So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God – even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Luke 17:7-10
Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’
Psalm 115:1-8
Not to us, LORD, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Jeremiah 10:6-7
No one is like you, Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear You, King of the nations? This is Your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You.
II. Reflection Questions:
1. Do I seek the spiritual good of others by keeping my own conscience clear before God?
2. Do I seek the spiritual good of others by guarding their conscience so that God may receive glory?
By Jason Scherzer
1 Corinthians 10, verse 31 makes it clear that a Christian is not interested in enforcing his/her own rights. The Christian’s desire is the glory of God in all matters, including but not limited to eating, drinking, and exercise of freedom.
In verse 32, Paul asks the church to maintain a tender heart toward everyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles (which is everyone that is not a Jew). One’s actions can have a positive or negative effect upon any other groups of people, Paul implies, and so a Christian must consciously ensure not to offend anyone’s conscience.
In verse 33, Paul shows that his example can and should be followed, in that he seeks the greater good of each person by having considered their spiritual need in advance of any personal decision to exercise freedom. Far from being a ‘people pleaser,’ Paul is seeking to meet the spiritual need of each person under his influence, by avoiding any action that may offend their conscience. His motivation to meet their spiritual need is the glory of God.
In Luke chapter 17, the Lord Jesus speaks to the position of a servant with respect to the exalted position of a master. The servant exists to obey and please the master in all things, to always serve the master first, with no consideration whatsoever for the servant’s own comfort or pleasure. The servant’s attitude is lowly, and he does not consider himself worthy of any credit or recognition – his role is to obey so that the master is completely satisfied. Jesus speaks from the example of agriculture / farming, which was generally familiar to His apostles and their culture.
In Psalm 115, the psalmist speaks to God with Israel as audience, that glory rightfully belongs to the LORD. He shows how the nations doubt God by making the excuse that they cannot see Him. In so doing, they turn to worthless idols that have been made to satisfy human desires, but are completely powerless.
In Jeremiah 10, the prophet speaks to God’s holy, unique, and exalted glory which has no comparison whatsoever with any glory or power of the human rulers of the earth. The name of the LORD is mighty in power, and those who belong to Him call upon His name for strength, guidance, protection and support.
Application:
In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul addressed the critical issue: Is it alright for Christians to eat meat that has been sacrificed to Roman idols? From the perspective of many Christians at Corinth, this is alright because idols are powerless, and not gods at all. Paul agrees on the point that Roman idols are powerless; therefore it could be alright to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols. However, there were probably Christians in Corinth who still believed that these gods were real. If these ‘weaker’ Christians were to eat this meat, they would be committing idolatry and would destroy their conscience before God. Because of this, Christians who know the idols are powerless should not eat this meat if it will cause others to stumble into idolatry.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 9, Paul sets forth his position as an apostle who has seen the risen Christ (‘Christ’ means Anointed One). Since Paul is an apostle, he has the right to expect financial support from his churches, to take along a believing wife, and not to work additional jobs such as making tents. Paul has many, many rights as an apostle, and nobody could rightly tell Paul that he was wrong in exercising his rights. Mostly, however, Paul did not exercise his rights and instead he chose to be like a slave to Christ. Paul also empathized with people everywhere, so that he could win them to Christ. By living for the sake of the gospel, Paul was competing to win the prize for which God called him. Paul wants every believer to have this attitude in Christ.
Paul had many rights that he gave up of his own volition, for the sake of the Gospel – that more people may know the LORD. His overwhelming, all encompassing desire was that God would receive glory in Paul’s every thought, word, and action. Make this your same passion – that every aspect of your life would bring glory to God, even to the extent that you prefer the spiritual needs of others over your own.
Thomas a Kempis once wrote: “Had you but once entered into perfect communion with Jesus or tasted a little of His ardent love, you would care nothing at all for your own comfort or discomfort but would rejoice in the reproach you suffer; for love of Him makes a man despise himself. A man who is a lover of Jesus and of truth, a truly interior man who is free from uncontrolled affections, can turn to God at will and rise above himself to enjoy spiritual peace.” – The Imitation of Christ, Book Two, The Interior Life, chapter one.
Let the glory of God be your all consuming passion. If it is your desire to see the Lord receive glory, then you have true spiritual peace.
V. Prayer:
Dear Lord, You know me completely; my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams. Search my heart and help me to prove whether I am living for Your glory or just living for my selfish ambitions. Cleanse me of my selfishness, where I have been placing my interests above that of Your kingdom and Your people. Make me useful for Your glorious service. I am willing to live only for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
City Life Starter 
Leave a Reply