1 Corinthians 10:14-33

Practicing our Freedom in Christ

Open your Bible to…

1Cor. 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

Pray

Intro

√ Practicing our freedom in Christ

In this last section of chapter 10 Paul wraps up his discussion on the question asked by the Corinthians way back at the beginning of chapter 8…

“Can Christians eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols?”

To which Paul’s response has been that it would be better to ask…

“Should Christians eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols?”

That is, while it is well within our “rights” as believers to eat whatever we want without fear of spiritual defilement…

…that the proper attitude of a mature Christian should be that we regulate our behavior out of concern for others who may be stumbled by our liberty.

√ Practical advise

So, he wraps up his comments by giving the Corinthians some practical advise on how to behave as a mature Christian with regard to the issue of meat offered to idols…

In the pagan Temples ~ vs. 14-22

In the market ~ vs. 25-26

In the home ~ vs. 27-30

Advise which the Corinthian’s needed and probably welcomed as they obviously weren’t sure how to balance their freedom in Christ with love for one another.

Ap. Wisdom

Paul’s commentary in our text this morning reminds us that the exercise of our Christian liberty requires wisdom!

Unlike the Law in which just about every aspect of life is dictated for us…

…under God’s grace we have freedom to chose what we eat, what we wear, the places and people we can associate with, etc.

But, as we’ve seen in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians just because we have the freedom to do all those things doesn’t mean we should.

That’s where godly wisdom is needed!

That wisdom comes from a solid knowledge of God’s word, experience, and the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Be open then to the wise counsel of your Christian brothers and sisters who have like Paul have been entrusted with keen insight on how to regulate your freedom in Christ for the sake of others.

Meat in the Temple (vs. 14-22)

1Cor. 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1Cor. 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.

1Cor. 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

1Cor. 10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

1Cor. 10:18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

1Cor. 10:19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?

1Cor. 10:20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

1Cor. 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

1Cor. 10:22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

√ Meat in the Temple

Note how Paul begins this final section…

“Therefore…” ~ vs. 14

That is, he’s calling them to act upon his instructions in the previous chapters by applying the practical application of Christian freedom with regard to eating meat offered to idols.

First off he deals with the issue of eating meat in pagan temples.

You may recall from chapter 8:10 that some of the believers at Corinth frequented the local temples that served food and enjoyed the cheap meals offered.

The problem was that some of the other Christians who didn’t have a solid understanding of Grace and the nature of idols were offended and stumbled by their behavior.

So, Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians is…

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” ~ vs. 14

That is, don’t hang out in the pagan temples any longer!

His reasoning (wisdom) is that though it isn’t sinful and the food had no power to defile a Christian (vs. 19)…

…for the sake of appearing to participate in the worship of false gods the Christian should avoid eating at pagan temples.

By way of example he points to the Communion table (altar) and the altar of God’s Temple in Jerusalem (vs. 16-18).

In both settings the participants who eat of the sacrifice or the symbols of sacrifice are symbolically entering into fellowship with God.

The Fellowship Offerings of the Law represent unity with the God of Israel.

The Bread and Cup of Communion represent unity with Christ.

In the same way the pagans who eat in their temples are doing so as symbol of unity with whatever false god/goddess is worshiped which Paul tells us are actually demons!

So, while the mature believer would not actually be worshipping a false god…

…his/her participation in the meals at the temple would be interpreted by both the pagans and the weak Christian as such.

Therefore, Paul exhorts the believers at Corinth to abstain from eating in pagan temples…

“…flee from idolatry!” ~ vs. 14

√ The jealousy of God

Paul’s last point with regard to eating meat in the pagan temples was that to do so against Paul’s advice could invite the discipline of God!

1Cor. 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

1Cor. 10:22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

In other words, to reject Paul’s godly counsel and insist on practicing one’s freedom without regard for the negative witness it produced…

…could provoke (tempt) the Lord to act to protect His people.

Remember, in chapter 8 one of the consequences of the eating meat in the local temples was that it emboldened those with a weak faith (baby Christians) to join the mature believers…

The problem was that those new believers still equated eating the meat offered to idols as worship of those idols.

They were mistakenly thinking they could worship Jesus and Zeus!

Well, Paul’s point here is that if believers continued to insist on their freedom in Christ and by so doing led weaker believers into sin…

…then God may bring a swift judgment upon them as He did to the people of the Exodus.

