What’s A Church To Do?
Studies in First Corinthians
27^th in the Series

Over the years, the church has used as a training device something called a catechism. A catechism is simply a list of questions and answers designed to teach people the essentials of the Christian faith. Some catechisms run to a great length. Others are smaller, and are often used to teach children.

The very first question in the Shorter Catechism is this: "What is the chief end of man?" I love the answer: "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever!" In other words, God has put us on this earth for a purpose. It is a purpose bigger than ourselves. We are here to live for God’s glory. And we are also here to enjoy God, starting today and continuing throughout eternity.

Take a moment to contrast that with the philosophy of the world. According to the thinking of this world, the chief end of man is to glorify himself, and to enjoy the good life forever–– or as long as he can. The contrast is enormous. One puts God at the center of all things. The other puts us at the center. Which philosophy you choose to live by will literally determine everything in your life. It will set your priorities. It will determine your values. And in the end, it will determine your eternal destiny.

As Christians, we know we are put here for God. There is no higher calling than to live for God’s glory. But just how do we accomplish this? Because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we have now been set free from both the penalty and power of sin. In fact, we no longer live by a set of rules and regulations. We now live by following the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. That sounds good. But, like so many things, it is easier said than done.

The focus of our text considers the problems that can arise in practice as we seek to walk in the freedom of Christ. In this particular passage, the apostle Paul deals with the question of Christian liberty. It is the question of how we are to live practically so that our lives glorify God and at the same time build up one another. And it is really a very contemporary question.

As I have already said, in Christ we have been set free from living by the law, that is, from living by a set of rules and regulations. Christ has opened up for us a new and living way, the Bible teaches. He has himself become the fulfillment of the law. Now we walk by faith trusting in what he accomplished for us through his death on the Cross. We are free. Isn’t that how he starts this section? He says, "Everything is permissible." Is he serious? Absolutely, I believe he is. But just how far does that freedom go? This is a question we still grapple with today, even in the non-Christian society in which we live. It is an important ethical question that students still debate. So let’s look at four important questions our text poses. Question number one...

Some in our society today would argue that my freedom to swing my fist ends where your nose begins. In other words, this is the philosophy that we are free to do whatever we choose as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. You hear this everywhere. It is the popular philosophy of our culture. It sounds plausible. Of course, the real challenge comes in accurately knowing how a particular action affects everything else. For some actions, that might be easy. But the world is a very complex place in which people do not live in isolation and where a seemingly insignificant decision on my part may have a totally unconsidered impact on your part. Like a stone thrown into the center of a pond, a ripple effect may be produced with unintended results.

And so, we return to our question. Just what can I do? As a Christian, since I no longer live by rules, can I do anything? Just what does Paul mean when he says that everything is permissible?

Well, certain things should be obvious. For instance, it should be obvious that Paul was not referring to sinful things. He was not suggesting that all of the moral laws of the universe were somehow nullified. In fact, many scholars suggest that this was a phrase that he had used in preaching at Corinth to underscore the extent of our freedom in Christ. Unfortunately, some had taken it to the extreme and interpreted it to mean they could do as they pleased. And so Paul is forced to further qualify his statement by saying, "but not everything is beneficial–– not everything is constructive."

Paul was referring to the gray areas not expressly forbidden in the Bible. For instance, some may have felt that it was wrong to wear makeup. There are some today who feel that way. Some churches teach that women ought not to wear makeup or jewelry. Some churches teach that it is wrong for women to wear pants or for people to dance or go to the movies. There is something within us that feels more comfortable with a list of rules and regulations.

Let me ask you, can some of those things be sinful? Yes. It is possible to take an otherwise innocent behavior to the extreme and turn it into a sin. For instance, eating a good nutritious meal is absolutely essential. But gluttony is a sin. It is taking food and turning it into an obsession. So we must look at the impact of what we do on ourselves, and especially as it relates to others. This is why Paul qualifies what he is saying by applying certain standards by which we can judge the extent of our liberty. This brings us to question number two...

The real question is: "Does my behavior help me or others?" We must test our behavior by whether it is beneficial or constructive. Paul tells us that not all things are beneficial. He means that not all things are helpful. They don’t really help us and they can sometimes hinder others. He goes on to say that not all things are constructive. Another translation uses the word profitable here. The literal meaning is to edify or build up.

