1 Corinthians 8:7-8 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
Paul beseeches the strong Christians in the Corinthian church to be careful how they use their freedom IN CHRIST. Specifically, he wants them to beware how they use their freedom in eating food served to idols. Some Christians in Corinth were weaker in their knowledge of who God is and who Christ is. The Corinthians had come out of a heathen culture of worshipping idols, so some of them still gave credence to the existence of other gods. Because of this idea of the existence of multiple gods, some of the people had a difficult time understanding how Christians could eat food given to these lesser gods when they had committed themselves to Jesus, their Lord. When they saw Christians still eating food given to idols, the weaker brethrens' consciences were defiled. As we saw last week, Paul knew that the weaker brethren did not fully understand that there is one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (vs. 6) The stronger Christians understood that we live IN CHRIST at all times that He is our righteousness, our perfection. Eating of food given to idols does not defile us, for we live by the grace and mercy of God. The heart is what is important. Once Jesus called a crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” (Matthew 15:10-11) IN CHRIST we are cleansed and made holy. Nothing but Jesus makes us worthy to be accepted by God. We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Only Christ brings us close to God through his shed blood.
The Corinthians came out of centuries of serving idols. Their culture, their society, even their calendar was organized around serving these false gods. All they knew about life was serving idols made by man. They were slaves to these idols because that was all they had known for their entire lives. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. (Galatians 4:8-10) Paul implores the people from this culture of idol worship to separate themselves completely. Yet as they are learning to walk in Christ, he does not want the stronger Christians' actions to hurt the weaker believers' faith. Paul teaches that righteousness comes through Christ alone. He fears that because of their past idol worshipping practices, some will distill the Christian experience into a way of serving God rather than accepting their complete dependence on God's grace and mercy. He is concerned they will regress into manmade religion: serving God by how they dress, eat, act, think: serving God through ceremonies and rituals they believe will please God. Sadly, he knows there is a tendency for human beings to adopt or to adapt the practices that they previously followed into their Christian experience. When the Galatians turned back to weak and miserable principles, Paul expressed his concern for them as we noted above. He knew they could not mix the old with the new and remain faithful to Christ. He has this concern for the church in Corinth. Rather than remain in the freedom God has given them, they were making themselves slaves again to false religions. He wanted the weak and the strong to realize nothing but Christ brings us closer to God: no food, no way of living, no ceremonies, no rituals, no sacrifices, no philosophy, no idea: nothing can make us right with God other than the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
How foolish we have become when we set standards for ourselves to please God, when we think we are more reverent if we perform certain rituals or act in a certain way, when we think our service to God has to be clothed in the trappings of religion. We have lost our way when we believe God comes closer to us only at church, especially if we dress in certain clothes, sing in a certain way, perform certain holy acts. Do we not know that the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit is in us? As Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthian church: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7) To be honest, God is as close to us when we are shopping in a grocery store, when we are eating in a restaurant, when we are taking a shower in our bathrooms or when we are in our beds asleep as He is when we are praying at the altar at church. He is also with us at our worst moments of weakness and sin, for He promises, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) God is inside us when we commit to Jesus Christ as Lord: this is the salvation experience. He has made us new creatures out of his great love for us. His love causes him to be with us at all times. He desires us to worship him by communing with him continually, praising his holy name, and singing our songs of joy because of his love for us. He wants to hear our words of endearment to him. Breakfast companions, do not push him to some corner in your life. Do not make him meet you at some designated time or place, such as church on Sunday. Do not think that you are only close to him when you are on your knees at an altar. GOD IS CLOSE TO YOU AT ALL TIMES. Paul quoted the Old Testament when he told the Romans, The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart. (Romans 10:8) Open your ears, hear him, lift up your heads, for He is with you. You are not in a religion, you are IN CHRIST. HE IS ALIVE IN YOU. No eating, no drinking, no act of living will bring you closer to God than Christ IN YOU. He has made you acceptable to the living God. He is the God who cannot be put into temples made by hands, but He now resides in your temple because of the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!
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