Personal Liberty Among Christians

Raul Ries: It's not really about eating. It's about love. Our liberty that we have in Jesus Christ and knowing who we are so that we don't make other people stumble in any way, whether drinking or eating, or whatever we're doing as Christians, we need to know our borders in the grace and love of God. To love our brothers and sisters and not to make them stumble.
Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. In our study of 1 Corinthians today, Raul will show us the importance of considering how our actions influence those around us. Our freedom in Christ doesn't give us the liberty to cause weaker Christians to stumble over what they see us doing. If you have your copy of God's Word, we invite you to join us in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Here's Raul Ries.
Raul Ries: The title of my message is Personal Liberty Among Christians, which is a very good subject to talk about. The liberties that you and I have as Christians are very important. It's really important for us to understand that Paul the Apostle is not down on anything with food or anything like that. But how many times have you and I walked into a restaurant or whatever and you see somebody from the church and they see you and they get all embarrassed because they're drinking a beer or drinking wine? It's funny when I see people like that because they think that I'm God, and I'm not God. They go, "Oh, Pastor Raul, how are you?" and they start hiding the stuff. You don't have to hide it. Drink it, enjoy it, and then pay the consequences. Bottom line. What does that cost? It costs people to stay out of the Kingdom of God. God will hold you responsible for your liberties. If you feel that you can drink wine, you can read it in Romans chapter 14 when you go home, you should do that in the presence of your own home, in the privacy of your home. If you do it in public and there are weak people that don't believe in that, you're going to make them stumble. God will hold you responsible for anything you do that some people cannot do because of their weakness. Pretty heavy stuff when you think about it. When you study the Bible, you have the balances, the Word of God. The Word of God doesn't put rules and regulations in people's lives. This is the way we should live, holiness unto the Lord. Because if we don't live holy to the Lord, then not only are we going to stumble people, but people will be kept out of the Kingdom of God, and it's very possible that you and I will be kept out of the Kingdom of God, too. Paul the Apostle in the book of Corinthians here wants to establish the freedom that the Corinthian church would have. Why? Because the Corinthian church was having many, many problems. They were a carnal church. Corinth was a place where anything went, any kind of a sin. Paul, when he was there, he instructed the church, then Paul leaves the church and he goes away, and he writes another second letter to let them know that what they're doing is bad because they're making people stumble in the Kingdom of God, and he rebukes them because of what they have done. It's really of importance for us as being Christians to understand our freedoms and to understand what we can do and what we cannot do. One of the things that is really important is your brother, those that are weak Christians and they see you in public doing what you're not supposed to be doing and you make them stumble. That's the problem that God will deal with you. Let's begin by looking at chapter 8, the eating of meat offered to idols. In verses 1 through 3, the knowledge and love contrasted here together. He says, "Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge, but knowledge," notice, "puffs up, but love builds up." You have people that have a great knowledge in their lives, and you know what that's like. If you've ever been to seminary or you've been to college, some of these professors think they're God's gift to the world because of the knowledge they have. They display their knowledge to make people more inferior or to actually get people to not really ask questions and challenge their faith in what they believe. It's incredible how they always put down Christians and make a mockery of them. Yet God has given us the power of love to love people and to care for people. Paul here is declaring in verse 1 that love is the greatest thing. That's the key to the Christian life. Anything that I do in drinking or whatever I do in my life, if I really love God and I love people, then I'm not going to do it because of the love of God in my life. I don't want to hurt anybody. I don't want to stumble them. Paul says that is the reason that I don't do it. I want to build up, I don't want to tear down people. Love builds up, love doesn't tear down. Yet think of all the people that are constantly tearing down with their lives in Christ Jesus and people question your Christianity. Are you really, truly a Christian? Do you really care for people? If you really care for people, then why are you doing it and why are you stumbling them if you really love them? Paul is so correct in what he's saying here because the great problem within the church here, the problem was developed on Christian liberty. What can I eat? What can I drink? What are my borders as a child of God? There were two camps. One camp of Christianity said there's no problem with eating meat to idols. The other camp said if I eat, because maybe they were demon-possessed in the temple, I can't eat it because I would be eating something offered to demons. They were weak in that area. The Christian that believed there was nothing wrong with the meat would come over to his house and he would have steak. He would ask if you bought this meat at the butcher shop which is next door to the temple, as the temples always sell that meat to you. If he said yes, the brother would say he cannot eat it because he believed that it is a stumbling block to eat it. It's really important that you know your liberties from other people's liberties so that you can be in that place to love them and to help them and not to stumble them in the things that God has given you the freedom to do. If not, don't do it. At the same time, know your freedom so that you don't stumble yourself, so that you're not kept out of the Kingdom of God. Paul here again is speaking. He says again in verse 1, "Now concerning things or meats offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge," we're not stupid, "knowledge puffs up." People become intellectuals and they're puffed up. "But love builds up." Love builds up. Verse 2: "And if anyone