipping demons. This is the way the devil seeks to hold people in bondage to their ignorance. Because Paul knows all of creation is a gift from God to humanity, he declares that in Christian freedom we can eat any meat, regardless of where it came from.
At the same time Paul is aware that in our attempts to share Jesus with the unbelieving world there will be times, in those relationships, where we will sit down at a meal with someone who does not know Christ. If meat is set before us and it is declared that this meat has been offered to an idol, then don't eat the meat. Choose to limit your Christian freedom for the sake of the other person's conscience who believes that by eating the meat they are worshipping a pagan god. Now this is certainly a 1st century issue, but there are applications for us today.
At a wedding reception one time I was asked why I was dancing. The person asking the question had been taught that it was sinful to dance, so why was a preacher dancing. After some discussion I continue to enjoy the reception. Had the conversation gone another way, it would have been right for me to sit down and refrain from any more dancing. Once I was able to clarify for the individual that dancing was not sinful, he was no longer troubled by it.
There are many people in our society today who've been misinformed about the teachings of the Christian faith. One area where this is often misunderstood is in the use of alcohol. Many have grown up with the belief that alcohol is in and of itself sinful. This even filtered into the church in the mid-1800s when an individual created the process of pasteurization whereby grape juice could be stored for long periods of time without fermenting into wine. This grape juice was then marketed to the church as an alternative use for the Lord's Supper rather than the use of sinful wine. Let me be very clear, Jesus drank wine. When He turned water into wine at the wedding it was a wine that contained alcohol, not just grape juice. The wine used in the Passover meal where the Lord’s Supper was instituted was a real wine. The scriptures never declare alcohol as being sinful. The abuse of alcohol, i.e. drunkenness, is declared to be sinful by God.
Apply our passage to our lives in reference to alcohol. If you are with a person who believes alcohol is sinful, then your use of alcohol in their presence could very well be a stumbling block for them. Because it is a stumbling block for them you should limit your Christian freedom and avoid giving an offense. The same would be true with someone who's had an issue with the abuse of alcohol. To partake in alcohol in such a way as it becomes a temptation for someone is also to give an offense. We are to limit our freedom as Christians to do what is best for others even if it is an inconvenience for us. This is what the Gospel does.
We could certainly apply this same principle to the way in which we dress, the way in which we spend money, our attitude toward the church and the conversations we have with others regarding our faith. The point is, as we engage with the unbelieving world, we are to be the gateway for people to understand God's love in Christ, and never be the one who inhibits this relationship being created.
A final word on the issue of conscience. The Gospel of forgiveness in the blood of Christ means that we live completely forgiven and therefore bear no guilt. This is not a freedom to sin more, but the freedom to live as the people of God today. We are to live with absolute certainty of the forgiveness we have received and the assurance of God's favor upon our lives. Guilt has no place in the Christian conscience. Where there is forgiveness from God, it is total and absolute. The response to what God has done for us in Jesus is to live a life of thankfulness to Him, and blessing to others.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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1 Comment
I have a problem with the LGBTQIA community. I believe it is wrong by all that is Holy. I have Niece who was married twice to men, had children, has grandchildren and suddenly decided she was a lesbian and divorced her husband and married a young woman her daughters age. I love my niece but we are no longer close. I cannot condone this. I do not want her around my children, grandchildren or great grandchild. But they are grown and make their own decisions. They are no longer close I have noticed.
My question, she claims a closeness to Christ. Does Christ forgive her while she is in this relationship?