Faith is also about what we do about essentials and non-essentials.
There are truths in the gospel we must cling to because our faith needs the solid foundation upon which we stand and which makes the difference between life and death. Our foundation is Jesus and His work on earth for us, from beginning to end. This is non-negotiable.
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11 NLT
There are also practices we engage in that don’t affect the foundation of our faith but do affect our fellowship with other believers. Paul addresses these non-essentials in the next section. These considerations were mostly cultural in Paul’s day but have their counterpart in our day.
In Paul’s day, a big issue for God’s children in a pagan society was idolatry. How were God’s people to navigate life in which pagan sacrifices dominated everything, including shopping for their daily food? Paul said, in broad terms, that idols were nothing. Eating meat offered to idols had no impact on Christians except…and here was the catch…how it affected what they believed and, subsequently, how they treated one another.
Here’s how it worked. If some Christians believed that eating meat offered to idols was wrong…to do so would offend their conscience. If others, who had no such scruples, ate so-called “contaminated” meat in their presence, the sensitive ones would be offended. So, Paul counselled, it would be unloving of a brother or sister, who had no issues with eating meat offered to idols, to do so in the presence of someone with a more sensitive conscience.
Which is more important…to protect love and preserve peace…or to insist on one’s own rights? The answer, for the sake of fellowship, is obvious. Eating or not eating meat offered to idols does not affect one’s salvation but it does affect the harmony among believers in the body of Christ.
Similarly, there are traditions that form part of our belief system, for example, the celebration of Christmas and Easter with the pagan beliefs and practices that have crept in over many centuries. Some people cling to these practices as a part of their faith in Jesus. Others recognise their pagan origins and refuse to participate in pagan celebrations…sometimes even making such a big thing of it that it becomes a contentious issue between believers.
“In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.”
Romans 14:5-6, 8-9 NLT
Paul says “Wait a minute! Take a step back and look at the bigger picture.” In a letter to the Corinthian church, he had
written…
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
This is not about the nitty-gritty of what you do or don’t do. It’s about serving the Lord in whatever you do or don’t do. If Jesus is your Lord, your supreme authority, do whatever you do in a way that honours Him. We honour Him best when we waive our rights out of love for others. We dishonour Him when we fight for our rights at the expense of loving others.
These are day-to-day issues that don’t affect our salvation but they do affect what our salvation should produce…a loving, serving body of people who honour Jesus by honouring one another.
To be continued