thinks that he knows anything," Paul's warning here about this dependence that simplifies knowing something. If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. That's a knowledge and an attitude that a lot of people have, the actual evidence of ignorance. To really think you know something when you really haven't studied it and yet you think you know it. Paul the Apostle had studied. Paul the Apostle was giving them insight into what they could do and what they could not do. Verse 3, look what he says. This is the test of love now. "But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." Love and knowledge must go together. Ephesians 4:5 says, "speaking the truth in love." When we speak to people, it has to be truth in love. If not, let us keep our lips closed and not say anything. If we really love people, then we're going to give them the truth about Jesus Christ and the things that God is intending to do in every one of our lives. Verse 4: "Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols," so now he's going to specify the problem. "We know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no other God but one God." He clarifies who is God and who is an idol. Paul the Apostle tells us later on that there is a problem in temples like that where actual idols become possessed by demonology. We know because we have the light that the darkness cannot touch me. There are people that say that if you become a Christian, you have to be careful of Satan because Satan can possess you. That's not true. When you become a Christian, Satan can never possess you again unless you give up your faith in Jesus Christ, you go back to witchcraft, whatever it is, then you're in deep trouble. The light is always turning off the darkness. Where does the darkness go when the light's turned on? Yet at the same time, think of how many people are stumbling because of the things that they have to go through. It's not really about eating. It's about love. Our liberty that we have in Jesus Christ and knowing who we are so that we don't make other people stumble in any way, whether drinking or eating, or whatever we're doing as Christians, we need to know our borders in the grace and love of God. To love our brothers and sisters and not to make them stumble. Then they lose respect for the church and the Gospel and respect for each one of us individually. Yet this is one of the problems in the church that is huge in so many churches. People stumbling other people when it comes to the grace of God. Paul goes on to say, "For even if there are so-called gods," whether in heaven or on the earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is one true God. One true Father, "of whom are all things, and we for Him; one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." Notice the importance of knowing God in our lives. "Yet for us there is one God, the Father of whom are all things." He created everything, it's for His glory, and we for Him. So we belong to Him. We were created for the good pleasure of God. He didn't create us so that He could abuse us. He created us because He loved us and He wanted to use our lives.
Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Visit somebodylovesyou.com for resources to help you walk in step with God. You can also join Raul for Straight Talk every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel. Now back to more of our study, Personal Liberty Among Christians.
Raul Ries: "And we for Him. It says, 'And one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we live.'" So Jesus Christ is creator of all things. He's the creator of heaven and earth. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three people, yet one deity, one God. Fully and completely. To me, it's just incredible how the Word of God is so real and the way it becomes not only God's abounding love in each one of our lives and the way God administrates in His Word to each one of us individually, what we're supposed to be doing as believers. Think of the freedom that God has given to each one of us individually. Because of love, we don't want to hurt or we don't want to put down a weak brother in the Lord and make them stumble. Watch verse 7. "However, there is not in everyone that knowledge." Not everybody has the knowledge that you may have. That weak Christian, "for some with consciousness of an idol until now, they eat as a thing offered to an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled." There are people that become guilty and they feel guilty when they see someone doing something that to them is liberty and freedom, but they themselves cannot do it. That's where we have to watch out as Christians. That's why it's important that when you go to a restaurant or you go anywhere, you need to be aware of your surroundings and who is there. At the same time, if you're going to do something like that, make sure that God has given you the freedom to do that. If not, you're going to be in big trouble and you're going to make a lot of people stumble. God will hold you responsible for that. Verse 8: "But food does not commend us to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse." Paul here is pointing out that in this practice, it may be a lot to some, but it doesn't actually benefit anyone else. You have to have discernment. Discernment when you're meeting with people. I've gone with Jewish people, they don't eat pork. Whatever it may be that they don't have to eat, I will be with them and then I will be just like them. I don't want to make them stumble. Think of how many times there are people that don't even think about that person that is struggling and having a problem not only with drinking or eating, but just things in his personal life where you and I can help him through the love of Jesus Christ by just being available and doing what God says in our lives completely and fully. Look at verse 8 again. "But food does not commend us to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse." Verse 9: "But beware lest somehow this liberty that you have of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak." This is really what Paul believes in his heart after being taught the Word of God. At the same time, these are the ones, Christians that are weak and they don't feel they have the liberty like other Christians to do what they do. That's why Paul in Romans 14 says if you have that kind of a problem and you don't want to make anybody stumble, do it in the privacy of your own life so you don't make people stumble. If God doesn't want you to do that, He will deal with you personally and you'll know without anybody talking