A sermon on Christian liberties.

1. What’s on the
Menu?
1 Corinthians 6:12–20; 8:1–13; 10:23–33

2. 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are
profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be
mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and
the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both
of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the
Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not
only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through
His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are
members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members

3. of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May
it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who
joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For
He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” 17 But the
one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with
Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man
commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins
against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom
you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20
For you have been bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body.

4. Breath
Paul links two things together that we usually don’t;
1. Food
2. Sexual immorality
They may be seen as appetites but in context of
Corinth, both were used in worship of idols.

5. 1 Corinthians 8:1–13
1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know
that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes
arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he
knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to
know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 4
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to
idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in
the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even
if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or

6. on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many
lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from
whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord,
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist
through Him. 7 However not all men have this
knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol
until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol;
and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But food
will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse
if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9 But take
care that this liberty of yours does not somehow
become a stumbling block to the weak.

7. 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
so, 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, so that I will not cause my
brother to stumble.

8. Notice
Part of the pagan worship in Corinth was centered
around feasting.

9. 1 Corinthians 10:23–33
23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.
All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 24 Let no
one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. 25 Eat
anything that is sold in the meat market without asking
questions for conscience’ sake; 26 FOR THE EARTH IS THE
LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. 27 If one of the unbelievers
invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set
before you without asking questions for conscience’
sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat

10. sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one
who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; 29 I mean
not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why
is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I
partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered
concerning that for which I give thanks? 31 Whether,
then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jews or to
Greeks or to the church of God; 33 just as I also please
all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the
profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

11. Cultural context
The practice of selling off surplus meat from idol
sacrifices was used to support the local shrines.

13. Key Verses
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are
profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be
mastered by anything.
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All
things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one
seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

14. Christian Liberties
The freedom to do
whatever you want in any
matter the Bible does not
address.
NO!
But take care that this
liberty of yours does not
somehow become a
stumbling block to the
weak.

15. All things are lawful
 Not controlled by anything
 Edify myself
 Edify others

16. Dietary concerns
Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food,
but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is
not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for
the body.
Kosher
Sacrificial food

17. Two contrasting views
Greek
Body is evil, doesn’t matter
Spirit is good, all that maters
Jewish
Body is God’s
Legalistic approach for holiness

18. Limits
Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and
the Lord is for the body.
Avoid what is sexually unlawful
Immorality was linked to food in Corinth
Use your body to glorify God

19. Christian Liberties
All things are lawful
Except what is forbidden
Not a license to sin

20. Christian Liberties
All things aren’t profitable
Make a comparison
Does this make me better?

21. Christian Liberties
But I will not be mastered by anything
Mastered-to have the right or authority to control
Does this control me?
Can I stop?
Am I willing to give this up?

22. God’s backyard
This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint
upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to
secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:35

23. Put this in context
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,
and you are not your own? For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NKJV)
The two elements of pagan worship
You belong to God, bought and paid for.

24. Christian Liberty Concept #1
Glorify God in all I do

25. Next
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that
we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but
love edifies.
1 Corinthians 8:1
Knowledge
Love

26. Things
sacrificed
to idols
…we know that there is no such
thing as an idol in the world, and
that there is no God but one…yet
for us there is but one God, the
Father, from whom are all things
and we exist for Him; and one Lord,
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things,
and we exist through Him.
1 Corinthians 8:4b;6
There is only God, everything else is
make-believe

27. Here’s knowledge
However not all men have this knowledge; but some,
being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it
were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being
weak is defiled.
1 Corinthians 8:7
Superior knowledge-pride; lack of love
Inferior experience

28. Remember
the two
elements of
pagan
worship?
But take care that this liberty of
yours does not somehow become a
stumbling block to the weak.
1 Corinthians 8:9
Cause the new believer to fall back
to idolatry

29. Reasoning
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?
For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined,
the brother for whose sake Christ died.
1 Corinthians 8:10–11
Lack of understanding leads to destruction

30. He who is weak is ruined
Through an act to bring destruction on oneself
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world
and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in
exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26

31. Your actions have consequences
You sin against your brother
You sin against Christ

32. What can we
substitute for meat?
What do I do that may cause a
weaker Christian to stumble?
Is there anything I do that others
might see as sinful?
Any activity that might be a gateway
activity for a new christian
Therefore, if food
causes my brother to
stumble, I will never
eat meat again, so that
I will not cause my
brother to stumble.
1 Corinthians 8:13

33. Christian Liberty Concept #2
Because of my love for others, I will not
cause a weaker Christian to fall.

34. Final food thought
All things are lawful, but not all
things are profitable. All things are
lawful, but not all things edify.
1 Corinthians 10:23
Profitable
Edify

35. Christian Liberty
Let no one seek his
own good, but that
of his neighbor.
1 Corinthians 10:24
How does this edify
my neighbor?

36. Follow the progression
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to
go, eat anything that is set before you without asking
questions for conscience’ sake.
1 Corinthians 10:27
Relationship building
Don’t play detective
“This was offered to an idol”

37. Your conscience?
I mean not your own
conscience, but the other
man’s; for why is my
freedom judged by
another’s conscience?
1 Corinthians 10:29
Each of us, under the
leadership of the Holy
Spirit, must define the
boundaries of our self-
limitation for others, out
of love and respect for
Christ

38. Corinth meal etiquette
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do
all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whatever you do, is it glorifying to God?

39. Corinth meal etiquette
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the
church of God;
1 Corinthians 10:32
Does it hurt the church?

40. Actions have consequences
just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my
own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may
be saved.
1 Corinthians 10:33
My actions have an impact on the unsaved/unchurched

41. Christian Liberty Concept #3
My actions should have a positive
impact on others

42. Our take away
1. Does it control me or edify me?
2. Does it build up my neighbor?
3. Could it be a stumbling block to others?
4. How can I act to lead others to Christ?

43. What’s on the
Menu?
1 Corinthians 6:12–20; 8:1–13; 10:23–33