- I have a confession to make. For a significant portion of my adult life, I was a devout member of a very strict, very demanding religion. It had its own rituals, its own moral code, and its own unforgivable sins. I’m talking, of course, about the religion of the Incredibly, Spotlessly Clean Car. Some of you know what I’m talking about. You’re members of the same faith...
- This religion had its own commandments. The first and greatest commandment was, “Thou shalt not bring food or drink into the car.” The second was, “Thou shalt shake thy feet vigorously before entering the car.” Weekly washes, daily wipe-downs, and regular vacuums. I was all in.
- When someone else would get in my car, a friend who didn’t shake their feet, or someone who dared to leave trash in the cupholder, I would feel a righteous indignation rising up. I didn’t express it, but I thought in my heart, “Don’t they know how important this space is? Don’t they know the rules? Where is their sense of decency?” I knew the right way for my car to be. And that knowledge gave me the right to be... right! Of course, since then, I’ve left the religion...
- It is funny to think about it now, but isn’t this a miniature picture of how we live today? I think we live in an age that worships knowledge and celebrates being “right.” We have more access to information than any society in human history has ever had. With this information, we formulate our rights, preferences, political affiliations, worldviews, and cultural convictions. With that comes a powerful, intoxicating sense of entitlement–a sense of our rights.
I have the right to my opinion
I have a right to my freedom
I have the right to say what I think
I have the right to live however I want
- This is a snapshot of the world we live in, especially here in America. We’re steeped in individualism, where the anthem is “Me first.” Think about it: our culture celebrates the self-made person —the one who carves their own path, no matter who gets bumped aside. From people saying, “I deserve this!” to road rage over someone cutting us off, we’re conditioned to prioritize my opinion, my freedom, my way of living.
- Our world is a “Me First” world. However, the challenge is that if we are honest, we also bring that into the church – our small groups, meetings, and relationships with one another.
- The problem is that 2000 years ago, the Corinthian church was doing the same thing. Again, for those of you who do not know, we have been looking at 1 Corinthians chapter by chapter. The Corinthians were smart and gifted. But they were using their knowledge and freedom to create divisions and hurt their own church family. It is into this mess that Paul writes, and the message he delivers to them is the same one we desperately need to hear today.
- Paul says, “In a world that screams for your rights, the cross calls you to lay them down for the sake of others.”
THE WORLD’S STANDARDS
- Now in verse 1, Paul addresses the pressing issue. Verse 1: “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” A problem arose in the church regarding food sacrificed to idols. What does this mean? Eating meat sacrificed to idols was a massive, everyday issue in Corinth. Think of it this way: the temples to pagan gods like Aphrodite and Apollo were not just places of worship; they were the city’s primary butchers. If you wanted the best cut of meat–the best steak, the best lamb–you often had to buy it from the temple market. Now, the meat sold at these markets had been a part of a pagan worship service. It was a meat offered to a lifeless idol.
- So, the question arose for the Corinthian Christians: Can we eat this meat? Can we eat something that was offered to a pagan god? For one group in the church, the “knowledgeable” ones, the answer was obvious.
- Verse 4-6: “4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
- The “knowledgeable” group had the perfect answer. “Sure, you can eat meat sacrificed to idols,” said this group, “An idol is just a piece of carved stone or wood. It has no power. The meat is just meat. God is the creator of all things, including the cow, and Jesus is the sustainer of all things. Therefore, eating this meat is no big deal. Case closed. Our knowledge is correct.”
- And Paul agrees with that. He says, “Yes, we know that we all possess knowledge.” But then he says, “Knowledge is not everything. Your focus and your priorities are mixed up.” He says, “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” Your knowledge “puffs up.” This is a great word. In Greek, this is the word physioi (foo see oi). This is an image of a balloon–expanding, getting bigger and bigger, but inside of it, it is full of nothing. When you blow a big balloon, it looks big and impressive, but it’s hollow, fragile, and one sharp point away from an embarrassing pop.
