1 Corinthians 10:23-33

1 Corinthians 10:23-33

All things are permitted, but not all things are to my advantage.  All things are permitted, but not all things build up.  Let no one seek his own thing – rather the thing of the other.  Eat all that is being sold in the meat market while questioning nothing for the sake of conscience.  For the earth and the fullness of it are of the Lord.  If someone of an unbelieving position invites you all and you all desire to go, eat all that is set before you while questioning nothing for the sake of conscience.  But if someone says to you all, “This is offered to idols,” do not eat for the sake of the one who informed you and for conscience.  And when I say, “conscience,” I do not mean your own but the one of the other person.  For why is my freedom being judged by the conscience of another?  If I have anything with thankfulness, why am I being blasphemed regarding that which I give thanks?  Therefore whether you all eat or you all drink, do everything into the glory of God.  Become blameless even to Jews and Gentiles and to the church of God – just as I please all people by all things while not seeking my own advantage but rather the advantage of many in order that they should be saved.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought

Again Paul tells us that all things are permitted, but not all things are to our advantage.  This should sound familiar.  Paul gave us this advice already in 1 Corinthians 6:12.  This is an important message.  Paul is not telling us that we have permission to sin.  Rather, Paul says that we have the right to do anything that does not violate our conscience.  We have the right to do anything that does not go against the Holy Spirit.  We have the right to do anything that doesn’t break God’s Law.  However, some things that fall into the category of “things I have the right to do” also cause other people to stumble.  The example Paul uses here is eating meat sacrificed to idols.  A more modern example might be wearing jeans and a t-shirt to church – another thing with which I don’t personally have an issue.  Another example might be long hair on men or short hair on women.  None of these behaviors are sinful.  Yet they might cause other people to stumble.  So I can do them all that I want.  But if I am in the presence of someone for whom this would cause them to stumble, then I shouldn’t do the behavior.  I choose not to do the behavior not as a confession of guilt but rather as a demonstration of my respect for their relationship with God.

How many things are you offended by that actually aren’t sinful?  Why is this an important distinction to understand?  What should you do when you realize that you are offended by behavior that is not actually sinful?

Second Thought:

Do everything for the glory of God.  It’s simple advice – and it’s good advice.  Want to know one of the easiest ways to stay out of sin?  Contemplate on how your actions lift up God’s name in praise.  If you only do that which brings praise to Him, your behavior will be greatly improved!  Naturally, we do not always get this right, which is why we have forgiveness.  But just because we are able to know forgiveness doesn’t mean that we still don’t try and reach for this bar!

What percentage of your actions bring glory to Him?  Why do you want to bring glory to Him in the first place?  Are you trying to earn God’s love or reflect the fact that you already have it?

Third Thought:

Paul ends this passage with a high bar of challenge – although certainly also a bit of exaggeration.  Paul’s point is simple and true.  When we go through life, we should not go through life seeking our own advantage.  We should not go through life looking for ways that we can step up and over other people.  We should not be looking for ways that we can elevate ourselves – especially by pushing other people down!  Rather, we should be looking for ways to elevate others.  This is what it means to have a servant heart in the spirit of Christ.  Jesus came not so that He could rule and dominate over us.  He came to serve us so that through His service we might be saved.  That is how we should live.  How can I – or you – serve others and thus help bring them into a relationship with God so that they might be saved?  Of course, we realize that none of us can be perfect in this regard.

Is this your focus in life?  How often are you going through life looking for your own advantage and thus by the very nature of that choice taking away advantage that could have been given to other people?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 11:1-3