“(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God).”

Exo. 34:14

√ A jealous God

I heard Oprah Winfrey say that impetus of her leaving the Church and seeking a different “truth” came when she heard a pastor preach that…

“God is a jealous God”

She went on to explain that she couldn’t believe in a God who was so insecure that He was jealous.

How sad that she didn’t seek to know the truth and beauty of this truth!

Oprah’s mistake was that she interpreted God’s jealously through the lens of her own human perspective.

Human jealousy is hopelessly tainted by our own self-centered sin nature.

That is, when humans become jealous for another person’s affection it isn’t for the good of the other person…

…it’s for their own benefit.

Ex. My first girlfriend

When she became interested in another guy I was filled with jealousy!

I was angry because I wanted to be the object of her affection and attention.

I was hurt because her decision fed my insecurity and inferiority complex.

What I wasn’t concerned with was what was best for her!

The point is that my jealousy was rooted in my own ego and what I thought was best for me!

God’s jealousy isn’t anything like the human emotion!

When God is jealous for our affection, attention, devotion and time it isn’t because He’s insecure or egotistical…

…He is primarily interested in what is best for us!

God knows that there aren’t any other gods!

He knows what is best for us because He made us!

He knows what decisions will benefit us and which will destroy us.

So, when we chose to disobey His word and involve ourselves in sin and the worship of false gods His jealousy is aroused…

…because He doesn’t want us to get hurt!

Ap. God loves you

God’s jealousy for you is born of His perfect love for you!

He wants the best for you and isn’t going to let Satan or the World System steal your heart without a fight.

So don’t make the mistake that Oprah did by misunderstanding God’s jealousy.

Meat in the Mouth (vs. 23-24)

1Cor. 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

1Cor. 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

√ Meat in the mouth

In these two verses Paul anticipates the response of his friends at Corinth to his advice to abstain from eating in pagan temples.

Thus he provides the wisdom for restricting their freedom to eat in the local temples.

The Corinthians were forever justifying their disobedience and lack of love by saying things like…

“All things are lawful for me”

True, but Paul points out that not all things are…

Helpful

Edifying

Loving

Rather, he advises that they sift all of their choices through these two criteria…

Does my behavior feed my spirit or my flesh?

Does my behavior take into consideration the spiritual well being of those around me?

By employing these criteria in the choices we make each day a person can be certain that they are walking in the liberty we have in Christ…

…rather than in licentiousness under the banner of Grace.

Ex. The dogsled

Whichever dog you feed is the one that pulls hardest and directs your life…

If you feed the “Spirit” dog you’ll be pulled toward godliness and a better relationship with Jesus.

If you feed the “flesh” dog you’ll be pulled toward the world and sin and a deteriorating relationship with Jesus.

Some Christians like to pretend that they can feed their flesh without any detrimental effect to their spirit…

…but the reality is that while all things may be lawful not all things will build your faith.

Ap. Music, movies, and entertainment

May I encourage you to prayerfully apply Paul’s wisdom to your choice of entertainment?

Does my behavior feed my spirit or my flesh?

Does my behavior take into consideration the spiritual health of those around me?

Too often I hear Christians justify their poor choices and questionable conduct by echoing the Corinthians…

…”all things are lawful”.

But are they edifying?

Stop and listen to the lyrics…

Are they directing you to Christ? Are they building up your faith? Or are they tantalizing your flesh and stirring up ungodly desires?

Stop and consider what you’re eyes are seeing…

Is it feeding your spirit or your flesh?

Remember, whichever you feed is the direction your life will follow.

Meat in the Market (vs. 25-26)

1Cor. 10:25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake;

1Cor. 10:26 for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.”

√ Meat in the market

Regarding meat sold in the market place Paul suggests that the Christian just buy what looks good without asking about where it came from.

First so that if you have a weak faith you won’t have cause to be stumbled.

Second because regardless of whether or not it was offered to an idol the ultimate reality is that God made it all and it all belongs to Him so there’s nothing to be concerned about because the meat doesn’t belong to any idol.

Therefore, there’s no need to inquire as to the origin of the meat because to do so would be to stir up an opportunity for strife.

Ap. Starbucks

I had a brother chastise me for patronizing Starbucks.

