READING:
One-year plan: 1 Corinthians 5-9
Two-year plan: Daniel 11:5-12:13, Revelation 2:12-29
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I’m grateful that God in grace offers us freedom from legalism and bondage. We’re freed men and women, granted the privilege to serve our Creator and Redeemer with all our being – and there’s great joy in the work. Based on God’s Word, His Spirit, and the witness of His people, we’re blessed to make righteous choices to follow Him.
What Paul reminds us today via his discussion of eating meat offered to idols, though, is that we must not use our Christian liberty in a way that harms others. In some cases, our choice to live out our liberty can, in fact, be a hindrance to a weaker brother or sister in Christ – and genuine Christian love requires that we forgo that liberty for the sake of these members of God’s family. In fact, Paul rather clearly states that we are “sinning against Christ” when we wound the weaker conscience of others (1 Cor 8:12). He was so serious about this commitment that he would have been willing never to eat meat again if doing so hindered others.
Thus, the answer is not always to simply teach others what we “stronger and deeper” Christians already know. We stand on the edge of arrogance when we do that, and we cross that line when we guard our liberty more than care for others.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: How much do you genuinely care about others in your church?
PRAYER: “Father, help me to be considerate of others in our church as I use my liberty.”
TOMORROW’S READING:
One-year plan: 1 Corinthians 10-12
Two-year plan: Hosea 1:1-4:14, Revelation 3:1-13
MEMORIZATION VERSE (December 1-15)
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
