A Final Word on Christian Liberty
The Church of Corinth; Struggling to be in the world but not of the world • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:42
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1. Liberty in Christ is good as long as it is helpful
1. Liberty in Christ is good as long as it is helpful
Paul is concluding his comments on Christian liberty and we will spend our time today looking at the final verses of chapter 10. As we had looked before Paul is dealing with two issues in the Corinthian church in regards to Christian liberty. Christians in Corinth are claiming that their Christian liberty allows them freedom without restraint, but Paul wants them to understand that their Christian freedom in Christ comes with a filter. It is not unrestrained freedom, but instead a freedom that must have limits.
The first issue that Paul dealt with in these verses that we've looked at from chapter 8 through 10 was the issue of the Corinthians being being free to eat, meat offered to idols. He will return to this issue in our versus today to bring to a close his argument.
The second issue that Paul dealt with was the freedom that the Corinthians believed to have in regards to eating meat, offered to idols during pagan social events that occurred at the pagan temples. This was off-limits in Paul's mind, because eating such meat was not a problem, but when that dinner occurred in conjunction with pagan religious festivals, then he acknowledged that the Christian we're returning to their prior paganism while attending these festival meals.
We looked at how the Christian is called to be set apart from the world, and therefore to enter in again to the shadow of our prior sinful lives while waving the flag of Christian freedom is simply wrong in the eyes of God. Believers sitting at the table during pagan feast were engaging in idol worship and were dishonoring the Lord who saved them.
Paul returns to the issue of eating meat offered to idols. This is meat that was once offered for the worship of pagan gods, but then that meat was taken to the Market and sold to the consumer. Paul states that this meat, which was simply just meat, the Christian understood it not to possess any spiritual connection to pagan gods and were safe to eat. Paul reiterates this point to Corinth with some helpful principles for the believer.
23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
Remember that Paul is quoting the Corinthians who said all things are lawful. This is their commentary that Paul is addressing, and Paul adds his commentary afterwards. Therefore they believed, or at least some of them believed that in Christ, their liberty afforded them total freedom, Paul limits that freedom by stating that it's only helpful liberty when it's helpful to the believer. Paul wants them to understand and that their freedom in Christ does require some measure of discernment.
How does a Christian know what is helpful for them?
He uses the term that is translated helpful, advantageous, or beneficial. This refers both to the individual and the church. First we must consider that our Christian freedom allows us freedom as long as the word of God does not forbid us or some principle forbids us to do something. Therefore the first determination of how we ought of live is the all sufficient, inerrant, never changing word of God.
Then there are gray areas, as they are called, where the word of God does not speak. The Christian must use discernment and principles to work through to determine if something is glorifying to God or not.
The first question is “is this helpful for beneficial for me.” This would include both our physical and spiritual well-being. The physical determination is pretty obvious as we consider how certain things are helpful or harmful to our physical being. For example, the Bible doesn't dictate how many hours we should sleep in in the evening, but we can determine that a lack of seven or eight hours of sleep consistently leads us in a harmful tired and delirious position. This, of course, is backed by scientific data as well as personal observation.
So you have freedom to sleep less but when you factor in the harmful effects on your body, you must consider that as God’s design for mankind to require sleep, there is a helpful amount needed and you should seek to stick to it. Violating that amount of sleep is not sinful but should be avoided because we must be careful to seek that which is beneficial for us.
Similarly, God’s has given mankind that which is called the conscience. The conscience is a moral thermometer built within humans to consider that which is good and bad for us. The conscience is informed by two things, the law of God written in our hearts and the written law of God that is our moral guidance in this world. The conscience is a gift from God to serve mankind for its good.
Puritan Samuel Annesley states that the conscience is...
"a kind of silent reasoning of the mind, whose definitive sentence is received by some affection of the heart, whereby those things which are judged to be good and right are approved of with delight, but those things which are evil and naught are disapproved with grief and sorrow. God hath placed this in all men, partly to be a judgment and testimony of that integrity to which man was at first created, and of that corruption that followed sin; partly that God may have a tribunal erected in the breasts of men to accuse delinquents, and to excuse those that do what is good and right."
James Nichols, Puritan Sermons, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers, 1981), 4.