Apparently he had read something on the internet (and you can always trust everything on the world wide web!) that suggested Starbucks was promoting a homosexual agenda.

The reason?

Starbucks had begun a campaign titled, “The way I see it” featuring quotes from artists, poets, scientists, etc., with their world view.

The idea was to promote conversation over coffee about important ideas.

One of the quotes was from author Armistead Maupin who is a homosexual activist.

So, it was suggested that Starbucks had developed a nefarious campaign to seduce the American public into supporting the homosexual agenda.

Here’s the rub…

Starbucks also included a quote by Jonathan Wells an advocate of Intelligent Design and a vocal opponent of abortion.

My take on it…

I welcome the opportunity to have conversations with people in the world about life.

We can start with the false wisdom of the world printed on a Starbucks cup and lead the conversation to Christ just as Paul did in Athens.

Furthermore they aren’t a Christian company so I don’t expect them to promote the Gospel.

So, I drink my coffee from Starbucks with a clear conscience always looking for an opportunity to share God’s worldview with those who will listen…

…but I don’t talk about Starbucks around my friend or invite him to enjoy an Espresso Truffle with me!

Meat in the Home (vs. 27-30)

1Cor. 10:27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

1Cor. 10:28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.”

1Cor. 10:29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?

1Cor. 10:30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

√ Meat in the home

A third scenario faced by believers in Corinth was what do if invited to the home of a non-believer?

Do you go?

If so, do you eat whatever they serve?

Paul’s advise…

If you want to go do so!

Don’t worry about where the meat was purchased, just receive with thanksgiving to the Lord.

However, if another Christian is there and they point out that the meat was offered to a pagan deity then Paul’s advise is to refuse the meat so as not to offend the other believer.

Ap. Hanging out with non-believers

Hopefully you’re life is so Christ-like that the people you work with want to hang out with you.

They may invite you to dinner, or a BBQ to watch the Razorbacks play.

Do you go, or not?

I know some Christians who wouldn’t even consider going because they fear that the unbelievers might do something unholy…

Like drink beer or curse when the opposing team scores.

If that’s your perspective you’re free to decline the invitation.

But I’d probably accept it because while I don’t drink and certainly don’t like hanging out with people who do…

…neither am I tempted to drink or cuss and I do want to build relationships with unbelievers so that I can earn an opportunity to share Jesus with them.

After all if you continually refuse the invitation of an unbeliever to share a meal, or watch a game…

…why would they be inclined to accept your invitation to visit your home Bible study or church?

Meat in One’s Life (vs. 31-33)

1Cor. 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1Cor. 10:32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,

1Cor. 10:33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

√ Meat in one’s life

Paul’s final argument against the expression of unrestrained liberty is that all our behavior should be guided by a motivation to glorify God!

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ~ vs. 31

And, so as not to offend anyone ~ unbeliever or Christian…

“Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God.” ~ vs. 32

That is, the person who truly wants to live a Christ-like life ought to regulate the expression of their freedom in Christ with love for others and the goal of bringing glory to God.

Always putting the needs of others first.

Always taking into consideration the impact that our behavior may have on the weaker brother and the unbeliever.

The reason? So that we might gain a platform to share our faith in Jesus, as Paul writes in vs. 33…

“just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

That was Paul’s guiding principle in life.

How could he reach the lost with the Good News of Jesus?

What should he do, or not do, so as to win an opportunity to share his faith.

If reaching the lost meant that he had to lay aside some freedom, or right that he had in Christ…

…then he willingly and joyfully restricted his own freedom so that he could give others the greatest gift of all ~ salvation through simple faith in Jesus.

Close

√ Practicing our Freedom in Christ

Growing up isn’t easy.

Because as we mature we come to realize that we aren’t an island to ourselves.

We’re part of a community and what we do and say impacts the people around us.

Paul’s exhortation in our text reminds us that we’re called to grow up in spiritual maturity and that we need to take into consideration how our behavior touches those around us.

You may need to re-evaluate the way you live out your faith and whether or not what you’ve been loudly proclaiming is a liberty…

…is really just a lame justification for dabbling in things that feed your flesh and stumble others.

Remember to apply Paul’s wisdom for our conduct…

Does my behavior feed my spirit or my flesh?

Does my behavior take into consideration the spiritual health of those around me?

It’s not what you can do, but what you should do.