Alba 8-17-2025
DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD
I Corinthians 10:23-33
Dan Blocker played the character Hoss on the TV series Bonanza. When Dan Blocker died unexpectedly at age 43, Hoss died. The producers knew they could not replace him. So they told the story that a woman was caught in a flood, and Hoss went to rescue her. He held her above the water with one hand and held a branch with the other to keep them from being washed away. He never let go. He died, but she lived. That was the explanation for why he was no longer in the series. Fans mourned the fictional character, but they agreed it was fitting that Hoss would die doing something like that.
In the 1980's, there was an article about a new made for TV movie, “Bonanza, the Next Generation”. In this new show the original Cartwrights were dead. Ben’s brother was running the Ponderosa. For various reasons, Adam’s son, little Joe’s son, and Hoss’ son were coming there to live. Now, Hoss had never married. So the new series said he had an illegitimate son and died before bringing the mother to the Ponderosa.
Test audiences were scheduled with fans of the original series. They were furious. They were thinking Ben had three sons by three wives. Maybe he had another son somewhere. Adam, sometimes a scholar and sometimes a Casanova, may have had an illegitimate son. If Joe had an illegitimate son, no one would be surprised. But Hoss? HOSS??? NOOOO!! It is said that fans refused to believe that Hoss had been immoral. And if a fictional character can inspire such belief in his character, how much more should we, “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse [us] of doing wrong, they may see [our] good deeds and glorify God." (1 Peter 2:12 NIV) The word glory speaks of something or someone that is worthy of praise or exaltation. Psalm 96:2-4 says, “Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.”
As Christians, we are to live in a way that glorifies God. That is the message of the last part of First Corinthians chapter ten. Verse 31 there says that “whatever you do, do all the glory of God.” But we have to be careful, we may do things that do not give glory to God. Because...
Not all things edify
Go back to verse 23. There the apostle Paul says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” The word edify is a word that means to build a house. Buildings are referred to as an edifice. In the New Testament edify speaks about the kind of life we are building, this spiritual house that we live in; the building up of our Christian life. And it speaks to whether or not what we are doing leads to spiritual growth and the development of spiritual maturity. Not all things edify.
In the context of our scripture, Paul was addressing the Corinthians who were living in a society where many things were permissible. However, he was urging them to make choices not just based on what was permissible, but on what was beneficial and constructive. It's about making decisions that not only conform to God's laws but also promote growth, unity, and love. We should all ask “Will this be profitable for me as a Christian, and will this help me grow as a Christian?”
So if ever there is something we are considering whether we should do it or not, we may ask ourselves, “Can I do this?” But that question really boil down to this, “How far can I go before God gets upset?” Well, verse 23 says all things are lawful. Other translations say, “Everything is permissible.” At first glance, this statement may seem to give us carte blanche to do as we please. But we must understand the context in which it was written. Paul was addressing a community of believers who were grappling with their newfound freedom in Christ. They were no longer bound by the stringent laws of the Old Testament, and this newfound liberty was both exhilarating and confusing.
To say all things are permissible is not an invitation to lawlessness or moral laxity. Rather, it is an acknowledgment of the freedom we have in Christ. This freedom, however, is not a license to sin. Paul clarifies this in Romans 6:1-2 where he asks, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” The King James Version says, “God forbid!”
But know this, God is not a cosmic killjoy seeking to restrict our freedom. Instead, He is a loving Father who has given us the freedom to choose, yet who also guides us towards choices that lead to life, joy, and peace. So our freedom is not just about what we can do, but about who we can become in Christ. Christ has truly set us free, but that does not mean we can or should engage in harmful activities because we are free. A newly regenerated heart has a desire to serve in the newness of the spirit.
Hebrews 12:1 continues with this thought saying. “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Notice there are two things that we should lay aside. One is sin. The other is every other weight. There are things in our lives that, while in and of themselves, are not sinful. But they are weighing us down, slowing us down from running as we should.
Charles Ryrie, who was a professor at Dallas Seminary said, "God’s glory is His reputation. To live for God’s glory means to live so that God’s reputation is enhanced (heightened in quantity and quality) and not diminished in any way." First Thessalonians 5:21-22 says, “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” Remember, not everything is helpful, not everything edifies. So to do all to the glory of God, you will do better when you...
Keep your conscience clean
Paul once again goes back to the matter of eating meat that has been offered to idols. In I Corinthians 10:25-30 he says, “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (Which is a direct quote from Psalm 24:1). He then continues, “If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 'Conscience,' I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?”
Paul gives an illustration of a Christian being invited to dinner by someone who is not a Christian. Paul says that if he is willing to go, then go ahead. Then if that friend orders a big steak, don’t ask or even worry about if it has been offered to idols. Eat and enjoy yourself. Don't let your conscience bother you. But if it bothers the other person, be aware that the action you take may be harmful. If you are with someone who believes something to be a sin, then don’t use that moment to exercise your liberty. For the sake of your conscience and theirs, don’t go around flaunting your liberty at their expense.
There are some situations of life that the Bible doesn’t seem to speak specifically about, so it could be possible that it might not be wrong for a child of God to participate in something others would not. But if you cannot do it with a clean conscience, then it is a sin to do it. Paul wrote in Romans 14:14 “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” The litmus test in a non-biblical issue (not an un-biblical issue) is shifted to one’s conscience, which is stated five times in the tenth chapter (verses 25, 27 , 28, 29, 29). So, if we do what we feel we should not do, our conscience is violated.
