What Should We Do?

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

1 Cor 8:9-13

9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

NIV

So there is it, the burden of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the stronger believer. Now this brings up a point we never actually deal with much in the church, the difference between those who have a strong faith and those who are weak in their faith. Does it mean some have more faith then others? Or is it rather we all have the same amount of faith but that some simply exercise their faith more than others. Just as we all have the exact same number of muscles in our body, but some are a lot stronger than others because their exercise and grow their muscles. Why would someone not what to grow their faith? Why do we have weak brothers and sister in Christ? Is there no one to help them exercise? In some sense it does seem a bit selfish in their part to remain so weak that those of us who have the freedom in Christ must restrict that freedom on account of their weakness. But that is the case and thus we should do what we should do. Although this passage is about that food which was offered to idols, that same principle could apply to all sorts of activities. Yet we are seeing here we of stronger faith should be aware of those who just can’t seem to get past certain customs of the life before Christ. Does that mean we should only refrain from eating that food, or living in our freedom, while in their presence? Would that then be sort of living a lie? Does that mean the Body of Christ is only as strong as the weakest member? What if the one with a weak conscience does not think it is right for him to give money to Satan?  Are those who invest in secular companies to line their pockets with gold, causing the weak brother to stumble? What if the one with the weak conscience does not think it right to continue to go to the movies, or drink wine, or smoke, or for men to have long hair, or for woman to wear makeup, or whatever else they think is of the world? What are we to do then? Are those who subscribe to a set of antiquated denominational rules and regulations the strong ones or the weak ones? Are those rules and regulations actually outdated? For the most part many of them are based on the Word of God, yet some are not. What should those is us who feel that freedom in Christ do? What should we do?