DEVOTION, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012
“Stop Stumbling”
BY
PASTOR BOB COY
But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a
stumbling block to those who are weak. —1 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV)
Christianity is an extremely freeing faith. It’s not based
on a long list of rules and regulations but on a relationship with God that’s
living and active. And although we do have a set of moral absolutes spelled out
for us in the Bible, a lot of our behavior is to be directed by our
relationship with the Lord, not by rules.
In other words, we’re free to live life based on what our
relationship dictates, which makes Christianity freeing. But freedom brings
certain challenges. And when it comes to our freedom in Christ, there’s the
challenge (and warning) as Christians to not allow our freedoms to turn into
stumbling blocks for others. Things that we feel we’re free to do may be things
others don’t feel the freedom to do. What seems right to us might be wrong to
them.
For example, in Paul’s time there were Christians who
didn’t have any problem eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. But
there were other Christians who thought it was wrong. So a warning was issued
to those who felt the freedom to eat.
They were to be careful that their freedom didn’t trip up
those who weren’t as strong in their sense of freedom. Though free according to
their own convictions, they were to act in a way that took the convictions of
others into consideration.
That word of warning is just as relevant to us today as it
was back then. When it comes to those things that aren’t specifically
identified as right or wrong in the Bible—those things that we may feel the
freedom to engage in but others may not—we need to ask the question,
“Is this a freedom that’s going to trip others up?” If so,
it’s not worth it, and the right move is to forego that freedom. Be free, but
beware your freedoms aren’t causing others to stumble.
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