“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. 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.’ 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? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
- 1 Corinthians 10: 14-31
This week’s message is a slight, and unplanned, continuation of last week’s message. In today’s passage, Paul is referring to the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is defined by secular dictionaries as follows: “The religious worship of idols; excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc.” Having said that, someone could say, “Idolatry has to do with worshipping something that is outside of God; which could involve praying to that idol, worshipping that idol, or offering sacrifices to that idol.” And yes, that would be the direct form of idolatry or idol worship. However, Paul is referring here to the indirect participation of idolatry, which according to the Bible is just as bad. I will attempt to explain this.
There is not only a problem with the direct form of idolatry. There is also a problem with participating and supporting those things that go against God that involve idols and what those idols stand for. He is explaining the concept that a person can be “guilty by association” or an “accessory” to such things if they are not careful. To add a little more clarity, United States criminal terms (in this case, www.uslegal.com) define both legal terms as follows: Guilty by association “refers to the attribution of guilt without any proof on individuals solely for the reason that those whom they associate with are guilty”, and an accessory, “…is a person who helps in the commission of a crime, such as by commanding the crime, driving the getaway car, providing the weapons, assisting in the planning, providing an alibi, or hiding the main offender after the crime. The accessory may or may not be present during the crime, but must be aware that the crime is going to be committed or has been committed.”
In addition to that, the Bible warns here about doing certain things that may not be helpful or for edification. In Christ, we are truly made free, which means that not only does a person begin to understand what is truly wrong or right (and why it is damaging), but they are also given a stronger ability, through the regeneration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be able to stop doing those things that bring about destruction. But it is just as important to understand that even though you may not be doing certain things directly, you should not be participating in them indirectly as well. For it is written: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32.
Every single human being is free to do whatever they want to do (free will), but with that freedom comes responsibility and consequences, depending on what each person ends up doing. And the actions not only include directly doing those things that are wrong, but also condoning or supporting those things that the Bible says that are detrimental (sin).
And to finish, the Bible warns here about how our actions or associations (if you will) do not just affect us, but they also affect those around us. When we condone and support certain things, we are sending a message that may cause confusion and/or help guide others towards those things that will perpetuate their own self-destruction. As an example, if I see a close friend do something that is clearly wrong in God’s Word, and I make like everything is ok around them and to others; even if I don’t do the wrong myself, I am sending a message to that person and others that it is ok to do that. So Biblically, there is no real room for a neutral position. Either you are for God, and support those things that please Him; or you are forming part of the other side, by directly or indirectly favoring those things that are wrong.
So, do you clearly understand what you are involved with and what you are supporting, good or evil? Lord bless, John