Devotional: Don’t Be a Stumbling Block

1 Corinthians 8

Larry and Tyrone are sitting together in church. They are best friends and both are ministers of the gospel, preachers. The pastor is preaching. He tells the congregation that they are not at liberty to do anything that will cause a brother or sister to stumble (v. 9). Larry whispers to Tyrone saying, “That’s why I have to come to your house to get a drink.” Larry does not consider consuming a small amount of alcohol wrong, but he is aware that what he does in the presence of some people can give them a wrong perception of things. Their perception has the potential to cause the brother or sister to stumble; to sin. One might think that since the preacher drinks, they can drink as much as they want even to the point of getting intoxicated enough to have a wreck while driving. Since alcohol decreases one’s inhibition system, it is possible that they may drink to the point of losing self control and becoming violent. Since Larry knows these things, he is careful not to become intoxicated. However, he cannot be sure that the observing person has the same knowledge and self control that he has. He must avoid including people that he is not sure that they are mature enough to understand their own limitations.

Paul tells the church at Corinth that one’s behavior is to be based on love instead of knowledge because knowledge can make one arrogant (v. 1). Instead, one’s actions must be based on love (v. 1). Thus, the strong must not take their knowledge about meats sacrificed to idols as liberty to eat meat in the presence of the one that will be tempted to practice idolatry (v. 9). If they eat, they are sinning against their brothers and sisters that Christ died for (v. 10). It is a sin to do anything that will cause a person with a weak conscience to stumble; fall into sin.

Prayer: Lord Jesus we thank you for the freedom that we have in you. May we love our brothers and sisters so that we do nothing to cause one to stumble? Amen.