All humans have the conscience given by God and informed by the law of God on their hearts. They all know by their conscience that murder is wrong and so without reading that in the bible, murdering another human in cold blood is moral detestable to those of right mind. When they read “do not murder” the words of Scripture simply align with what God had already written as a moral code within them.
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Paul states in Romans that all men, because they are made in God’s image are given a conscience, informed by the unwritten law of God, a moral regulator to show all mankind what is honoring to the Lord. Adam and Eve and all humans that follow have such a gift from God to help them. This is Paul’s testimony of the Gentiles, who although were not given the law of God, they were alarmed in their own minds and hearts by certain actions and thoughts, not because they read, do not commit adultery, but because the law was written on their hearts. A moral alarm system called the conscience sounded internally and they stood to make a choice. They could hit the snooze button and progress forward, or they stop. Either way, the Spirit states that even the consceince serves as a judge for man so when they stand before the Lord, he will judge based on ignored consciences of all men.
As believers in Christ, the conscience is supercharged because it is informed by the written word of God and works in conjunction with the Spirit of God within all believers. Paul will mention the conscience in our passage in 1 Corinthians 4 different times because it demands our study in regards to Christian liberty. Conscience is vitally important to the Christian life because it becomes the main agent in our discernment of life choices. Our conscience then aids us in expressing our liberty in Christ faithfully by helping us discern what is good and right in the eyes of God. When Scripture does not explicitly speak to a certain issue, which is often called the gray area, we use our conscience, aided by the word and the Spirit to make wise decisions.
For the Scripture reading, I asked Romans 14 be read because it is a parallel passage to our study of Christian liberty. In that chapter of the bible, Paul makes a profound statement about the operation and importance of the conscience.
14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
He's talking about food and the Christian liberty. He makes the claim that in our freedom in Christ no food is that a bounce for us to eat. He uses the Jewish term unclean to refer back to the dietary restrictions that the Jews had, but in the new covenant those laws have been done away with. Therefore no food is considered unclean to a New Testament Christian.
But notice what he says about the conscience of the weak Christian. Verse 14 is about those weak Christians, who are still learning about their newfound faith in Christ, and therefore, they may still consider certain foods restricted because they have yet to learn about their liberty there. Noticed the power of the conscience in the life of the believer, even the weak believer, who, if he believes some food to be unclean or restricted for a Christian, he should submit to his conscience. If he violates, his conscience is guilty of sin.
Why is this so? Why does our conscience have such power in our lives?
The conscience is given such an emphasis, even in its weakness because its sensitivity matters. The more the conscience is ignored, the less effective is becomes. Paul tells timothy
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
The conscience can be seared. That is a stunning visual aid because something that is seared has lost its sensitivity. I burnt my fingers on the quick burning wick of a firework this past week. the day after it happened, I had no feeling in those areas of my finger. It was deadened! If we ignore the conscience, it becomes a dull and soon dead noise of discernment to us. Therefore, listening to a weak and uninformed conscience is better than learning to ignore its alarms.
So in our constant spiritual maturity, if you believe something to be sin, then you should check that with Scripture and be informed. If it is not covered by the word, or you are not convinced otherwise, then refrain from whatever it is you are considering. Do not ignore your conscience if alarms are going off that something is wrong.
Now let’s look at the second principle:
2. Liberty in Christ is good as long as it edifies others
2. Liberty in Christ is good as long as it edifies others
23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
Not only should your conscience get your attention, but you also must consider others as well. The world around you also has a conscience that is guiding them, most importantly in the church. This is Paul’s main concern over these chapters because the “all is lawful for me” statement is grossly negligent of the concern for others and their convictions.
10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
Paul says this phrase a little weird but basically he is concerned with the consciences of the weak being offended by the mature believer. If a weak brother sees a mature brother eating at a pagan temple, then the weak brother will be tempted to violate that which he considers a sin, offending the very warning system God gave him. We may decry that we are not making them ignore that issue of conscience. But if we are expressing liberty without love, then we are being inconsiderate of their struggles and weakness.
Paul’s point then is envelope your Christian liberty with a love for others and their consciences. I can think of one particular scenario in my life that fits.
