Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
Jesus said that you do good to the least of your brethren, you are doing it unto Me (Matthew 25:40). Here, in our text, the believer may be going about his own life and may be oblivious that his words and actions can weaken the faith of a fellow believer. And the offence against such a one is as you have sinned against Christ. Christ will not be pleased when we so sin against the brethren.
A truly soul-searching question for the believer to realise that he has been bought by Christ, through His death, and he no longer live for himself but for a testimony to the people around him. He provides an influence through all that he does. And the fact that he goes to sit in the idol’s temple and eat food sacrificed to idols will not make him a better Christian. How edifying can that be? This is the question that the Apostle Paul is bringing to us.
The command to “take heed” is from the verb “to see”. In other words, “to see to it” or “”to perceive spiritually”. It speaks of the believer continually exercising care to not overstep his spiritual boundary that would cause a weaker believer to stumble in the faith.
Whether one chooses to eat or to abstain from meat does not make him more spiritual or gain any special favour with God. However, when one’s choice of eating or not eating affects the faith of another, it matters in the sight of God. Thank God for showing His people the need to watch their actions when these seemingly personal choices affect the faith of others.
William MacDonald said illustrated well, “For instance, as far as God is concerned, it is not wrong for a believer to eat pork. It would have been wrong for a Jew to do so in the OT, but a Christian is at perfect liberty to partake of such food. However, a Jew converted to Christianity might still have scruples about this. He might feel that it is wrong to eat a roast pork dinner. He is what the Bible calls a weak brother. It means that he is not living in the full enjoyment of his Christian liberty. Actually, as long as he thinks that it is wrong to eat pork, he would sin if he went ahead and did it. That is what is meant by the expression their conscience, being weak, is defiled.”
There is but one God. The mathematical representation of our God is not 1+1+1. For 1+1+1=3, rather its 1x1x1=1. One God manifesting Himself in three Persons – God the Father is God, God the Son is God and God the Holy Spirit is God.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Mind-boggling yet most blessed truth that we receive by faith.
Why does man pray to these idols? So that they may find help that is beyond themselves to advance their situation in life. Man make many gods to help them through life. The Egyptians have a god for each day of the year. Often, their faith in these gods provided them an avenue to satisfy their covetous nature. There are those who seek these gods for protection. One elderly said to me that her gods has help her to bring up her family all these years. How could she forsake them for Jesus Christ?
The root of idolatry is covetousness (Col. 3:5). Man’s inordinate desire for material prosperity. Fallen men will not seek God who is the true Supplier of their needs. They seek the concoction of a god that can satisfy their lust for gain. The Israelites in the wilderness built a golden calf because it symbolises prosperity. The calf tills the ground and that helps bring the harvest. The golden calf therefore is worshipped so that it may provide them with good harvest.
It is interesting that the Israelites made for themselves a golden calf to worship while Moses was away from them in the Mount communing with living and true God. The people saw the lightning and thundering and the awesome presence of their God. And yet, they made a god to themselves. How is that possible?
This is the subtlety of deception, delusion and unbelief. Believers in Corinth know that the idol is a false god, not real and there is One living and true God as Scripture declares:
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.
If anyone loves God, He as the omniscient God, knows it. We cannot read the motions of love in a man’s heart but not God. He knows man’s heart through and through. He grants the heart of man His love and his devotion toward Him is duly acknowledged by Him.