Stay Vigilant for Potential Spiritual Obstacles!
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Introduction
Introduction
Over the past few weeks, one of the things God has impressed upon me as I am studying His Word is this. You cannot separate loving others from loving God. Repeatedly, I have thought about these verses.
36 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.
Christ established by His answer that all of Scripture hangs these two things. We are to love God and love others.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
When a believer acts and speaks with hatred towards another believer, this verse plainly says they walk “in darkness.” In other words, they have no understanding of Scripture. However, the believer, who loves other believers and seeks to show that love, is a believer who abides in the light. Light exposes what is in the darkness. Light gives understanding. Living a life of love towards God and others is living a life of light.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Note that God is love. Everyone that says they love God must also love others. Again, the Holy Spirit ties loving God together with loving others.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
There is no escaping this fact. A true believer loves God with all his heart, soul, and mind. They are also those who love others even as they love themselves. He who loves God is he who loves his brother also.
In our text this morning, we find the Holy Spirit zoning in on this principle of loving others, especially those of the household of faith. Look back for a moment at verse 1.
1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Now drop down to verse 3.
3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
Verse 1 says that charity (love) edifies. The word “edify” means to build up. It has the idea of enlarging or developing in stages. Thus, love seeks to broaden others or, as we might say, develop others. True Biblical love always seeks the welfare of others before ourselves. Verse 3 goes on to tie the love of others to the love of God once again. If a person loves God, they will love others seeking to help them grow spiritually.
As you recall, the issue before us in this chapter is things offered unto idols. An issue expanded in verse 4.
4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Here it is expanded to “the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols.”
Now, as we have already noted, the Holy Spirit laid some groundwork for us before addressing the issue.
In verses 1-3, He pointed out our stumbling block. Each of us struggles with an ego driven by what we know or think. Thus, knowledge “puffeth up.” We are to counter this stumbling block by our obedience to Scripture and loving others even as Christ has loved us.
Last week, we learned from verses 4 through 6 that the imagined gods of this world are nonentities. There is only one God, Jehovah God. There is only one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we come to verse 7 and our text for today. Read with me verses 7-12.
1 Corinthians 8:7–12 (KJV 1900)
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.
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.
9 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?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
Verse 4 opens with some helpful insight. Yes, we possess knowledge according to 1 Corinthians 8:1 “1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge...” We know that the imagined gods of this world are not real. But, for some spiritually weaker brothers, there is not that knowledge - 1 Corinthians 8:7 “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.”
For that reason, we find the warning in verse 9 which says:
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Scripture is clear that there are different levels of spiritual maturity. It speaks of those who are “babes” in Christ. We learned that fact when we were in 1 Corinthians 3.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
It is these babes who are still spiritually weak. They have not progressed spiritually enough for them to feast on the “meat” of God’s Word. So the warning is for those who are more mature. The spiritually mature brother is to watch out for the welfare of the spiritually weak. We are to love them. We not to take the spiritual knowledge we have and lord over them. No, we are to help them grow. In doing so, we must be careful that we do not place before them spiritual obstacles that will cause them to stumble. That is the heart of the message in chapter 8. We must be VIGILANT looking for potential spiritual barriers. We should never cause a fellow believer to stumble. Instead, we are to build them up to exemplify a true believer’s life.
To be vigilant for potential spiritual obstacles, we must do the following according to God’s Word.
Recognize Spiritual Weakness
Recognize Spiritual Weakness
Verse 7 reminds us that some are spiritually weaker than others.
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.
Let’s put this in context. Last week, I mentioned that the city of Corinth was deeply involved in idol worship. Now, imagine for a moment about someone who has lived their entire life in this city. From the moment they were born unto the moment they came to accept Christ as their Savior, they have eaten the meat sacrificed to false idols. For them, it is just meat. They have eaten it every day for a lifetime. No one thought much about it. It was a normal day-to-day living. Now, they are saved. They have accepted Christ as their Savior. They are new “babes” in Christ. And, without thought, they continue purchasing and eating the same meat as always. They are so new in their Christian faith that they continue to eat the meat, still maintaining in their minds that these idols are real. Mentally, he has not separated the two. It is so ingrained from all the years of living that lifestyle that he cannot shake himself free from this conviction. Thus, his conscience binds him mentally.
