Grace To Partake
1 Corinthians 10:27-- If any of them that believe not bid
you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat,
asking no question for conscience sake.
I haven’t been writing this week because I’ve been
studying. I recently purchased Rick
Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Church.”
I’m amazed how many churches in America follow formulas or doctrines
without knowing the underlying purpose of their ministry. Have you asked yourself, “Why am I here? Why am I pastoring? Why am I on the earth?” I ask those questions frequently and even
though I do not have a ‘church’ yet, I realize those questions need to be
answered for myself before I can expect others to follow my vision. A church is more than some people who meet
once or twice a week so they can get their dose of faith and then break for
life. A church must be the place where
they come FOR life and get their marching orders to reach out to others the
rest of the week.
It is vital that every church has clear cut direction and
purpose that can be clearly spoken to and understood by a congregation. When you know where you are going and why it
makes it much easier to combat Satan’s attempts to push you off course. Little things don’t sway you when you know
your purpose and life’s direction. I
know a pastor who was called to teach men and women of God to make a strong
impact upon their community. I know a
pastor who is called to be a father figure to his congregation in a community
that has few strong father figures. Both
callings are scriptural yet both callings are different. Both churches are soul winners but they meet
different needs in the lives of their congregants. Each is doing exactly what God has required
of them.
Back to this scripture.
Today’s lesson is, “Grace to partake.” Do you have it? I know of people who can’t eat if they have
not seen the utensils boiled and sanitized and the food cooked to exacting
specifications. In today’s lesson, Paul
is teaching a departure from the usual Jewish attitudes. His lesson is all about, “Eat what is set
before you without giving it excessive thought.” I know saints today that would hesitate to
eat if you said you blessed the food in the name of Baal or Buddha. I might not eat because of their weak
spiritual walk if someone said that, but it would not be because I am concerned
that Baal is anything or Buddha or Allah.
My only concern would be if the person serving believed it made a
difference.
Paul said, “Sit down to eat and … eat. Don’t give it a lot of thought. Accept it with thanksgiving to God and leave
it alone.” On the one hand, it’s the
polite thing to do. Eating a meal with
someone offers you the opportunity to speak and minister to them on a
particularly close level. On the other
hand, you don’t have to be so concerned with spiritual baggage that the other
might hold allowing them the opportunity to be open about their doubts and
fears with you.
1 Corinthians 10:28 But if any man say unto you, This is
offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for
conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof: 29
Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty
judged of another man's conscience?
An idol is nothing.
Astrology is nothing. Other gods,
false prophets and faiths are nothing.
As John chapter one says, Jesus is the living Son of God who came to
deliver you from your sins. No other
so-called gods or idols in all of history have come to make you acceptable to
the eternal God. That chicken leg you
were offered is protein, nothing more.
How can a cooked leg of lamb be anything more? The coming of Christ has changed everything.
Having said that, our response to someone who claims the
food on our plate was offered to Ra or some other made up god is to politely
decline the proffered meal. Why? Because the other person may believe and
stumble or your own conscience may not be secure enough in the knowledge of God
to partake with a clear conscience. If a
man believes in a holy turnip or in the god of blue skies and tells you he has
offered this food to those gods prior to feeding you it’s time to lay down your
fork and again…politely…decline.
Paul frequently reminds us that we have liberty in
Christ. This is not liberty to sin as
some declare, but liberty to live and appreciate the life God has given
us. If something is a sin before Christ
(and I am not speaking of the many food restrictions or keeping of special
holidays), it is still a sin. Those
things that Christ released us from no longer hold us in bondage. Jews were not allowed to eat with gentiles
but in Christ, that is no longer true.
Some are not able to enjoy this freedom.
In their presence we should abstain so they do not stumble. When we are alone we may do what we please
because we are free.
The works of the flesh which Paul lists in Galatians 5:19-21
are still very much in the SIN category and are to be avoided at all
costs. Christ did not free us so we
could sin. We should understand them
well in our chosen language, today’s slang and whatever other words it requires
so we avoid them in everything we do.
1 Corinthians 10:30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why
am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks. 31 Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
This verse is quite valuable for us today. We have a great deal of freedom through
grace. There are some who believe it is
a sin for women to wear pants. Others
say birth control is a sin while on the flip side some say that having too many
children is a sin. In all these things
we have the grace of God and yet we try to make doctrine based upon what we
feel comfortable with. I know churches
in some countries that do not allow their wives to speak a word even though God
has given tremendous prophetic gifts to them.
In most of these cases it is a cultural restriction rather than a
scriptural one.
Paul says in verse thirty that we should give God thanks for
whatever blessings He has granted us. I
am not allowed to judge your grace and you are not allowed to judge mine. If His Word is not clear on a matter then it
is open to grace.
Forgiving Grace
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles,
that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God.
Paul never forgot the damage he did to the Body of Christ
while acting on behalf of the chief priests.
I’m sure there were feelings of anger at being tricked by both Satan AND
the leadership of Israel and embarrassment for allowing himself to be so
tricked. Ultimately the only answer was
to forgive himself and the others. Even
those he put in prison were required to forgive him. This is the life we lead. Forgiveness is key if we are to receive that
same grace from God.
Many during his time must have agreed with his
statement. Certainly the other disciples
agreed with him (Galatians 1:20-24) but then acknowledged the change in his
life. From the beginning his ‘flock’
came from outside Israel because the Christian Jews in Israel fled from him and
didn’t trust him.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I
am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored
more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with
me.
Can you give yourself God’s grace? Can you say that by the grace of God you are
what you are? How often have I seen
those who have lived terrible lives simply give up when Christ comes into their
life? They believe He has forgiven them
but can’t believe He will now use them in ministry. Scripture says that he who has been forgiven
much loves much. That may be true, but
it is also true that he who has been forgiven much has a hard time forgiving
themselves. I have heard them say, “You
don’t know what I have done. Jesus can’t
forgive me.” My answer is always the
same, “Do you want to be forgiven?” If
the answer is yes then Christ is willing.
How do I know this? Because if
God is not willing to forgive the Holy Spirit will not call you. If He does not call you then you will not
seek God’s forgiveness. You are cut off.
God can use the meek and quiet men and women but the truly
effective and driven preachers are those who God has forgiven of terrible lives
and sins. They know they don’t deserve
the forgiveness they have received and desperately want to share that grace
with others. Those preachers are unable
to keep the good news to themselves. It
is just too wonderful to hide. They
shout it from the rooftops and rafters to all who will hear.
Rejoice for all your forgiven sins beloved. They are often the engine that drives you to
share God’s grace. If He can forgive me…He
can forgive ANYONE!
Bishop J
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