But how are we to deal with
the grey issues of life? We’ve looked at 1 Corinthians 8,9 and 10 to help us
address this question. Certainly it is a question Scripture addresses as it
focuses on the whole idea of meat offered to idols. Some said, “No, we
should not eat meat offered to idols.” Others said, “Go ahead - eat meat
offered to idols. We are free in Christ.”
So the question for us is,
What are the Biblical principles for living in the midst of some issues that
are not crystal clear?
Now we come to the
conclusion of our study and Paul wraps up the whole discussion. And in
verse 23 he says, “Sure, some of you say everything is permissible but you
know, everything may not be beneficial, everything may not be constructive.”
Everything is permissible!
We’ve heard it in our text before – we are free in Christ – we can
participate in activities and events without fear, we know God’s grace. I
can go to the pub. I can play cards. I can buy lottery tickets. I can
watch whatever I like on television. I am free in Christ.
But while it may be
permissible, it may not be beneficial. It may not be constructive. And
Scripture helps us make those decisions. Sometimes we need to rely on the
leading of the Holy Spirit. There were some in the Corinthian church who
could eat meat and had no trouble. There were others who could not – their
conscience was stirred.
A small example – in my
younger days I loved action movies. I loved James Bond movies. I loved the
Die Hard series with Bruce Willis. I loved those “real men” movies.
But then I found that while
I was free to watch such movies – it really is permissible – but it really
wasn’t beneficial to my soul. For me, I’m saying, I found that while I
enjoyed the fun and the jokes and seeing the bad guy getting what was coming
to him, there were parts of those movies that were not good for me. For
instance in the James Bond films – there is always a woman dressed
provocatively, speaking provocatively and I found myself saying, “I want
that”. I was lusting after the woman on the screen.
Now you may be able to
watch those movies and have no trouble. But I cannot.
And with the Die Hard
series, say, the feelings of anger and revenge and the sheer joy of killing
are overwhelming. And really, as I looked at the time I spent watching
these movies – I had to ask, did I come away from that with a stronger
spirit or a deeper relationship with God? No. So as a result I have tried
to steer away from these kind of movies. It’s not good for me to watch
them.
Everything is permissible,
but not everything is beneficial, or constructive.
When it comes to the grey
areas of life this is a great principle. It may be permissible for you to
participate in the lottery, but is it beneficial or constructive? Are you
truly able to say that through it your soul is able to grow closer to God
and trust Him ever more deeply? While it may be permissible to participate
in a lottery, it may not be constructive. What may be more constructive is
to give that money you would have paid on lottery tickets to give it away to
someone who is in need. Wouldn’t such generosity be constructive and
beneficial?
When it comes to the gray
issues of life, everything is permissible, but it may not be constructive or
beneficial.
Then, in verse 24, we hear
a refrain that was first stated in chapter 8. Nobody should seek his own
good but the good of others. Remember, Scripture says, remember that we are
called to love others ahead of ourselves.
This is how we are to
live. This is the way Jesus lived. Mark 10:45 - “For even the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.” In John 13 we see Him take the towel and wash His
disciples’ feet and afterward saying, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set
you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
It is really is astounding
that Jesus, the King of kings should do that for us. And if He, being the
King put others ahead of Himself, how much more should we, His servants put
others ahead of ourselves?
There is a little song that
Janet and Obadiah like to sing together entitled, “Joy”.
“Jesus and others and you
is a wonderful way to spell joy.
Jesus and others and you
in the life of each girl and each boy.
J is for Jesus for he takes first place.
O is for others you meet face to face.
Y is for you and for all that you do.
Put yourself last and spell joy.”
Again, this is a good
principle when it comes to the gray areas of life. Put others ahead of
yourself. You may be free to participate in this activity or that activity
but consider those around you – is it helpful to them? Is it beneficial to
them? Does it help others?
And for the next six verses
Paul again uses the idea of meat offered to idols as an example. He says at
verse 25 “Go ahead and eat the meat sold in markets – you don’t have test
it every time and say – “Was this offered to an idol?” After all – God is
a big God and everything belongs to him. Even that mutton sold in the
butcher shop. And if someone invites you over for dinner – go ahead and
eat. Don’t be impolite asking, “Was this offered to an idol?”.
