Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to share something with you.
For many years my family has enjoyed certain types of meals, some of which I would never partake of myself. One of them is the delicacy of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I understand that a lot of people like these interesting concoctions, but in my own mind, I think it’s one of the grossest things that I could ever eat. Our family has eaten quite their fill of them. I know it’s a special treat for them, but each time I smell the peanut butter, I tend to quietly walk away so that they can enjoy them privately. Granted I’m not tempted to eat one of these sandwiches, nor would I feel like I was sinning if I did so, but the point is, that I allow my family to eat things that they desire.
When I was a child we had a garden, and we were required at harvest time to snap green beans at the picnic table. This was so that they could be canned up and saved for the winter. I can remember sitting down at the supper table for a meal of potatoes with fresh green beans, but when nobody else was looking, I would put the green beans into my pocket. One by one they disappeared under the table, until my plate was completely clean and thus, I became eligible for dessert! After supper, into the bathroom I went, locking the door, and putting all of those green beans down the toilet, to be used, in my mind, for a better purpose. As fertilizer in the septic field.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Not everybody can eat the same thing. It all comes down to your personal preference and your own convictions towards God. One thing is for sure, we should never tempt other people to eat or drink something that they feel is wrong in their own mind. Neither should we stand in judgment over others, who partake of things that we don’t.
Romans 14:1-4 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Sometimes people will find fault with you, just because of what you eat. They did the exact same thing to the Apostle Paul.
1 Corinthians 9:3-4 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink?
Whether you eat certain foods or whether you do not, does not determine the kind of person that you are in your heart. Neither should we make judgments about others based on food intake. This is the way certain people judged John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:18-19 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
The Lord Jesus explains that it is just food.
Matthew 15:17-18 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? (Draw-ft) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
In the latter days, some people will actually teach that’s it’s required for you to become a vegetarian, forbidding you to eat meat. Have you ever had somebody tell you what you could and couldn’t eat in your diet? People such as these are more focused on the flesh, rather than things of the spirit. God is the one who ultimately determines the length of a person’s life, not what you eat.
1 Corinthians 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
1 Timothy 4:1-5 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Judgements must happen in the church for the purpose of correcting sin issues, but judging over eating, or not eating certain foods is wrong.
Romans 14:10-13 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
The other issue is that not everybody can eat what you eat. Some people in the church have come out of false religions, and if they ate some of the things that you ate, they might feel in their conscience that they are sinning against God. Some people may have completely given up alcohol, so you certainly don’t want to partake of it around others who are convicted by it, or might consider it a temptation. All things are good, but to some people, in their own mind, they feel it’s wrong. To cause someone to stumble or to offend, is to lead them into a place where their weak conscience is defiled. Remember that this doesn’t pertain to just food alone, but anything that would cause someone to feel weak.
Romans 14:14-23 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
As a Christian, the Apostle Paul was able to eat a lot of things that he wasn’t able to eat growing up as a Jew. When we enjoy Christian liberties, we must always consider the conscience of those whom you are with. After all, some of us just can’t stomach…..
……Green Beans
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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