- Paul says, “That’s what your knowledge is like! And that’s what knowledge does when it is disconnected from life.” Knowledge puffs us up. It makes us arrogant. It makes us feel superior. This knowledge focuses entirely on the self. “Look at what I know, how free I am compared to those poor souls over there.” The Corinthians bought into the world’s standard. They were living through the “Me First” worldview. Their knowledge became the justification for asserting their rights without any regard for the impact on those around them!
- C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, speaks of pride as the “Great Sin,” and this is what he said, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.” This was what was happening in Corinth. Their pleasure wasn’t just in knowing the truth about idols; it was in being more knowledgeable than the others. That pleasure, that pride, is what puffs up. Then C. S. Lewis goes on to say, “Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”
- This was the perfect diagnosis of the church. Their pride, born from their knowledge, was eating away at the higher virtue of love. They were so focused on being right that they forgot to be loving.
- Church, what are some ways that we might have bought into the “Me First” mentality in the church that disregards the needs of others?
Worship style: Clinging tightly to our preferred worship style. We emphasize our preferences over the unity of the church. We fight and leave the church over that without considering how that division may hinder the spiritual growth of other members.
Small Group Conversation Hoarders: When we have small groups (which is meant for community), sometimes people turn it into a platform where they “flex” their bible knowledge. You know the type: they dominate discussions, quote Greek or obscure commentaries, while others sit, feeling intimidated and ignored.
Serving on my terms: Volunteering at church also comes with a “Me First” caveat. I’ll serve, but only if it is convenient for me. Sometimes, we dodge serving in ways that stretch us, missing opportunities to love others sacrificially.
- The world screams for your rights, but the cross calls you to lay them down for the sake of others. Now, Paul contrasts this with a totally different image: “love builds up.” If knowledge makes a fragile balloon, love builds a strong foundation. Love is patient, strong, and enduring, and it is not concerned with its appearance. Paul wants us to see the better way, the more solid way, because the “Me First” attitude is a dead end. Then what is the other way? It is the way of the cross!
- In a world that screams for you to assert your rights, the cross calls you to lay them down for the sake of others. And that leads us from the world's standard to the cross's standard.
LOVE LIMITS MY FREEDOM
- Now, let’s look at verse 7: “7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.” Paul gives a fuller picture of what was happening. When the more “knowledgeable” person ate meat sacrificed to idols, another believer stumbles because their conscience is “weak.”
- Now, we have to be clear about what “weak” means here. It does not mean less spiritual, less intelligent, or less loved by God. When Paul says “weak” here, I think of a new believer (someone new to the faith) or someone whose conscience is more sensitive in a particular area. But what do I mean by someone whose conscience is more sensitive? I think one of the best examples is alcohol consumption. Some Christians drink alcohol because Scripture doesn’t forbid moderate alcohol consumption (Now that’s a bit problematic for me because everybody has different definitions of what “moderate” is). They are knowledgeable ones. However, let’s say that another member is a new believer who grew up in a household where alcohol was heavily abused, leading to pain and brokenness in the family. For this new believer, alcohol is associated with addiction and pain. So, her conscience is “sensitive” in this area–not because she is less spiritual, but because her past shapes her perception.
- Another example of someone’s conscience being more sensitive is like a peanut allergy. Think peanut allergy. I can eat a peanut butter sandwich with absolute freedom and enjoyment. It nourishes me. But for my friend with a peanut allergy, that same sandwich is dangerous. Is my friend weaker than me? Not really. Does my friend’s allergy make them less of a person? Absolutely not. However, it does mean that my love for my friend will dramatically change my behavior. I will not eat my peanut butter sandwich in the same room as them. I will wash my hands carefully. My freedom to enjoy peanuts is limited by my love for my friend and my desire for their well-being.
- This is exactly Paul’s point. There were Christians in Corinth who escaped a lifetime of pagan idol worship. For them, that idol wasn’t just a statue; it was a real spiritual entity that held them in bondage. Their conscience was tender. So, when they see Mr. Knowledgeable, the “mature” Christian, sitting in a pagan temple, eating a nice ribeye or filet mignon, what happens? They stumble in their faith.
- Verse 10 says that they are emboldened to eat. This is not a good thing because they are not being emboldened in faith; they are emboldened to act against their own conscience. They think, “Well this guy is doing it, so it must be okay, even though it feels deeply wrong to me.” And in doing so, their weak conscience is “defiled” and lead to sin. Your knowledge and your freedom have become a stumbling block, you became an obstacle that trips them up in their walk with Jesus.
