All for the Glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

성경전서 개역개정판 10장

그런즉 너희가 먹든지 마시든지 무엇을 하든지 다 하나님의 영광을 위하여 하라

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BODY

a. We must live to edify others (1 Corinthians 10:31)

i. One of the most important lessons in life to me has been to understand this statement better. All throughout the teaching of Christ, Jesus has taught to live a life that is a powerful testimony of the work of God in our lives. I thought this would be the best message for Chang Sook and to be a source of encouragement to her.

ii. Why am I preaching this text? Because 1 Corinthians is helpful in every aspect of the Christian life. 1 Corinthians 8-10 deals with the issue of Christian freedom. Although we have freedom in Christ, one of the most important verses to help us properly understand what this means is 1 Corinthians 10:23.

1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”

성경전서 개역개정판 10장

모든 것이 가하나 모든 것이 유익한 것은 아니요 모든 것이 가하나 모든 것이 덕을 세우는 것은 아니니

iii. The Apostle Paul writes that all things are lawful but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. What the Apostle Paul there is writing is that all things on some degree is lawful. But just because those things are right, it doesn’t mean that those things are profitable. It doesn’t mean that they are beneficial to us. Paul further says that they might be right, but they don’t all edify others.

iv. You see Paul is telling us that all things might be right because people have varying understanding of everything. What we might think is right or correct, others might think is wrong. So this situation probably caused the Corinthians to be confused about what they should do. But what’s interesting is, it’s not just a problem that Paul faced. It’s a question that we also have to deal with. How do we know what is right and wrong?

v. Therefore, Paul tells us in verse 24, well if you think it’s right and the other person thinks its wrong, then don’t seek what is right for yourself, but seek what is right for your neighbor.

vi. In context, Paul writes in verse 25-30 regarding meat sacrificed to idols. So Paul says if someone gives you meat to eat sacrificed to idols, and doesn’t tell you its meat sacrificed to idols, eat it without asking questions about the meat. But if someone tells you that it’s meat sacrificed to idols, don’t eat it for the other person who told you.

vii. So in verse 29, it’s interesting because it sounds like Paul is having a conversation with someone he’s teaching and they ask, Paul why should I not eat not for my conscience but for the other person’s?

viii. This goes back to 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. In verse 19 of Chapter 9, Paul tells us the reason why we should seek to edify others before we edify ourselves.

1 Corinthians 9:19 “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

성경전서 개역개정판 9장

내가 모든 사람에게서 자유로우나 스스로 모든 사람에게 종이 된 것은 더 많은 사람을 얻고자 함이라

ix. Paul writes, that although I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all so that I may win more. Win more here refers to the salvation of more men. You see Paul’s motivation to seek to edify others is not because he is trying to teach us of his false humility. He is trying to edify others because he is more worried about their salvation than his freedom. The lesson that we learn from Paul here is to recognize that all our freedom, every blessing that God has given us in Christ, is not for our freedom, but an opportunity to use this freedom to win souls for Christ.

b. We must live to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

i. Paul thus finalizes this section by helping us see that no matter what you eat or drink, don’t just eat and drink for your edification or even the other person, but rather do it for the glory of God. He is currently addressing the question of conduct in nonessential matters, which began with the overarching principle that a believer does not seek one’s own good but that of one’s neighbor (v 23–24). But that must not be construed as eliminating personal freedom. Using the concrete example of marketplace food, he insists on freedom in these matters, which have nothing to do with Christian conscience.

ii. This is not saying that we must accept every little thing. Again, Paul’s argument here is that if this is not sinful in our conscience, then do all for the glory of God. Do whatever we can so that we can win souls for Christ.

iii. What we might think is sinful in our own eyes, what Paul is saying here is that instead of thinking about what’s wrong or right in our eyes, rather, seek to edify the person. Again, this is not dealing with sin. This is dealing with Christian freedom. It’s the difference if someone asks you to wear a red t shirt or a blue t shirt. You might hate red and say you don’t want to wear it and might complain, but for the edification of others, wear the red t shirt for the glory of God.

iv. I know that’s a light example, but there are a lot of freedom we have in Christ. This does not give us the license to sin but it does give us the ability to make choices that are good for us. If they are good for others but we don’t agree, let’s pray for them and encourage them rather than judge and confront them. That’s what it means to live for the glory of God.

3. CONCLUSION