Living according to Christ

1 Corinthians 10:27-30 (NLT)
27 If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. 28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?

The apostle speaks to Christians about dining with non-Christians in their homes. There were times meat offered in sacrifice would be eaten as a part of the meal. The apostle encourages those who eat in the home of these infidels not to raise questions about the food and to eat it in freedom. The exception would be if the food was presented in a way that says “eat of this sacrificial food and honor our gods with us.” In Christ there is freedom to eat the food for which we give praise, but we must also take care not to give honor to anyone but the true God in what we do. So while we give peaceful consideration to others, we must also be alert to stand strong on our convictions with unwavering posture.

It seems Christians are still stuck on religious rules almost 2000 years after the death of Christ. I remember my grandmother saying dancing and movies were forbidden when she was a teen. There are some who even try to impose self made rules upon others. Yet we have to remember it is our relationship with Christ that guides our lives. If we are reading God’s word, praying, and really taking the time to listen to the Lord; the Holy Spirit speaks to us confirming or condemning our actions. Most of us might say it is our conscience speaking, but it is God showing us the right path and that path has no shame associated with it. We must also take caution if we are not maintaining a relationship with Christ then we are subject to sin and follow in that sin; for apart from Christ we can do nothing on our own. So when you act according to what God would have you do. Remember not to carry ideas conceived by men, instead listen to Christ. An action itself it not sinful unless we know it is what God would not have us to do or we fail to do what He is telling us to do. Back to my grandmother, dancing is not sinful, but it can be made sinful by inappropriate behavior. Movies are not sinful, but they can be when they defile God. So remember to live according to God and not according to the religious rules of man.