Looking at it one way, you could say, “Anything goes. Because of God’s immense generosity and grace, we don’t have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster.” But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well. (I Corinthians 10:23-24 MSG) The argument in the church at Corinth was whether it was 'sinful' to eat the meat offered at the altars of pagan gods that was subsequently sold in the public marketplaces. The issue isn't whether the meat is 'tainted' as much as whether the action will cause one who is weaker in their faith to take issue with the practice. As much as we'd like to say there is nothing 'bad' with the meat and just eat it, the issue is much deeper - it goes to the 'heart'. The ones who had engaged in society at that time knew of the practice of idol worship and they had also listened to God's teachings indicating this practice to b...
So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can. (I Corinthians 10:14 MSG) Mom always used to have conversations with me about the friends I would make because she knew the 'danger' in making the wrong ones. Maybe the danger wouldn't be physical, but the emotional strain could be there - emotional distress I didn't need or want. Perhaps the danger would come in the form of being led into activities I really shouldn't pursue because they would be harmful to me. Yet there is no relationship as harmful as the one that interferes with the purity or sanctity of my relationship with Jesus. When anyone tries to reduce God to someone they can control, or discounts his power or authority, they aren't the ones we want to keep company with for very long! How do we reduce God to something we can control? One of the most common ways is through having 'religious practices' or ...