Of Food and Freedom

Beloved, I want to discuss an area which has confused me a lot in the past but thanks to God that today by His Grace I no longer stand divided in my mind. God is “Jehovah Shalom”, God our Peace; it does not mean that He give us peace; He IS our Peace. On this note I would also encourage you to look to Jesus whenever you are troubled or confused and He will guard your hearts and minds with His shalom peace (Philippians 4:7). Amen!

This is about food offered or sacrificed to idols or the “prashad” which many of us have been offered some time or the other in the past. I have always avoided taking this and many a times been confused my conscience, not by partaking of this food but by seeing believers who partake of this food openly.

Now let me point out that those who believe in Jesus and yet partake of this are under no condemnation, for they give thanks to God and because He has made all things clean, “the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof” (1 Corinthians 10:26).

The problem, beloved was my weak conscience and lack of knowledge.

Let us look at what Paul says. With regard to food sacrificed to idols the first thing he says is, “with regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1) Hallelujah!! The wisdom of God!! Powerful!!

Beloved the knowledge of freedom too can cause us to become ignorant of people who lack it. So this is why the Holy Spirit brings this up, we who have the knowledge that idols are nothing in this world (1 Corinthians 8:4), no food is unclean (1 Corinthians 10:25-27), and food does not cause  us to go closer to or farther from God (1 Corinthians 8:8)  -  must “be careful that this liberty of ours does not become a hindrance to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9)

Yes, all food is clean but as Paul says “everything is not beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Regarding food, I wish to tell you as Paul did, “Eat everything that is available in the marketplace” (1 Corinthians 10:35) but meditate on what Jesus told Satan when he asked Him to turn the stones into bread (Matthew 4:3-4). Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 saying “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. Let me point out to you that in the original Hebrew text, the word “word” is not there. Instead it reads, “man shall not live by bread alone but by everything (every vibration) that comes from the mouth of God”!! Hallelujah!! So I can safely quote that “food is not even NECESSARY!!” Jehovah sustains us by His word.

Coming back to food offered to idols, let us see how Paul expands on this topic in 1 Corinthians 10. He says by the Holy Spirit that idols are nothing but demons and that the pagans (unbelievers) offer sacrifices to them. So it is impossible for us to partake at the table of the Lord and that of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20-22) The Spirit knew that we can be alarmed by this so He says in the very next verse that all things are good and that all food is good (1 Corinthians 10:25-26), and even when you are invited to the house of an unbeliever do not hesitate to eat whatever is offered to you (1 Corinthians 10:27). And then Paul adds, that if an unbeliever (or a weak believer at any other time) happens to mention that a particular food has been offered to idols, then do not eat it (1 Corinthians 10:28). Not for the sake of defiling yourself (because you can never be defiled by what you eat or do not eat) but for the sake of the other person whose conscience is weak. (1 Corinthians 10:29)

Beloved, Paul says that if by eating a certain type of food we cause a weak brother to fall into sin, it is better to avoid that food. (1 Corinthians 8:13)

You now possess the knowledge regarding food sacrificed to idols, now let us look at love. Beloved, love builds up. This knowledge is useless without love because we can now easily exercise this knowledge, become puffed up and end up causing many with weak consciences to fall into sin and confusion. So how do we exercise this love.

The answer is in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more.

And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews. To those who are under the Law, I became as under the Law, so that I might gain those who are under the Law.

To those who are outside Law, I became as outside Law (not being outside law to God, but under the Law to Christ), so that I might gain those who are outside Law.

To the weak I became as the weak, so that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some.

This is love. The love that builds up lies in us exercising our knowledge (the freedom from guilt regarding what we eat or do not eat) to go and be with unbelievers and weak believers, to eat what they eat and be with them to proclaim the Gospel to them, so that they too might one day be free in Jesus' name. Amen!!

So those of you, who are new believers, do not hesitate to eat the “prashad” offered to you at home. Give thanks (for He has made all food clean) and partake lest you lose the opportunity to testify about Jesus at your own homes. And to believers in Christ who are under no such compulsion, you are free to exercise this knowledge but do so in love for your fellow believers who are weak.

Shalom!!