A. I want you to answer the following questions in your mind. Just think of what you believe and keep it to yourself.
A Christian should not smoke or drink any alcohol.
A Christian should not dance as single person.
A Christian should not watch R-rated movies.
A Christian should not have tattoos.
A Christian man should not have long hair/piercing.
B. One thing that you will quickly find among Christians is that not everyone agrees on everything. For one, the matter may be black and white, and to another it may be gray. One may feel that a person should not go to a certain place, whereas another sees nothing wrong with it. One may feel that doing a certain thing is wrong while another sees nothing wrong in doing it. So what is right and wrong?
C. Imagine that you had invited someone over to your home. Let’s suppose there was a skunk outside and something scared it so that it gave off its scent. The smell begins to enter the home. You immediately reach up for your favorite air freshener and start to spray the room. Your guest begins coughing and can barely breathe. You recognize the person is having an allergic reaction and their airway is quickly closing, what would you do?
1. Keep spraying the house until the skunk sent is all gone.
2. Stop spraying the house with the freshener and help your friend by whatever means necessary to get them to the hospital.
3. Look at your friend and wonder why he or she does not have enough faith to overcome the air freshener.
4. Let your friend know you are sorry the air freshener offends them, but you have every right to spray your house to make it smell good. (Borrowed from Rick Gillespie-Mobley)
Just because we are free in Christ, doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want. I have the freedom and the right to go out on the street corner and burn the American flag. While doing so, I also have the right to shout obscenities and racial slurs to every one of other ethnic groups. But just because I have the right, doesn’t make it right.
E. How does a Christian live and act with the “gray” areas?
I. Are You Building Up In Love?
A. I am proud to be an American. I love our country; I support our armed forces; I honor our government leaders; and I believe we still live in the greatest country in the world. The July 4th celebrations mean much to me. I get emotional as I listen to patriotic music and stand in pride as our flag is flown. Our country has at its root the idea and principles of freedom. When we consider how a Christian acts, be careful that you don’t misinterpret freedom through your American eyes instead of through God’s teachings.
B. Examine what God’s Word teaches. In this chapter, Romans 14, and other passages we see freedom based in love. Look again at the opening verses (1 Cor. 8:1-3). Paul wanted to address a specific question, but before he did, he laid a principle foundation. Knowledge is not the greatest key to spirituality, love is. You might have the greatest knowledge of the Bible and quote the entire NT, but if you don’t have love you are nothing more than clanging gong.
C. So you are in a situation where you are not exactly sure what to do as a Christian. You have studied the Bible looking for direct teachings on the subject and examined the greater principles of the subject, but still there is not specific statement of yes/no. Ask yourself a series of questions. The first of which is: Does my participation in this activity show love and build up others?
II. Does It Bother Your Conscience?
A. As was read in our text, Paul does address the specific question of eating food sacrificed to idols. But he wants the Christians to see this question in a bigger context. Just because it offends my conscience I should simply not do it. Paul is not condemning “weak” minded Christians. “Weak” in this sense is simply a reference to a lack of liberty an individual has. It is okay to be bound because of what you believe, it is not okay to bind others to your beliefs.
B. God wants me to have a clear conscience. My conscience alone is not my guide. My conscience is not another word for Holy Spirit. My conscience can be wrong. But in spite of what I just said, God does not want me to act in such a way that goes against my conscience. Maybe the guilt is stopping you from something you know is wrong. Maybe it does not help you spiritually.
C. Paul’s teaching is that you need to be able to live within your own skin and your own convictions. If you are afraid that someone whether inside the fellowship or even outside were to find out, odds are it isn’t right for you to do.
III. Are You Hurting Others Spiritual Relationships?
A. The last question I would ask myself begins in 1 Cor. 8:9. Paul instructs the saints of Corinth to “be careful with this freedom of yours” (v 9). Paul stays in the same question about foods offered to idols. You would think that this question should have total unity within the body of Christ. Every Christian with the true knowledge taught by Paul should be able to agree that there is no sin involved.
B. But inside them, they might intellectually understand it, but emotionally, they cannot separate themselves from their past devotion to idols or their past teachings about idols. Instead of helping them to grow, your pushing only causes them consternation and eventually, they simply sin against their own conscience.
C. Paul says, when you sin against your brother in this way, you are sinning against Christ, because Jesus died for him (even in his own weakness and bondage) as much as he died for you (even in your great knowledge and liberty).
Conclusion:
A. Corinth had within the congregation the Liberists and the Legalists. The questions was not “who is right on this topic.” Paul removed that with the teaching of love, conscience and relationships. When the church family becomes more important to me than my own feelings in some gray area of life, I show my love for Christ.
B. The giant sequoias of California have very shallow root systems. Their roots extend just barely below the surface. It sounds impossible because we all know trees need deep roots to withstand drought and wind, but sequoias are most unique. They only grow in groves where their roots intertwine and their limbs interconnect with each other. When strong winds blow, they hold each other up. (Readers Digest, May 1989, pg. 48) This is the way the church is designed. Like sequoias, we grow tall when we stand together and support each other.
