›I Corinthians 8:7-13
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
(I Corinthians 8:7-13, ESV)
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›Main Point
› The knowledgeable need to be careful with the knowledge they have attained
› They have utilized their knowledge of the truth in order to justify their own actions
› Paul shows this is not the way to utilize such knowledge since it leads to sinning against brothers and sisters and therefore Christ Himself
› It would be better, then, to not partake at all
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›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility
– Paul has narrowed in on the knowledge they possess
– It is the way they have utilized this knowledge which is the problem
– Paul criticizes the application
– The knowledge gained, and what to do with that knowledge, often hinders us
– What we know often dictates what we do
– If I know that a specific action will lead to certain results, then you can be sure I will do that action
– There is also the potential for our knowledge to be detrimental
– The knowledge can be good, but if abused it can lead to terrible consequences
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›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (2)
– Sexuality is a gift from God
– This can then be used to justify pedophilia, homosexuality, necrophilia, bestiality, etc.
– Psychology can be a useful tool when it comes to our finiteness and brokenness
– We can’t really blame the criminal, psychologically they are inept, or they were abused at one point
– We can’t really condemn their actions, it is their psychological disjunction which is the problem
– Medications can be very useful in a fallen world in order to help us
– Meanwhile the patient suffers greater harm than what the original prescription was for
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›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (3)
– In all of these things we see how knowledge can be utilized by us for evil
– The same is true when it comes to our knowledge of God
– We have “One God, One Lord”
– “Food is only food”
– Are they wrong? No
– The knowledge is being utilized to them eating food in the temples with idolaters
– He goes to the fact that there are brothers and sisters who will see and experience this who will be led to destruction
– The knowledge is then being utilized for evil
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›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (4)
– The same is true with God’s Sovereignty and Predestination
– This knowledge can lead to the wrong application
– Our actions do not matter, we have no real responsibility, we are free to do whatever we want
– Consider too God’s grace
– Paul deals with this topic in depth in the book of Romans
– He writes…
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“21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
(Romans 3:21-26, ESV)
[Emphasis Mine]
›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (5)
– We are given righteousness through God’s grace
– It is faith in Christ which justifies
– What is the immediate problem that arises?
– After making his grand argument that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus the potential pitfall is before us
– Paul predicts the pitfall when he says…
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“1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
(Romans 6:1-4, ESV)
›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (6)
– The first pitfall comes from the idea that the greater our sins the more grace is given
– Why not sin?!
– Isn’t more grace greater than less grace?
– The wheels of corruption are already turning even this true knowledge of grace on its head
– We do not sin so that grace may abound, but we were saved from the sinful lifestyles which require grace to begin with
– Another perspective is that we are no longer “under the law” but “under grace”
– Paul’s response to this is found in the same chapter
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“15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”
(Romans 6:15-19, ESV).
›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (7)
– Within the Christian belief system we were slaves to our former passions prior to coming to the knowledge of Jesus Christ
– We are forgiven and we will be forgiven
– This should lead us not to a Christian liberty which claims we are utterly unbound
– All of these things lead us to the same conclusion
– Whether it is the knowledge of God’s grace, sovereignty, predestination, there being one God and one Lord, we always twist it for the purpose of our personal liberty
– To justify our actions
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›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (8)
– “15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.” (Proverbs 17:15, ESV)
– We can read this to mean justified in a salvific sense
– This is not so much talking about justification in salvation, but talking about justifying wicked actions and condemning good ones
– When we utilize our knowledge for the purpose of evil we are justifying wickedness and condemning righteousness
– When we hold the belief “God is gracious therefore the sexually immoral can continue in their immorality”
– Or “”The unrighteous can continue in their unrighteousness”
– We actively partake in being an abomination to God
›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (9)
– That is the case with all of this
– This knowledge is not meant to free us to do whatever we want
– It is meant to save us from the slavery of sin that we can be free to live in righteousness in Christ
– Our freedom is not complete and utter liberty to do whatever we want, it is liberty to follow God in obedience and faithfulness
– The way we do this is by loving our brothers and sisters of the faith by not leading them to their own destruction
– This is not about hurting one another's feelings
– It is actively allowing each other into lifestyles which lead to literal destruction
›Application Points
›Knowledge, Liberty, and Responsibility (10)
– AI would rather have the truth than worry about whether or not my feelings were hurt
– That is not what Paul is talking about, neither should we
– We must recognize that knowledge is essential, but so too is obedience
– We need to always be on guard
– We need to remember the purpose of the knowledge given to us is to draw us further into God and His character
– What of knowledge, liberty, and responsibility?
– Be encouraged to learn more about this God
– Know the liberty He has given to do what is good, right, and just
– Know the responsibility we have been given, and continue to seek righteousness in all things according to God
›Application Points
› The Gospel of Christ
– Origins
– Fall
– Redemption
– Glorification
