How does 1 Corinthians 10:25 guide us in making food choices today? Setting the Scene • Paul addresses believers living in a pagan culture where meat was often sacrificed to idols before appearing in the marketplace. • In that environment, Christians wrestled with whether buying or eating such food dishonored God. • 1 Corinthians 10:25 gives clear guidance: “Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience”. Freedom Affirmed • Christ has set His people free from ceremonial restrictions: – Acts 10:13, 15: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat… Do not call anything impure that God has made clean”. – Mark 7:18-19: Jesus “declared all foods clean”. • Because “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” (1 Corinthians 10:26), every created food is permissible when received gratefully. Guidelines for Today’s Food Choices 1. Enjoy liberty without fear • Buying or eating any lawful food is permitted. • Freedom dispels superstition and legalism. 2. Give thanks • 1 Timothy 4:4-5: “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving”. • Gratitude keeps the focus on the Giver, not the menu. 3. Steward the body wisely • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 calls the body “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” • Freedom is never an excuse for gluttony or neglect of health. 4. Guard personal conscience • Romans 14:23 warns that “whatever is not of faith is sin”. • If a particular food troubles your spirit, abstain until you have clarity from the Lord. 5. Consider others • 1 Corinthians 10:28 speaks of abstaining when a weaker brother’s conscience is at stake. • Love may lead to temporary self-denial for another’s spiritual good. 6. Aim for God’s glory • 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God”. Putting It into Practice • Shop, cook, and eat with joyful confidence that Christ has declared food clean. • Pause to thank God at every meal, acknowledging His provision. • Make dietary choices that honor both the body He entrusted and the brothers and sisters He loves. • Let every bite become an act of worship, displaying liberty governed by love. |
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