Conscience, 20

 ~ Weak Conscience ~

 

Series Note ~ The conscience plays a crucial role in human behavior.  The Scripture has much to say about our conscience.  In these early posts of this series, we are looking at various Biblical Descriptions of our conscience. 

 

Scripture ~ “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.  For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?  And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?  But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:9-13).

 

Other Scripture ~ “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.  For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.  Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.  Who are you to judge another's servant?  To his own master he stands or falls.  Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

 

“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.  Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.  He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.  He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.  For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.  For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.  Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.  For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.  But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?  For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written:

 

"‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’

 

“So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:1-13).

 

Comment ~ It is my firm belief that these are the most misunderstood passages in the Bible regarding conscience – if not intellectually, practically.

 

Many interpret this to mean that if I have greater liberty than another then I am stronger spiritually compared to my weaker brother.  The terms stronger and weaker in our society point us away from the main point of the passage. 

 

The point of the passage is that those who are sensitive to the Spirit of God’s direction in their lives often are directed in different ways.  “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”  Some Christians may under the Spirit of God’s direction have freedom in an area other Christians do not have – and often vice versa.  

 

Because one has more “liberty” in a particular area does not make them inherently more spiritual!  Just imagine the results if that were taken to the extreme.  No, it just means the Spirit of God is directing them differently than you.  Who are you to question the work of the Spirit?

The point of the passages is that each of us are responsible to follow what the Spirit is telling us to do.  Keep in mind that pride (including of our liberty in Christ) is a key root of all sin.  (Note: My eBook “PRIDE: Good and Bad” (https://books2read.com/Pride-Good-and-Bad) is a good read related to this area.)

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Bible Version: Quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.  Emphasis is added.

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