So we have been given two questions to ask concerning our behavior. The first is this. Is it right? Is it permissible? To put it negatively; is it not forbidden? That might sound like more than one question, but it is not. Here we settle whether it is right or wrong on its surface. But there is a second question. Is it helpful, profitable, and up-building? If it passes the first test, it must also pass the second test as well. It is not enough simply to say something is not wrong. As Christians, we are called to consider others–– how our actions impact others. You see, we do not subscribe to the philosophy that we are the center of the universe. It’s not all about me and my rights. I get so tired of hearing about people demanding their rights. It seems as if the whole world is focused on who is to blame for their plight in life.

This is not to depreciate the concept that there are God-given rights. The founding fathers of this country believed there were. Every person deserves or has a right to be treated with dignity. But somehow we have turned it into an excuse to blame others for our particular plight. There is a better way. There is a higher way. It is the way of Jesus. It is the way of love, a love so great that it gives itself away in self-sacrifice for the sake of others. Listen to what Paul says in verse 24: Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. That’s pretty powerful stuff. It’s especially powerful when you think of who those others were in the case of Jesus. They were the ones putting him to death. They were the ones who considered him to be their enemy.

The whole question of how free we are free to be gets a little muddy when you try to sort it out practically. This brings us to question number three...

Paul gives us a real life illustration here. The situation was that there were some new believers in Corinth who had a problem eating meat that had been sacrificed in the pagan temple to the idols. They sincerely wanted to serve God. They wanted to acknowledge God as the one true and only God. But they had come out of a pagan culture that acknowledged many gods. And much of the meat that was sold in the market came from the animals offered in sacrifice to those pagan gods. So, some of them had reservations about eating it.

What is Paul’s advice? As a mature Christian, he knew that these pagan gods were not gods at all. Therefore, there was nothing wrong with the meat that was sold in the market. He advises them to simply not raise unnecessary questions. But he warns them to be sensitive to those who do have reservations and that point out those reservations to you. We should never be the cause of someone else stumbling. Rather than stand on our right to be right, we should consider their legitimate qualms. Even if they are legalistic, we should never be. He is simply saying that we should not give ourselves unnecessary problems. Why [should] I [be] denounced because of something I thank God for? Why give others an opportunity to judge you or condemn you because they have not come to the place of spiritual maturity themselves?

Remember what we studied and 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 concerning the limitations of love–– specifically 8:8-13:

The lesson is that genuine reservations by Christians should be considered in their company. Look at verse 32: Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God. The law of love guides us in our behavior. And finally we come to question number four...

We are back at the answer to the first question of the catechism. Our lives should bring glory to God! That is the purpose for our lives. And to underscore the point, Paul makes clear that this is our purpose even in the routine things of life–– whether you eat or drink or whatever you do!

There is nothing more regular and mundane than eating and drinking. We do it every day. The point is that whatever we do is to be done to God’s glory. Is it possible to cook a meal to the glory of God? Is it possible to drive to work to the glory of God? I know from personal experience that it is possible to drive to work and not bring glory to God.

Disobedience always dishonors God. Obedience honors God. Jesus said that men would see our good works and glorify God. Let me ask you an important question. How does your lifestyle, your everyday behavior, reflect on God? How does the way you treat others testify to your relationship to Christ? You see, by refusing to live for self and reaching out to others, we seek their highest good, their eternal salvation!

Your purpose in life is to live for God’s glory. And when you do, you become a powerful evangelist, a living testimony, an example for others to follow.

Paul had come to the place in his life where he could honestly say, and even encourage others to "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." Can you say that? Can you say to other people, "Follow my example"? Most people would shrink from the possibility of saying that. But we shouldn’t. After all, Paul was only encouraging them to follow him as he followed Christ. And isn’t that the goal for each of us? Isn’t that what discipleship means?

Discipleship means that we have committed ourselves to follow Christ. Discipleship means that we intend to actually follow Christ in what we do and say. Discipleship means that we intend to become like Christ. And that is the unique and distinctive call of God for every Christian. It is the call to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

If that is our heart beat, then we should boldly invite people to follow our example as we follow the example of Jesus Christ. And if we are living for Jesus Christ, we are bringing glory to God, and we are daily enjoying him.

Copyright © 2004 J. David Hoke. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice.

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