For The Sake of Another

“But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” (1Co 8:12-13 AV)

The details of the offense are eating meat once offered to idols.  One can imagine there would be both Jewish and Gentile people who are considering Christ that might wonder why the disciples of Christ are eating discounted meat sold at market that was once offered to a pagan god.  Some of us would not mind.  Meat is just meat.  Yet the association is what bothers the weak of conscience.  Paul does not allow judgment upon those who might consider it an issue.  Referring to them as weak of conscience is not a value judgment.  Paul does not imply that those who exercise this liberty with a clear conscience are somehow more mature or spiritual.  Rather, the measure of maturity is counted as the willingness to restrain one’s choices because another person’s conscience is bothered by it.  Note that the exercise of one’s liberty to the damage of another person’s conscience is a sin.  This sin is not only a sin against the brother with a weak conscience, but it is a sin against Christ!  Does that mean that Jesus Christ is an individual of weak conscience?  Heaven forbid!  It is the absence of Christlikeness manifested in selflessness that is sin.  If Jesus Christ sacrificed everything for our salvation, then surely the godly in Christ Jesus can sacrifice their liberty for the sake of another’s spiritual health.

Perhaps one of the most divisive topics in the body of Christ today is standards of separation.  Most of the arguments center on details rather than principles.  How long is long?  What exactly is permitted?  Is there a specific style that is absolutely forbidden?  What book, chapter, and verse tell me that I cannot do, use, or see that?  Exactly where does the Bible say that type cannot be used?  These arguments miss the bigger principle involved.  It seems as though separation falls into two camps, and neither is completely governed by principles.  There is the camp that does not concern itself with standards whatsoever.  Serious sin, yes.  But what I have noticed are those who never concern themselves with standards of separation will eventually tolerate more serious sin.  This is what happened at the church in Corinth.  Then, the other side is governed by rules.  There is a rule for everything.  These rules may be founded upon principles, but if there is a rule that can be found, altered, or applied, then it is to be followed.  The rule becomes an end in itself.  Those who grow up in such an environment seek biblical answers to the rules.  Sometimes there are direct scriptural passages that state what can and cannot be done.  Most do not.  Most do not.  Those that do not have a direct command are hard to defend.  The problem arises when answers are sought and those responsible for the rules cannot articulate why the rule exists.  What is seldom offered as a biblical reason for the standard is found above.

How we live matters because it matters to other people.  Christlikeness means we sacrifice our autonomy and self-determination for the sake of someone else.  Their spiritual well-being depends, in part, on the choices we make.  We make choices that affect others all the time.  All one has to do is ask someone who is lost of his expectations of those who claim Christ, and one would learn they have pretty high expectations.  Someone recently saved would expect those who have been saved to live a certain way.  They would expect an example be set that can be followed.  The example above is a cultural one.  Meat offered to idols is still meat.  But to the Jew, it was offered to a pagan god.  To the Gentile, it would be akin to lending credibility to a pagan god, or at the very least, not considering the pagan god one of great concern.  My thoughts went to standards of personal appearance.  We fix ourselves up the way we want to.  Seldom to we consider what effect it would have on others who look at us.  Where we might eat a meal could be an offence regardless of our lack of imbibing.  We may have innocuous music playing, but someone may think what we are listening to is less than innocent.  Opera may be beautiful, but the themes of opera often involve violence and immorality.  The list goes on and on.  The point is, if we do not consider the ramifications of our choices on the lives of others, we are being selfish.  We become the ones who are weak of conscience and not the ones whose liberty is restrained.