- And you know what Paul says? He says in verse 12, “When you sin against them in this way and would their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”
- Let this sink in. This is not just a topic of being insensitive. This is not just a poor etiquette. Paul says that when you use your freedom in a way that disregards the spiritual well-being of a fellow believer, you sin against Jesus Christ. You are driving a spear into the side of Jesus Christ himself. Why? Because the church is the body of Jesus Christ, and all of the members are different parts of the body, where Jesus Christ is the head. To harm the body is to harm the head. To harm Christ’s sheep is to harm the Great Shepherd. Jesus said it himself: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
- The German pastor and theological Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred for his faith under the Nazi regime, understood this connection. This is what he said: The Christian... must bear the burden of a brother. He must suffer and endure the brother. It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated. Our brothers and sisters in Christ aren't just brothers or sisters when they're easy to love. They are truly our brothers and sisters when they become a "burden" to us—when their weakness requires something from us, when their sensitive conscience demands that we limit our own freedom. The cross's standard is that we are called to bear one another's burdens. My love for my brother must limit my own freedom.
- The standards of the world say, “That’s their problem. Too bad their conscience is weak. They need to grow up.” But the standard of the cross is different. The cross is the ultimate picture of love, limiting freedom.
- Because, think about it. Who had more rights and more freedom than Jesus Christ? He is God, in glorious union with the Father and Spirit. He had the freedom and right to remain in heaven, free from pain, and free from experiencing the abandonment of the Father. But what did he do? The Scripture tells us in Philippians that “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”
- Jesus Christ willingly limited his freedom and set aside his rights. Why? For the sake of the weak. For you and me. We were the ones with a weak conscience. We were the ones stumbling in the darkness. And He laid down all of His freedom, all of His rights, to come and rescue us. This is the cross-shaped life. The cross-shaped life constantly re-frames the question. It stops asking, "What am I allowed to do?" and it starts asking, "What is the most loving thing to do?"
- Church, the cross’s standard is high, but it is one that Jesus Christ calls us to meet. To sin against my brothers and sisters in Christ is to sin against Christ. So, despite the world that screams for my rights, I will follow the cross and lay them down for the sake of others.
WHAT DO WE DO? WE MUST LIVE SACRIFICALLY
- So, church, what do we do? What is the solution we must follow that we might not become a stumbling to another’s faith? How should we act in our relationship with one another so that we are not sinning against Jesus Christ?
- You have to live sacrificially and lay down your rights for the sake of others. Paul says in verse 13: “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” Notice the absolutes. “I will never again.” This isn’t, “Well, I’ll try to be more careful.” It is a complete reorientation of your life. If it meant protecting a fellow believer and maintaining the unity of the church, I will give up what I was perfectly entitled to enjoy. The cross-shaped life means your life becomes a living sacrifice.
- To love someone is to willingly give up a piece of your independence. A husband gives up his freedom to provide for the family. A mother gives up her freedom to sleep through the night for the infant child. And a Christian, in love, gives up the freedom to do anything that would harm a brother or sister.
- So, church, what is God calling you to lay down? What is the “meat” in your life that you need to lay down?
o Maybe it is alcohol. You have freedom in Christ, but do you know another member who is a recovering alcoholic or a member who has had negative experiences with alcohol in the family? Then I will give it up for the sake of another believer.
o Maybe it is your right to post anything you want on social media. You have freedom of speech. But do your biting or dismissive posts create a wall between you and another believer in the church, making it harder for them to see Christ in you? Then I will give it up for the sake of another believer.
o Maybe it is financial freedom. You have the right to buy that care, take the vacation, but does your lifestyle create a stumbling block for another in the church who is struggling to barely make ends meet? Then I will give it up for the sake of another believer.
CONCLUSION
- Friends, this is the pattern for our Christian life. Let’s not just be a church that knows the right things. Let’s be a church that is built up in love, living a cross-shaped life in a me-first world.
- In a world that screams for your rights, the cross calls you to lay them down for the sake of others.
