Working Toward Unity

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

WORK TOWARD UNITY

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

It is rather crazy to think that weak Christians control the whole church. The one who still is living under the law, thinking that food sacrificed to idols is wrong, has the power to keep those who have the knowledge that food has no meaning, but that what is in the heart is at the center of our being, from living by that knowledge. That is the weak faith believer makes the strong faith believer live under the law. Although it is right not to cause any believer to sin by what we do or say. However, we would think that should apply to all believers, both those that are weak in their faith and those that are strong in their faith. We wonder if by giving in to the conscience of the weak believers we are doing them any good. Should not those who have the freedom in Christ, understanding the truth about food sacrificed to idols bring those weak believers into a better understanding of the truth. Are we not supposed to build each other up, rather than allowing the weak believer to remain weak and, in fact, strengthen their weak conscience by forfeiting our freedom. Yet, that is precisely what Paul is saying ought to happen. None of us should cause a fellow believer to stumble. This is not just about eating food that is sacrificed to idols, but about our life in general. We should be careful in every aspect of life not to cause another believer to stumble. We should never wound the conscience of another believer. Although, on the other hand, we are also supposed to build each other up until we reach the unity in our faith, that is so that all of us understand the meaning of living with faith in Christ Jesus. This would mean the strong should bring the weak into becoming strong, and the weak should strengthen the strong, but we should all be of the same strength in our faith so there can be unity in our faith in Christ Jesus. Still, we cannot live in a manner that causes another to stumble. How this all fits together can be somewhat puzzling but should fit together if we are to be united in faith. Let us be the first to accept the other as they and work toward unity.