Sadly, we violate our conscience all too often. How many church dinners have you been to where people are sinning? You hear it all the time, “I really shouldn’t be eating this.” “I shouldn’t be doing this but I can’t help myself, it is soooooo good!” Now have you ever seen someone take a plate away from someone and say, “Then let me help you flee this temptation.” No. Instead, most times, they stand there with a serving spoon saying, “Here, have some more.” Whether that is sin or not, you will have to judge for yourself.
Ultimately food is food; it is neutral. But as these verse show us, to a weaker brother, it can have cultural, religious and psychological value, which matters more than its nutritious value. So whatever choice is made, to eat or not to eat, the question to ask is, does it glorify the Lord Jesus, does it glorify God? That was the question with which the Corinthians were dealing, and it could apply to us as well, if we want to keep our conscience clean.
But if we truly want to do all to the glory of God, we must be careful to...
Give no offense
Verses 32 and 33 say, “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” This principle reminds us that our actions have implications not only for ourselves but also for those around us. As believers, we are called to live in a manner that glorifies God and edifies others. Paul voluntarily limited his freedom for the sake of a greater ministry effectiveness. He evaluated everything by its effect on the cause of the gospel. He relinquished his rights concerning certain things in order to win as many as he could.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” People should see our good deeds and glorify God through us. So other questions to ask ourselves are these: Does what I am doing to show my love and concern for others? Will it hurt others? Will it build up or tear down? Is it designed to primarily give me pleasure, or will it benefit my neighbor? Our actions, our words will either lift up our testimony or tear it down. If they tear down our testimony, then we are not glorifying God.
Constantly, scripture makes it clear that we should not become stumbling blocks for those who need to come to Jesus. Rather we should be stepping stones for them to come closer to Christ.
This does not mean allowing other people to run your life. This is not about being walked on. This is not about making others happy. This is not trying to get the favor of others, so they think well of you. Pleasing everybody is an impossible task and a losing proposition. That’s why Paul qualifies it to mean that it is about having the good of others in mind. Ultimately that good is that they may be saved.
And while this principle, not giving offense, also applies to other Christians, we might think that this is saying we should never do anything that bothers a fellow Christian. But that is not what Paul means here when he refers to “giving offense”. He is referring to causing someone to sin.
The overall principle here is that we must do all that we do to glorify God. Again, the question to ask is “Does this glorify God?” Remember that God doesn’t want us to do just what is good, but what is best. If we need an example how to do what is best, no matter what, in John 17:4 Jesus was able to pray to the Father, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Jesus lived a perfect life, and then He went to the cross to take the punishment that you and I deserve for our sins. He did it so that we could be saved.
If we are to bring glory to God we must be concerned for people in a similar way as Jesus is concerned for us. Key questions are: How will my action affect other people? Will what I do glorify God? Will it cause others to gain a deeper appreciation of the person, presence and power of God? Will it cause others to see God in a new light? Does what I do, or not do, draw men and women to a closer and deeper relationship with God?
You see, our lifestyles, choices, and attitudes can either bring honor or shame to His name. God is glorified when we walk in obedience, bear fruit, and live according to His Word.
CLOSE:
Do you know the name, Christopher Parkening? He is considered to be the current world's greatest classical guitarist. He started to play at age 11. His father made him practice an hour and a half each morning before school, and then practice again after school. At a young age he had performed many concerts and had a number of recordings. He was also a world-class fly-fishing champion. His father had retired at age 47. He decided he wanted to be able to retire at age 30, and by then he had achieved all of his goals. So he told his recording agent he was quitting and going to enjoy life.
He did retire at age 30 and bought a ranch in Montana with a trout stream, and he stopped playing the guitar. But happiness eluded him. Instead, his life became increasingly empty. He wrote, “If you arrive at a point in your life where you have everything that you've ever wanted and thought that would make you happy and it still doesn't, then you start questioning things. It's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I had that, and I thought, well, what's left?”
Then, while visiting friends in California, he attended church which led him to put his trust in Christ. He said, “My new commitment to Christ gave me a great desire to read the Bible and learn more about the Word of God. One day I read a passage from First Corinthians which said, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).” He said, “Well, there were only two things I knew how to do: one was fly-fish for trout, and the other was playing the guitar, and the latter seemed the better option to pursue. Somehow a career in fly-fishing for the Lord just didn’t seem the way to go.
He said, “It became evident that the Lord wanted me to return to playing the guitar again, but this time for a different purpose—to honor and glorify my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!”
And he said, “Well, I am playing the guitar today absolutely by the grace of God… I have a joy, a peace, and a deep-down fulfillment in my life I never had before. My life has purpose… I've learned first-hand the true secret of genuine happiness. On my music stand at home I have taped a note that reads, 'Chris, what are you here for?' Just as my touring guitar bears the scars of having been used to create music, so I pray that my imperfect life will be an instrument in God’s hands for His purposes and to His glory.”
Chris Parkening learned that the true secret of genuine happiness is not to give up the things you enjoy doing, but to do them for the Lord; do them to advance His reputation and fame and kingdom.