But verse 28 says, lets say
that someone invites you over for dinner and tells you that the meat has
been offered to idols - then don’t eat it. Why? Out of your love for the
other person. Sure you are free, but his conscience may not be as strong as
yours - you don’t want to be sending mixed messages to him. So out of love
for him, refrain from eating that meat offered to idols.
And so for us. I asked you
some weeks ago to take a step back and look at your life – consider what you
do, consider the leisure activities you enjoy. Consider the way you spend
your money. Consider the way you live – is it affecting another so that
their faith is weakened to such a point that they stumble?
Again I tried to think of
some examples – What would be equal to not eating meat offered to idols in
our day? Drinking perhaps? I will not drink in front of others lest it
lead them to sin. I sometimes wonder if my parents practiced this very
principle.
So in dealing with the grey
areas of life consider others.
Then in verses 29 – 30 we
have that refrain again that says – we do not live to please others. We are
not talking about gaining people’s approval. It is not talking about having
people applaud us. The motivation here is not to have people pat us on the
back and tell us how good we are.
We are not to walk around
on egg shells worrying about what small-minded people might say.
No, the motivation here –
is our love for others. Out of love for others we refuse to do this, or act
this way, or participate in this.
And then we have that great
verse at verse 31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it
all for the glory of God.”
Do all you do for the glory
of God. If you are going to exercise your freedom in Christ then make sure
that God is honoured. Make sure that people have a good opinion of God
because of what you do.
Do it all for the glory of
God. Do you? Do you do all that you do for the glory of God? Do people
have a good opinion of your God because of you? Is He honoured in your
life?
When it comes to the grey
issues of life – seek to do that which honours God.
That’s not always easy.
Charles Spurgeon was one of the greatest preachers that the church has ever
produced. He was a godly man who did not compromise his faith or his
values. A young man once came up to him with a box of cigars and asked what
he should do with them. Spurgeon replied, “give them to me and I will smoke
them to the glory of God.”1
O that we were all so sure
of ourselves. Certainly the principle remains – do all that you do for the
glory of God.
So what have we learned in
this text so far? With the gray areas of life, do that which is beneficial
and constructive – don’t abuse your freedom. Remember – do what you do out
of love for others. And third do all that you do for the glory of God.
And in the closing verses
we learn this – do all that you do seeking the salvation of others.
Verse 32 to the end – “Do
not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God –
even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own
good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example as
I follow the example of Christ.”
And again we have heard
this refrain, “For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so
that they may be saved.” Remember the goal – we are seeking to bring
others into a life saving relationship with our Saviour.
Let’s use our freedom to
reach out to those who do not know the love of Christ. Let us become all
things to all men so that so that by all possible means we might save
some.
Rebecca Manley Pippert
wrote a book a couple of years ago entitled, Out of the Salt Shaker and
into the World. And in that book she tells of how she was visiting
Oregon State University and was trying to get to know the people in her
dorm, particularly those who did not believe in Jesus Christ.
She learned that that night
there was going to be a large gathering in the common room of the dorm to
watch a movie on television. So she went and had a good time getting to
know the students. There was popcorn, Coca Cola and lots of good
conversation. During the commercials friendships were formed and many of
them came to hear her speak about Christ later in the week.
But while they were
watching television, a Christian girl walked by and saw the gathering and
had an obvious look of disapproval and then she saw Rebecca there with the
group she was visibly bewildered. Later she came to Rebecca and “wondered
why she would do such a frivolous thing as watch TV when it wasn’t even a
Christian program. Didn’t she feel it was wrong? Shouldn’t she have been
upstairs praying for the group rather than doing exactly as they did? Was
she giving them a worldly model rather than a spiritual one?”2
It’s a small example but I
think it demonstrates the need for us to use our freedom in Christ – not
seeking our own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
I was at two funerals this
week. I attended one – Elaine Philip’s uncle – who died tragically in a
plane crash in Port Perry. And participated in another – Craig Waldron’s
funeral here yesterday. As I heard testimonies about both men, I realized
that both sought to do what was beneficial and constructive. They both
loved others. They both sought to give glory to God in what they did. They
testified to God’s grace in Christ by how they lived in what they said. And
as a result they influenced others for Christ and many said, I am a
Christian because this man refused to compromise his faith.
May we all strive to have
such testimonies spoken when we are remembered. May we all seek to live
lives that do no compromise and bring glory to God.
Amen.
Copyright MBC and Rev. Dr. Tom Cullen -
