Freedom is a Gift

Today’s reading: 1 Corinthians 8

“But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we exist for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.” - 1 Corinthians 8:6

Writing about this verse, Leon Morris says, “We came from him and we live for him; he is our origin and goal.”

Paul is using this incredible language to describe the unimportance associated with other gods. Idols, though they can be very distracting to our worship of the true God, aren’t real. They carry no weight. Jesus Christ, active in creation and alive today; He’s the One who has given us life.

So we are free! Free to eat or drink whatever we’d like.

Yet in verse 9, Paul lays out his own conviction. Our freedom is not a license. Our freedom from Jesus is a gift, and it is to be handled with care and respect for others.

Would you be so stubborn as to exercise your freedom at the expense of someone else?

Paul chose “no” as his response. We should consider it as well.