I have a good friend who hates alcohol and abstains from it. His dad was an alcoholic and he died of complications from kidney disease. Alcohol is a difficult topic for him. Drinking alcohol is not a issue that the Bible calls sinful so how should I love my brother who is so against it. I shouldn’t flaunt my Christian liberty in his presence by drinking alcohol but instead abstain. It is an act of love!
13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
Paul gives some helpful examples of edifying love over liberty in v 24-29.
Paul then gives a few scenarios to consider regarding conscience:
a private shopping experience
25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.
The verse here represents the freedom that the Corinthian has in going to the marketplace and shopping for food. Because there is freedom in Christ, and because the Lord has provided all that is necessary in the Earth for us to consume, then, the Christian, who is shopping for food, has no need to even ask the seller where does this meat come from.
He quotes a direct truth from scripture in psalms 24, which reminds the Christian that the Lord has provided food as sovereign over the Earth and therefore, we are to enjoy the goodness of those gifts without hesitation. This verse informed the conscience, and therefore the conscience should not be alarmed when shopping.
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
a social dinner with friends
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
Paul now mentions a scenario where an unbeliever might invite a Christian to a meal at their home. The Christians should go to such a meal with the aspect of glorifying God and eating whatever is placed before them without question of its origin or previous function. Again applying the passages to Psalm 24, that food is a gift from God and therefore should be used and enjoyed. But noticed that Paul throws another caveat in the in the situation.
He states in verse 28 in his scenario that the unbeliever might reveal to the Christian that the meat was once offered to idols. This is another example of the conscience of unbelievers, because we are all made in the image of God being alerted to right and wrong. For the unbeliever, to mention that this meat was offered to idols shows that they are aware of a possible offense in the Christian life.
Therefore, Paul again stresses that the Christian refrain from exercising his liberty for the sake of the conscience of another person. If the Christian continues on eating that meat, he has not exercised his liberty with proper explanation, but instead brought confusion to an unbeliever about the practices of Christians.
For Paul states that he is not bound in conscience to refrain from eating the meat because he knows that meat is clean and acceptable to eat before the Lord. The conscience of an unbeliever does not dictate what our conscience believes about a subject. But love leads us to consider that which offends another person, and operate from that love of neighbor.
3. Liberty in Christ is good as long as it glorifies the Lord
3. Liberty in Christ is good as long as it glorifies the Lord
The final principle then is one of the most well-known verses on holy living. It is the chief principle of all principles that we must live by and Paul does well to summarize the chapters with it.
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The Corinthians were not operating in such a way that they were glorifying God in regards to meat offered to idols. They were attending pagan religious feasts and causing some to stumble in their faith. They were not guilty of what Paul warned the Romans about in chapter 14
19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.
They were not seeking peace with others nor were they concerned about giving offense to God, they just wanted to exercise the freedom in Jesus. But Paul rebukes and corrects so that the church may see that liberty with out love is actually bondage to idolatry. We have created a pseudo freedom in Christ if we ignore the love of Christ that was displayed for sinners like you and me.
Instead, we are to live in this world in such a way that all are actions are focused on bringing God glory.
We bring God glory by enjoying the blessings of redemption through Jesus Christ, His son. We are no longer slaves but freed men. We are free to live in this world, not without restraint, but with a restraint from sin that reflects the work of Christ and His Spirit in our lives
We also bring God glory by loving our neighbors. This means that we are always considering how we might serve and consider others in their weakness. This goes for unbelievers and for immature Christians. This means that we are constantly living to dispense grace and mercy towards those in this world, even when they offend, or even when their spiritual maturity leads us to refrain from liberties that Christ has afforded to us. It glorifies God when we bridle our liberties for the sake of others in order to let the love of God be displayed to the world.
Finally we bring God glory when we do these things for the sake of a gospel mission. We understand that our purpose in the world as his redeemed people to win the world to Christ. We want them to see and savor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our sacrifices are necessary and good sacrifices when we give them up in order to as Paul states
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.
Paul said a very similar thing in chapter 9:19 and 23
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
Church, we are called to live in this world in such a way that we are living holy lives before a watchful Lord and a watching world. We do so to glorify his name and to be an example of others of how the Lord has changed us. While our holy lives do not lead people to Christ, they offer a good illustration of what a transformed life truly looks like.
The world needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and in doing so we bring God glory.
The world needs to see the love of God in us as we live in this world and in doing so we bring God glory!