Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 8:10–13
God had Paul unpack the reason for all Christians to use caution in all of life’s choices. God led Paul to write this in 1 Corinthians 8:10–13, “For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” God had Paul share the example of a Christian who knows idols and gods are not real, and that Christian then chose to eat in an idol’s temple. If another Christian who still struggled with believing in false gods and idols saw them, then, in their weakness, they would be encouraged to eat things sacrificed to idols and that would violate their conviction. Therefore, the weak Christian suffers in his walk with Christ because he still believes it is somehow a sin to eat that meat. However, God also had Paul note that because the more mature Christian wounded the weaker Christian’s conscience, the more mature Christian was sinning against Christ by causing another Christian to stumble. God had Paul end it by saying he would never eat meat again if it caused another Christian to stumble. We must live to honor Christ and to guard each other’s hearts.
Challenge & Application
What did God teach you today and how will you walk in His truth?
How are you helping guard the hearts of less mature Christians in your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!