However, according to our text, the weaker brother also has a moral problem. He believes in his heart the meat is tied to real idols, but he eats the meat anyway. In doing so, the Holy Spirit says the weaker brother’s conscience is “defiled.” In other words, he is injuring his conscience. He does so not because of the meat. He does so because he conscientiously does what he thinks is wrong, even though, in actual fact, it many not really be wrong at all. The meat has nothing to do with morality.
I think you can see the dilemma here.
Thus, the Holy Spirit makes it very clear that the gods of this world are nothing. Look again at verse 4.
4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
Weak believers need God’s Word. They need to understand how the chains of bondage from the old life are broken and have no hold on them any longer. That is why the Holy Spirit encourages new babes to do the following.
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
You cannot effectively grow as a believer if you do not spend time in God’s Word. It just will not happen. Just as a baby needs milk to grow physically, we need daily doses of God’s Word to grow spiritually. God’s Word exposes our weaknesses, helping us become strong in our faith. In this instance, the weakness which continued to bind this believer was his failure to see idols as nothing. In this letter to those believers, the Holy Spirit directed them to Himself as God. Learning that idols were nothing and that there is one God helped liberate the lingering bondage in the believer’s mind.
All of us must recognize we are spiritually weak. This morning, no believer is fully mature in Christ. The fact is we will always be learning more and more even throughout eternity. However, especially now, we are weak as we continue our life here on earth. We need the knowledge found only in God’s Word. We also need the pushing and prodding of the Holy Spirit within us, spurring us on in our spiritual growth. And, as we do mature, we need to see around us those who need our help as we seek to edify them as well. We are all on this journey together. That is what makes a local church such an extraordinary institution. We are brothers and sisters in Christ united together by the Holy Spirit, our love for the Lord, and our love for each other.
Not only must we recognize spiritual weakness, but we also must daily:
Reevaluate What is Spiritual
Reevaluate What is Spiritual
Look at verse 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.
There at times when we allow things of this world to bind us, and there are times when we allow them to blind us. For instance, this issue of meat blinded these believers. The Holy Spirit opens his eyes to two essential facts.
Fact number one is this.
God is real.
God is real.
Remember verse 6.
6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Fact number two is this.
He is real, but God is also NOT small-minded.
He is real, but God is also NOT small-minded.
What we eat or drink is not the basis for God accepting us. Jesus Christ, His Son, is God’s basis for acceptance. God desires that we accept Christ as our personal Savior. God is looking for people who want to be holy, even as He is holy. The basis of that holiness is all that Christ did upon the cross. It has nothing to do with what we eat or drink. Unfortunately, in our text, it would seem that the stronger believer believed his faith was stronger because he could eat anything. For that reason, the Holy Spirit notes, “if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.”
Thus, every day we need to reevaluate what is spiritual. Eating and drinking are often a matter of physical survival. Some of us are good at it. However, if I decide to eat today or fast, it makes no difference in how God views me. Fasting may be beneficial in seeking God’s face for answers to a particular issue in my life. However, beyond that, it is not spiritual. However, how I live my life each day before God and others is entirely within the spiritual realm. It is spiritual to worship the Lord. It is spiritual to love Him. It is spiritual to love others.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
That is what matters each day.
Here is one last point from our text.
Realize the Window of Opportunity
Realize the Window of Opportunity
Look again at our text and verses 9 through 12.
9 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?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
What liberty is the Holy Spirit speaking of in this verse? He speaks about the liberty to eat or not eat meat to idols. Amazingly, God gave us the ability to make our own choices. Even as believers, we are allowed to obey or not obey God’s commands. In that sense, we have the liberty to choose. However, with that liberty comes responsibility.
I opened this message today emphasizing that loving God and loving others are tied together. For this reason, as a believer, I have a responsibility to use the liberty God has entrusted to me to love and help others around me. Consequently, I must be looking for windows of opportunity. Or, if we wanted to take the negative approach, I must watch out for things in my life that might cause another stumble. I must not be a stumbling block.
The word “stumblingblock” suggests placing an obstacle in a person’s path, causing them to stumble. In a spiritual sense, it is carelessly setting an example before another brother or sister that harms them. It is setting an example that might lead them to sin.
Yes, we have complete liberty to eat or drink anything we want. But, according to these verses, we must not do anything (eating or drinking or any other action) that would cause another believer to stumble.
Note the illustration provided by the Holy Spirit.
