Daily Devotions
One Problem with Social Drinking
Reading for June 3rd: Job 8-10
Weekly reading for May 31-June 6: 1 Corinthians 7-11
But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
1 Corinthians 8:9
Do you believe it's okay to drink socially? I'd like to make a quick argument in my devotion today to try to get you to reconsider your position.
I am going to assume that if you drink socially you do it with a clear conscience. I'm going to assume that you are convinced in your heart that you have the liberty in Christ to do this. Now I don't agree with you, but let's assume that you are correct. Paul addresses a liberty in 1 Corinthians 8, the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. They had a right to eat this meat because it was just meat to them. they didn't consider the idol to be a real god. Perhaps they had never worshiped those false gods and so the meat never had any kind of religious significance to them.
However, Paul argues in this chapter that not everyone saw this meat in a non-religious way. "But some," Paul said, "through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled." (v 7) So Paul warns that their example might influence these weak brothers to eat meat and thus violate their conscience. He concludes: "And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died." (v 11)
So I challenge you to consider a couple questions:
1. Do you know anyone who has been destroyed by alcohol? Have you seen what it's done to friends, members of your family, or brothers and sisters in Christ? Have you seen someone lose their job, their marriage, their kids, and even their soul because of alcohol?
2. Are you hurting these weak brothers and sisters in Christ through your example? Are you in a position to save them? Can you convince them to ignore your example and to give up alcohol?
Father, help us to be willing to give up our rights so that we can help each other get to heaven.
