First Corinthians 8 Part 3 Christian Liberty Must Yield To Loving One Another

An idol is nothing but a tendency toward idolatry lurks within us. 

1 Corinthians 8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Idolatry was a huge issue in the ancient cultures. Most ancient cities have excavated colossal statues of idols. 

Large quantities of small idols made of metal, stone, ivory and even wood, have also been discovered by archaeologists. 

What about idolatry in modern times? Is this an issue for Christians today? 

Yes, idolatry is still an issue that we face and will always face until the Lord calls us home. 

However, idolatry looks very different today because most do not have little statues in our homes that we fall down and worship. 

My definition of idolatry is simply anything or anyone that receives a higher priority in our heart than the priority we give God. 

The Websters 1828 dictionary defines idolatry as: "The worship of idols, images, or any thing made by hands, or which is not God."

'Idolatry is of two kinds. It is the worship of images, statues, or pictures that are made by men's hands." 

"Second, it is the worship of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and stars, or worship of demons, angels, men and animals."

Idolatry happens when we give excessive attachment or adoration to any object, hobby, vocational pursuit, academic achievement, or relationship.

Loving God with all of our being must be our motivation each day. 

Matthew 22:36-40  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38)  This is the first and great commandment. 39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

We must ask ourselves what is it that consumes most of our time, resources and energy? 

What is it that gets us up and sets our focus for the day?

Is it loving God and others as Christ commanded, or is it something else? (See John 13:34-35). If it is something else other than loving and serving God, then we must view it as idolatry.

Work, education, family, friendship, hobbies, and so on, are all good things God has for us but they are good only when they occupy their proper place in our lives. 

We must be on guard against idolatry in our heart, because we were made to worship, and fallen man will always worship something other than God.

A Christian still has the "old man" and our old man never wants to worship God. 

This is why we must ask the Lord to search our hearts and expose any idolatry so that we might confess and receive forgiveness.

Idolatry begins when we leave Jesus Christ, our first love.

Revelation 2:4-5  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5)  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

Idolatry is leaving our first love and loving something else other than God. Jesus rebuked the church at Ephesus for loving something else other than the Lord Jesus Christ. 

His command is clear. If we are guilty of idolatry we must confess, repent and forsake this sin. 

Idolatry is believing anything other than what God says in His Word.  

Jesus said "Follow me." Many make excuses instead of following Christ. 

Luke 9:57-62  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58)  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59)  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60)  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61)  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62)  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

Jesus' teaching is very clear and is extremely helpful for us in identifying potential idolatry in our lives. 

The invitation is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and three different men in differing situations gave various excuses why they could not follow Christ. 

The first man hasty in declaring he was ready to follow Jesus. When he learned of the cost of taking up his cross daily to follow Christ, he did not follow Christ.

The second man was procrastinating in his declaration of following Christ. He had other family matters that he deemed more important than being a disciple of Jesus.

The third man wanted to follow Christ but he wanted to set his affairs in order and say goodbye to family and friends. He had too much attachment to the world.

Jesus used a farming analogy to connect each of these men's failure to respond by following the Lord Jesus Christ.   

Plowing a field requires concentration on the furrows and is marred when one turns about. The idolatry in each case is seeking to serve God with distracted attention and a divided heart. 

The mention of “looking back” has a connection to “Lot’s wife” See (Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32). 

She looked back longingly at her home and lost her family and her life in the process.

Her idolatry was not an actual return to the world, but a reluctance to break with it. (See Matthew 8:21.)

Thus, part of idolatry is coming up with your "own truth" and rejecting God's truth. 

With this additional foundation for understanding the pervasiveness and tendency of idolatry, let us return to Paul's teaching about meats offered to idols.

If we eat meat offered to idols or not does not affect our standing with God. 

1 Corinthians 8:8  But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 

First, Paul states a truth. An idol is nothing in the world. 

Whether we eat any meat offered to an idol or whether we refrain from eating such meats, it has nothing to do with our standing before and with God.

We must not do anything that would make another Christian stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:9-11  But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 10)  For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11)  And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 

However, if we have a clear conscience regarding eating meat that was originally offered to an idol, we are not always free to do so. 

We are to consider other Christians who do not have the same convictions that the Lord has led us to. 

Bible based convictions come from giving ourselves to studying the scriptures and allowing the Spirit of God to work in our hearts. 

Remember, we are all born as babes in Christ and are at various points on the trajectory of spiritual growth. 

A "weaker" brother is one whose faith can be shaken and his conscience plagued with temptation by the words or actions of another Christian. 

In this case, he recalls the idolatry that he was once a part of and remembers immorality and depravity associated with it. 

His inner man would be torn and defiled by eating meat offered to an idol. He still suffers from temptation to venerate an idol.

Therefore, Paul makes it clear that we must not do anything to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble in their walk with the Lord.

The issue Paul faces is whether or not it is appropriate to eat food that was offered to idols. 

A weaker brother was one who had not yet overcome the temptation to worship idols.

Notice that the strong brother is one who has knowledge that an “idol is nothing” but a weak brother still has temptations that the idol might actually be something deserving of honor. 

The advice Paul gives in this situation is identical to the advice he gives in Romans 14. Namely, that while an idol is nothing, we should never do anything to cause another believer in Christ to stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:12-13  But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 13)  Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. 

Injuries done to Christians are injuries to Christ, especially to babes in Christ, to weak Christians. Our actions can result in guilt wounding their consciences and this wounds Christ.   

Our Great Shepherd takes special care of the lambs in His flock. He gathers them in his arm and carries them in his bosom, providing food, protection and shelter (See Isaiah 60:11). 

Stronger Christians should always be very careful to avoid causing weak ones to sin by something they do.  

Paul is emphatic in telling us that he will not eat meat offered to idols if it might cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble (See also Romans 14:13-23). 

Thus, Christian liberty must yield to loving one another.

Bob