RECAP: Dr. Paul Little’s message can be heard at the link below.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8
Points of thought:
It’s just your opinion
The more we learn the less we know we know
The self-righteous are never right
Love must trump our freedom
My thoughts:
So our pastor started off his message by asking, “How is the atmosphere in your home?” Is it similar to the atmosphere that was in Corith: tense, stressed, and divided.
To understand the context of this chapter we need to know that the Corinthians had just been saved from idol worshiping. So now we have a group of people who had no issue with eating meat after it had been offered to idols, (we will call this group ‘eaters’) and another group of people who had a big problem with it (‘non-eaters’). Their attitudes toward one another caused great divisions among them. Divisions are still being caused over issues like this today, even immediate families are being divided by opinions. How do we deal with different opinions?
“It’s in these areas of undefined answers that families and Churches can be ripped apart.” ~ Dr. Paul Little
It’s just your opinion
We can all be so easily deceived into thinking that our opinion is true. I once heard that we believe in what we think more than what we are told. This is so true for me and that’s why I think it’s so easy to believe my opinion is the truth. But we have to be careful, “Don’t speak with authority about issues the Bible doesn’t give you permission to do so” ~ Dr. Paul Little.
The more we learn the less we know we know
I really do experience this the more I read the Bible. It’s amazing how we can spend an entire week reading the same chapter and still be learn something new on the fifth day or sixth day! The Bible is the only book you’ll read where the Author is there with you and that’s because God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. It’s not about being more intellectual but being relational.
The self-righteous are never right
This point can really be annoying to hear if you like to be right all the time and of course most of us including myself love being right 🙁 We read that the ‘non eaters’ have a weak conscience so Paul says in their case its wrong for them to eat the meat. But the ‘eaters’ didn’t have a weak conscience so he says it’s ok for them. However it’s not right to legislate or impose from either side. Most importantly if you lack an intimate relationship with Christ you’re less likely to focus on God’s grace and more likely to be all about the do’s and don’ts. Which brings us to the last point….
Love must trump our freedom
It’s not about our opinion it’s about loving each other. We need to build each other up. For example the Giants didn’t win the Super Bowl last night by focusing on their losses from their incredibly long hard season. They focused on building each other as a team and had faith in one another to win. It always amazes me how sports teams can show more unity than some of our Church’s and families. This should be a reality check for us all when you think about it. Do the Giants show more faith in each other and edify one another than we do to our fellow Christians? Our kids? Or our spouses? This is really sad. This chapter is not about the ‘eaters’ offending the ‘non eaters’. It’s about causing a fellow believer to sin. We need to focus on building each other up in LOVE.
12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. (NIV)
Last weekend my husband and I went away to discuss what our new ‘State of the Union’ in our marriage would be for this year to come. Mine is to give him three positive compliments every day. It’s rather embarrassing considering 11 years ago I was his best cheerleader. But the point is we’re making an effort and I am thankful that we took the time to see these needs in our marriage.
I encourage us all to love and build each other up. Daily we’re fighting spiritual war fares in our Church’s and in our families. Now is not the time to be right or point fingers, we are in a war so lets get fighting TOGETHER!
In the clay,
Chantal Dube