“We know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
This chapter mirrors much of what Paul discussed in Romans 14. Both chapters deal with the need for believers to act from love for their brothers and sisters than to selfishly exercise their personal freedom. Paul will expound on this more fully in chapter 9.
But I’d like to look at another theme that underlies this chapter. It is this, each believer in Jesus Christ has his and her own relationship with God. Furthermore, God’s expectations for us differ from one believer to the next. For one believer, eating meat that has been sacrificed to an idol is a sin. For another, it is not a sin. The believer who does not eat such meat, refrains from doing so for the Lord’s sake. The believer who does eat such sacrifices, also does so for the Lord – for they acknowledge God as the only true God, as the giver of all good things, and partake with thanksgiving. Often one Christian may sense God’s disapproval when they participate in certain activities. Another Christian does not detect any such disapproval.
Sometimes these different expectations from God are rooted in what is profitable for us and what is detrimental. “All things are lawful,” Paul said, “but not all things are profitable” (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that certain things – which are good in themselves – can still harm us spiritually. For instance, having a functional eye and hand are blessings. Jesus said, if such good things cause us to stumble then it would be better to do without them (Matthew 5:28-30). Therefore, God may forbid one believer from doing something that he allows another to do. Each of us answers directly to God.
It’s also true that each of us is at a different stage of spiritual growth. Some are maturing, while others are spiritual babes. Another facet of this truth is that we learn different lessons at different stages in our growth. I confess that there are lessons that I’m only learning now, which other believers learned from spiritual infancy. For instance, I didn’t even begin to see God’s love for me until I was in my late forties – and now, in my sixties, I’m still just coming to grips with it. These factors will make our individual experiences dramatically different. God has a different “training plan” for each of us as much as He has a different path for each of us to follow. Our chief goal in life should be to know Him personally and intimately so that we will understand what His expectations are of us. Eternal life, Jesus said, is all about knowing God (John 17:3).
REFLECTION
- Are there things many Christians do that God will not permit you to do?
- Are there things which other Christians frown on, which you see no harm in?
- Let’s each know God personally and intimately, knowing we will answer to Him.
