Causing One To Stumble

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

“Now concerning things offered to idols” with those words the Apostle Paul kicks off an entire chapter dedicated to mature believers sacrificing some of their freedom for the benefit of those who may not be as mature in their faith. In our day and age, we don’t necessarily deal with the issue of participating with feasts associated with idolatry….or do we. As I read this chapter (chapter 8) this morning, I tried to come up with similar scenarios in our world today. I came up with three, but of course there may be more.

 

The first is found in the bar scene and imbibing in alcohol. You may have been set free from all the problems associated with this environment, but that doesn’t mean your brother has. Your participation sends a green light signal to him, which may lead him to fall back into his old sinful habits. Carried to the extreme, he may even depart from the faith. Paul says in 1Co 8:10,11, “For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? To help you see how damaging this can be, just look around the next time you are in a bar and look for the most extreme behaviors brought on by alcohol abuse, and remember what this lifestyle is capable of. Don’t set your brother up for the extreme, sacrifice for his sake!

Still another area of concern is going to the movies. Movies send messages and most of the time the messages endorse ungodly behaviors, choose your movies wisely, lest your weaker brother has his new found values jeopardized. Remember Rhett Butler? “Frankly Scarlet it’s ok to swear.”

 

The third one I came up with is lodgery. Lodges look very good on the outside and they do many good things, but the deeper you get into them, the farther they can pull you from the worship of the One true God.

 

Again there may be more areas of concern, but the bottom line in all of these is discretion. Be discreet in all your activities, ask yourself if any of them (carried out to their extremes ) could damage your brothers walk with the Lord, and then be willing to give them up if necessary.

 

Paul was willing to give up a good steak, just for the sake of not damaging a brothers faith! He ended the chapter with these words: 1Co 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.