to you. Paul says here you really need to be careful with your own liberty so you don't make people stumble, a stumbling block in your life. Look again at verse 9. He says, "But beware lest somehow this liberty that you feel in your life becomes a stumbling block to those people who are weak in the faith." Isn't that interesting? Weak in the things that they cannot do but they see you do it and you stumble them. Verse 10: "For if anyone sees you who has knowledge eating in an idol temple, will not the conscience of that person who is weak be involved to eat those things offered to idols?" You're going to make people stumble and compromise, Paul says, in what you're doing. We really need to be very, very careful. People are watching our lives. They're watching what we do. They hear what we say. We need to know our surroundings. Wherever we are in a store, you need to be careful where you are because people can come to a church that you go to, or they go to school where you go to school, or they're from your job. Being on the job and making people stumble by the things that you do, taking longer lunches, getting there late and timing in early, and then departing early and not checking out at the right time and taking stuff from the office for yourself at home, that is stealing. If you're not on time to go to work and you time in that you were on time, that's lying. You need to really be aware of your surroundings and you need to know who you are in Jesus Christ. Look at verse 10 again. He says, "For if anyone sees you who has knowledge eating in an idol temple," a pagan temple, "will not the conscience of him who is not strong but weak, be involved to eat those things offered into idols?" Verse 11: "And because of your knowledge, shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died?" No possible way. Because of love, we don't want to make our brother or sister stumble. Because of the love of Jesus Christ in my life, I don't want to see people go to hell, I want to see them in heaven. I will go out of my way to do whatever I have to do to win people to the Lord so they can come into the Kingdom of God. That's something that all of us need to learn every single day of our lives. Because as he says here, should you exercise your liberty against your brother who is weak? No. You'll drive him away from Christ. He'll stumble. He will leave because he's not as strong as you are in the Lord.
Guest (Male): We hope today's lesson has served as a helpful reminder that there are times when you may feel the freedom to engage in an activity, but out of consideration for others, you should choose to refrain. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If today's message has helped you understand the influence you have on others, we recommend you get the unedited version of Raul's teaching. Call us at 800-634-9165 and ask for your copy of Personal Liberty Among Christians, and just include a gift of $5 or more to offset expenses.
Raul Ries: But when you thus sin against your brother and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. You're sinning against Jesus Christ. Paul puts it right in the door. He says it's not only your brother that you're going to hurt, you're going to sin against Jesus Christ. That's the bottom line. You're stumbling your brother and at the same time you are coming against Jesus Christ. Your sin is against the Lord Jesus Christ, not just against your brother. Notice verse 13. Therefore, because of this, here now Paul gives the answer to the problem. "If food makes my brother to stumble," if it's food, "then I will never again eat meat." There are vegetarians and there are meat eaters. If I am going to go out to dinner and I'm going to stumble my brother who's a vegetarian, no way I will eat meat, I will eat vegetables. No problem with that. If I'm a vegetarian and God's put on my heart and I'm with a guy that likes to eat meat, then what I'll do is I'll eat meat not to make him stumble. But that's because of love. Because we care for the person, we don't want to make them stumble in any way that is possible. We want to make sure that whatever we do is under the basis that love edifies, it builds up. It does not tear down a person. I have to be concerned with my weaker brother than being concerned for myself because I'm walking in love, walking in the love of Jesus Christ. I think of how many people today, because of people that have really made other people stumble, they've left the church. Or maybe they're living in your neighborhood, or they go to work with you, or they go to school with you. How many people with all of us have driven people away because of something we said or something we did when those brothers and sisters were just weaklings and new Christians and we made them stumble? We need to really be discerning. We need to be not only discerning, but we need to be caring and loving toward every one of our brothers and sisters. Because everything that we do here is building up and not tearing down. Therefore, if food makes my brother to stumble, I will not eat again meat, lest I make my brother to stumble. To make them walk away from Jesus Christ, we don't want to do that. Whatever you're doing today in your lives, make sure that everything you do is for the love of Jesus Christ and don't compromise. Do not compromise with your friends, with your family, or anybody that wants to know the truth of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Make sure that when you give the Gospel to them, you yourself are living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Guest (Male): As you consider the many ways your life can be a positive testimony of God's love, we'd like to tell you about an 11-part series from Raul. The complete study, Unity, Holiness and Love, is available on either CD or USB. From handling conflicts with grace to maximizing your spiritual gifts, you'll learn how to honor the Lord as a wise and compassionate ambassador. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's 11-message study, Unity, Holiness and Love. We'll send you the CD set for $23 or the thumb drive for just $14. That's 800-634-9165. Or you can write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. This ministry with Raul Ries is entirely listener-supported. Your gifts are crucial as we continue sharing the good news of the Lord Jesus. Tune in next time as we return to 1 Corinthians for a practical lesson about balancing ministry and finances with godly integrity. You'll see that you can trust in His provision as you carry out His call on your life. This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.