Many Christians see the world in black and white, and spend their lives seeking to perfectly understand the specific “thou shalt nots” in every circumstance. The problem is that Christianity is not about rules, but about relationship – not just between God and man, but between the body of Christ and the people He came to save. We can’t apply scientific principles and come out perfectly with the right answer every time, because we must take into account things like mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Christianity is an art, not a science.
Paul’s system of ethics is on one hand radically egalitarian – men and women, masters and slaves, Jews and Greeks, Caesar and subjects, all are equal in the eyes of God. On the other hand, his sociology is pretty complementarian – within society, within communities, we should live within the roles we are handed, partly for our own contentment, but also to “seek the good of others.”
Here, Paul is addressing the troubled Corinthian church, which seems to be quoting Paul’s own words on grace back to him. He acknowledges the truth of grace, but presses the point that using your freedom to be a jerk is the antithesis of the love of Christ.
On one hand, don’t be a jerk to nonbelievers who serve you meat. But also, if a nonbeliever sets you up to eat meat that they have told you had been consecrated to idols, don’t play their game. Even though it is not, fundamentally, wrong, it would be wrong in that context. It matters, to some degree, how we as Christians are perceived.
There are lots of things Christ taught clearly that are going to be offensive, from the exclusivity of the gospel to eternal judgement. We should not add offenses to this list unnecessarily. Being a jerk is not the same as offending for the sake of the gospel.
Our ultimate goal, per the Westminster Confession, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In all our interactions, with Christians and non-Christians, we are seeking the glory of God.
We get images of this in Exodus, where God’s presence is revealed first on a glowing cloud, then in the tabernacle. God’s presence is His glory. We see it in the provision of manna for the people of Israel – God’s actions are His glory. And finally, the image of God reflected from His creation, that is also His glory.
Jesus was the ultimate picture of that glory, the unification of God’s presence, actions and image, in the form of a human being. In the story on the Transfiguration, Jesus gives his disciples and us a picture of that glory. And Jesus calls and empowers us to also display the presence, actions and image of God. This means the way we behave should serve to draw people closer to God.
What does this look like? First, confession of sin. The ugliest pictures of Christians are those who are hypocrites and pretend to be perfect – exactly too opposite of the confession and repentance we are called to.
Second, through good deeds. We are called to do such good things in the world that even the pagans must acknowledge and, ultimately, glorify God.
Third, through our words, elevating God and others. Fourth. Through suffering and persevering through persecution and other troubles.
What all of these have in common is that they are ways to make God look good. We should display pictures of God’s goodness to anyone who looks at us.
– Sermon Notes, Brent Rood, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, June 11, 2017
1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1
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