The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 8:9-13, “But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened

to eat things sacrificed to idols?

11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

12 And thus, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, that I might not cause my brother to stumble.”

The Attorney General of my state (Arkansas) is known to everyone as a devout Christian lady. She distributes regular email

warnings regarding criminal activities of which we all should be aware. The most recent dealt with “price gouging.” When goods

become scarce, there is a tendency by some vendors to raise the price, knowing that some will pay more, and the vendors will

make more. In this state, when the Governor declares a state of emergency, raising the price more than 10 percent is considered

illegal.

The cost of anything is largely determined by the need and/or will of the buyer. Most people will eat where the food is good, but

less expensive than somewhere else. It was the same in Paul’s day. Meat that had been sacrificed to idols, was subsequently

sold to the general public at a lesser price than in other establishments. Christians in Paul’s day often purchased the lesser priced

meat, and that disturbed Paul. Were someone to witness a believer “dining in an idol’s temple,” the possibility of his conscience

being weakened was increased. It’s like smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages today. Some Christians believe they have the

right to participate in these things. But, were someone with a weak conscience to behold an older Christian participating in such

activities, his own conscience might be crushed.

We are our brothers’ keeper. We are not only to share the Gospel clearly and accurately, we are to live it as well. Paul felt so

keenly about this that he said, “If food causes my brother to stumble I will never eat meat again.” What we say must be supported

by what we do. The Holy Spirit pricks our consciences to shield us from ungodliness. At the same time, we too often tell ourselves

that our behavior is supported by what older, “spiritual,” believers do. So, our consciences are rocked back and forth between what

we know is right and what we still want to justify doing. The freedom we have in Christ is the freedom to do His will, not our own!

Let’s check our lives daily, lest we fall into sin and lead others into it as well. “Freedom is not always free.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”