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;
There were believers in the church of Corinth who saw nothing wrong with eating sacrificed meat and going to the heathen temples to eat it. Suppose that you are a member of the church at Corinth for a moment. One of your pagan family members invites you to eat a meal with him at his heathen temple. You agree. You go to the temple meeting your family member. Both of you sit down to eat, and the family member begins saying a prayer of thanksgiving to his false god. A newly saved believer in your church walks by as you are there. He sees you in the temple. He notices your family member praying to the false god. What do you think is a possible thought as he sees you there? Now, remember this is a new “babe” in Christ who is still learning obedience to Christ. I imagine that a new babe in Christ would think that it is okay for me if it is okay for that believer. In that instance, the stronger believer has placed a stumbling block before this young believer. The younger, weaker believers are now “emboldened” to eat those things offered to idols. The word “emboldened” means to build a house. In other words, the weaker believers begin building a house of belief based on the actions of the stronger believer. These actions may have a disastrous consequence upon the weaker believer.
Look at verse 11.
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
Note the responsibility placed upon the stronger believer. “Through thy knowledge” a weaker brother perishes. Yes, you may see the meat offered to idols as nothing. And, technically, you are right. Yes, you may see eating the meat in the temple as nothing. Again, technically, you are right. However, if you genuinely love others, you would not want to lead them into spiritual disaster.
Eating meat offered to an idol is not an issue we often face here in America. It is an issue in other countries like India, Nepal, and others. However, there are many other problems that we deal with here.
Here is an example. Let’s say that we have a new believer in our midst who recently accepted Christ as their Savior coming from a life of alcoholism. Now, he is free from that bondage. However, he still struggles with its influence in his life. This man and his wife begin to make friends with others in our church. They receive an invitation from a couple in our church who have been members for a long time. Many in our church view the couple who gave the invitation as mature Christians. The new believer and his wife accept the invitation. As they are visiting with this mature Christian couple, they offer this new believer and his wife a glass of wine. Now understand this. This mature Christian couple is admired and respected by others. This new believer and his wife accept the wine without question. They have concluded that it must be all right. However, the new believer’s conscience begins to rise in his heart, warning him that this is wrong. Unfortunately, it is too late. The bondage of alcohol raises its ugly head once again in his life. The taste for other forms of alcohol develops once again. He wants more. And, before long, this new believer is back to his old habits. What has happened? This mature Christian couple (who isn’t as mature as many thought) caused this weaker brother to perish. They destroyed his spiritual growth. Many today in so-called Christian circles think it is okay to drink wine or other alcoholic beverages. They claim liberty in Christ. However, we know that Scripture is quite clear about the dangers of strong drink. Yet, they defy God’s Word saying they know better. In doing so, they destroy many new believers. They are stumbling blocks that are sinning before the Lord.
Note verse 12, which says.
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
Any believer who sets a stumbling block before other believers and “wounds their weak conscience” is in sin. This matter of causing another believer to stumble is a serious matter. It is so severe that God identifies it as sin. Note that the Holy Spirit says, “ye sin against Christ.” Why Christ? Christ died for the weak believer just as He did for the strong believer. Something must not ever forget. Thus, we must help the weaker brother. We are to love others even as we love ourselves. We must see each interaction with others as a window of opportunity. They are opportunities to edify others and demonstrate God’s love. We must not let these opportunities pass by as we please ourselves. When we do, we often place spiritual obstacles in the path of others. Those barriers then cause others to stumble. Furthermore, one day, we, as God’s stewards, will stand before Him. On that day, we will give account to Him for how we used our windows of opportunity.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let me close by saying this. There are people all around us. They surround us on every side. You have family members, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances that interact with each day. Every day and throughout each day, you have windows of opportunity. You have moments of influence in their lives. Your words and actions speak volumes to them. Here is the question before us right now! Are you helping them come to know Christ and grow spiritually? Are you using those moments to be a positive influence for Christ? Or, do they see a person whose offensive speech and unbiblical actions cause them to stumble? We need to take a serious look at how we live before others. Instead of focusing on what we want, we must focus on loving God and loving others. Each interaction with others should end with this question. Were the words and deeds I just used with so and so helping them to love God, or did I cause them to stumble? If more of us as fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters would make this focal point of our relationships, we could do much more for the Lord. Let’s leave here this morning with vigilance as we look out for potential obstacles placed in the path of others. Let’s go out with a determination to love others and help them grow spiritually. See each person and relationship as a window of opportunity to help them spiritually. Don’t be a stumbling block to others.